Yo Rhett,I've been spending this seclusion by playing a LOT & I've been stuck on "Mike McReady & a half-assed Peter Green"some of my videos are crap.some Good.
Really nice guitar by the way. I don't know but it looks like it's old wood.Im 47 & you tend to teach me Better than other dudes. If I lived around Atlanta I'd pay you for lessons in rhythm chords & theory. You have a knack for breaking down Theory to a normal person. All I do is play lead constantly.... I need to work on getting both going at the same time.
I've been subscribed to your channel 2 months ago and I in this video found out that you are Pink Floyd fan as I and I also learn somehing from this video. Keep up to a good work and stay safe. Cheers
1. dont grip the fretboard too hard 2. dont use the capo as a crutch 3. learn basic theory 4. play with other people ...4. find a teacher 5. learn about your gear :)
I was a longtime mediocre guitar player. One day I was jamming with a friend who is a lot better than me and he said this: "John, you don't really know how to practice. Practice is not messing around with things you already can do and having fun, practice is taking on new things that you have trouble with and mastering them..." Best piece of advice anyone ever gave me about guitar...
Absolutely correct, i might add that there is nothing wrong with practicing things you already have a grasp upon, the thing is i've seen way too many people take this advice incorrectly, like they would give up playing because they couldn't advance, the thing is they just had to practice a little more the things they thought they already knew so that they would become second nature for them and then advance to the next level that kinda was linked with what they already knew, after all playing guitar is about chaining all the techniques that you learn.
Beginners don't forget to practice the usual exercises like playing all the frets with alternate picking(forgot what it was called), spiderwalk exercise and the scales play f,g,a,b,c major scales, do all of these exercise before starting to play. Makes a lot of difference
Underrated Comment! Isn‘t the majorscale in C,D,E, etc. always the same just transported on another heigtht? I am playing since february, i know only a few things about musictheory so im not sure what do you mean with that point. I do playing almost everyday for an hour without a teacher and make similar exercises and it helps very much. Sorry for my bad english
The only thing a beginner needs is to keep playing. Often boring exercises do not help with this, so when practicing scales, get a backing track up and start playing the notes of the scale in different orders. This is how you learn to improvise
@@FrankFurther Imo speed exercises are definitely worth doing because it makes everything (not just shred and other speedy stuff) feel so much easier. 10 minutes daily can make a significant difference even for advanced players who have never really practiced technique stuff in itself.
The other thing I would add, Rhett, is learn full songs. Early on I was guilty of this. I could play the intro riff to about 1000 songs and impress my friends -- but I never really learned a whole song. That really impedes your options when playing with others. So I'd say find a song you like, and learn it. Learn the WHOLE thing -- intro, verse, chorus. bridge, solo, outro -- and learn it well until you can play it mistake free all the way through. Then learn another song. And another. And another. That itself will improve your playing and rhythm more than just about anything.
To everyone that started guitare because of quarantine, lets all take this as a chance to better our life and keep playing years after this is ended ! Good luck
I heard the person in front of me at the local shop saying her son had dusted down an old keyboard. My fiancé's son has picked up his grandad's old guitar. I think it's great! It doesn't matter if you are good at it or not, as long as you enjoy it. Playing music is good for the soul.
Yes, proper finger placement is the way to go, and will help notes ring-out - But, until those finger tips really start to harden, soft finger tips are simply going to require more pressure than hardened/callused tips. Like trying to fret with a cotton ball versus a pencil eraser.
Ah I see well that's good to know I've been going for about a week and a half, it's annoying because I've felt like I couldn't get the chords to ring without pressing hard but this makes sense
When I started (1960s), there was no money for guitar lessons and no Internet. 1 1:10 Don't play so hard. Don't press the chord on the strings. 2 3:18 Don't make the capo a crutch. Learn the note names on the fretboard and learn the difference between the major and minor chords. 3 5:41 Learning the very basics of music theory. 4 8:30 Play with other people and find a teacher. 5 10:40 Learn about the gear, especially your guitar's controls.
#1 is by far the best thing I've learned so far. I took lessons 20 years ago and stopped playing, I can only assume that was part of the reason. I'm trying again and I was quickly frustrated with how much my fingers hurt. Now I'm just frustrated that wasn't the first thing my teacher told me. 😂
10yrs ago my guitar was stolen, life got in the way, depression and a ton of other stuff hit me. I stopped playing. Fast forward to now and stuck in isolation on my birthday celebrating alone and my best mate calls me up and says he popping round. Arriving like a masked ninja and he got me a guitar for my birthday, what a legend🤘🏻. Ive played everyday and cant believe how much I've missed it, how happy its made me feel. My fingers are sore but dam its so much fun.🙏🏻💞🇬🇧
CamelliaRed my story’s not the same but it’s similar. As you said life gets in the way and I’m currently in high school so you can imagine how that goes :/ lodes of shit happened in my life when I was younger and I started distancing myself from my family, I love them and everything but I’m just really unhappy at home since I’ve always been a really independent person. I started playing piano about 5-6 years ago now and it’s kind of like and escape, same with guitar! I started playing about a year ago and I finally started getting into a routine, eating better and talking more, I’m still very aware that I’m cold (I hardly ever talk to people I don’t know/trust and if I do I’m usually quite snarky)
i was chuckling right the beginning when you said there are suddenly a lot more guitarists.... where we are living we are in total lockdown, not allowed to leave our houses... and I can hear that my neighbour obviously used to play piano.. they have dusted it off and I can hear them trying to get back in to it.. some guy over the road used to be able to play a trumpet.. he has started up, and somewhere in a house behind us is a guy with a drum set, clearly also trying to relearn how to play... .. so once this is over I need to go door to door to find them and put together the LockDown House Band...
As a music teacher, I'm high fiving all of you awesome TH-cam guitarists who talk up music theory!! It's so so so useful and important. Rock on, my friend!
@@MusicalErika hey teacher i dont know why this is happening to me but when i play chords or even when i play G with one finger it doesnt ring it seems somehow silent
hey Erika Smith. quick question, im really interested in learning guitar but i dont know where to start. What is best suited for begginers? an acoustic or electric? (Ps ive really taken an interest in the type of music bands like Polyphia and guys like Ichika Nito play)
@@bruceerogan3662 hello! Either guitar can be good for a beginner, but acoustic is great to start with because they're typically cheaper and you don't have to worry about an amp. When you start learning things like power chords or string bending however, electric guitars have lighter strings and closer action "strings are closer to the neck" and make those easier to play. I would start with an acoustic to get your feet wet, then get an electric guitar after you've gotten comfortable😁. I hope that helps!
@@ziadexisted that can happen when one or more strings isn't getting pressed down all the way. Make sure your pressing the string down right next to the fret and not in the middle. Also, make sure you're using your fingertips and not the pads of your fingers. This will help make sure that only the chord strings are getting pressed down and you're not accidentally muting other strings. I hope that helps!
I like the tip of playing light but I play really hard classical and anime themes that have really demanding chords that I can’t play with hanging on for dear life with my middle and pointer fingers
I started learning how to properly mute my strings like 6 years into playing. Still constantly working on it so is not a bad idea to see videos like this to remind you to work on the basics. Just putting it on your head makes you more aware of it and you work on them
I am a 66 year old "beginner" who messed around with an awful, cheap acoustic for decades, but never really learned anything. With my recent discovery of TH-cam guitar videos, I decided to get serious and eventually purchased an electric. Most of my musician friends advised me to take lessons, so after only 2 of them, the pandemic hit, and no more lessons! I am trying to practice every day until my fingers are too sore to go on, but I have noticed that my whole arm gets sore! Watching this video, I realized that I had a DEATH GRIP on my neck! (Thing #1) And the other 4 Things apply also. This has been one of the most valuable (& not over my head like many others) videos I have seen for this stage of my journey. You have a new sub. Thanks SO much!
I am 41 years yourger than you but I guess I can teach some things about hurting your hand while leaning: 1-Check the way you hold the guitar's arm. If your hand and arm forms a "hook shape", then it puts too much stress on the wrong tendons. Hold it in a way that your hand doesn't form any noticeable angle compared to your arm. The hook shape usually happens when we try to look at the strings while playing and hold the guitar in a way that the neck needs support. Learning to play wihthout looking and holding the guiter in a way that the neck doesn't need support to stay up will help greatly. 2- Use smaller gauge strings. I was taught that heavier gauges are for professionals and lighter gauges are for beguinners. This is BS. Different gauges are for different grips. Choose the gauge that allow you to not get sore fingers after playing for at least 10 minutes, you do not get better with sore fingers but with a playable guitar. Also, you do not need calluses. I have none and my fingers' tips are thin but can play for hours on my extremely light steel strings. 3- Learn the best position to put your fingers to play the notes clean. Sometimes we have the illusion that notes won't play because of pressure and proceed to grip harder. Turns out notes do not play properly if the figers are on funny positions That's it. Hope these tips help with your arm pain. It sure helped me pick up a guiter after have given up for years thinking I was just too weak and frail to play as everything hurt
@@ViniSocramSaint Age is just a number. LOL. But seriously, thank you SO much for taking the time to dispense these valuable tips to help this old dog. Especially the "hook" angle one -- I believe this is a big part of my problem. Trying to use my fingertips while angling the guitar so I can watch them, and squeezing so hard my callouses catch on the strings! I will look into the lighter gauge strings also, but I have .009's already which I think are pretty light. And also I think I am guilty of pressing harder instead of adjusting my finger positions. Thanks again! (This must be the community help that Rhett mentioned.)
My grandfathers been a guitar player for 65ish years now, he’s 77 and plays every day. I visited with my grandparents and my grandfather offered to give me lessons weekly. I was never interested too much growing up in learning but I’ve always loved music. Within the past year I moved closer to them and could commit to weekly lessons with him. I’m gonna take the opportunity and I’m super excited to see where this journey goes. I’m 25, I’ve been practicing all week after work. Been becoming quickly addicted lol hoping I can make him proud
Howdy. Been playing 40 years, teaching for 30. When I started I wish I knew: 1) You simply have to give yourself permission to make mistakes, to be bad on the way to being good. I was too hard on myself and too afraid of mistakes. 2) I wish my my teachers did more than give me scales to learn "lead" guitar. I would have been far more encouraged if I'd started by learning a couple simple but memorable solos or even fragments. Except for the initial fast run which almost doesn't matter, how many of us can remember and sing the the solo from Don't Stop Believing? Yet it's pretty accessible. 3) Music theory isn't some crazy, irrelevant abstraction. It's just a language to describe what we already do. Hang the concepts on the music, not the other way around. It will help you take musical ideas that give you a certain feeling and give you a context to understand them and move them to other songs!
One year in learning guitar, I agree with everything on the list , just one more tip that really helped me is practice with a metronome it seriously helps.
@@kidritalin1 you can find it online usually if you search the song and add "bpm" at the end. But it's not always reliable tbh. I say try to find it yourself. It's not too hard usually. Most metronome apps have a tap function where you can tap to the beat of the song and it'll tell you what bpm it is
Why would you either shave your head or learn something new...? I'm confused. Good luck tho, I both shaved my head and started learning guitar yesterday aswell :P
I agree this guy did a great job, but why are you adding a ridiculous claim that Jesus is on TH-cam and subscribes to channels that you tell him to? subscribed?
I agree 100% with the 'sitting in a room with other musicians, especially if they are better than you thing @7:50. When I studied guitar at Humber College in the 80's, I was in a room full of other guitarists, who played many different styles from different parts of the wolrd, all were very good. What an amazing learning experience that was!!
It really is, I’m a beginner and my friend who plays guitar (also beginner) but knows a little more then me, showed me how to play some basic riffs he knew, it helped so much.
I’ve been playing for almost 10yrs and have only played with musicians a hand full of times. I know it’s valuable but I just get angry when someone tells me what to do on the guitar. Yea I know it’s dumb and I need to get over it but there it is lol.
In addition to learning the major scale, ear training and SINGING the “solfege” syllables (do re mi etc...) listening to the melody of a song and singing their corresponding solfege syllables helped me internalize the scales and reproduce them on the guitar. This also eventually translated into being able to hear chords and reproduce those as well. I can now listen to most pop songs and play the melody on the guitar and play the chords and chart them out very quickly. All because of that ear training from college.
Hey guys, I've been playing guitar for about 2-3 years now and also been playing other musical and classical instruments for over 5 years. And I can just tell you that one thing I wish I knew when I was first starting out is actually a really small detail but maybe it can help someone. It was holding the guitar correctly, and what I mean by that is not facing the whole fret board and body up towards yourself so you can see how you're playing the notes, and instead, placing it more straight forward and not towards yourself. It made it so much hard for me to play notes correctly and get my fingers all the way around but really I had no clue I was just making it harder for myself by doing that. Now it's still a bit of a habit to face the guitar more upwards when I'm playing but if you're just starting out then you can prevent this ! ok bye good luck :))
A few quick thoughts. I just turned 62 and have been taking in person lessons for a bit over 2.5 years. Definitely, get a guitar teacher if it's in your budget. Don't be afraid to fire your guitar teacher if you are not on the same page. You hired them, you can let them go, simple. You do not have to be mean or snarky about it, but you do have to be honest with yourself and them too. It's the respectful thing to do. I went thru 2 before clicking on the third who I see for an hour lesson weekly. Do not leave your lesson and let your guitar sit until the night before your next lesson the following week and cram practice in. A good teacher will sniff that out in a heartbeat and rightfully call you out on it. Set a realistic budget for any equipment purchases. Guitar makers and sneaker makers are the same. A Michael Jordan sneak will not make me a better baller. A 7K Gibson custom shop LP will not make me play like James Page. Consistent practice and effort will make you a better player though. And lastly, do your homework before purchases. There are tons of reviews out here on equipment and there are plenty of decent equipment in the secondary / used markets if you look and can bargain a bit. If I'm not mistaken, there will be a ton of impulse/ regret purchases coming about post-pandemic. Either that, or people will stash them in closets or under beds until the next one hits. So, I'll say hopefully never again. Just make sure you're having a bit of fun in your endeavors. That's ultimately what playing should be. Cheers!
