Jamplay Review: Scam or Vital Piece of Your Guitar Arsenal?   by InfinityTimes82

#1913 in Music
Rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic (by 6 people)   Your rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic

If you're sick of paying up to $50/hour for guitar lessons or you just want to learn guitar online with videos, JamPlay could be your solution!

JamPlay is unlike any other online guitar lesson service. With it, you'll get unlimited access to every video lesson they offer (1,000's) for an extremely low rate of $19.95/month!

You can watch each lesson as many times as you need to learn the techniques & songs, and move up in their fantastic program at your own pace!

Would you rather pay $50/HOUR or $20/MONTH? 

Ok...Before we get to my review of JamPlay, I want you to think about something. Bare with me for just a second, because this is important:

Hundreds of thousands of people out there pay a per hour rate for music lessons. There's really nothing wrong with it, and it only makes sense to pay the teacher for the hands-on help.

But, if the instructor could record all of the lessons on video, he could give you all of the videos, and keep making more all the time, and only charge $20/month for it!

Well, it is still a matter of opinion, so which would you rather have?

Loading poll. Please Wait...

How I Found JamPlay 

So here's my story: I've been playing guitar for about 9 years now, and I feel like I've gotten a lot better in the last couple years. I started out on a Delta acoustic guitar I got for $10 from a garage sale, and slowly moved up to a Gretsch electric from my Dad. I played in a band for about 4 years, and loved playing rock/punk garage band stuff. (Good times...)

After a few years, I decided to dip into the acoustic realm, and saved up for a Takamine Acoustic/Electric, and I absolutely love it! Ever since, I have been more into acoustic and singer/songwriter music, but I still have the Rock inside me. ;)

Once I decided to get more into guitar as a hobby, I wanted to find something online that would help me learn guitar without having to pay for lessons.

So, after hours and hours of research, I finally found something called Jamorama. It's an awesome course, and for $39.95 I was able to learn more than I could have from dozens of $20 half-hour lessons.

Then, I got excited about people learning guitar online, and joined Squidoo to help spread the word about some sweet guitar courses.

People took onto it, so I created my own guitar web class to help people get going with their guitar playing for free.

After hundreds of people have gone through the course, some have brought some other guitar courses to my attention. JamPlay is one of those courses.

So, to be fair, help my members out, and check out a new guitar resource for myself, I decided to join JamPlay and post my review of the program on this page!

The Online Guitar Course Advantage: JamPlay 

Out with the old, in with the new; online guitar lessons are revolutionizing the way the world is learning to play. Streaming video has given people the ability to learn from the convenience of their own home, anytime they'd like. In this article, I will briefly touch upon the main advantages & disadvantages of this method.

 
Advantage: Convenience

It's hard to put a price on convenience. Imagine how nice your life would be if you could do everything from home: shop, work, learn, exercise, etc. With the increases in internet speeds, home education is no longer a wishful future. High quality videos are now able to be streamed to you at your own PC.

Traditional methods of guitar lessons require the students to commute to schools or studios for their lessons. With a 30-minute or 30-mile commute each way, you can plan on burning up an hour of your time & a bit of gas just to get to the lesson. Beyond that, you have to pack up your guitar, amplifier, pedals, and any other equipment you need. You are also required to get there for a set appointment. With online lessons, you are able to take the lessons whenever you want without having to go anywhere - there are no restrictions.

 
Advantage: Choose Your Instructor

With an online guitar lesson site such as JamPlay, you are presented with a variety of instructors. You can check out the biography of each one and watch some sample lessons to decide which person is the best fit for you. You can watch any lesson from any instructor anytime you'd like - there are no limitations.

Beyond the personality appeal of each instructor, you should consider their teaching style. You may like the way a person acts, but their style may not mesh well with the way you learn. Some teachers are visual while others are hands on. Instructors are also usually very genre-specific. It is rare to find a person that knows multiple styles in and out (such as metal, bluegrass, and blues). With a site like JamPlay, you can learn all of these styles by checking out other instructors.

 
Advantage: Flexible Lesson Sets

There's nothing more irritating than learning only what somebody else wants to teach you. Sometimes an instructor will be very stubborn & will teach the same curriculum regardless of what the student prefers. This makes for a rather dull lesson set & takes a lot of fun away from the learning experience. With the multi-instructor approach with online lessons, you are able to pick & choose exactly what you want to learn. Unlike other methods (books, DVDs, in-person), we allow you to decide what you learn; you decide, we teach.

 
Advantage: Very Affordable

One of the most important things to consider is value. Nobody wants to spend a ton of money to learn to play guitar. With in-person instruction, you are looking at anywhere from $20 to $60 per half hour lesson.

The business model for an online membership website allows the company to provide more content for less money. For example, let's say a website has 100 members paying $10 each. This means they would generate $1000 in revenue. They can then use that revenue to film even more lessons. It is impossible for one instructor to teach 100 different people a handful of lessons every month. This time saved with the use of computers allows the business to serve more customers with less overhead.

As the customer, you're getting an incredible value. You will receive dozens of hours of instruction for only $19.95. Compare that with a half hour of instruction for the same price (if you can find a cheap teacher) & the numbers speak for themselves. (Once again: would you rather pay $20-$50 per HOUR or $20/month?!)

 
Disadvantage: Less Extensive Interaction

If you are taking lessons with an in-person instructor, you are able to instantly ask questions about a lesson/technique & receive a response right away. This type of interaction is a valuable tool when learning to play.

