Online learning is on the rise, not just for formal academic courses but for artistic pursuits as well. The Internet has become a virtual university for those who would like to expand their horizons in different fields including music. For example, it is never too late to learn how to play the guitar. You could take private lessons but this might not always be ideal due to cost, scheduling, and various other issues. It’s a good thing that there are plenty of high quality online guitar lesson providers. In this article, we compare two of the biggest names: Jamplay vs Artistworks.
Features
Jamplay specializes in guitar lessons whereas ArtistWorks offers course on several instruments. This focus makes the former the ideal destination if you are similarly single-minded. On the other hand, the latter is better if you are trying to be a more well-rounded musician. In terms of content, there is no contest as Jamplay is way ahead in terms of the volume of lessons and number of instructors. Anyone should be able to find whatever they are looking for if they search hard enough. The large pool of teachers also mean that there are always good options no matter which approach is preferred.
Value-added features are also available for members of these sites. As for Jamplay, there is a massive library filled with chords, scales, tracks, licks, and riffs for the students’ reference. These are extremely helpful for learners of all levels from beginners to advanced. Progress reports are also available so that individuals can monitor their improvements. These can be customized and updated at any time. Lessons may be bookmarked for reviews. People may also write notes which is crucial when trying to master difficult things. There are even games designed to train students in various skills such as fretboard memorization, note recognition, and music notation.
ArtistWorks doesn’t quite have as much student resources but they do have a solid library of core lessons. If you are only after instructions, then this should not be an issue. Just find chords, scales, and tracks elsewhere on the Internet. What it does have in its favor is the Video Exchange Technology which allows members to upload practice videos to the site. Teachers can watch these and provide responses for additional learning. The responses will be made available to other students so that everyone can benefit from the comments of the teachers.
Program Formats
Jamplay provides a complete suite of lessons for guitar learners. Beginners can take basic lessons to build their foundation on the acoustic and the electric guitars. Those who are already familiar with the fundamentals may want to increase their knowledge of various genres including rock, country, blues, funk, metal, gospel, fingerstyle, and R&B. If you have specific skills that you wish to work on, then pick any of the more than a thousand lessons available to fill the gaps in your armor. For fun, you can also check out videos and interactive tabs that explain how to play some of the biggest hits. Master classes are also there for highly experienced guitarists who know that there’s always room to improve.
ArtistWorks is quite different in that there are much fewer guitar courses although each goes into quite a depth to ensure that all bases are covered. Each course goes methodically from fundamentals to intermediate to advanced. Additional power tools are tacked at the end for further training. Despite the smaller number of instructors and lessons, the quality of each is at a high level. These can still be adequate for certain people if the style of instruction is more to their liking. For every topic, there will be a more consistent tone from the basics to the masters lessons.
Pricing
Jamplay only asks $19.95 per month for full membership and access to all content. You could also pay per year and get substantial savings. Those who wish to avail of one-on-one consultations with teachers can get the Year Pro subscription at a premium. Artistworks, on the other hand, has a more complicated pricing structure. It starts at $105 for 3 months for the Basic plan, $179 for 6 months for the Select plan, and $279 per year for the Unlimited plan.
Conclusion
If you are on a limited budget or not yet ready to commit to long-term plans, then Jamplay provides the better option. It is much easier to shell out the monthly fees for their membership, especially since this is already an all-access pass. ArtistWorks demand more while providing less perks for lower tier plans. For beginners, Jamplay seems like a much better deal.