Start small, like a used acoustic, or, whatever instrument you like, borrow one if one is available. No matter the instrument, always start small. You may or may not like the instrument, or too difficult, if so, well then, you just saved your relationship by not breaking the bank. Buy as you grow and learn. This will enable you to make more intelligent and informed decisions. I will s say this, listen to what he explained on the video just now. I have been around, in some cases, played guitar with, the best the world has to offer. There are 4 types of every profession or hobby, ethical or not ethical, pretentious or not pretentious. I can tell he genuinely has YOUR interest at heart. a rare find in the industry. I echo the other comment, we do need more like him to guide.
Make a plan when you practice, don’t just muck a bout for an hour. Have a plan, practice chord changes, triads, barre chords. It really does help in the long run when you want to write your own songs
I was dying because I’ve been calling it a “cappo” and I live in the U.S. what an idiot. To be fair, I just started a few months ago, and only ever saw the word spelled, never pronounced. Didn’t make me feel any less stupid tho.
Him : get together with people and play even if they are better Me, introvert, social anxiety, always scared of disappointing people, total beginner and no friends : Haha I don't think so buddy
It's fine man. It's okay to admit what you feel, and I know there's a lot of guys like you over the world, but not everyone is an asshole, you'll find people that you are confortable with. I promise you, just give it a chance. Good luck and have fun!
You know...as much as some people can help... some people can hold you back, introduce you to bad habits etc... getting together with others is only good IF it's a good experience and they are good musicians....and a beginner won't really know if they are good imo....they may sound good because they are better than you but meh...I think that comment about other people can also hold some people back... wouldn't worry much about that to be honest... and over time when you become better maybe it will help you to overcome some of that anxiety (playing did that for me a bit) and you can be the one inviting people in one at a time to play.... people you know and trust.
There are many amazingly talented and famous musicians, and artists from all genres for that matter, who are loners, and develop their talent by playing and practicing alone. My brother became an amazing musician by staying in at night and weekends to practice solo. He never played with anyone, except his instructor, until he became good enough to start performing, then he joined a band and started playing live shows. I also practice solo everyday, but when l feel l’ve mastered a song well enough to “jam” l try to find a vid of someone playing the same song on a different instrument, strictly to develop timing. I’ve also used a “play along” vid on youtube, or simply a vid posted of the original artist performing the song, or even a cover version. There’s many options for you to play along with other players, virtually, if that’s your desire, not sure it will necessarily help you improve faster. If you’re anything like me, your guitar is your friend! l can’t wait to get to it everyday! I think something would be lost in that connection to my guitar if l were sharing that time with other musicians. Having said that, l do hope to play live one day soon, as a soloist. Good luck with your playing:)
CookieSlayer17 honestly saaaame I quit a couple years ago but recently I’ve started to want to achieve a music career so I picked it up again and I have to re-learn everything >.
Ahah, same, I played for a couple of years as a kid... 10 years ago, unfortunately as soon as I picked up my old guitar a string snapped, hopefully I can go get new ones soon, damn university sucking all my free time XD
I been playing guitar for about 50 years. Made my living playing while I was at music school and for many years after. I am convinced that two people cannot sit down together with out learning something from the other person. Just like having a conversation. Love the video. You're a top man Rhett.
True. Maybe there are some exceptions tho, I started guitar by borrowing a classical guitar from a friend, a yamaha c30m, which is a pretty expensive guitar when you compare it with our minimum wage. I had to grip and push but not necessarily because it was a bad guitar (its a great guitar), but rather because some people dont realize you have to bring your finger close to the fret, not in the middle of the square between the frets. A friend told me this after I quit it and picked up an electrical guitar a year later and I play so much easier now
I would also counter with that not everyone has a lot of finger strength also. As someone who types a lot, plays a lot of video games, basketball and uses there hands a bunch... I still had to press hard to develop that strength. Ironically before I saw this video I realized I was stressing my hands and getting pain in such so I started to lighten my grip. My first guitar I started learning on is a $185 Epiphone PR-150vs and it actually sounds so beautiful, the action is great and for the price it is I think it plays fantastic. Even more expensive "nicer guitars" just don't do it for me like this one has. Now I'm getting into electric and that's definitely a bit different but maybe will help me lighten up my grip more.
oh man hell I have to agree with that comment to a degree! I remember my 1970s sears roebuck cheap ass special guitar LOL oh my god it was like playing on a cheese cutter LOL awful...hurt sooo damn bad haha
I used to be so passionate about playing guitar, and would pick it up anytime I had the free time. That was 10-13 years ago. I started a family, and between work and family responsibilities I never picked it back up and I regret it so much. I developed an addiction about 5 years ago and it took my passion for music with it... Two months ago I got clean, and was in a very rough time In my marriage... I was staying at my fathers house and saw his acoustic Alvarez sitting in the corner. I decided to pick it up and I realized all the emotion and soul I lost throughout this past decade. I’ve been playing daily again for two months and I’ve felt myself get better than I ever was - it was rough for the first week or two, but once I got past that initial bump in re-learning,. My past has really fueled my passion for playing, and feeling that emotion and being able to transfer it into a soulful sound has been extremely healing for me. It helped heal my marriage, and my wife and I started playing and singing together, and i feel like we’re closer than we have ever been. Thank you for the video, I find myself doing a few of these things - especially pressing on the fretboard too hard. I tend to have that problem when switching between tricky chords and trying to do it on time instead of playing it slow and properly before picking up the pace
The best and first thing my guitar teacher ever told me was to not get frustrated or upset when you mess up or are having trouble playing something. It may sound like some cheesy throw away advice, but that's what saved me from giving up on guitar all together. It's okay to make mistakes, there might be times where you're struggling and want to give up, but trust me, just keep at it.
Not only that. Your brain actually needs the mistakes. That's how it learns. You need to give your brain data. You do that by hacking away. Your magnificent brain will do the rest. It will automatically take successes and separate them from failures. It will even work on it while you're sleeping. But first it needs the data.
@@cryptoskywalker6000 that's exactly what happens when you have been learning a song for hours and you can't play it then when you wake up the next day with a little more practice you get it more easily
Yes, same thing as getting better at a sport, or a video game, or a new craft like cooking or soldering or watercolors. You have to suck for a while before you get better! Sucking is part of the process. All the greats and icons probably sucked when they first picked it up. You're supposed to put in the hours. Nothing worth doing is easy.
Hi Rhett, Re: Getting notes to ring true, I was told 20 years ago that if you move your elbow towards the headstock (away from your body) it helps to put correct pressure on the fretboard. I remember doing this on certain chords until I built up the strength to get them to ring true in a more comfortable position. Another good tip for this is to keep your nails on the fingering hand short as you will never get good fretting with a fingernail pushing the strings.
As long as you enjoy it doesnt matter I feel , over time confidence will come to play in front of others and if it doesnt at least you have enjoyed practicing and doing something real
Unless you're practicing to be a virtuoso soloist, practicing with a metronome is unnecessary. I have never practiced with a metronome and I have great timing. I have more feel for the natural rhythm of the music. I feel like using a metronome can cause your playing to become robotic.
@@SMAAAASHTV as a drummer, i can assure you that playing with a metronome can only improve your feel. you can still swing notes and play with a "natural" rythmn with a metronome. like counting, it helps you to become a more precise and intentional musician
This video is exactly what I needed to hear, I’ve been a full time gigging musician/signer/songwriter for like five years now and I’ve totally felt my growth has come to a halt in my guitar playing. I felt personally attacked by the capo & cowboy chords one😅 one thing I would add personally, is being aware of poor posture. I’ve created some serious back, neck, wrist, and shoulder pain from standing and playing for hours and not being aware of my posture. Im currently doing a lot of strength training to combat this, but would’ve definitely saved me some pain if I started early on and corrected my form. Anyway, I just subscribed and I’m excited to look into the courses your offering! Thanks for the video!
Playing with others is and will always be difficult. Sooo many musicians "knowledge shame" you. Work hard at ignoring the arrogant musicians and find musicians that love music and want to share. Rhett, playing with others is GREAT advice!! Thank you for saying. (All 5 things are wonderful advice, but playing with others will help with the other 4)
The best advice I would give myself is to keep the guitar out on a stand or hanging on a wall; to remind you that every day you need to pick it up play. Even if it's just 5 mins.
Haha so true! Every night before going to sleep, i put my guitar on the couch. So the next day coming home after work, i HAVE to pick up the guitar in order to be able to sit on the couch and that's what does the trick for me to play every day. If the guitar would hang on the wall, there is a good chance to not pick it up every day.
Great advice.. my mum had a guitar and wanted to learn so I bought her a nice stand so she could keep it in the living room and it's easy to pick up/not hidden away. Makes all the difference
*note buzzes* Me: *grab the chord faster* Rhett: dont grab the chord this hard because it is not necessary Me: *release the pressure of my finger* *note buzzes* Rhett: the next thing is the capo
its an acquired feel. also yeah the guitar might need a setup. once you're comfortable with the actual chord shapes, then try to relax a little, especially before you move on to bar chords, because then you'll just end up straining your hand.
If you hold your thumb directly behind the FRET BOARD and use the proper fingering with 1 finger for EACH fret... then you can play cleanly with ease & without the garbage... it will take time to develop your muscles but after a while it will be easy & it will allow you to max your talent... technique isn't about making you a better player- it's about ensuring poor technique & LAZY HABITS don't cripple you & inhibit you from reaching your max potential... ALL musicians MUST master excellent technique or they are LIMITING their ability before even starting out! ABSOLUTE RULE YOU NEVER BREAK: Play slow & perfectly... use a metronome & play faster as you learn different things... HOWEVER YOU NEVER PLAY FASTER THAN YOUR FASTEST WHILE PLAYING PERFECTLY... in other words you are always playing slower than your max HOWEVER you do so in order to NEVER make mistakes & LEARN something you then NEVER UNLEARN & that becomes habitual when you are pushing yourself in performance to your limits... ALWAYS PLAY PERFECT MISTAKE FREE... be patient- there is no point in learning something you then have to UNLEARN- that isn't getting faster it's crippling you for life! So ENJOY the music even when you play it slow... LOVE THE BEAUTY OF THE SOUNDS and remember the sounds... all sounds are worthy just as GOD created all people & GOD doesn't make mistakes... there is a hidden benefit to this methodology... your mind will be faster than your playing so if you concentrate & name each note chord scale progression etc etc as you play you will train your mind to leap ahead & be planning your future notes/chords in advance... THAT IS A CRITICAL SKILL TO DEVELOP and it all happens naturally if you follow this simple ABSOLUTE RULE THAT YOU DEDICATE YOURSELF TO NEVER BREAKING: Always play as fast as you can WITHOUT ERROR and NO FASTER GET GOOD... then speed will come in time... never do drugs alcohol & 'space out' when you play... always be focused & sharp in your mind as to what you already played what you are playing & what you are going to play... THAT IS ALSO A SKILL YOU MUST DEVELOP FROM THE JUMP!
Good video, I also started like this, without a teacher, and I didn't understand why is it so hard to play the guitar. Now after years of learning with great teachers I became a classical guitarist and guitar teacher. I would give one more advice to beginners: DON'T START WITH LEARNING CHORDS! First try to play individual notes correctly without pressing too much, than continue with easy scales and melodies, it helps to strengthen your fingers, than build up chords gradually, note by note. I hope some of you will find this helpful. 😊🦋
Doing a finger exorcise like 5678 on every string forwards and backwards is something that every beginner should do while also playing chords. I would say don't limit yourself to just one or the other. Progress will be much faster and help with finger independence.
Thanks for the videos mate🤙 All great points. I would add in a couple of things which I feel took me far too long to learn.. - There are 6 strings, not just one big one that feels like 6... So use them. Change up strumming to picking individual strings. - Less is more. A big sound is achieved by playing lightly and deliberately hitting the notes you want. - and finally, space is everything. Don't get in each other's way. Occupy different frequencies. Music is a conversation which requires listening as much as playing. What isn't played is sometimes more important than what is played. That is all. Enjoy👌🤙
After a couple of years playing. My biggest recommendation is learn chords and learn them now. Learn chord shapes and why youre putting your fingers where. If you can play chords and get down changing between them, lead is easier to learn and often you’ll be able to learn a song quicker becaus you’ll understand what you’re playing now that you know chords. If that makes sense i think it does but im not sure
@@LordColeslaw no, however i played bassoon and learned a lot of music theory for three years before starting guitar, I also didnt have much of a choice since i play for band class in school. I wish i had a teacher but i cant afford one
One thing I wish I knew was that you don't have to choose between strumming a chord or picking. It's more fun to mix it up, go from strumming one part to picking the next, going from playing a chord then "solo" your way into the next chord. It's a great way to add some flavor to your playing and keeps it from getting boring.
I'm a "beginner" who has been playing for 30+ years now. My parents got me a guitar and amp and that's it so I had to learn on my own. I bought a Pink Floyd fake book that showed how to finger the chords. No theory, no scales, no internet to learn what a pentatonic scale was and why it formed the basis of so many riffs and solos. And I remained like that for 20 years, just focusing on tight rhythm and riffing. 10 years ago the lead guitarist shows me the minor pentatonic and it was like opening the gates. I'm still not a flashy player and still don't know much but I have been able to figure out songs quicker and do my own stuff. I wish I had someone show my all this back in the 80's but better late than never!