To try to bridge this gap, JamPlay has initiated a new concept: Video Q&A. If you have a question about anything, you can submit it to us via email. We will then film the response from an instructor & post the answer/mini-lesson online for you to see. The response time isn't quite as good as if you were sitting next to the person, but it is still quite helpful.

Tough Decision?

Having trouble deciding which guitar lesson course is best for you? Check out the epic battle of the best online guitar courses here:

Top Guitar Courses Compared

JamPlay Frequently Asked Questions 

...and answers, of course!

Have a question about JamPlay ? Wondering how it works or what makes it different? No problem! Here are all the answers you need:
  1. Q: What is Jamplay.com?

    A: "JamPlay is a website that specializes in teaching guitar lessons through video and accompanying images and text. For a small monthly fee you can get access to over 15 hours of video guitar lessons, which makes JamPlay the most cost effective way to learn, period. New lessons are also added on a weekly basis, which means there will always be new content for you to enjoy."

  2. Q: If I purchase a monthly membership, can I upgrade it later?

    A: "Of course. You can upgrade your monthly membership to a quarterly or annual membership anytime you'd like. This option is available on your account settings page once you become a member."

  3. Q: What's the deal with your 100% Money Back guarantee?

    A: "We are so confident in our product that we will offer you an unconditional, no questions asked refund if you are not happy with our product. Simply contact us using the "Contact" link anywhere on the page and your refund will be processed immediately. Refund requests must be made in the first 7 days of membership." Also, JamPlay allows you to cancel at anytime, so if you find after a couple weeks that you don't want to spend the money anymore, the worst that can happen is that it cost you $19.95 to find out. Plus, you would still have gotten a month's worth of lessons from them, which is much more than you could get from $20 worth of private lessons!

  4. Q: Can you explain your $19.95 offer?

    A: "Absolutely! We currently offer all of our content for as little as 19.95 per month. That's only 67 cents per day for the ultimate in guitar learning! You can cancel your account at anytime if you do not wish for your subscription to renew any longer. Click here to Sign up Now for $19.95."

  5. Q: How many teachers does JamPlay have?

    A: "We currently have 7 teachers and are in the process of finding more qualified professionals to teach our high quality, interactive guitar lessons. Each of our instructors teaches their own personal set of guitar lessons that focus on their strengths and knowledge. This means a huge variety and different ways of looking at things for our members." (For more information on JamPlay instructors, see JamPlay Teachers section below.)

  6. Q: Do you ever add new lessons?

    A: "Yes, of course we add new lessons! In fact, we generally add at least one lesson a week and often more. JamPlay will never be complete and will always be receiving updates in the form of new instructors and new lessons so that you can rest assured there will always be something new to learn."

  7. Q: How long are your lessons?

    A: "Our average lesson is around 30 minutes long from start to finish. Some lessons are 15 minutes and some are 60, it really depends on the subject matter and teacher of the content. Regardless you may feel safe in your purchase knowing that you are not simply getting a website which offers a random collection of 2 minute clips. Rather you will get in depth, step by step lessons to guide you smoothly and easily on your journey in the world of the guitar."

  8. Q: Can I Ask an Instructor a Question?

    A: "A membership to JamPlay allows you ask our instructors your questions. Each and every week at JamPlay.com, our instructors answer members questions on our website. Exclusive only to our service, enjoy the benefits of face-to-face instructors and the conveniences of our online community. Ask us your questions and get the answers you need."

  9. Q: Do I need anything special to watch your videos?

    A: "The only thing you need to enjoy the JamPlay guitar learning experience is a computer and a broadband internet connection. Broadband internet includes satellite internet, cable modem and dsl. A fast connection is required because of the extreme quality of our videos. If you have any questions on whether or not your computer or internet connection will play our videos probably be sure to use our contact link and ask."

  10. Q: Can I watch the Lessons anytime?

    A: "Absolutely, you can view any of our lessons any time of the day, any day of the week, 24/7. You can also view any lesson as many times as you want, there is zero restriction on how many times you are allowed to view any of our lessons. Each and every lesson is also broken down by chapter, allowing you to skip through any section you may already be familiar with, or pause and replay any section you may need to spend extra time on."

  11. Q: Will JamPlay work on a Mac?

    A: "JamPlay will work wonderfully on both a Mac and PC." This is one of the many benefits of having the entire lesson library online. (Also, you'll be able to log into your account from anywhere: school, a friend's house, or from a laptop at band practice!)

  12. Q: How do I cancel my membership?

    A: "If you should wish to cancel your membership for any reason please use our contact form and we will get it taken care of as soon as possible." Very few members decide to cancel because of the quality and low-cost of the membership, but if you need to, it's a very simple task."

  13. Q: How is JamPlay different from other online guitar courses?

    A: With 14 instructors (and counting!) that can offer private support on specific styles they've mastered, a forum community of fellow guitarists honing their skills, and video lessons constantly being added to the massive library, JamPlay makes learning guitar easy and fun.

Jamplay Review Wrap-Up 

So if you have decided that paying $19.95/month for the all-access pass into the members' area of Jamplay is worth it for you, then go ahead and give it a shot!

Believe me: it'll be worth your time and money. And remember, you can always cancel your membership.

So go to JamPlay.com and start learning guitar with awesome videos: