Are the days of boring old guitar lessons going the way of the dinosaurs? If GuitarQuest is any indication, the future of guitar instruction is indeed epic!

Note: For the purposes of this article, I was granted full access to Guitareo features. As some links are affiliated, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

GuitarQuest Summary

Editor’s Rating

(4.5 / 5)

Designed to give beginners a rocket-fueled start to playing, GuitarQuest is available as its own standalone course for a one-time fee of $197, or as a Training Pack that comes bundled with a Guitareo subscription.

GuitarQuest Course and Membership Offers

As a standalone course

$197 one time

VIEW

Included with a subscription

$127 per year

VIEW

Guitar Quest Takes a Different Approach

Probably the most concise description of what Guitar Quest is and attempts to accomplish comes from within the Guitareo program itself:

Guitar Quest takes you on an adventure as you play shows, shoot music videos, make commercial jingles, and most importantly have a lot of fun making a lot of music. It just so happens you’ll learn all of the basics of the guitar along the way.

Guitareo

If the course description sounds unique – that’s because it is.

Yes, it’s another guitar course aimed at beginners, but I’ve never come across another guitar program that combines entertainment, fun, creativity, theatrics and musicality all in the same package.

Based on the concept of dividing core guitar skills into nine advancing levels, Guitar Quest leads you through a virtual theme park of “Missions”.

Each mission (chapter) in the adventure is broken down into individual lesson videos that leverage Rob Scallon’s insightful, and thorough, approach to teaching.

At face value you may get the impression the course is primarily electric but acoustic guitar is indeed thoroughly injected by the time you reach mission 4: “Campfire Chords”.

From a traditional point of view, Guitar Quest seems to intentionally avoid all conventional elements of teaching guitar. Yet in retrospect, it works!

Having reviewed all sections of the program, I found it still packed a punch when it came to covering the basics of playing and beyond – with a twist. Most of all, it was entertaining and fun.

Who is Rob Scallon?

You may be familiar with Rob Scallon, the madman behind the concept, through his YouTube channel.

As a producer and multi-instrumentalist based out of Chicago, he’s best known for his unique approach to making music with, well, just about anything with strings on it.

With over 400 uploaded videos, many with millions of viral views, Rob’s approach in general could be described as “wacky”. A blend of pop, metal and mayhem sprinkled over just about any cultural inspiration you can think of.

With that kind of background, it’s no wonder Guitar Quest was born this way…

How Much is Guitar Quest?

Guitar Quest is available as its own stand-alone course for a one-time fee of $197, or as a Training Pack that comes bundled with a Guitareo lifetime membership.

While doing research for this article, some forum members mentioned they had started with the Guitar Quest course, then transitioned into a Guitareo membership.

Considering the array of bundled programs, a Guitareo lifetime membership makes a whole lotta sense when you do the math. It’s just a matter of keeping your eyes open and grabbing the offer when it comes around.

What’s the Difference Between Guitareo and GuitarQuest?

First off, it’s important to understand that there is a very clear hierarchy to the entities that govern the courses.

The topmost company is Musora Media Inc which controls a number of music instructional platforms, one of which is Guitareo, and under the Guitareo umbrella we have GuitarQuest.

While Guitareo’s Method course is a well-conceived traditional approach to learning guitar quickly and efficiently, GuitarQuest focuses on the fun side of making music from the get go.

Instead of trudging through an academic, black and white guitar course, you’re plunged into colorful scenarios that illustrate how you can creatively apply your new guitar skills as you’re actively learning.

With its unique spin, GuitarQuest still manages to cover the basics in a very entertaining and practical way.

For a better idea of what Guitareo is all about, you may be interested in reading the complete review here.

How Does GuitarQuest Compare to Other Programs?

That’s a tough question. GuitarQuest is kind of in a league all its own. It’s like asking how does Rick Nielsen’s Uncle Dick double neck Hamer compare to a “normal’ guitar?

But seriously, there are other personality driven courses out there, like JustinGuitar for example, but nothing quite like this. What GuitarQuest lacks in breadth and scope, it makes up for in creative concept and execution.

Inside the GuitarQuest Program

The GuitarQuest course is broken down into nine color-coded chapters or missions:

1. Song in an Hour
2. The Jam Session
3. Music Video Shoot
4. Campfire Chords
5. Selling Out
6. The Punk Show
7. The Recording Studio
8. Play Anything
9. The Final Boss

Clicking on a thumbnail opens another full page containing further subsections for that mission. Each relatively short explainer video then walks you through the topic covering it in logical bite-size pieces.

Example: Chapter 1 – Play a Show

This section, as expected covers the basics.

The aim is to get enough info into your head and under your fingers to be reasonably familiar with the guitar.

The ultimate goal is to be able to pull off a performance; a “SONG IN AN HOUR” – from scratch.

Thanks to Rob’s approach yes, it is possible.

Further Chapters and Observations

As the course progresses, students are introduced to more and more branches of the musical tree.

Where most of us would expect to start with the roots and focus on strictly guitar related elements, GuitarQuest manages to weave in more complex topics very early on.

For instance, song structure is covered in Chapter 3, chord changes and transitions in Chapter 4, palm muting and vibrato in Chapter 5 and so on.

The course even covers where to find guitar tabs, a little theory and practical exercises. Finally culminating in Chapter 9 “The Boss”, a pseudo-Misirlou mashup that puts it all together.

Along the way, Rob is able to take elementary guitar principles and turn them into very musical constructs in their own right.

My Personal Thoughts on GuitarQuest

After reviewing a majority of popular guitar courses currently available, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like GuitarQuest.

For a new student, the entertainment factor is very high. Rob Scallon is very personable with a great sense of humour and teaching style that’s concise and entertaining.

The complete series is quirky, tongue-in-cheek (at times cheesy), yet extraordinarily educational. Moreover, it’s a qualified study on teaching guitar outside the box.

But beyond the exceptional concept, presentation and execution of the course there are a few caveats to consider:

1. GuitarQuest relies heavily on one person’s ability to carry the show.
2. If you don’t gel with Rob’s personality, you may have a hard time getting the value you expect.
3. Some students may find the leap to creativity a little beyond their means.

Negative points aside, I feel the pros outweigh the cons – by a long shot.

In terms of sheer creative output, GuitarQuest is a testament on how you can use modern ingredients and mix them together to cook up an entirely new recipe for learning guitar.

The result? No more boring lessons!

Editor’s Rating 4.5/5

The post GuitarQuest Review: No More Boring Lessons first appeared on GuitarNiche.