Been playing the "open cowboy chords" alone at home for years and years on my acoustic for pleasure and stress relief. A lot of my favorite songs (Marley's Redemption Song, Neutral Milk Hotel, REM etc.) use these. This video has inspired me to take a leap of faith and learn more chords, more songs, some theory (scary) and to finally play music with others (scarier!) Thanks for the encouragement (more of a push, haha.)
I've watched countless videos to help with my finger pain not realizing I was pressing down on the strings way too hard. You helped me solve an issue I was having for days within less than 3 mins. THANK YOU!!!!!
Been playing for about 5 years now and I didn't start playing in front of people until about a year ago. My church needed another guitarist and I was available. And it was one of the best guitar related decisions I've ever made! I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and I've learned so much in a year vs 4 years! Thank you so much for everything you do Rhett!
Same. I’m 35 and have played since I was 13. Was asked to play electric at a church three years ago and I’m light years ahead of where I was in terms of how I play and my tone knowledge. It’s stuff I should’ve known decades ago
Playing guitar in church makes no sense to me. I'm not religious, i'm from Greece, the people are christian orthodox here. The people who run churches (fathers?ministers?not sure about the term) are in charge of prayers and singing. But it's more like byzantine music, hymns. So a guitar being played in church, more so, an electric one doesn't make any sense to me. I'm insanely active on youtube for the past decade so i know what is up with life in the rest of the world through youtube, music related youtubers too, but this escapes me. Is it an American thing for catholic churches, jewish (idk anything about that religion so don't get offended) or what? I've watched Adam Neely saying he hates christian music? Correct me if i'm wrong. Is this 'christian music' what is being played by electric guitars in churches. I see comments on Rhett's vids about people playing church gigs etc. What type of music do you play? Someone inform me if possible 😛
especially for recording recording, the worst feeling is getting a take of something that is pretty difficult and going to play along with it only to find out your guitar was stupidly out of tune
I'm a beginner getting back into guitar after 13 years without touching it--also learning on a Squier Strat! This is some great advice for someone like me, and I've already started to notice how true these points are, especially the bits about not playing too hard or learning the fretboard and basic music theory. Thank you for such a straightforward and helpful video!
I’ve been playing since I was 11. I’m 24 now, and seen a lot of people pick up guitar. I think the right hand honestly has the harder job for beginners, once your chords don’t buzz it’s very hard for people to learn to strum and pick smoothly. One can use their arm or their wrist or their fingers but using them all together take a lot of time. I think a lot of people focus mostly on the left hard fretting and don’t stress the importance of right hand technique. Another thing I would add is if you’re an electric guitar, pick up an acoustic when you can. It’ll make you appreciate the nuance of electric guitar, and how light a touch you can have. In general, I think playing other guitars than the one you play all the time is very helpful to understanding how the way you play affects your tone and style. Great video.
The CAGED system. I wish I would have learned about it earlier. I moved to Nashville and knew my scales and chords. But I struggled switching keys for jazz and chicken picking. A local guitarist took me under his wing and showed me the CAGED system and it opened the neck up to me.
I guess I was lucky in a few ways. But there are some things I wish about how I started. Luckily: * I had started learning some music theory before I started playing guitar, even dabbling with song writing, so that helped. * I started guitar with a teacher, who insisted I read music for the lessons. * I already had books of music, like Beatles songs, so I could practice reading notation and chord blocks. * I already knew a little electronics so when I got an electric it wasn't so baffling. But I wish I had learned early: * To give as much attention to picking as fingering. I started to realize how much the picking hand needs work when I started learning Fripp stuff. * What guitarists use to sound the way they do in terms of guitars and amps and effects. * Learn exercises for each hand. I was only learning songs, and didn't start exercising with scales or arpeggios or patterns or cross picking till years later.
Thanks bro I needed to hear this advice !! Just starting again at the ripe age of 40. Played for a bit as a teen, nothing more than tab and being a teen.. taking a more serious route these days and I’ve been enjoying your videos! Between Beato, Pierce, Mark @ 5watt.. it’s been so cool getting back into guitars!! You guys definitely make it more interesting , thanks for all the work you and those boys put Into your channels , it’s really freakin cool and I admire all you guys! Peace and Rock n Roll from North Dakota! 🤙🏼😎
My tip for absolute beginners: When you are practicing chord changes, keep on strumming while you’re repositioning your fingers. That way, you will be able to play through a song earlier, and that gives motivation! :)
I'm definitely guilty of pressing too hard on the fretboard and, as I'm from the UK, of driving on the wrong side of the road. From today, I'm going to relax my grip and as soon as I'm allowed out of the house, I'm going to rectify the driving issue! Thanks Rhett.
Glenn. Someone told me once the reason we drive on the left is because in olden days most people would hold a sword in their right hand. Therefore if an army was marching and came across the enemy you would draw your sword from your right to engage the enemy on the right. Dunno if that’s true! 😀
@@ShiningHourPop not sure, really, buy probably has more to do with, not swords, but jousting. The horsemen would steer the horse with the left hand and hold the jousting pole in their right. I shall research!
I've been playing acoustic guitar for 10 years and didn't know that just lightly touching the frets can produce the sound you want. Thanks to you my transitions are smoother and accurate
This is so helpful..I have had a guitar just sitting for about three years . Dabbling here and there. My confidence level just wasn't there, because I was getting frustrated with learning chords. Now playing and practicing for a month this advice is very encouraging and I enjoy what I am doing🤗
The easiest way to learn guitar is to get into a toxic relationship with someone who wants to date a guitarist, and then reignite your punk rock phase :)
I would concentrate too much on the girl and not on the guitar... That's why I would choose to learn from a guy. Not because I'm "gay" cuz I am NOT. not even bi...
Music theory is genuinely the best thing for learning music. Knowing what you're playing, why it sounds good, etc is important. Plus then you can keep building on the basics and pretty easily learn different things that make your music not always sound the same I played guitar for years and as soon as I started learning theory it made me a way better player right away
I agree to an extent. Think about all the brilliant guitarists who do not know any music theory. I didn’t really want to learn it but had to for my music course. And I do admit that it definitely made me understand a lot more and i was better but for some people they’re still class without doing it and music theory might not help them.
It kind of depends on the persons IQ or predisposition to learning that sort of thing. I've seen great self taught unique sounding guys go all clunky and basic and confused spending 10+ years trying to get to grips with basic theory.. In hindsight I wish they'd just stayed doing their own thing, sounding unique and not being very versatile. If a student takes to learning theory well then let them run with it, otherwise just learn your favourite songs and make up your own and essentially do whatever you want 👍
I'm in a position righ tnow where i have a guitar and want to pick up and understand some basic music theory from piano, but dont understand how it translates to guitar and to find the resources. I think that's the hardest part for newbies - they dont know what to look for, and even if they do, finding the sources isn't easy which is why a lot of people just get tabs, a capo and tery to learn their favorite songs before giving up when they hit a bar chord. Never really understanding what a chord is, why it's in major or minor, where the scales are etc.
i did too but it gets easier it really does. playing barre chords further up on the neck where it’s easier will probably help you progress to where you can move it down to the first fret and it won’t be so hard. good luck !
OK, you're talking about the C note, first fret (second string), and the F Note, first fret (first string) being held down simultaneously. Beginners regularly have problems with this chord. To tackle the F chord problem, just start by playing these two notes only. Get them to where they ring out. Then you can add the A note (2nd Fret, third string)and get these three notes to ring. Then add the F note (3rd fret, 4th string.) Then get all of them to ring. Do this exercise repeatedly until you feel comfortable pressing all four strings down and strumming. Like Rhett said, don't grip too tightly with you left hand. Also make sure that you put your left hand thumb is on the center of the back of the neck. This will allow a little bit of space between your palm and the guitar neck. Don't grab the neck like you're grabbing a piece of rope. Put your thumb on the back of the neck. One last thing. If the nut is cut high (the plastic piece where the string go through grooves on it before reaching the tuning gears) you'll have problems depressing the C and F (first string) notes. Take your guitar to a music store, or use skype and ask someone who knows guitars if the nut looks high. If it's too high, have someone fix that. Then, with practice, you'll be able to play your F chord. PS: It gets easier as you go along, depending on what you study. I find that some jazz chords are easier to finger than some cowboy chords.
Yes! Until I played a friend's fender guitar I didn't know the strings could be be closer to the neck! I had to get the Floyd Rose bridge blocked but it made it much easier for me to play.
Andrew Yee yeah same here. I started out on a Yamaha FG-160, the action was set super high, it’s a double edge sword because it developed my finger strength for barre chords. Going to electric was super easy.
@@HigherPlanes Holy shit, if you're talking about that classical guitar, I'm using that one right now! My mom knows nothing about music and found whatever guitar she liked at our local music store, so now I'm stuck to practicing with the hardest type of guitar as a beginner... electric is sooo much easier.
another thing I remember figuring out is that in many acoustic songs (like some fingerstyle songs), when changing chords, you DON’T have to pick up your whole hand! this use to happen when playing a song that revolves around chords but I was reading a tab instead (julia by the beatles, babe i’m gonna leave you by Led Zeppelin for example). most of the time there are only a few changes so look at the tab and see if you can keep your hand on the fret board and only move a few fingers. the song will be much smoother and you’ll be able to change chords much quicker
I picked up a guitar again after almost 20 years and it blew my mind the amount of resources out there now that can help you learn. 20-30 years ago, you had to get a teacher or play by tab. It was frustrating as hell because I could not afford a teacher at the time, and, I was not learning much by just playing tab.
I'm a new guitar player, I'm still getting into the habit of playing every day as practice. I've had trouble finding what I love, my passion, I've always liked music but I never felt like it was possible. And whenever I seem to try everything else it just doesn't give me the same feeling, but whenever I do something right on my acoustic I just feel so good. It's really fun to be able to learn something on it, and I am hoping to possibly get a teacher some day. Thanks for the video, it actually helped quite a bit more than others I watched. Like the advice to learn about equipment and the fact you made me just realized that I don't have to press down on the strings anywhere near as hard as I thought I did.
Solid advice. I've played guitar since 2004, but only really started to properly understand it a few years back when I sat down and read Guitar Theory For Dummies. I hadn't realised how simple music theory actually is, and suddenly everything I was doing made way more sense. It was like I'd reached enlightenment. I now feel comfortable calling myself a musician.
Someone I knew who was a very excellent player, physically and technically, told me that the fastest way to learn the guitar is to stand in front of the mirror and learn every note on the guitar. The point of that was that it not only reinforces your memory on a couple more levels, besides being backwards to exercise your brain a bit, is that it keeps your head tilted UP and trains you away from constantly looking at your hands, even though you're staring at them all the time during practice. Using the mirror will really accelerate your playing - it's actually a harder habit to develop than most might think because it's a little weird to me, even to this day...
That's honestly a very fascinating suggestion for developing familiarity and comfortability on your instrument! Reading all these comments after watching the video just reminds me of how many counterproductive 'bad habits' there are to fall victim to if there isn't some sort of resource for guidance to realign one's trajectory! Similar to all of us 'self taught' musicians, we could likely all write books on all the dead end, or leading to nowhere tunnels that we wish we could've avoided, or at least dedicated less time to! Of course making all those realizations inevitably makes us wonder about how much more improved or better of players we'd be if all that (wasted) time were spent focusing on areas that were conducive to maximizing artistic growth! I've made peace with all that due to the fact that my wealth of knowledge and experience is a gold mine, and for anyone that sincerely entertained the idea of me as their teacher, they'd eventually surpass me in every way in just a 3rd of the time I've been playing!
@@hendrix5757 you give lessons? My hands and shoulder are getting close to healed. I want to start virtual bands with like minded people who just want to jam and share feelings with the world. Maybe this thing we call lessons and teachers is really just people needing someone to play with.
You def hit the nail on the head about the gear. People buy so much gear and not really learn about the gear they buy. If I get a piece of gear I want, I don’t buy up stuff, I buy one thing at a time so I can mess around with it and learn everything about it so you’re not wasting money just to waste money. Great video man. I learned by tabs and learning songs from my favorite bands like Green Day and Rancid. And eventually everything just started clicking as I progressed. I had a chart with all the notes and that’s how I learned every note on the fretboard.
For a period of about ten years, I took my guitar with me everywhere, and played at every opportunity; if anybody asked me to play, I'd play, if someone had a request I didn't know, I'd ask them to hum or sing it and I'd do my best. I'd meet other players, we'd pass the guitar back and forth and teach each other; there wasn't anybody so bad at it that I couldn't learn something. Everybody had a little something I didn't have, and I'd just keep building, so I mostly got by without a teacher, or rather with a whole bunch. It didn't occur to me 'til much later what a seriously weird and obsessive thing that was, to do that. Turns out I was what you might call eccentric. One thing I learned is that for a player, a musician, there's vast value in knowing a lot of songs, but for a writer, maybe it's best to not know any; if you start out by comparing your songs to the best that's ever been, you'll get discouraged and throw 'em all out.
