What Makes An Intermediate Guitarist?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 มิ.ย. 2024
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Going from a beginner guitar player to intermediate can be quite challenging, so today's video should help you find some of the most important things to practice for beginner guitar players.
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The biggest improvements have come in the last few years from channels like this, it is the easiest time in history for learning any skills, it's all at our fingertips, people say social media is evil but if you use it properly it freaking incredible 🎸 🎶
Good point. The internet is a great teaching tool as we have all found out with this type of instruction.
But there is no stopping those that use it only to heap their own unhappiness and bile on the rest of us.
Thanks for adding a positive note to Rhett's wonderful lesson.
Cheers
Thank you for doing this truncated version off stream. I much prefer this to a live stream. Honestly, I wish Rick would do this too.
I agree with this! Plus, an abridged version of each stream is a good way to get more views for the channel probably
I couldn’t agree more. Love the truncated version of stream.
I totally agree! I just don't have the time to sit for a two hour secession when 15 minutes will cover it. I'm at a point now with so many different channels out there that anything over 20 minutes I usually don't watch or I skip through a lot of it.
The thing with Rick, is there are many gems you'll miss out on if you're watching a cherry picked video
Agreed!
Rhett, I noticed my most significant improvements when I played regularly with other people (band or jamming). It forced me to learn new songs and riffs, and it motivated me to practice more often. I just didn’t want to suck when playing in front of others so I practiced more often. :)
Absolutely! And also it provides the possibility of testing out techniques and concepts that you have worked on … and that way kinda progress toghether 🙃
Got my first guitar in 3rd Grade. Am 65 years old now and still learning new things and improving. What a wonderful thing playing guitar is!!!!
I'm right there with you . Amen to that.
Recording yourself is such a vital tip, for me it was incorporating a loop pedal but anything that allows you to look at things to improve will greatly speed up progress
a few years ago, I felt like I'd hit a pretty serious plateau in my playing. I made a new years resolution to play guitar at least once EVERY day for the whole year, even if I just sat down for a few minutes and messed around. By the end of the year, I was pretty disheartened by little I'd improved. That made me realize I'd spent an entire year just noodling and going over the same things I always did, instead of actually targeting my weaknesses and PRACTICING them. Since then, my playing's grown by leaps and bounds. Don't noodle! Actually practice! Seek out exercises and routines that target your weakest areas. For me it was string muting and string skipping.
Amen! dont noodle, chose and play an exercise or a song.
Another trick I learned for locking in the note names on those first two strings is to run the cycle of 5ths and/or 4ths on the strings. This will cement the memorization a little more than walking the chromatics
Could you explain how to do that? Thx!
@@lpmama1196 Absolutely! So, focus on 1 string at a time. Starting with the E string: you'd first play C, on the 8th fret, then your next note to play on the E string is G, on the 3rd fret., then D on the 10th fret, A on the 5th, E (open or on the 12th), B on the 7th, F# on the 2nd, C# on the 9th, and so on. This will reinforce learning the notes and the cycles, and I find having to know where they are this way locks it in more than going chromatically because you can't lean on the notes you played before. Anyway, keep doing this until you have the E string down, and then move on to the A.
Hope this helps!
In April it'll be three years since I bought a guitar on a whim and fell in love instantly. I did follow some online courses, but I never took an in-person lesson, I never had a practice routine, because that felt like school all over again and that's not why I picked this instrument up. Once I got the basics down and had the fretboard figured out, I kinda stopped pushing the envelope and noodled all day long. I have played my guitar almost every single day for at least an hour because I have an almost childlike enthusiasm for it, but I was still feeling how hard I was stagnating.
So I have started learning songs. I'm still reluctant to use a metronome. Idk why, something in me just doesn't want to use it. Though I'm always using backing tracks and they're kinda like metronomes, no? Maybe I should just get over it and stop being afraid of the thing :D
Don't worry about it much. Eddie Van Halen said in interviews that he couldn't tell you a single scale if required and learned to play piano just by watching his teacher and only pretended that he was sight reading. His teacher caught him when noticing that Eddie was not knowing when to turn the pages for him. He not only learned to play that way but WON the piano talent show at school! Eddie barely even used a tuner to tune but just used his ear according to what he thought the vocals/song required. I mean, even though he DID know how to play lots of covers in the clubs, he even eventually perfected his own unique style and landscape on his fingerboard to suit his own music. Isn't that what our ultimate goal should be: uniqueness in creativity and style and reinventing what we know?
For what it’s worth my BIL was a professional musician and played 10 instruments (upright bass was one). When he practiced he would use a metronome every single time. He became the number one flautist of his city’s symphony orchestra and was in constant demand for the orchestra pit to back “stars” of the time. Like you, I hate to use a metronome, but I take inspiration from my BIL and his dedication to improving his playing every time he practiced.
I've been playing for about 1,5 years now and I've never really understood how to play to a metronome and how to tell time, but I think I've always had a good internal sense of rhythm.
I started trying to make music recently and I gotta tell you, without a metronome you're going nowhere. It's really nothing to be scared of. Metronomes are harsh and playing in time will be hard like everything else, but it gets easier the more you do it, and when you get good at it, having good timing is one of the most important things for a guitarist imo. And for me, there are times, when I may think I'm playing fine, but when I listen back to a recording and put a metronome on, it's not always pretty. Also I think all the good things come easily when you take them head on. At least that's how I learnt to do everything I know up to this point. So yeah, just sharing my experience!
Rhythm is the most important element of your playing, and your sense of rhythm is your most important skill. The reason I make this claim: the oft-repeated maxim I've heard from a zillion teachers and great players that "it's better to play the wrong thing at the right time than to play the right thing at the wrong time" is 100% true. If your sense of rhythm and time is off a little bit, it will be obvious to the listener and they won't be able to get past it. And the best tool for improving your sense of time is the metronome.
Some people think backing tracks, while not as good as a metronome, are better than nothing; while others think they actually do harm, in that they train you to depend on others for your sense of time rather than developing your own ability to hold time. My suggestion is that if you're using something like ideal Pro or Band in a Box for your backing track, turn down the volume on every instrument but the drums and bass.
Great alternative is play along with songs. Not sure if it's your taste, but I learned a ton by playing along with early Rolling Stones - there was a greatest hits album Called Hot Rocks. Most of the songs have three or four chords and are pretty easy to figure out by ear. once you know what a 1-4-5 chord progression is, and know how to find the friendly minors like minor 6, minor 3 and minor 2, you can play along with tons of classic rock, Motown, folk, R&B. Eventually learn the blues scale and you can start to figure out solos in tunes by stones, Beatles, etc. Strumming along to "Get Off My Cloud" or "Midnight Hour" or "Stand By Me" or "Riders on the Storm" is a lot more fun than a metronome - and those old tunes are all in time (or close enough...). Most important, have fun!! Technical stuff can wait - just enjoy it first - the guitar always has something for you to enjoy - even if it's just figuring out how many different ways you can make that E-minor open chord sound...
Been playing for over 5 years now. It's so cool how much one comes when you put in the effort, especially knowing chords, frets, scales. In many ways, they feel quite endless.
Cool. What do you like to play? (i see you everywhere)
@@StamateTudorGuitar Jazz, Blues, and Metal music primarily. I am open to anything, but those three are what I was raised on the most.
Remember.” It’s Your EAR you have to please. Every one else’s will follow “
Really appreciate your work Rhett the content has changed dramatically for the better👍
Thank you for being so encouraging and positive.
We beginners need that sometimes.
Hi,
i think it will be cool if make a video about what makes a advanced guitar player, or going from intermediate to advanced.
Cheers from Portugal
Portugueses no mundo =)
hes not really advanced
@@brianwhitehead8755 then you are nothing! Technique isn't everything...
@@goncalonunesfonseca6091 says the novice guitar player
@@brianwhitehead8755 Says the shred snob that swipes major scales up and down and calls it a solo...
Fun thing to do with improving intonation with bending at the G string:
You can do the intonation check at the G string by double stopping the note you want to bend to on the B string. So if you want to bend an F# on G (11th fret) to a G#, you can check your intonation at G# on B (9th fret). You can play the notes separately like Rhett does, and you can also double stop it by bending the G and keeping the B where it’s at.
Thanks Rhett. For pointing out the joy. That's the point.
Great video Rhett, simplifies the concepts in a very clear way...
I really enjoyed this video Rhett! Can't agree more on play what makes you happy. Thank you for your humble attitude towards learning guitar. Took me years not to be too hard on myself for not knowing certain scales or reading sheet paper for that matter. Also, great tone from that esquire. Looking forward to more uploads like this. Keep up the good work!
