5 (thankfully) rare types of guitar student

[@christophermatthews638]

The people you describe are not limited to playing the guitar. They are universal.

[@commentfreely5443]

guy who buys a new guitar each month but has never played a song.

[@nikosibarramante2677]

Yup I had piano students just as described.

[@strumminronin]

Most certainly. I have trained people in the gym like that. Want to lose fat but won't stop eating junk, and wonder why "nothing's working".

[@bobj3251]

Also so many people can't understand why there not getting anywhere with it even though they hardly ever practice

[@gmjsimmons]

Hey, John I noticed you have 4 thumbs down. I guess the 5th problem student hasn't watched this video yet.

[@TheDarkestPaladin]

Update : 18

[@johnnyrandom100]

@@TheDarkestPaladin 22 now

[@michaelnelson7572]

John ,I know this video is a few years back but you had me in stitches. From the u s late 60s recently retired construction worker. True beginner , don't know if I can make the fret hand work , but I appreciate my teacher and becoming a music theory nerd

[@jameswright5572]

I fit in with the first group LOL. I showed up to my first lesson at 43 years old with a Fender CyberTwin SE and a Gibson Les Paul Studio. My instructor kind of laughed and said to me "Nice gear....if you where making a living with it" I laughed and we hit it off very well. Sadly I lost my friend and mentor(even though he was many years my junior) a few years ago. I miss him but the knowledge he passed to me always brings a smile to my face.

[@My-Channel_forever]

Oh my gosh. My teacher is younger, too. I couldn’t imagine losing him. How nice that you think of him fondly.

[@johntate5050]

My mate's like that first one. He can't play a note, but he went out and bought an expensive guitar thinking it'd be easier, and he'd learn quicker. He took 2 lessons, complained that he didn't like the C chord because it was uncomfortable, and he gave up.

[@somerandomhomeboy]

Great insights Man! Could you do "5 things a guitar student should look for in a teacher"?

[@GScott50]

Anyone who says 'golf bats' is ok in my book!

[@crusty_the_alpaca]

Thanks John. As an older student, I found out pretty quickly there is a lot to learn with the guitar, and your commitment to learning the instrument is tested regularly. The main thing is to have fun and be patient with yourself. And find a great teacher!

[@ssm445]

OMG I thought I am the "Rock Star Dad" type and get a bashing. I even have a Harley! ... Benton, that is.

[@southjersey10]

HB...... lol🤣

[@fromthesilence9583]

My Harley get's a regular bashing.....the Pedal that is, the other one gets a thrashing.

[@triplesevensix291]

Ha! A+. ;)

[@skippertheeyechild6621]

On these types of videos, they get views because people value your experience and, more importantly, the way it's delivered. These stories are great. The tuning guy. I burst out laughing at that.

[@lapaz62]

Bill Oddie wrote all the music pieces in the Goodies and it was an excellent show.

[@guitarchords-n-more4338]

Awesome video!

[@johnnyrandom100]

Good vid John, I like all the different content you publish. Keep up the good work.

[@jamestully9253]

know what you mean john I can play anything in my head but the bones in my fingers wont help me out.

[@andrewreynolds2647]

Great stuff John, I thoroughly enjoyed this video.

[@mushroomsamba82]

I think the guy with his guitar tuned backwards was my favorite out of these stories

[@gillesgenete9598]

Hi John, I laughed a lot listening to you. I thought you were describing me in the 1st category Grand Dad, and also in the last Dreamer. I started guitar at age of 55, now 62. Had enough money in my back pocket to offer me a american vintage strat 62 reissue, but chose a solid state small amp. Started reading the Mel Bay grade 1 course book, then understood I needed lessons, got them just dreaming" I just want to play those songs I like so much, from Rory Gallagher. Not interested in music theory and chords !" Then understood it would be a long endless road to learn. Never cancelled one lessons worked hard, evenings and lunch time, made some progress, and now continue progressing learning from YT various channels. I would have loved taking lessons from you face to face, but living in France, I'm not easy with skype/whatsapp things. By the way, following you help me a lot maintaining my English speaking, you speak so gently 👍

[@TheDunateen77]

Gilles Genete there’s nothing wrong with solid state amps as long as you get a semi decent one ,which amp do have?

[@gillesgenete9598]

@@TheDunateen77 right, very recent Ss amp like Boss Katana, are very good. My 1st was a Fender Mustang 20watt, poor tone until I replaced the speaker by a 10" Eminence RamRod (yes it fits in place of the original8"). Nevertheless , better a Vox AC15 used at 400€ than a Boss new at 300€. The Quilter micropro mach2 is excellent but in the 800€ price range.