This resonates with me, as someone who's not great with traditional guitar lessons or theoreticals; when it sounds tasty, I pursue it. Even before I took guitar seriously, I've always had melodies intrude into my mind's ear, and with that came a strong desire to see them played out. That and little bits borrowed from artists I look up to and people I have jammed with, cos full covers of Classic Rock songs like every other busker feel like stealing valour sometimes. I'm not great with most Requests, because I can barely wrangle my mind enough to focus on composing my own ditties and just sticking with one or two versions, (like a Day Version and a Night Version, if that makes sense) but I'm just doing me and that's what's important🎸🎶 Though my ending up on this video means I know there's always room for advice and improvement because my greatest enemy and harshest critic is me, but that person is also my principal ally and cheerleader😌 Cheers and keep on keepin' on, fellow weirdo!
one thing I already knew but the internet hammered home HARD...everyone can play a little and a lot of them are VERY GOOD if not pleasing to my tastes they are still showing the results of their work, love, labors. I still have anxiety but enough campfires where I bought two guitars (my wife hated packing them but I like to play and someone else can always teach me or they can learn something I know, what there is) and was able to lead so many people to picking up the guitar when THEY were nervous It's weird but music to me has almost been the reverse of sports - I want to play with people who are not as skilled as me or more nervous because the things I do know are valid so I learn more when I am showing them to others than tackling things I don't understand which I should probably study a bit more before asking an expert to help me, but I am also helping so many others get up out of their funk and some people hadn't picked up the guitar in literally decades before that campfire... FIRST AND FOREMOST, MUSIC IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT.
To be a beginner guitarist may be the most difficult but also the most important part of the journey, because it truly makes or breaks you wanting to pursue guitar for the long-term! Awesome work man!
As A Pro guitarist, and with almost 5K comments here, I might not be heard, however, My tips might be more along the lines of how to properly string a guitar with the "Knot" and other tips that have more to do with how to take care of the guitar. To keep an acoustic guitar in the case and keep it from too much moisture...When going from a cold enviorn to a warm one, just loosen the latches and not open the case so that the temperature can equalize. The reason, is that guitars surfaces can crack when there is too fast of a temperature change. NEVER put a guitar in freezing conditions or super hot conditions. If you have no choice, make sure to let them come to room temperature SLOWLY. Most guitars are made from wood. Temperature changes will make them expand or contract fairly quickly. The paint and outer coating can't expand or contract as fast as the wood will...it will crack, damage your guitar.
Yeah, I actually wrecked an acoustic when I was a kid from extreme temp change. Also, I tell young players that start out... don't put your guitar in the trunk on a hot day! Treat it like a baby! =) Good advice though man...recently lectured my nephew who I bought an acoustic for the same things you mentioned...first things I said to him before we went in and he broke his first string as I was teaching to how to tune it LOL....so he got a restringing lesson same day haha
When I was first starting out, I didn't have any confidence that I could learn from recordings. I thought I needed to learn the entire song or I was a failure. Now I teach my students to learn one note and then learn the next note and so on. It might take an hour to figure two or three notes which is fine because, if you're trying, you're developing skills through that effort, no matter the end result. And because you are slowly building skills, next time you try, everything will be easier. Most students look at me like I'm insane when I suggest learning from recordings. But first, we try it together. And we go slow and steady. Slow and steady will win most races.
This resonated a lot! As someone who's played for 20 years, looking back I'd make a lot of changes. Learning triads (and not being afraid of theory on guitar) and finding a real mentor would have been huge. I was self-taught stumbled my way through techniques and knowledge and finally a few bands. 20 years later, I find myself going back to some of the things I should have spent time on forever ago. It's great to have a hobby where we can never stop learning, and what better time to do some deep diving than the current world situation! Thanks for all the great content, Rhett. Love hearing you speak from the heart and experience!
I'd argue it's BETTER for musicians to have the skills to ALWAYS PLAY BY EAR, than know all theory etc. TAKES AWAY THE FUN. TAKES AWAY THE MAGIC. (That's why Vai and Satriani don't sound like they're having ANY fun, and are lifeless.) Almost all my bands are IMPROVISED, which is the BEST! (ex: you will never ever get bored of the material!) (ex: every moment is dangerous and exciting!) Some are STRUCTURED improv. I DONT HAVE TO MEMORIZE ANYTHING! Someone starts, and the rest of us must deliciously ADD to it! MILLION TIMES MORE FUN THAN JUST LEARNING ROTE MATERIAL.
There's a trick for that neck. Is it bowed in relief or tightened? If its tight (back-bowed), you can remove the strings, brace the guitar so the headstock and body are supported and the neck is free, and then leave a stack of books on the fretboard overnight. Maybe with a bit of moisture, like a humidifier, in the room. Watch that shit carefully, though. If its relief you might be able to do the same in reverse, though it might work better to suspend weight from the neck instead, because of the curve. Not too much though, if you crack the neck your problems get really real.
This is very true, coming together playing music helps immensely. My uncles all play and this is how we've been learning. We practice every day. Thank you for your knowledge 🙏.
This is a brilliant idea for a video. I was mostly self-taught for years, and I discovered that when I was most discouraged was the time when I was approaching a breakthrough in my playing and my knowledge. Afterwards I remained amazed at the change in my playing. After a couple of such breakthroughs, you will probably know that more breakthroughs are possible. Don't take the discouragement too seriously, and remain hopeful about the breakthroughs that are possible.
I am near to giving up. Really. I just cannot play naturally whenever someone is watching me play because I easily get discouraged. I have been wanting their approval, not mine. I kept avoiding criticisms for almost 5 years playing guitar and never really completed a whole song. Yes, I know how to do fingerstyles, anime songs that have complicated chords but never actually finished an entire piece because "It is too hard for me" and give up immidiately. My mindset was always "I need to impress others or else I will be a failure infront others" etc. and never actually grew as a musician. This video reminded me that every great musician started where everybody starts. I need to gain confidence that I could actually do things that is hard for other people. I hope I can grow with the time given this quarantine.
Of course, this is coming from someone who sings and plays rhythm guitar... Maybe try playing chords (and sing, if you can)... There are a lot of great songs that aren't that hard. I used to beat myself up, thinking I wasn't that good until a very experienced musician that I really respect (musically) told me that I don't know how many people wish they could play as good as I do. Keep the faith and keep at it... :)
The best way to boost your skills is to sing along with your playing. Many pros do this. Listen to acoustic or jazz hi-fi recordings and you will likely hear players singing along with their guitar or piano. Singing along keeps you engaged and alert and is great for developing your ears. It also forces you to think ahead. Also, always tap your foot to the beat. Best of all, you don't need to spend money to do these things.
My first video course, The Tone Course, is available now! Check it out here.
flatfiv.co/collections/rhett-shull/products/the-tone-course
Yo Rhett,I've been spending this seclusion by playing a LOT & I've been stuck on "Mike McReady & a half-assed Peter Green"some of my videos are crap.some Good.
Really nice guitar by the way. I don't know but it looks like it's old wood.Im 47 & you tend to teach me Better than other dudes. If I lived around Atlanta I'd pay you for lessons in rhythm chords & theory. You have a knack for breaking down Theory to a normal person. All I do is play lead constantly.... I need to work on getting both going at the same time.
The course on FlatFiv is the video course downloadable to my iPad from there, or do you have to watch them on their website each time?
I've been subscribed to your channel 2 months ago and I in this video found out that you are Pink Floyd fan as I and I also learn somehing from this video. Keep up to a good work and stay safe. Cheers
Just bought it. Hope to get a grammy and/or signature guitar in 24 months
A year later, and the intro still makes sense...
8
Yup
🥲
Unfortunately
Facts!
1. dont grip the fretboard too hard
2. dont use the capo as a crutch
3. learn basic theory
4. play with other people
...4. find a teacher
5. learn about your gear
:)
The hero we don’t deserve.
Just when I thought how nice it is if someone list out the pointers in this video and I found your comment. Thank you!
@@rennychan8638 same! i got bored after 2 minutes
Godspeed you magnificent bastard
I never used the capo as a crutch............ I just use it for certain songs that require it....
I was a longtime mediocre guitar player. One day I was jamming with a friend who is a lot better than me and he said this:
"John, you don't really know how to practice. Practice is not messing around with things you already can do and having fun, practice is taking on new things that you have trouble with and mastering them..."
Best piece of advice anyone ever gave me about guitar...
Applies to alot of things too
or being a martial artist, or understanding computers, or sustaining a relationship, or..
not only with guitar
Absolutely correct, i might add that there is nothing wrong with practicing things you already have a grasp upon, the thing is i've seen way too many people take this advice incorrectly, like they would give up playing because they couldn't advance, the thing is they just had to practice a little more the things they thought they already knew so that they would become second nature for them and then advance to the next level that kinda was linked with what they already knew, after all playing guitar is about chaining all the techniques that you learn.
This completely made me rethink my song writing process
Beginners don't forget to practice the usual exercises like playing all the frets with alternate picking(forgot what it was called), spiderwalk exercise and the scales play f,g,a,b,c major scales, do all of these exercise before starting to play. Makes a lot of difference
Underrated Comment!
Isn‘t the majorscale in C,D,E, etc. always the same just transported on another heigtht? I am playing since february, i know only a few things about musictheory so im not sure what do you mean with that point.
I do playing almost everyday for an hour without a teacher and make similar exercises and it helps very much.
Sorry for my bad english
@@pinealgland6592 yes it is but when u play it at different heights ur hand learns to adjust
Yep that's what i am about to do
The only thing a beginner needs is to keep playing. Often boring exercises do not help with this, so when practicing scales, get a backing track up and start playing the notes of the scale in different orders. This is how you learn to improvise
@@FrankFurther Imo speed exercises are definitely worth doing because it makes everything (not just shred and other speedy stuff) feel so much easier. 10 minutes daily can make a significant difference even for advanced players who have never really practiced technique stuff in itself.
The other thing I would add, Rhett, is learn full songs. Early on I was guilty of this. I could play the intro riff to about 1000 songs and impress my friends -- but I never really learned a whole song. That really impedes your options when playing with others. So I'd say find a song you like, and learn it. Learn the WHOLE thing -- intro, verse, chorus. bridge, solo, outro -- and learn it well until you can play it mistake free all the way through. Then learn another song. And another. And another. That itself will improve your playing and rhythm more than just about anything.
Yes!
Absolutely. And find another person to play those complete songs with. Here's the goal: Once we start it, we gotta finish it with no stops.
GUILTY.
yes! absolutely. And if you wanna sing, start now! at the same time, guitar and vocals IMO is the best way.
Great advice !
To all beginners out there, I wish you the best, and never give up, I promise, the pain and effort will be worth it ❤️
Gracias :)
If Harry Potter himself says so ...🥺
It is damn worth it :D
Merci
Thanks Harry :D
To everyone that started guitare because of quarantine, lets all take this as a chance to better our life and keep playing years after this is ended ! Good luck
Hello fellow alex turner fan
Dude...u tried...Thanks
I heard the person in front of me at the local shop saying her son had dusted down an old keyboard. My fiancé's son has picked up his grandad's old guitar. I think it's great! It doesn't matter if you are good at it or not, as long as you enjoy it. Playing music is good for the soul.
I started one month ago❤
so be it
Yes, proper finger placement is the way to go, and will help notes ring-out - But, until those finger tips really start to harden, soft finger tips are simply going to require more pressure than hardened/callused tips. Like trying to fret with a cotton ball versus a pencil eraser.
THIS MAKES SO MUCH SENSE! I could not figure out why I was getting better at fretting some fingers, ITS BECAUSE I USE THEM MORE, lmao
Makes sense. Hardening now !
I just practice on my electric!
@@tallndorkyis that a lighter touch
Ah I see well that's good to know I've been going for about a week and a half, it's annoying because I've felt like I couldn't get the chords to ring without pressing hard but this makes sense
When I started (1960s), there was no money for guitar lessons and no Internet.
1 1:10 Don't play so hard. Don't press the chord on the strings.
2 3:18 Don't make the capo a crutch. Learn the note names on the fretboard and learn the difference between the major and minor chords.
3 5:41 Learning the very basics of music theory.
4 8:30 Play with other people and find a teacher.
5 10:40 Learn about the gear, especially your guitar's controls.
#1 is by far the best thing I've learned so far. I took lessons 20 years ago and stopped playing, I can only assume that was part of the reason. I'm trying again and I was quickly frustrated with how much my fingers hurt. Now I'm just frustrated that wasn't the first thing my teacher told me. 😂
ty sir
Pressing harder on the strings makes you more clean
@@NomadPoker1 I quickly got used to that playing acoustic
TY !
10yrs ago my guitar was stolen, life got in the way, depression and a ton of other stuff hit me. I stopped playing. Fast forward to now and stuck in isolation on my birthday celebrating alone and my best mate calls me up and says he popping round. Arriving like a masked ninja and he got me a guitar for my birthday, what a legend🤘🏻. Ive played everyday and cant believe how much I've missed it, how happy its made me feel. My fingers are sore but dam its so much fun.🙏🏻💞🇬🇧
Nice to hear that! Keep going.
CamelliaRed my story’s not the same but it’s similar. As you said life gets in the way and I’m currently in high school so you can imagine how that goes :/ lodes of shit happened in my life when I was younger and I started distancing myself from my family, I love them and everything but I’m just really unhappy at home since I’ve always been a really independent person. I started playing piano about 5-6 years ago now and it’s kind of like and escape, same with guitar! I started playing about a year ago and I finally started getting into a routine, eating better and talking more, I’m still very aware that I’m cold (I hardly ever talk to people I don’t know/trust and if I do I’m usually quite snarky)
That's awesome! Rock on
Im in a similar situation but no friend. Haha
CamelliaRed Fantastic story! Good onya Champ! Keep it up and stay happy! 😃👍
i was chuckling right the beginning when you said there are suddenly a lot more guitarists.... where we are living we are in total lockdown, not allowed to leave our houses... and I can hear that my neighbour obviously used to play piano.. they have dusted it off and I can hear them trying to get back in to it.. some guy over the road used to be able to play a trumpet.. he has started up, and somewhere in a house behind us is a guy with a drum set, clearly also trying to relearn how to play... ..
so once this is over I need to go door to door to find them and put together the LockDown House Band...
And on stage they remain a minimum 6 feet away at all times... :D
awesome idea haha, if you also live in North London I could join you!
Haha make a band bruhhh lmaoo
The other day I went on a walk and heard someone in their garage playing the bagpipes lol
There will be sooo many strange new styles of music coming up once this pandemic is over! Something to look forward to.
As a music teacher, I'm high fiving all of you awesome TH-cam guitarists who talk up music theory!! It's so so so useful and important. Rock on, my friend!
@India Smith aw! That's wonderful!!
@@MusicalErika hey teacher i dont know why this is happening to me but when i play chords or even when i play G with one finger it doesnt ring it seems somehow silent
hey Erika Smith. quick question, im really interested in learning guitar but i dont know where to start. What is best suited for begginers? an acoustic or electric? (Ps ive really taken an interest in the type of music bands like Polyphia and guys like Ichika Nito play)
@@bruceerogan3662 hello! Either guitar can be good for a beginner, but acoustic is great to start with because they're typically cheaper and you don't have to worry about an amp. When you start learning things like power chords or string bending however, electric guitars have lighter strings and closer action "strings are closer to the neck" and make those easier to play. I would start with an acoustic to get your feet wet, then get an electric guitar after you've gotten comfortable😁. I hope that helps!
@@ziadexisted that can happen when one or more strings isn't getting pressed down all the way. Make sure your pressing the string down right next to the fret and not in the middle. Also, make sure you're using your fingertips and not the pads of your fingers. This will help make sure that only the chord strings are getting pressed down and you're not accidentally muting other strings. I hope that helps!
*Me watching this 7 years into playing guitar
You and me both 😂
Even pro players can learn from this vid...😉
I like the tip of playing light but I play really hard classical and anime themes that have really demanding chords that I can’t play with hanging on for dear life with my middle and pointer fingers
I relate XD
I started learning how to properly mute my strings like 6 years into playing. Still constantly working on it so is not a bad idea to see videos like this to remind you to work on the basics. Just putting it on your head makes you more aware of it and you work on them
Ad: are you trying to learn guitar? Wait dont touch that skip button
Me: skips anyway
Sᴏ ᴍᴇ..㋛︎
Esther Rascon simply cringe ads? 😂
Makes you immediately want to skip even if you were going to watch it
Esther Rascon I actually gave it like 10 seconds but still saw no reason to stay so I skipped haha
@@juliagranger9651 YESS
I am a 66 year old "beginner" who messed around with an awful, cheap acoustic for decades, but never really learned anything. With my recent discovery of TH-cam guitar videos, I decided to get serious and eventually purchased an electric. Most of my musician friends advised me to take lessons, so after only 2 of them, the pandemic hit, and no more lessons! I am trying to practice every day until my fingers are too sore to go on, but I have noticed that my whole arm gets sore! Watching this video, I realized that I had a DEATH GRIP on my neck! (Thing #1) And the other 4 Things apply also. This has been one of the most valuable (& not over my head like many others) videos I have seen for this stage of my journey. You have a new sub. Thanks SO much!
After watching 3 times, taking notes, liking, subscribing, ringing bell, & saving this video, I realized you named 6 things! LOL
I am a 64 year old 1st timer on guitar. I am taking lessons from a great instructor. I have been taking lessons for a year now and loving it.
I am 41 years yourger than you but I guess I can teach some things about hurting your hand while leaning:
1-Check the way you hold the guitar's arm. If your hand and arm forms a "hook shape", then it puts too much stress on the wrong tendons. Hold it in a way that your hand doesn't form any noticeable angle compared to your arm. The hook shape usually happens when we try to look at the strings while playing and hold the guitar in a way that the neck needs support. Learning to play wihthout looking and holding the guiter in a way that the neck doesn't need support to stay up will help greatly.
2- Use smaller gauge strings. I was taught that heavier gauges are for professionals and lighter gauges are for beguinners. This is BS. Different gauges are for different grips. Choose the gauge that allow you to not get sore fingers after playing for at least 10 minutes, you do not get better with sore fingers but with a playable guitar. Also, you do not need calluses. I have none and my fingers' tips are thin but can play for hours on my extremely light steel strings.
3- Learn the best position to put your fingers to play the notes clean. Sometimes we have the illusion that notes won't play because of pressure and proceed to grip harder. Turns out notes do not play properly if the figers are on funny positions
That's it. Hope these tips help with your arm pain. It sure helped me pick up a guiter after have given up for years thinking I was just too weak and frail to play as everything hurt
Hey here is a tip for you: put your fingers right up next to the fret you're trying to play and it will make it so much easier to make a good note.
@@ViniSocramSaint Age is just a number. LOL. But seriously, thank you SO much for taking the time to dispense these valuable tips to help this old dog. Especially the "hook" angle one -- I believe this is a big part of my problem. Trying to use my fingertips while angling the guitar so I can watch them, and squeezing so hard my callouses catch on the strings! I will look into the lighter gauge strings also, but I have .009's already which I think are pretty light. And also I think I am guilty of pressing harder instead of adjusting my finger positions. Thanks again! (This must be the community help that Rhett mentioned.)
My grandfathers been a guitar player for 65ish years now, he’s 77 and plays every day. I visited with my grandparents and my grandfather offered to give me lessons weekly. I was never interested too much growing up in learning but I’ve always loved music. Within the past year I moved closer to them and could commit to weekly lessons with him. I’m gonna take the opportunity and I’m super excited to see where this journey goes. I’m 25, I’ve been practicing all week after work. Been becoming quickly addicted lol hoping I can make him proud
Man UR LUCKY I wish I had someone like that
keep it up
@@MillennialGeo hell ya bro thank u
Record those lessons or sadly one day you'll wish you had
I hope you took your granddad up on this offer and it's been going well. I would do anything to be able to spend more time with mine
The intro is so relatable
I got a guitar last year
And started playing only rn lol
At least you have one, i can’t handle my broken strings on my imaginary guitar.
same here hahahahahaha
Same
i have a guitar since i was 5 years old
im beggining now with 16
@@ramon-qk5xw same, but I’m 19 now and had one since 8.. never played it until now
"if you are the smartest person in the room...you are in the wrong room..." same goes for playing music...
Then the room is empty.
But not if you’re the teacher though
Wouldn't that mean theres always someone in the wrong room?
This makes sense for the smart thing....not so much for guitar players ...
For anyone who is confused with this quote, it means have a willingness to learn more lol
Howdy. Been playing 40 years, teaching for 30. When I started I wish I knew:
1) You simply have to give yourself permission to make mistakes, to be bad on the way to being good. I was too hard on myself and too afraid of mistakes.
2) I wish my my teachers did more than give me scales to learn "lead" guitar. I would have been far more encouraged if I'd started by learning a couple simple but memorable solos or even fragments. Except for the initial fast run which almost doesn't matter, how many of us can remember and sing the the solo from Don't Stop Believing? Yet it's pretty accessible.
3) Music theory isn't some crazy, irrelevant abstraction. It's just a language to describe what we already do. Hang the concepts on the music, not the other way around. It will help you take musical ideas that give you a certain feeling and give you a context to understand them and move them to other songs!
lovely, it shows how much u love playing guitar , thanks man!
Hey hey... you don’t happen to teach in New York do ya? Lol
@@sasukerusiah thank you kindly!
@@zoegovopoulos9032 maybe you're the same person you contacted me on Facebook. Of course I do teach by zoom, times being what they are.
agree
One year in learning guitar, I agree with everything on the list , just one more tip that really helped me is practice with a metronome it seriously helps.
This is an absolute truth. You can find the bpm for just about any song on the net. Metronome makes it so much easier to play along with the song.
Recording yourself and listening to it
Helped me a lot specially if you compare it to your buddies or other peoples recording
@@tommichaelson6904 Where do you find bpm's ?
@@kidritalin1 you can find it online usually if you search the song and add "bpm" at the end. But it's not always reliable tbh. I say try to find it yourself. It's not too hard usually. Most metronome apps have a tap function where you can tap to the beat of the song and it'll tell you what bpm it is
"This intro seems weird and out of place to you."
Me in November: Not at all.
True. I'm afraid that in another 6 months we will be looking back and thinking: Wow it was chill back then…
D:
@@klimekwajda5796 were honestly already getting there right now😔
Me in December: Not at all.
me in december: 😈😳
I started playing 20 minutes ago. Just nailed the G string.
The only string that matters is the G string....
G is Great, only 5 more left, no big deal!
I bet you did. Hope it was mutual.
Sounds better if you pluck it mate...
...I’ll get my coat....
careful with that G string, lol
I was stuck between shaving my head or learning something new..... my first ever guitar will be here on Tuesday 😇 wish me luck 🤞🏽
Hi Samantha!
Did you get your guitar? How exciting! What kind? (Not that it matters, just curious...)
Take care!
Yeah how did it go?!
Good luck.
Why would you either shave your head or learn something new...? I'm confused.
Good luck tho, I both shaved my head and started learning guitar yesterday aswell :P
Samantha Lopez Good luck! Got mine on my B-day last week-stay with it
I’ve been playing guitar for over 60 years and finally learned that I should’ve taken up harmonica!
How about recorder? They're like 5.00 and the same fingerings as alto sax! Lol.
@@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823 That’s how my daughter started. Now she’s plays piano, Clarinet, Saxophone, and Violin.
Yes...that's a typical changeover. Closer to the vocal chords.
Same I have been playing for 70 years and I'm still going strong
watching this as a beginner, having already made all the mistakes hehehe
Lmao shamefully I second this
Lmao shamefully I third this
Lmao shamefully I quadruple this
Yup I'm so guilty
Might get a strat for $180 today off a pawn shop lol
this dude just radiates kindliness, we need more people like him, jesus christ... subscribed
I agree this guy did a great job, but why are you adding a ridiculous claim that Jesus is on TH-cam and subscribes to channels that you tell him to? subscribed?
Greg Lisk lmao omg
@@greglisk9408 xdddd okay i wasnt expecting that, at first i thought thisn is a hate comment but i laughed :D
I agree 100% with the 'sitting in a room with other musicians, especially if they are better than you thing @7:50. When I studied guitar at Humber College in the 80's, I was in a room full of other guitarists, who played many different styles from different parts of the wolrd, all were very good. What an amazing learning experience that was!!
It really is, I’m a beginner and my friend who plays guitar (also beginner) but knows a little more then me, showed me how to play some basic riffs he knew, it helped so much.
I’ve been playing for almost 10yrs and have only played with musicians a hand full of times. I know it’s valuable but I just get angry when someone tells me what to do on the guitar. Yea I know it’s dumb and I need to get over it but there it is lol.
You also learn a lot by horrible situations. Not being able to hear, someone's off-key, you name it. Lol
In addition to learning the major scale, ear training and SINGING the “solfege” syllables (do re mi etc...) listening to the melody of a song and singing their corresponding solfege syllables helped me internalize the scales and reproduce them on the guitar. This also eventually translated into being able to hear chords and reproduce those as well. I can now listen to most pop songs and play the melody on the guitar and play the chords and chart them out very quickly. All because of that ear training from college.
Absolutely helpful
Hey guys, I've been playing guitar for about 2-3 years now and also been playing other musical and classical instruments for over 5 years. And I can just tell you that one thing I wish I knew when I was first starting out is actually a really small detail but maybe it can help someone. It was holding the guitar correctly, and what I mean by that is not facing the whole fret board and body up towards yourself so you can see how you're playing the notes, and instead, placing it more straight forward and not towards yourself. It made it so much hard for me to play notes correctly and get my fingers all the way around but really I had no clue I was just making it harder for myself by doing that. Now it's still a bit of a habit to face the guitar more upwards when I'm playing but if you're just starting out then you can prevent this ! ok bye good luck :))
Thanks.
Very hard thing to do when you stsrt
Yes 15 yrs later i still have that habit making performing on stage kinda difficult
Thanks for sharing
A few quick thoughts. I just turned 62 and have been taking in person lessons for a bit over 2.5 years.
Definitely, get a guitar teacher if it's in your budget. Don't be afraid to fire your guitar teacher if you are not on the same page. You hired them, you can let them go, simple. You do not have to be mean or snarky about it, but you do have to be honest with yourself and them too. It's the respectful thing to do. I went thru 2 before clicking on the third who I see for an hour lesson weekly.
Do not leave your lesson and let your guitar sit until the night before your next lesson the following week and cram practice in. A good teacher will sniff that out in a heartbeat and rightfully call you out on it.
Set a realistic budget for any equipment purchases. Guitar makers and sneaker makers are the same. A Michael Jordan sneak will not make me a better baller. A 7K Gibson custom shop LP will not make me play like James Page. Consistent practice and effort will make you a better player though.
And lastly, do your homework before purchases. There are tons of reviews out here on equipment and there are plenty of decent equipment in the secondary / used markets if you look and can bargain a bit.
If I'm not mistaken, there will be a ton of impulse/ regret purchases coming about post-pandemic. Either that, or people will stash them in closets or under beds until the next one hits. So, I'll say hopefully never again.
Just make sure you're having a bit of fun in your endeavors. That's ultimately what playing should be.
Cheers!
I watched this just to make sure I'm doing it wrong. So far so good
Lol agree just play the instrument the way u want just make sure it sounds good
LMAO
Frankincensed lol
Wow 😂
Start small, like a used acoustic, or, whatever instrument you like, borrow one if one is available. No matter the instrument, always start small. You may or may not like the instrument, or too difficult, if so, well then, you just saved your relationship by not breaking the bank. Buy as you grow and learn. This will enable you to make more intelligent and informed decisions. I will s say this, listen to what he explained on the video just now. I have been around, in some cases, played guitar with, the best the world has to offer. There are 4 types of every profession or hobby, ethical or not ethical, pretentious or not pretentious. I can tell he genuinely has YOUR interest at heart. a rare find in the industry. I echo the other comment, we do need more like him to guide.
When you're a beginner, learning a song slowly and precisely will allow you to play fast without sloppy mistakes later on.
I learned the chorus of korns thoughtless on my *4 string guitar*
@@oioioioi992 that's a bass you uncultured swine! Don't make me make Davie call the police on you!
If you can play it slowly you can play it quickly... Better
@@DarkAion but im serious 😞
@@oioioioi992, every instrument is a kind of BASS.
Make a plan when you practice, don’t just muck a bout for an hour. Have a plan, practice chord changes, triads, barre chords. It really does help in the long run when you want to write your own songs
"capo, or cappo if you drive on the wrong side of the road" actually had me rolling
Me too XD
I was dying because I’ve been calling it a “cappo” and I live in the U.S. what an idiot. To be fair, I just started a few months ago, and only ever saw the word spelled, never pronounced. Didn’t make me feel any less stupid tho.
wow ... rly
*I guess the ones that have been around longer are the ones that are doing it wrong*
@@palomer_27 i mean it wasn't really a thing before we were around, so...
Him : get together with people and play even if they are better
Me, introvert, social anxiety, always scared of disappointing people, total beginner and no friends : Haha I don't think so buddy
It's fine man. It's okay to admit what you feel, and I know there's a lot of guys like you over the world, but not everyone is an asshole, you'll find people that you are confortable with. I promise you, just give it a chance. Good luck and have fun!
Me too! But that only makes it harder. Hopefully, My brother plays too so I have company 😉
You are sort of doing it by being here though man =) Now just find videos and continue that way and play along to things you are learning! =)
You know...as much as some people can help... some people can hold you back, introduce you to bad habits etc... getting together with others is only good IF it's a good experience and they are good musicians....and a beginner won't really know if they are good imo....they may sound good because they are better than you but meh...I think that comment about other people can also hold some people back... wouldn't worry much about that to be honest... and over time when you become better maybe it will help you to overcome some of that anxiety (playing did that for me a bit) and you can be the one inviting people in one at a time to play.... people you know and trust.
There are many amazingly talented and famous musicians, and artists from all genres for that matter, who are loners, and develop their talent by playing and practicing alone. My brother became an amazing musician by staying in at night and weekends to practice solo. He never played with anyone, except his instructor, until he became good enough to start performing, then he joined a band and started playing live shows. I also practice solo everyday, but when l feel l’ve mastered a song well enough to “jam” l try to find a vid of someone playing the same song on a different instrument, strictly to develop timing. I’ve also used a “play along” vid on youtube, or simply a vid posted of the original artist performing the song, or even a cover version. There’s many options for you to play along with other players, virtually, if that’s your desire, not sure it will necessarily help you improve faster. If you’re anything like me, your guitar is your friend! l can’t wait to get to it everyday! I think something would be lost in that connection to my guitar if l were sharing that time with other musicians. Having said that, l do hope to play live one day soon, as a soloist. Good luck with your playing:)
“They’re dusting off that old guitar they had sitting in the corner or the back of their closet” Omg how did he kNoW
CookieSlayer17 honestly saaaame I quit a couple years ago but recently I’ve started to want to achieve a music career so I picked it up again and I have to re-learn everything >.
Ahah, same, I played for a couple of years as a kid... 10 years ago, unfortunately as soon as I picked up my old guitar a string snapped, hopefully I can go get new ones soon, damn university sucking all my free time XD
TH-cam tells everything to a video creator... in this case search keywords 😉
For me it was the attic
Like that’s literally what I did, I just grabbed my dads old Epiphone and I’m trying to attempt at learning
I been playing guitar for about 50 years. Made my living playing while I was at music school and for many years after. I am convinced that two people cannot sit down together with out learning something from the other person. Just like having a conversation. Love the video. You're a top man Rhett.
"Playing Hard" is an outcome of all of us starting with cheap poorly made guitars with horrible action.
True. Maybe there are some exceptions tho, I started guitar by borrowing a classical guitar from a friend, a yamaha c30m, which is a pretty expensive guitar when you compare it with our minimum wage. I had to grip and push but not necessarily because it was a bad guitar (its a great guitar), but rather because some people dont realize you have to bring your finger close to the fret, not in the middle of the square between the frets. A friend told me this after I quit it and picked up an electrical guitar a year later and I play so much easier now
I would also counter with that not everyone has a lot of finger strength also. As someone who types a lot, plays a lot of video games, basketball and uses there hands a bunch... I still had to press hard to develop that strength. Ironically before I saw this video I realized I was stressing my hands and getting pain in such so I started to lighten my grip. My first guitar I started learning on is a $185 Epiphone PR-150vs and it actually sounds so beautiful, the action is great and for the price it is I think it plays fantastic. Even more expensive "nicer guitars" just don't do it for me like this one has. Now I'm getting into electric and that's definitely a bit different but maybe will help me lighten up my grip more.
oh man hell I have to agree with that comment to a degree! I remember my 1970s sears roebuck cheap ass special guitar LOL oh my god it was like playing on a cheese cutter LOL awful...hurt sooo damn bad haha
The beginners index finger is ignorant. I mean it hasn't learned the difference between bar and mute.
In my case my touch and grip is really light. I can't play on guitars that has gauge 12 strung on it. I can only play on 11s.
I used to be so passionate about playing guitar, and would pick it up anytime I had the free time. That was 10-13 years ago.
I started a family, and between work and family responsibilities I never picked it back up and I regret it so much. I developed an addiction about 5 years ago and it took my passion for music with it...
Two months ago I got clean, and was in a very rough time In my marriage... I was staying at my fathers house and saw his acoustic Alvarez sitting in the corner. I decided to pick it up and I realized all the emotion and soul I lost throughout this past decade. I’ve been playing daily again for two months and I’ve felt myself get better than I ever was - it was rough for the first week or two, but once I got past that initial bump in re-learning,.
My past has really fueled my passion for playing, and feeling that emotion and being able to transfer it into a soulful sound has been extremely healing for me. It helped heal my marriage, and my wife and I started playing and singing together, and i feel like we’re closer than we have ever been.
Thank you for the video, I find myself doing a few of these things - especially pressing on the fretboard too hard. I tend to have that problem when switching between tricky chords and trying to do it on time instead of playing it slow and properly before picking up the pace
The best and first thing my guitar teacher ever told me was to not get frustrated or upset when you mess up or are having trouble playing something. It may sound like some cheesy throw away advice, but that's what saved me from giving up on guitar all together. It's okay to make mistakes, there might be times where you're struggling and want to give up, but trust me, just keep at it.
Not only that. Your brain actually needs the mistakes. That's how it learns. You need to give your brain data. You do that by hacking away. Your magnificent brain will do the rest. It will automatically take successes and separate them from failures. It will even work on it while you're sleeping. But first it needs the data.
@@cryptoskywalker6000 that's exactly what happens when you have been learning a song for hours and you can't play it then when you wake up the next day with a little more practice you get it more easily
Yes, same thing as getting better at a sport, or a video game, or a new craft like cooking or soldering or watercolors. You have to suck for a while before you get better! Sucking is part of the process. All the greats and icons probably sucked when they first picked it up. You're supposed to put in the hours. Nothing worth doing is easy.
Needed this
. Thanks dude
Hi Rhett, Re: Getting notes to ring true, I was told 20 years ago that if you move your elbow towards the headstock (away from your body) it helps to put correct pressure on the fretboard. I remember doing this on certain chords until I built up the strength to get them to ring true in a more comfortable position. Another good tip for this is to keep your nails on the fingering hand short as you will never get good fretting with a fingernail pushing the strings.
This video is so helpful. Thank you.
Hi verified youtuber!
its not that im embarrassed about playing in front of people, its just that i got no friends
They don’t have to be friends though!
Or just dont like people and rather sit alone ha ha
I ain't got nobody. I'm a ghost.
How do you know you can perform infront of friends (as a noob)? I bet i sounds atrocious but in my little head it sounds just ok.
As long as you enjoy it doesnt matter I feel , over time confidence will come to play in front of others and if it doesnt at least you have enjoyed practicing and doing something real
Practice with a metronome. Any musician should have a good sense of time.
Please please please please pleaaaaaaase like this this is SO important and underrated!
Yes, Tommy Emmanuel says this all the time
Unless you're practicing to be a virtuoso soloist, practicing with a metronome is unnecessary. I have never practiced with a metronome and I have great timing. I have more feel for the natural rhythm of the music. I feel like using a metronome can cause your playing to become robotic.
ang mag aakalang laham kita
@@SMAAAASHTV as a drummer, i can assure you that playing with a metronome can only improve your feel. you can still swing notes and play with a "natural" rythmn with a metronome. like counting, it helps you to become a more precise and intentional musician
This video is exactly what I needed to hear, I’ve been a full time gigging musician/signer/songwriter for like five years now and I’ve totally felt my growth has come to a halt in my guitar playing. I felt personally attacked by the capo & cowboy chords one😅 one thing I would add personally, is being aware of poor posture. I’ve created some serious back, neck, wrist, and shoulder pain from standing and playing for hours and not being aware of my posture. Im currently doing a lot of strength training to combat this, but would’ve definitely saved me some pain if I started early on and corrected my form. Anyway, I just subscribed and I’m excited to look into the courses your offering! Thanks for the video!
“People are dusting off their guitars that have been sitting in their closets for 7years” why do i feel attacked?😂😂
LOL. You'll probably be glad you started back.
Roger Gaseb right!😂
You must be guilty.
You are not alone my friend
Don't feel alone!
"Things right now are kind of crazy"
*laughes in the whole next year*
*Laughs ten years into the future*
@@jasofficial9061 *laughs in the next life time*
@@hotpileofloser1275 *Laughs in the ever constant stream of consciousness that we haven't even began to understand or be aware of yet*
@@jasofficial9061 i dont think anybody can beat that 😂🤣
@@fbhdqjwjrjgj 😂
"If you drive on the wrong side of the road."
I found that very offensive and because of that I subscribed.😂😂😂
Weirdos
Musonda J Mwila yeah, should have said carriage way!
I'm from the UK and yes! made me laugh haha!
Hey Samantha...Wales :)
Can't autospell...sames
Playing with others is and will always be difficult. Sooo many musicians "knowledge shame" you. Work hard at ignoring the arrogant musicians and find musicians that love music and want to share. Rhett, playing with others is GREAT advice!! Thank you for saying. (All 5 things are wonderful advice, but playing with others will help with the other 4)
The best advice I would give myself is to keep the guitar out on a stand or hanging on a wall; to remind you that every day you need to pick it up play. Even if it's just 5 mins.
Haha so true! Every night before going to sleep, i put my guitar on the couch. So the next day coming home after work, i HAVE to pick up the guitar in order to be able to sit on the couch and that's what does the trick for me to play every day. If the guitar would hang on the wall, there is a good chance to not pick it up every day.
Preach 🙇
Preach 🙇
my guitars alwyas been out. but was hard to pick her up when i i think about is sleep and get back to work
Great advice.. my mum had a guitar and wanted to learn so I bought her a nice stand so she could keep it in the living room and it's easy to pick up/not hidden away. Makes all the difference
*note buzzes*
Me: *grab the chord faster*
Rhett: dont grab the chord this hard because it is not necessary
Me: *release the pressure of my finger*
*note buzzes*
Rhett: the next thing is the capo
Get the guitar set up by a professional. Could be fret height. Could be a lot of different things. Paying for a set up is worth it.
its an acquired feel. also yeah the guitar might need a setup. once you're comfortable with the actual chord shapes, then try to relax a little, especially before you move on to bar chords, because then you'll just end up straining your hand.
Barre chords: *tough guy finger snapping*
If you hold your thumb directly behind the FRET BOARD and use the proper fingering with 1 finger for EACH fret... then you can play cleanly with ease & without the garbage... it will take time to develop your muscles but after a while it will be easy & it will allow you to max your talent... technique isn't about making you a better player- it's about ensuring poor technique & LAZY HABITS don't cripple you & inhibit you from reaching your max potential... ALL musicians MUST master excellent technique or they are LIMITING their ability before even starting out!
ABSOLUTE RULE YOU NEVER BREAK:
Play slow & perfectly... use a metronome & play faster as you learn different things... HOWEVER YOU NEVER PLAY FASTER THAN YOUR FASTEST WHILE PLAYING PERFECTLY... in other words you are always playing slower than your max HOWEVER you do so in order to NEVER make mistakes & LEARN something you then NEVER UNLEARN & that becomes habitual when you are pushing yourself in performance to your limits...
ALWAYS PLAY PERFECT MISTAKE FREE... be patient- there is no point in learning something you then have to UNLEARN- that isn't getting faster it's crippling you for life!
