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Guitar Tricks Review (2026): Who It Is For, What You Get, and What to Know Before the Trial

Patrick Lawlor· 11 min read

Photo: Shixart1985 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (cropped)

Guitar Tricks is one of the longest-running online guitar lesson platforms. Here is what it includes, who it suits, and how the trial works — with an affiliate disclosure up front.

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Affiliate disclosure: The Guitar Plugged is a Guitar Tricks affiliate. If you sign up through the Guitar Tricks links on this page, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Guitar Tricks did not sponsor, review or approve this article, and every fact about the service below comes from Guitar Tricks' own website.

What Guitar Tricks is

Guitar Tricks has been teaching guitar online since 1998, and says it has coached more than 4 million members. According to its own site, the library holds more than 11,000 lessons plus hundreds of song tutorials, taught on video with tabs and notation alongside.

The service is organized around three pieces: the Core Learning System (a sequenced beginner-to-intermediate curriculum), style paths, and a song library. Guitar Tricks' FAQ also describes optional video feedback on your playing and optional one-on-one Zoom lessons with instructors at additional cost.

The Core Learning System

The Core Learning System starts with Fundamentals Level 1 and Level 2, then branches into style courses: Blues, Rock, Acoustic and Country, each with a Level 1 and Level 2. The published lesson counts on Guitar Tricks' homepage course cards at the time of our research:

  • Fundamentals 1: 160 lessons
  • Fundamentals 2: 208 lessons
  • Blues 1: 140 lessons
  • Blues 2: 176 lessons
  • Rock 1: 245 lessons
  • Rock 2: 259 lessons
  • Acoustic 1: 232 lessons
  • Acoustic 2: 236 lessons
  • Country 1: 235 lessons
  • Country 2: 174 lessons

Those counts can change as Guitar Tricks adds or reorganizes lessons, so treat them as a snapshot rather than a guarantee.

Song library

Alongside the courses, Guitar Tricks publishes hundreds of song tutorials. Song lessons use multi-angle video with tabs and notation, so you can see both hands and follow along on the page. Guitar Tricks points complete beginners to Fundamentals first, so they have the basic chords and technique before tackling full songs.

Tools and apps

Guitar Tricks includes built-in practice tools: a tuner, chord finder, scale finder, metronome and chord chart. There are apps for Apple and Android devices, and Guitar Tricks recommends signing up on the web first before using the apps.

Trial, membership, and guarantee

Guitar Tricks describes a 14-day free trial of Full Access. Full Access is the membership that opens the lesson library, offered on monthly or annual billing. We are not listing prices here because they can change; check the current options on Guitar Tricks' upgrade page before you commit.

Guitar Tricks' FAQ states a 60-day money-back guarantee: if you are unhappy within the first 60 days of membership, it says it will issue a full refund. Per Guitar Tricks' Terms, memberships renew automatically until you cancel, so set a reminder before your trial or billing period ends if you decide it is not for you.

Start a Guitar Tricks 14-day free trial (affiliate link; we may earn a commission).

Who Guitar Tricks suits

Good fit:

  • Beginners who want a clear, sequenced path instead of hunting for random videos
  • Returning players who want structure to rebuild fundamentals
  • Players who like learning songs with video, tabs and notation together
  • Anyone who wants to pick a style lane (blues, rock, acoustic or country) and follow it

Look elsewhere if:

  • You want an entirely free resource — search JustinGuitar, a widely used free course
  • You prefer a game-style app that listens to you play in real time
  • You want weekly accountability from a live teacher above all else
  • You already read well and only need occasional song transcriptions

How we use Guitar Tricks on TGP

TGP Lessons are free to read, and some guides point to Guitar Tricks when a video course is the clearest next step. That is a recommendation based on fit, not a sponsorship. If you are still weighing options, our guide to the best online guitar lessons in 2026 compares structured video, free guides, apps and live teachers.

Bottom line

Guitar Tricks is a long-running, structured video curriculum with a large song library. The 14-day free trial and the 60-day money-back window Guitar Tricks describes give you room to test whether its teaching style fits how you practice. If you want to start free first, browse TGP Lessons.

Why Trust The Guitar Plugged

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  • A community of 50,000+ guitar enthusiasts across platforms
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