[@Chimp_No_1]

I always look forward to your lessons and reviews ! Love your chats as well 😊

[@stevenedwards4470]

😂 The tuning denial guy is like a cartoon character. Amazing

[@fabienbourdier9847]

haha i found this cute, most kids go through this know it all mindset

[@nigelpickett2471]

This gave me a chuckle or two. And I well remember Bill Oddie trying to learn the guitar, widdled meself laughing at him.

[@davidclarke67]

Re: teenage know-it-all.Tbf, I watched a vid of BB King in which he states he doesn't play chords either!

[@markfahey3921]

Great stories there John, really enjoyed them.

[@BodeSkalycz]

excellent video - great stories, right on the mark. Keep up the good work!

[@davidwilkin1202]

I tried teaching my step son guitar, but thought it best for him to progress his playing with a tutor. He very quickly was entered in to the Rockschool grade 2 exam, and passed. So I must have done something right in the formative stuff! He is studying for grade 5 now😎🎸🤘

[@raysmith7543]

Great stuff John. I really enjoyed this video.

[@jonniegibbins]

I'm going to claim my free introductory lesson - and if I'm not playing better than Jimmy Page by the end of the week I'll demand my money back ;-))

[@ianwebster3489]

Bless our Dad, he bought a Gretsch electromatic about 5 years ago. Beautiful instrument, sat in a hardcase in his bedroom. Every now and again I try to find him a KZbin video about how to play simple songs or whatever but he never picks up the damn thing. Mercifully he only bought a Vox VT40+ Oh, and I've been trying to teach him guitar since he bought me my first Westfield Les Paul copy in 2002 (play authentic, kids!). You'll never see him though because he won't pay for lessons.

[@MalCox56]

I'm not a guitar teacher but way back there was a young kid used to come and watch our band, one day he approached me and asked if I could show him how to play some blues stuff. I agreed and he came to my house, picked my brains about blues chords and blues in general. I had no idea of whether he could play at all so asked him to play what he knew. He proceeded to knock out a near perfect rendition of Van Halen's 'Eruption' After I'd picked myself up off the floor, he said "so, do you think you could show me the chords to Hey Joe?" Naturally, I made a deal. Yes, I'll show you Hey Joe if you teach me Eruption! Bizarre evening... I still can't play Eruption though...

[@fabienbourdier9847]

Loved your video ! I still don't take lessons with a teacher but i'm planning to do so before the end of the year, and seeing i probably won't be one of those it makes me more confident to start doing so !

[@bobj3251]

Wish I lived nearer Redcar ! My teacher told me to take up golf

[@williamtaylor874]

Glad I've found this, John made me smile I've just subscribed all the best mate,,

[@banjoganjo7116]

Love your channel john. It amazes me how many aspiring guitarists refuse to learn bar chords. But can play riffs from bands/music they have practiced from you tube a zillion times, but they don't actually know what their playing.

[@GuitarsAreHard]

Oh 5h!t! Am I that 1st student with the Les Paul & the Marshall stack?!?!??? I have a 60's Standard & Marshall amp & I'm in very late middle age....

[@GuitarsAreHard]

This genuinely made me LOL! 🤣

[@SatrilRose]

Well I'm 20 years old learning to play blues. I've been learning off the internet but I definitely don't know everything 🤣🤣🤣. I believe in learning from all types of sources.

[@bluesman7119]

Well I am not really that type of guitar student :) but I am just envisioning the chap wiht Marshall JCM 800 lol , I can just imagine the look you had, but I know someone close to me who was learning bass I said do you know your chords or any for that matter, he said why do I need to learn chords or theory, I just gave a deep sigh, but when I am ready to continue my lessons, I might decide to pop up instead, but I can assure you well you know I just have a VOX VT20x so the volume will be more than reasonable , but when you are middle age like moi, you must be practical , I have no intentions of going on tour, I love the learning process, I love doing something on the guitar and it sounds good, small accomplishments I find very important in learning an instrument at least for me, I am happy with my Ibanez thought I am looking at the Vintage Brand Strats as my next guitar, heard good things and the you cannot beat the price, so I am not going for the Custom Shop Strat, could you imagine explaining to your partner hi hon I just bought a £4000 guitar I can assure the lads in the white van will be at my door with the straight jacket lolol. I think really people have to realistic and to be honest there is loads of decent guitars at around the £300 quid mark, as for amps I am more than happy with my VOX , that would be my advise to someone learning be practical, and listen to your teacher, he might know a wee bit more than you, :)

[@stevew585]

Love this video! :]

[@StephenGallacher]