So ENJOY the music even when you play it slow... LOVE THE BEAUTY OF THE SOUNDS and remember the sounds... all sounds are worthy just as GOD created all people & GOD doesn't make mistakes... there is a hidden benefit to this methodology... your mind will be faster than your playing so if you concentrate & name each note chord scale progression etc etc as you play you will train your mind to leap ahead & be planning your future notes/chords in advance... THAT IS A CRITICAL SKILL TO DEVELOP and it all happens naturally if you follow this simple ABSOLUTE RULE THAT YOU DEDICATE YOURSELF TO NEVER BREAKING:
Always play as fast as you can WITHOUT ERROR and NO FASTER
GET GOOD... then speed will come in time... never do drugs alcohol & 'space out' when you play... always be focused & sharp in your mind as to what you already played what you are playing & what you are going to play... THAT IS ALSO A SKILL YOU MUST DEVELOP FROM THE JUMP!
im fucking dead this is me ahahahahahahaha
Good video, I also started like this, without a teacher, and I didn't understand why is it so hard to play the guitar. Now after years of learning with great teachers I became a classical guitarist and guitar teacher. I would give one more advice to beginners: DON'T START WITH LEARNING CHORDS! First try to play individual notes correctly without pressing too much, than continue with easy scales and melodies, it helps to strengthen your fingers, than build up chords gradually, note by note. I hope some of you will find this helpful. 😊🦋
Onlineclassicalguitar I did, thanks
Doing a finger exorcise like 5678 on every string forwards and backwards is something that every beginner should do while also playing chords. I would say don't limit yourself to just one or the other. Progress will be much faster and help with finger independence.
I’ve learned chords already and know a couple songs? Do you suggest I learn scales now?
This is what I'm realizing now..😂but it's too late for that
Abhinish Singh sane I’m learning b and a now😂
Thanks for the videos mate🤙
All great points.
I would add in a couple of things which I feel took me far too long to learn..
- There are 6 strings, not just one big one that feels like 6... So use them. Change up strumming to picking individual strings.
- Less is more. A big sound is achieved by playing lightly and deliberately hitting the notes you want.
- and finally, space is everything. Don't get in each other's way. Occupy different frequencies. Music is a conversation which requires listening as much as playing. What isn't played is sometimes more important than what is played.
That is all. Enjoy👌🤙
This is one of the most wholesome comment sections I've seen
"Dont hold the strings so tight" ME: Picks up guitar and actually plays the chords ive been stuck on decently now. Holy shit guys, this is fantastic
I find I get a lot more control that way, personally.
I had that moment myself, plus my fingers dont get sore as fast
Me too bro
After a couple of years playing. My biggest recommendation is learn chords and learn them now. Learn chord shapes and why youre putting your fingers where. If you can play chords and get down changing between them, lead is easier to learn and often you’ll be able to learn a song quicker becaus you’ll understand what you’re playing now that you know chords. If that makes sense i think it does but im not sure
Did you learn them from a teacher?
@@LordColeslaw no, however i played bassoon and learned a lot of music theory for three years before starting guitar, I also didnt have much of a choice since i play for band class in school. I wish i had a teacher but i cant afford one
One thing I wish I knew was that you don't have to choose between strumming a chord or picking. It's more fun to mix it up, go from strumming one part to picking the next, going from playing a chord then "solo" your way into the next chord. It's a great way to add some flavor to your playing and keeps it from getting boring.
I'm a "beginner" who has been playing for 30+ years now. My parents got me a guitar and amp and that's it so I had to learn on my own. I bought a Pink Floyd fake book that showed how to finger the chords. No theory, no scales, no internet to learn what a pentatonic scale was and why it formed the basis of so many riffs and solos. And I remained like that for 20 years, just focusing on tight rhythm and riffing. 10 years ago the lead guitarist shows me the minor pentatonic and it was like opening the gates. I'm still not a flashy player and still don't know much but I have been able to figure out songs quicker and do my own stuff. I wish I had someone show my all this back in the 80's but better late than never!
How did you meet David Gilmour?
So true. Young people take the internet for granted
Been playing the "open cowboy chords" alone at home for years and years on my acoustic for pleasure and stress relief. A lot of my favorite songs (Marley's Redemption Song, Neutral Milk Hotel, REM etc.) use these. This video has inspired me to take a leap of faith and learn more chords, more songs, some theory (scary) and to finally play music with others (scarier!) Thanks for the encouragement (more of a push, haha.)
I keep getting distracted by how CRISP HIS MICROPHONE IS MY GOSH
I've watched countless videos to help with my finger pain not realizing I was pressing down on the strings way too hard. You helped me solve an issue I was having for days within less than 3 mins. THANK YOU!!!!!
Been playing for about 5 years now and I didn't start playing in front of people until about a year ago. My church needed another guitarist and I was available. And it was one of the best guitar related decisions I've ever made! I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and I've learned so much in a year vs 4 years! Thank you so much for everything you do Rhett!
Ditto! Exact same thing! Get out there and play live....
Playing live is the ultimate litmus test. Kudos to stepping up
@@JokerCat9 Thanks man!
Same. I’m 35 and have played since I was 13. Was asked to play electric at a church three years ago and I’m light years ahead of where I was in terms of how I play and my tone knowledge. It’s stuff I should’ve known decades ago
Playing guitar in church makes no sense to me. I'm not religious, i'm from Greece, the people are christian orthodox here. The people who run churches (fathers?ministers?not sure about the term) are in charge of prayers and singing. But it's more like byzantine music, hymns. So a guitar being played in church, more so, an electric one doesn't make any sense to me. I'm insanely active on youtube for the past decade so i know what is up with life in the rest of the world through youtube, music related youtubers too, but this escapes me. Is it an American thing for catholic churches, jewish (idk anything about that religion so don't get offended) or what? I've watched Adam Neely saying he hates christian music? Correct me if i'm wrong. Is this 'christian music' what is being played by electric guitars in churches. I see comments on Rhett's vids about people playing church gigs etc. What type of music do you play? Someone inform me if possible 😛
Dear future people. This was when coronavirus was going on
That is what the intro was about
Everyone would probably remember it anyway, we're making history here
@@anactualbucket1082 we arent, it is making itsself
@@MartOosterhoff touché
Hey guys its pretty boring here, oh hey future self :)
Yo that moment when history is happening around us lmao
For those starting out, another tip. If you’re gonna make videos, please tune before you start recording. Please.
especially for recording recording, the worst feeling is getting a take of something that is pretty difficult and going to play along with it only to find out your guitar was stupidly out of tune
Never ever ever use the mic in your phone to record. Ever.
@@copperaudio9664 my drums sound great with the phone mic about a meter away
@@copperaudio9664 why not?
@@copperaudio9664 You need a better phone or more skill in using your equipment.
I'm a beginner getting back into guitar after 13 years without touching it--also learning on a Squier Strat! This is some great advice for someone like me, and I've already started to notice how true these points are, especially the bits about not playing too hard or learning the fretboard and basic music theory. Thank you for such a straightforward and helpful video!
I’ve been playing since I was 11. I’m 24 now, and seen a lot of people pick up guitar. I think the right hand honestly has the harder job for beginners, once your chords don’t buzz it’s very hard for people to learn to strum and pick smoothly. One can use their arm or their wrist or their fingers but using them all together take a lot of time. I think a lot of people focus mostly on the left hard fretting and don’t stress the importance of right hand technique. Another thing I would add is if you’re an electric guitar, pick up an acoustic when you can. It’ll make you appreciate the nuance of electric guitar, and how light a touch you can have. In general, I think playing other guitars than the one you play all the time is very helpful to understanding how the way you play affects your tone and style. Great video.
The CAGED system.
I wish I would have learned about it earlier. I moved to Nashville and knew my scales and chords. But I struggled switching keys for jazz and chicken picking. A local guitarist took me under his wing and showed me the CAGED system and it opened the neck up to me.
Jesus Christ died for your sinssssss please repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand182
I guess I was lucky in a few ways. But there are some things I wish about how I started.
Luckily:
* I had started learning some music theory before I started playing guitar, even dabbling with song writing, so that helped.
* I started guitar with a teacher, who insisted I read music for the lessons.
* I already had books of music, like Beatles songs, so I could practice reading notation and chord blocks.
* I already knew a little electronics so when I got an electric it wasn't so baffling.
But I wish I had learned early:
* To give as much attention to picking as fingering. I started to realize how much the picking hand needs work when I started learning Fripp stuff.
* What guitarists use to sound the way they do in terms of guitars and amps and effects.
* Learn exercises for each hand. I was only learning songs, and didn't start exercising with scales or arpeggios or patterns or cross picking till years later.
Thanks bro I needed to hear this advice !! Just starting again at the ripe age of 40. Played for a bit as a teen, nothing more than tab and being a teen.. taking a more serious route these days and I’ve been enjoying your videos! Between Beato, Pierce, Mark @ 5watt.. it’s been so cool getting back into guitars!! You guys definitely make it more interesting , thanks for all the work you and those boys put Into your channels , it’s really freakin cool and I admire all you guys! Peace and Rock n Roll from North Dakota! 🤙🏼😎
My tip for absolute beginners: When you are practicing chord changes, keep on strumming while you’re repositioning your fingers.
That way, you will be able to play through a song earlier, and that gives motivation! :)
I'm definitely guilty of pressing too hard on the fretboard and, as I'm from the UK, of driving on the wrong side of the road. From today, I'm going to relax my grip and as soon as I'm allowed out of the house, I'm going to rectify the driving issue! Thanks Rhett.
Glenn. Someone told me once the reason we drive on the left is because in olden days most people would hold a sword in their right hand. Therefore if an army was marching and came across the enemy you would draw your sword from your right to engage the enemy on the right. Dunno if that’s true! 😀
@@ShiningHourPop not sure, really, buy probably has more to do with, not swords, but jousting. The horsemen would steer the horse with the left hand and hold the jousting pole in their right. I shall research!
Looks like you might be right, but in fact it goes back to Roman times when they were ordered to match on the left. History lesson over 😁
Yes that was the gist of the story I was told! 😁
glenn whitlock Please say capo too 😂
I've been playing acoustic guitar for 10 years and didn't know that just lightly touching the frets can produce the sound you want. Thanks to you my transitions are smoother and accurate
A lot of that is true depending on the set action,guitar build and string gauges of one's guitar though😒
Absolutely doesn’t work for me with barre chords
@@CyrilViXP same. I really have to put pressure on the frets for barre chords.
This is so helpful..I have had a guitar just sitting for about three years . Dabbling here and there. My confidence level just wasn't there, because I was getting frustrated with learning chords. Now playing and practicing for a month this advice is very encouraging and I enjoy what I am doing🤗
The easiest way to learn guitar is to get into a toxic relationship with someone who wants to date a guitarist, and then reignite your punk rock phase :)
Lmfao hahahahahaha
I would concentrate too much on the girl and not on the guitar... That's why I would choose to learn from a guy. Not because I'm "gay" cuz I am NOT. not even bi...
@Domino Grimm I feel called out now hahaha
Hahahahha as someone who just recently finished this step, I can testify that it in fact works. Add to that, the punk look is still very much alive.
@@veddynazz8303 As the kids used to say, "Punks never die."
Music theory is genuinely the best thing for learning music. Knowing what you're playing, why it sounds good, etc is important. Plus then you can keep building on the basics and pretty easily learn different things that make your music not always sound the same
I played guitar for years and as soon as I started learning theory it made me a way better player right away
I agree to an extent. Think about all the brilliant guitarists who do not know any music theory. I didn’t really want to learn it but had to for my music course. And I do admit that it definitely made me understand a lot more and i was better but for some people they’re still class without doing it and music theory might not help them.
It kind of depends on the persons IQ or predisposition to learning that sort of thing. I've seen great self taught unique sounding guys go all clunky and basic and confused spending 10+ years trying to get to grips with basic theory.. In hindsight I wish they'd just stayed doing their own thing, sounding unique and not being very versatile.
If a student takes to learning theory well then let them run with it, otherwise just learn your favourite songs and make up your own and essentially do whatever you want 👍
I'm in a position righ tnow where i have a guitar and want to pick up and understand some basic music theory from piano, but dont understand how it translates to guitar and to find the resources. I think that's the hardest part for newbies - they dont know what to look for, and even if they do, finding the sources isn't easy which is why a lot of people just get tabs, a capo and tery to learn their favorite songs before giving up when they hit a bar chord. Never really understanding what a chord is, why it's in major or minor, where the scales are etc.
“Things right now are kind of crazy”
October: chuckles, just you wait..
fr, it's november
December!
Christmas: you bet, wait seated lol
It's 2021 :>
January of 2021: Oh buddy...
Finding a teacher...I'm learning this 15 years into playing guitar and it has been an enlightenment.
ive been playing for years and i still dread playing the f chord
jim walker which F? The barre chord F or normal F? Normal F is easy
i did too but it gets easier it really does. playing barre chords further up on the neck where it’s easier will probably help you progress to where you can move it down to the first fret and it won’t be so hard. good luck !
Idk, barre chords for me were easy for me. I was able to get every note to ring out in a barre F chord after practicing 15 minutes for about a week
So you stopped at basic cowboy chords? What a pity
OK, you're talking about the C note, first fret (second string), and the F Note, first fret (first string) being held down simultaneously. Beginners regularly have problems with this chord. To tackle the F chord problem, just start by playing these two notes only. Get them to where they ring out. Then you can add the A note (2nd Fret, third string)and get these three notes to ring. Then add the F note (3rd fret, 4th string.) Then get all of them to ring. Do this exercise repeatedly until you feel comfortable pressing all four strings down and strumming. Like Rhett said, don't grip too tightly with you left hand. Also make sure that you put your left hand thumb is on the center of the back of the neck. This will allow a little bit of space between your palm and the guitar neck. Don't grab the neck like you're grabbing a piece of rope. Put your thumb on the back of the neck. One last thing. If the nut is cut high (the plastic piece where the string go through grooves on it before reaching the tuning gears) you'll have problems depressing the C and F (first string) notes. Take your guitar to a music store, or use skype and ask someone who knows guitars if the nut looks high. If it's too high, have someone fix that. Then, with practice, you'll be able to play your F chord. PS: It gets easier as you go along, depending on what you study. I find that some jazz chords are easier to finger than some cowboy chords.