Your content is great! Thank you! Been playing 30 years, and learning a different approach to the simplest progressions.
When I studied classical guitar my teacher had me learn all the scales in the Segovia scale book and say the notes out load as I played. I learned all the notes on the fretboard quite quickly.
A looper pedal is a great learning aid
Awesome Rhett, really awesome! After a hiatus of almost 10 years away from the guitar, I got back studying and playing for 2 years now and during this period I’m really deeping dive on basics and other stuff thar never gave the chance to learn properly... Improved myself a lot and the only (and best) way to do it was sitting down and playing! That was all about, taking the guitar and hammering the basics, standards! Great video man, I got everything you said and that’s what I’m doing since then
This is great Rhett! I often don't have the time to catch up on the livestreams, thank you!
This was super encouraging and relieving. Thanks for all the info
6:00 Barre chords: The first epiphany I had was when it sank in that all barre shapes with a root on the low E has an E shape in front (major & minor), and all barre chords with a root on the A string has an A shape in front (major & minor). When that sank in, it changed my guitar life which is only 10 months old.
You’re right !!!
@@nicolasmaurin182 You're welcome. lol
Actually, there are 5 barre chord shapes: C, A, G, E, and D. However, the A and E shapes are the most commonly used. The E and G shapes both have the root on the 6th string, the A and C shapes have the root on the 5th string, and the D shape has the root on the 4th string.
@@KPLPTube Cool! Thank you!
@@KPLPTube That is why I'm not a fan of the CAGED system. The G ,C and D shapes are very unusefull as a bar chord. It's much easier to just learn the names of the notes of, at least, the low E and A string, to start with. From there you can cover a lot of bar chords with E and A shape (either major and minor and 7th chords).
One of the better videos I have seen particularly the last few minutes about mastering the instrument it may never be possible but we get better each day we play and practice
Awesome and true tips! These all are essential. Most of all, having FUN!
Rhett you are a legend. I find your content very helpful. I am trying to pick up again, such great suggestions. Thank you
Rhett, thanks for condensing the ideas, tips and techniques from the live stream to this lesson.
Great video, Rhett. Really great. Thanks
Great video and what I needed to get me motivated again. Thank you 🙏🏾
Whatever keeps the guitar in your hands, and is fun... That is very true. Thanks Rhett
Great video Rhett. I got hooked on Elevated Jam Tracks here on TH-cam about a year and a half ago and it's got me picking up the guitar and playing every day from 12:30 - 2pm. Got me from playing only major and minor pentatonic stuff to playing all different modes. The biggest improvement for me is that I can hear where the half steps are now on whatever's playing and play along. Keep up the good work brother.
Great video. Your a stellar teacher. Great channel too!👍 That fender sounds lovely
Very kind of you, because I never have the time to watch live streams! But pretty sure there is a lot of good stuff in them!
Brilliant video. Really inspired me as to some of the areas I need to improve on. Thank you for all the great content, insight, inspiration and making me want to pick up my guitar everyday.
Great explanation, thank you Rhett
Love all these tips and thanks for being transparent. Make sure you practice standing up too :)
Thank You so much, Rhett!! This video has really helped me to understand that my practice methods are okay, lol . Like you, I seem to practice most by learning a song and learning notes and having no set routine. But I play every day!! ☮❤☮
Wow, this was great. Definitely some things to work on and very helpful.
I watched that Live stream. Thank you for condensing those talking points!
Loved this video. Great job.
Thank you Rhett, love your content! They are very practical, easy to follow and very useful. :)
Outstanding, Rhett. I call myself an intermediate player and I’m currently ‘teaching’ a couple of friends, so this approach is both useful and intuitive. Cheers and thanks from Brisbane Australia.
Great advice, love the channel.
This was really good Rhett, thanks for your work on this, I shared it with guitar students, it’s almost the same thing I teach them as they approach intermediate level.
Excellent advice at the end of this video. You can apply that to life itself. We’re never going to be perfect but we can have fun trying if we get over the negative hump.
👊🏽✊🏽🤘🏽
Funny when you mentioned how long you’ve been playing. I hadn’t thought about it…I always had a guitar around as my dad would pick out Melodie’s of old songs, I mean really old songs… so I would play around at first just learning some riffs that were the openings of old tv shows…my sister showed me the first cowboy chords and a neighbor who played let me back him on this cowboy chords…and I was off and running…that was 55 years ago as I’m almost 71 years old… I still play guitar every day and play in a local gigging band…ain’t it fun!!! I don’t know if I’m advanced or not but to me it don’t matter much as I’m havin a blast…I certainly enjoy you, Rick and Josh here on the tube…thanks a bunch
Great stuff Rhett !! Cheers from Philly !!