Most people probably started out on guitars that were set up poorly, so they had no choice but to use the kung foo grip
Yes! Until I played a friend's fender guitar I didn't know the strings could be be closer to the neck! I had to get the Floyd Rose bridge blocked but it made it much easier for me to play.
Exactly!
Andrew Yee yeah same here. I started out on a Yamaha FG-160, the action was set super high, it’s a double edge sword because it developed my finger strength for barre chords. Going to electric was super easy.
@@HigherPlanes Holy shit, if you're talking about that classical guitar, I'm using that one right now! My mom knows nothing about music and found whatever guitar she liked at our local music store, so now I'm stuck to practicing with the hardest type of guitar as a beginner... electric is sooo much easier.
this called me out lmao
another thing I remember figuring out is that in many acoustic songs (like some fingerstyle songs), when changing chords, you DON’T have to pick up your whole hand! this use to happen when playing a song that revolves around chords but I was reading a tab instead (julia by the beatles, babe i’m gonna leave you by Led Zeppelin for example). most of the time there are only a few changes so look at the tab and see if you can keep your hand on the fret board and only move a few fingers. the song will be much smoother and you’ll be able to change chords much quicker
great advice, I had a major breakthrough once realized this 😅 its seems so obvious but apparently it wasn't eh
Yeah, it's called fret anchoring. Surprisingly useful for tab readers.
I picked up a guitar again after almost 20 years and it blew my mind the amount of resources out there now that can help you learn. 20-30 years ago, you had to get a teacher or play by tab. It was frustrating as hell because I could not afford a teacher at the time, and, I was not learning much by just playing tab.
I just picked up my acoustic after not playing it in almost 20 years. I have forgotten most of what I learned, and am learning from scratch again.
I'm a new guitar player, I'm still getting into the habit of playing every day as practice. I've had trouble finding what I love, my passion, I've always liked music but I never felt like it was possible. And whenever I seem to try everything else it just doesn't give me the same feeling, but whenever I do something right on my acoustic I just feel so good. It's really fun to be able to learn something on it, and I am hoping to possibly get a teacher some day. Thanks for the video, it actually helped quite a bit more than others I watched. Like the advice to learn about equipment and the fact you made me just realized that I don't have to press down on the strings anywhere near as hard as I thought I did.
Yo I want to buy one and start to play but I cant understand the scale and wich place makes wich sound...it just seems so confusing to me
@Emma Fisla okay bro thanks
Does anyone just want to hear this dude rock out now??
Solid advice. I've played guitar since 2004, but only really started to properly understand it a few years back when I sat down and read Guitar Theory For Dummies. I hadn't realised how simple music theory actually is, and suddenly everything I was doing made way more sense. It was like I'd reached enlightenment. I now feel comfortable calling myself a musician.
Took guitar lessons back in 1999! Haven’t touched it in literally a decade but I’m back. Thanks for the tops!
Someone I knew who was a very excellent player, physically and technically, told me that the fastest way to learn the guitar is to stand in front of the mirror and learn every note on the guitar. The point of that was that it not only reinforces your memory on a couple more levels, besides being backwards to exercise your brain a bit, is that it keeps your head tilted UP and trains you away from constantly looking at your hands, even though you're staring at them all the time during practice.
Using the mirror will really accelerate your playing - it's actually a harder habit to develop than most might think because it's a little weird to me, even to this day...
That's honestly a very fascinating suggestion for developing familiarity and comfortability on your instrument! Reading all these comments after watching the video just reminds me of how many counterproductive 'bad habits' there are to fall victim to if there isn't some sort of resource for guidance to realign one's trajectory! Similar to all of us 'self taught' musicians, we could likely all write books on all the dead end, or leading to nowhere tunnels that we wish we could've avoided, or at least dedicated less time to! Of course making all those realizations inevitably makes us wonder about how much more improved or better of players we'd be if all that (wasted) time were spent focusing on areas that were conducive to maximizing artistic growth! I've made peace with all that due to the fact that my wealth of knowledge and experience is a gold mine, and for anyone that sincerely entertained the idea of me as their teacher, they'd eventually surpass me in every way in just a 3rd of the time I've been playing!
And do it with a left hand guitar...😂
@@hendrix5757 you give lessons? My hands and shoulder are getting close to healed. I want to start virtual bands with like minded people who just want to jam and share feelings with the world. Maybe this thing we call lessons and teachers is really just people needing someone to play with.
@PrinceFcknCharming 😂....of course
Robert Fripp (King Crimson) practices in the dark. It means he never has to look at the fretboard, while playing.
Anyone else think he looks like Post Malone and Mac Miller had a baby ?
Who?
Maybe - if I knew who those people were...
holy shit i see it
@@JaysonT1 Google's your friend
@@blessedwithchallenges9917 Google's your friend
You def hit the nail on the head about the gear. People buy so much gear and not really learn about the gear they buy. If I get a piece of gear I want, I don’t buy up stuff, I buy one thing at a time so I can mess around with it and learn everything about it so you’re not wasting money just to waste money. Great video man. I learned by tabs and learning songs from my favorite bands like Green Day and Rancid. And eventually everything just started clicking as I progressed. I had a chart with all the notes and that’s how I learned every note on the fretboard.
For a period of about ten years, I took my guitar with me everywhere, and played at every opportunity; if anybody asked me to play, I'd play, if someone had a request I didn't know, I'd ask them to hum or sing it and I'd do my best. I'd meet other players, we'd pass the guitar back and forth and teach each other; there wasn't anybody so bad at it that I couldn't learn something. Everybody had a little something I didn't have, and I'd just keep building, so I mostly got by without a teacher, or rather with a whole bunch. It didn't occur to me 'til much later what a seriously weird and obsessive thing that was, to do that. Turns out I was what you might call eccentric. One thing I learned is that for a player, a musician, there's vast value in knowing a lot of songs, but for a writer, maybe it's best to not know any; if you start out by comparing your songs to the best that's ever been, you'll get discouraged and throw 'em all out.
Correct..nevertheless not necessarily true depending on your personality and knowledge.
This resonates with me, as someone who's not great with traditional guitar lessons or theoreticals; when it sounds tasty, I pursue it. Even before I took guitar seriously, I've always had melodies intrude into my mind's ear, and with that came a strong desire to see them played out. That and little bits borrowed from artists I look up to and people I have jammed with, cos full covers of Classic Rock songs like every other busker feel like stealing valour sometimes. I'm not great with most Requests, because I can barely wrangle my mind enough to focus on composing my own ditties and just sticking with one or two versions, (like a Day Version and a Night Version, if that makes sense) but I'm just doing me and that's what's important🎸🎶 Though my ending up on this video means I know there's always room for advice and improvement because my greatest enemy and harshest critic is me, but that person is also my principal ally and cheerleader😌
Cheers and keep on keepin' on, fellow weirdo!
one thing I already knew but the internet hammered home HARD...everyone can play a little and a lot of them are VERY GOOD if not pleasing to my tastes they are still showing the results of their work, love, labors. I still have anxiety but enough campfires where I bought two guitars (my wife hated packing them but I like to play and someone else can always teach me or they can learn something I know, what there is) and was able to lead so many people to picking up the guitar when THEY were nervous
It's weird but music to me has almost been the reverse of sports - I want to play with people who are not as skilled as me or more nervous because the things I do know are valid so I learn more when I am showing them to others than tackling things I don't understand which I should probably study a bit more before asking an expert to help me, but I am also helping so many others get up out of their funk and some people hadn't picked up the guitar in literally decades before that campfire...
FIRST AND FOREMOST, MUSIC IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT.
i don’t like learning full songs. i like learning riffs. i only learn full songs if i have to sing
Mojo Bone I was reading this and that’s exactly what I do.I don’t have a teacher but many and it’s fun
To be a beginner guitarist may be the most difficult but also the most important part of the journey, because it truly makes or breaks you wanting to pursue guitar for the long-term! Awesome work man!
As A Pro guitarist, and with almost 5K comments here, I might not be heard, however, My tips might be more along the lines of how to properly string a guitar with the "Knot" and other tips that have more to do with how to take care of the guitar. To keep an acoustic guitar in the case and keep it from too much moisture...When going from a cold enviorn to a warm one, just loosen the latches and not open the case so that the temperature can equalize. The reason, is that guitars surfaces can crack when there is too fast of a temperature change. NEVER put a guitar in freezing conditions or super hot conditions. If you have no choice, make sure to let them come to room temperature SLOWLY. Most guitars are made from wood. Temperature changes will make them expand or contract fairly quickly. The paint and outer coating can't expand or contract as fast as the wood will...it will crack, damage your guitar.
Yeah, I actually wrecked an acoustic when I was a kid from extreme temp change. Also, I tell young players that start out... don't put your guitar in the trunk on a hot day! Treat it like a baby! =) Good advice though man...recently lectured my nephew who I bought an acoustic for the same things you mentioned...first things I said to him before we went in and he broke his first string as I was teaching to how to tune it LOL....so he got a restringing lesson same day haha
When I was first starting out, I didn't have any confidence that I could learn from recordings. I thought I needed to learn the entire song or I was a failure.
Now I teach my students to learn one note and then learn the next note and so on. It might take an hour to figure two or three notes which is fine because, if you're trying, you're developing skills through that effort, no matter the end result. And because you are slowly building skills, next time you try, everything will be easier.
Most students look at me like I'm insane when I suggest learning from recordings. But first, we try it together. And we go slow and steady. Slow and steady will win most races.
This resonated a lot! As someone who's played for 20 years, looking back I'd make a lot of changes. Learning triads (and not being afraid of theory on guitar) and finding a real mentor would have been huge. I was self-taught stumbled my way through techniques and knowledge and finally a few bands. 20 years later, I find myself going back to some of the things I should have spent time on forever ago. It's great to have a hobby where we can never stop learning, and what better time to do some deep diving than the current world situation!
Thanks for all the great content, Rhett. Love hearing you speak from the heart and experience!
I'd argue it's BETTER for musicians to have the skills to ALWAYS PLAY BY EAR, than know all theory etc.
TAKES AWAY THE FUN.
TAKES AWAY THE MAGIC.
(That's why Vai and Satriani don't sound like they're having ANY fun, and are lifeless.)
Almost all my bands are IMPROVISED, which is the BEST! (ex: you will never ever get bored of the material!) (ex: every moment is dangerous and exciting!) Some are STRUCTURED improv.
I DONT HAVE TO MEMORIZE ANYTHING!
Someone starts, and the rest of us must deliciously ADD to it!
MILLION TIMES MORE FUN THAN JUST LEARNING ROTE MATERIAL.
“It doesn’t take too much pressure to make a chord ring”
*looks over to my 40 year old acoustic with a bowed neck and bad bridge*
I shamely relate to this. my poor acoustic 😝
hahaha
HAHAH SAME
There's a trick for that neck. Is it bowed in relief or tightened? If its tight (back-bowed), you can remove the strings, brace the guitar so the headstock and body are supported and the neck is free, and then leave a stack of books on the fretboard overnight. Maybe with a bit of moisture, like a humidifier, in the room. Watch that shit carefully, though. If its relief you might be able to do the same in reverse, though it might work better to suspend weight from the neck instead, because of the curve. Not too much though, if you crack the neck your problems get really real.
This is very true, coming together playing music helps immensely. My uncles all play and this is how we've been learning. We practice every day. Thank you for your knowledge 🙏.
This is a brilliant idea for a video. I was mostly self-taught for years, and I discovered that when I was most discouraged was the time when I was approaching a breakthrough in my playing and my knowledge. Afterwards I remained amazed at the change in my playing. After a couple of such breakthroughs, you will probably know that more breakthroughs are possible. Don't take the discouragement too seriously, and remain hopeful about the breakthroughs that are possible.
I am near to giving up. Really. I just cannot play naturally whenever someone is watching me play because I easily get discouraged. I have been wanting their approval, not mine. I kept avoiding criticisms for almost 5 years playing guitar and never really completed a whole song. Yes, I know how to do fingerstyles, anime songs that have complicated chords but never actually finished an entire piece because "It is too hard for me" and give up immidiately. My mindset was always "I need to impress others or else I will be a failure infront others" etc. and never actually grew as a musician. This video reminded me that every great musician started where everybody starts. I need to gain confidence that I could actually do things that is hard for other people. I hope I can grow with the time given this quarantine.
Of course, this is coming from someone who sings and plays rhythm guitar... Maybe try playing chords (and sing, if you can)... There are a lot of great songs that aren't that hard. I used to beat myself up, thinking I wasn't that good until a very experienced musician that I really respect (musically) told me that I don't know how many people wish they could play as good as I do. Keep the faith and keep at it... :)
I feel like this is how i will end up
I feel you!!! When you are not self-motivated like I am is you easily give up. Having teacher or friends to practice with is so important
"or capo if you drive on the wrong side of the road"
I'm in this video and i don't like it.
The best way to boost your skills is to sing along with your playing. Many pros do this. Listen to acoustic or jazz hi-fi recordings and you will likely hear players singing along with their guitar or piano. Singing along keeps you engaged and alert and is great for developing your ears. It also forces you to think ahead. Also, always tap your foot to the beat. Best of all, you don't need to spend money to do these things.