Amazing video!
I'm a beginner, trying to learn through an app and was feeling kind of stuck.
I'll definitely try these exercises and techniques from now on.
Thank you, Rhett.
Cheers from Brasil.
Thanks, Rhett - this video was so helpful. I took lessons for over 10 years and have played on and off for 20 years since, but never reached the 'advanced' stage. This video confirmed for me that I'm 'intermediate', but for me it's about "what's missing" or why couldn't I get beyond this point. I believe it has a lot to do with complete neck fluency and improvisational skills. Knowing where notes are is straight memorization, but being able to transform that knowledge of 'just notes' into your own music is what I think brings a player into another level. If you'd be willing to do a video on this subject, it could help me and others stuck at this level. Thanks again!
Nice summary , understood what I need to work on
⚓️ Thanks Rhett 😎 Good basics 🎸 a real breakthrough video !!! So valuable 😎
This is the perfect video for me right now. I’m feeling really stuck with where I’m at musically, and at least the beginning parts of the video are easy enough for someone learning on their own to do.
I continue to learn a lot from you - thanks! I also love to play along with recorded music and have fun learning songs. There are some practice routines I do every day to warm up and I always try and work on a new music theory concept or keep practicing one I am not confident with until I have a pretty good grasp of it.
Rhett, thank you so much! Excellent lesson...👍
Hi Rhett,
If possible, I would like to hug you. It took me decades to find out what you have put into these few minutes of video. What I learned in addition today : Practice as often as you can, and HAVE FUN! Thank you so much! 👍👍👍
Great content. Thanks Rhett
Great video.also learning your intervals is a great help.
So glad you mentioned recording yourself. I have only truly seen progress since I started a) Recording (and trying to double track myself) and b) trying to transcribe in Guitar Pro. The number of times I've realised "those triplets are not triplets" or forced myself to acknowledge that I've fudging a particular bit of a piece. Its the best. I recommend using a DAW and putting a beat down to record against and just double track your playing once you "think you've got it". I can guarantee you find new areas to improve.
Great class! Thank you for this.
Thanks! All this and being relatively consistent. Have to be able to keep on with others
This was so helpful. Thanks you!
Rhett cant believe I just discovered you! I've seen you on Rick Beato's channel and thought you were a professional musician, and then disovered your excellent youtube instructional video's. Excellent presentation, excellent content...I'd like to add, that using the metronome for almost every practice session improved my playing tremendously.
Thanks Rhett!
There's one thing that made me hit the subscribe button and it's when you said you playing from 20 years and you still believe that you can't learn the whole thing about the instrument... I kind of have a same set of mind even after these 20 years of playing guitar... Surprisingly I recently shifted to an electric after almost 20 years of playing acoustic and also some percussions too.. one life is not enough for this endless knowledge of music..!!
Cheers! 😊
Great concise advice!!!🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Hi man, great video! The saying out loud thing really does help, its how i memorized all the major triads back in the day. Keep up the good content!
Good advice glad l found this video to give me info on how to improve, thanks
You are a master teacher, and I really appreciate it. I liked the exercise, those always appeal to me because as you say you can measure your progress. Keep up the good work
thank you for helping me understand where i’m at. i can comfortably say in sitting at intermediate i can do all the things you said pretty well but i still struggle. i kinda stepped away from music because i started working during the pandemic and was never home but now with my new job i’ve stepped back in and you showed me kinda what i’ve been missing in my practice toward the end. i would just play along to song and play jazzy stuff till my fingers did the thing so definitely i’m coming back to listen to the words to help me remember what i need to be doing so i can become advance. i’m in year 4 now wow.
thanks for the video. I love your advise and will start using it.
Thanks Rhett. It's good to know that I'm teaching the right stuff! : ) In addition, I also teach how to hear/find the key of the song, know the chords in the key and which you're likely to find, so you try these first. Numbering chords, often known as the Nashville numbering system. My students quickly learn how to work out songs by ear, starting out with simple I, IV, V.
Great content Rhett. Common sense help for those beginners looking to advance to intermediate. Well stated. Thank you.
Rhett, you are a very good teacher. You have a way of giving the info and relating it so that beginners and other players at all levels can grasp and put into practice. I was stuck at the Beginner level (advanced beginner Lol) for a very long time and then by becoming proficient with barre chords and learning the CAGED system, the whole picture of the fret board began to open up for me. I am strictly rhythm, as Knofler would say, but I am learning the notes up and down the board using your technique, just so I can become a more fully informed player.
BTW, when it comes to teaching, the glasses help and look good!
You have a good teaching style. More please. Enjoy your videos
The biggest thing for me that identifies a beginner form intermediate (I mean in addition to your points) is having relaxed as opposed to flexed hands and fingers. The exercise of 1325 is great but one must make certain to go very SLOW in the absolute most relaxed way where you concentrate, not on the fretting finger, but rather on the other fingers being relaxed. If they are moving on order to get the fret finger to hit its target, then you have not achieved finger independence. If you develop and iron grip and your pinky is shooting out into a "tea for two" possition, you are not relaxed.
Never ever ever power through an exercise sacrificing relaxed idependent fingers for speed. This promotes a muscle memory that will need unlearning later (guilty as charged - 20 years of it!).
Any time a chord or scale patters requires and iron grip, stop! Take a breath (always breath slow and deep by the way). Now place your fingers where you want them to go in a exaggeratedly relaxed way as lowly as it takes and prove to your brain it can be done relaxed.
If your hand is tired (yes even when doing an F bar) you are not relaxed. If your fingers are lifting high off the strings, you are not relaxes.
Watch any great guitarist and you will see I'm right.
Loved this segment!
The last tip is really the most usefull! It's really true
Finger exercising is fun and can do wonders. the one in this video is great.
Nice Rhett, glad to see this summary here (will admit I couldn't get through the whole stream, time-wise).
Two things I used to help me get a better grasp of the fretboard - one is related to the CAGED system, so I won't go in to it here, but the other is simply playing scales using octaves. Depending on the specific octave you are playing, it can help strengthen your hands, as well.
great stuff man
ive been playing every day since new year i see myself "leveling up" each day i learn something new.
Tx again for another great vid Rhett. I found ac/dc Thunderstruck is an awesome exercise for learning alternate picking. Took me a few years to really feel comfortable playing it, but I can now do so pretty easily. Just forcing myself to keep trying worked wonders and you get to learn an awesome song in the process! Totally agree with your comments. Tx again.
After almost 25 years of playing, I finally learned the pentatonic shapes, intervals, triads, notes on the fretboard, and the CAGED system. I’m getting to the point where I feel like all of those things are gelling together, and I’m really starting to unlock the fretboard. But yeah, still have to improve my bending, vibrato, and technical precision. This year my goal is to learn a bunch of solos. They’ve always intimidated me, but hopefully not for long.
This is great. I’ve actually been working on all of these steps in the last month. I’ve only been playing 10 months. I still would consider myself a beginner. But I do work on all of these. By no means do I have any of them down. But I am having a ton of fun. I haven’t been this passionate about something in a long time. And your videos have taught me a ton.
Love your videos Rhett, thanks so much for putting all the time and effort into this!! The best way to become a more proficient guitarist is to watch more videos by Rhett with guitar in hand and follow along ;) You may have mentioned this but I think a key to success is to HAVE FUN!! Learn some songs that you love and play along with them, start easy and work your way up. And don't compare yourself to anyone but yourself, there's an infinite amount of knowledge and skills to learn but who cares, if you learned a little bit today you're better than yesterday and that's a step forward. Thanks again Rhett!
Excellent video from a person who has trouble interpreting instructions. I used to frustrate my mentor. I learned better playing to records. I'm basically tone deaf, tuning wise, but I can play fairly faithful to a record and I do feel the music I like. After 50 years I want to play. That helps immensely and playing daily is a huge plus.i just bought a guitar with a locking nut and kahler 2700 trem. What a boost in in- tune playing!!
Me and a friend of mine who's a keyboardist and classically trained have this routine so I can work on my theory/ear/transcribing.
Every Friday we put on a music show, 3 hours of several artists in different music styles, and.. we just figure out songs. We also alternate between calling out scale degrees and full chord names, and the mix of keys, modes and immediacy of having no rewind button make this very interesting.
It's not really transcribing, we're not so much about getting the voicings right, but that will come in time too. Already I'm drilling other things alongside it, such as "use triads only" or "top three strings and middle of the neck", esp if the key and progression is familiar.
You know, fun 😉
Great video Rhett! The thing that has helped me has been playing covers with a band. There was (and still is) where I get very dialed into doing original stuff, I wasn't pushing myself forward with new ideas. Playing with a band forces you to also learn the whole song and not just that cool riff or solo part.
I would also add, learning other instruments has helped shift my perspective in the guitar.
Great video! I'd love to see a follow up discussing what separates an advanced guitarist from an intermediate one. And this time, I'll watch the live stream.
Excellent video
Great teaching
This is great for my beginning.
Man I needed this 💞 So refreshing 😌 I like your teaching style and also love learning principles and core of subjects and hit the right spot. I used to have guitar teacher at high school - I learnt swing and finger styling and all - after school I self taught from TH-cam LOL I shall practice all you mentioned here yay - I would love if you did video on fingerstyling principles and how to work half acoustic and half electric guitar -- Hm how to build up tension in a song for emotions 💕💕 Thank you !! To say I love playing Harmonics and going up and down -- sooths my anxiety and beautiful cry of how angelic it sounds 💓💓 I think ill invest in your courses soon :)
What helped me the most was trying to write songs in a style that I enjoy listening to and playing. I started picking up music theory and song structure this way. Since I don’t have a band to play with, I found that this forced me to think about the areas I needed the most improvement in and make sure to highlight those in what I write. Plus, I find it the best part of being a guitarist!
I found this video incredibly helpful. It reinforced what I'm doing right, and confirmed a few things I'm doing wrong. I'm 63 and just learning to play.
Please Rhett, never stop doing this channel.
Just solid information. Just spending as much quality time with the guitar is going to go a long way. I know I just have to keep practicing and make it fun, because it is!
Thanks for doing this condensed version. I feel like I'm living on the cusp between beginner and intermediate, so this video was helpful in motivating me toward moving forward instead of hanging out here in limboland!
Thank you this is a very useful roadmap
Great video. I totally agree with using songs to practice because I'm much more likely to pick up my guitar and play a few songs than spend an hour doing technical exercises. But a few caveats to that.
First if I'm going to play a song, I treat it as a performance. I play the whole song start to finish and try to play it as musically as I can. I don't let myself get sloppy. I also look for different ways to play the same song---different tempos, different keys, maybe use bar chords instead of first position chords. I may experiment with using a first position chord in the verse and use a bar chord in the chorus. Listening carefully to how different chord positions affect the feel of a particular song helps me be more musical. I find I'm much more motivated to work on a new technique or fingering when I see how it makes a song better. Just playing the song the same way every time might feel good but it doesn't produce the growth I need.
So many teachers I've had have a formula of what techniques they want you to learn, and often they don't seem to care about the songs you want to play, just the exercises they want you to practice. I get that some of those techniques are fundamental and if you want to be a well rounded player you need to learn a broad range of techniques. But rigidly focusing on exercises in the absence of making music isn't very motivating to people like me. The other problem I ran into with teachers is that if they did use songs in their lessons, they liked to pick the songs. I get that, too. They picked songs that were good for learning certain techniques. But if they'd let me pick songs I actually wanted to play, it would have worked so much better for me.
I know there are good teachers out there, but I've had bad luck with private lessons. So many teachers like to follow a specific lesson plan because they think it's the best way to learn. They're often unwilling or uncomfortable stepping outside the box they've created, which is understandable because they put a lot of effort into devising a teaching approach and they don't want to reinvent that everytime they take on a new student. But when I look at the amount of money a student spends on lessons, seems like a little effort on the teacher's part to adapt their approach for a particular student's learning needs isn't unreasonable. So after years of struggling through lessons, I now try to find good ideas from people like you, Rhett, and I apply them to my practice. I've made more progress since I started doing this than I did in years of taking private lessons. So thank you for giving such good advice that people like me can benefit from.
Well, I'm a little late to this party. Good video with great info. I would like to add that I tell my students to sing the notes while playing them. Get to know the intervals and be able to play what they hear in their heads. As a player, my ability to play what I heard in my head got better and better. It also helped me pick up songs quickly. Anyway, that's my 2 cents any way. I really like your videos. One never knows everything and I've picked up so much from you and Rick. Thanks much.