"Golf Bats" Thumbs up just for that. I've been pretty lucky with most of my students - one or two last minute cancelers and a few who come for lessons for a period of time (sometimes years), then don't show up one day, don't answer the phone and I never see them again. I tell myself it's thoughtless more than malicious, but it's still a pain in the proverbial. On the subject of younger students, have you ever had any issues with their parents? I always make an effort to have some rapport worth the parents as well as the kids, it's just polite and, worth remembering, it's the parents who pay my wages. When I first got into teaching in the early 2000's I worked through a music school based in Glasgow - they'd advertise and recruit the students, if anyone from my area responded, the school would put me in touch with them and if we had any lessons I'd pay a commission. it worked well for a number of years, however on one occasion I was put in touch with a lady looking for lessons for her son - I called and we chatted and she couldn't have been nicer. The family lived in an area of my town that I wasn't familiar with; it was an address in a slightly more posh part of town with modern houses, long driveways and big cars: plenty of money in the area which often leads to a certain type of person living there: often a bit of a snob. Due to work and band commitments I didn't have time to look for their address before the date of the lesson (my bad, lesson learned), I knew roughly where I was going so though it'd be OK. as it turned out I could not find the street (this is before google maps and satnav was a luxury I didn't have), so I phoned from the car, spoke the same lady on speaker phone, she was very understanding and she directed me to the house, right into the drive way with the same lady on the phone standing at the door waving and smiling. Then it all went pear shaped: It was autumn and a particularly windy night, and at the time I had long brown hair (still do,but it's getting thinner), and as I stepped out of the car she noticed my well maintained mane blowing in the wind like someone from a Vidal Sasoon ad and her face dropped... I walked to the door, apologised for the confusion and introduced myself, this was met with a stern, formal but not rude, introduction and I was escorted into the front room where my new student (and his grandmother) was waiting... We were introduced and I proceeded to take my guitar (an Eggle New York if anyone cares) out of it's gig bag when mum asked in something of a shocked tone "is that an ELECTRIC guitar?!?!?!" I confirmed that it was, explaining I'd chosen this particular instrument because of it's small body which made it comfortable to sit down with while tutoring students, she asked the follow up question: "why would you bring such a thing into my house?!?!?" I knew then this was gonna be a long 60 minutes. I politely deflected the question saying it was a guitar that I often used in these situations and it had always served me well, and turned my attention to her son... I started out by asking him if he'd ever played before, no, he was brand new so... I tried asking what music he liked and did he have a favourite player... his reply will haunt me: "I don't like music very much..." From there I tried getting the little guy to sit with the guitar and play a few chords, without much luck I might add, we also tried a the major scale (I know, brave) but it didn't seem to penetrate. After the 60 minutes of eternity had passed mum decided to tell me she though that was a "particularly difficult guitar lesson", I explained I had to try and find the best way to express these ideas to her son and that no 2 students are the same, she asked why I wasn't teaching him nursery rhymes... I kid you not. She finished the interaction saying they'd contact me if they wanted any more lessons and handed me a £10 note and a pile of change - the price for the lesson was £14 so that probably tells you how long ago this was - I got myself out of there without counting the money; it turned out she'd underpaid me by 10 or 20p - a friend told me later this was probably on purpose so she could tell herself she won. I didn't know it was a competition. Otherwise, most of the students (and parents) I've dealt with have been really nice people, and I hope that continues to be the case.

[@JoeBlack1108]

I'm the Dad rocker. My kids are still here though and I go a few Gibsons and Rocksmith 2014 and I don't care. I am having fun

[@tonycasey3183]

I love your "blathering" videos, but I like your tutorial and review videos equally. However, what I really, really like is that Tele with the P90 in the neck behind you.

[@philbertb]

I've been a Personal Trainer for the last 20 years and I recognise most of those types of clients! I've got to the age now where I have a bit more time on my hands and I'm going to buy a guitar and take some lessons. I'll try my best not to be like any of these students!

[@southjersey10]

John, I would love to see you and Onslow co-teach. Any of those 5 students would last long! 🤣

[@JRobsonGuitar]

Cheers & sorry if I'm a bit thick, but who's Onslow?

[@southjersey10]

There was a British sitcom that was shown in America called Keeping Up Appearances. Onslow was a character in it. You guys have almost the very same voice and ambiance. But you do dress better than him!

[@jeronimomartinezfabregas]

6:00 ok, you had Andy Pipkin from Little Britain as a student, must've been horrible...

[@davidphillips2151]

Another great discussion, John - for a minute I thought you might end up describing me, thankfully not quite - but can I just say that also there are some kinds of teachers who ought to be avoided. For me, the worst kind being the one who wants to show off just how super-clever and talented HE is while trying to make guitar playing seem, to you, his student, like some kind of dark art that only a virtuoso, like HIM, could possibly comprehend - this he achieves by never properly explaining anything, insisting he is keeping it 'simple' for you before immediately going into a litany of jargon and technical terms none of which he has bothered to explain. Oddly enough, most people aren't born knowing what a root note is. Folk don't start guitar lessons already knowing what the 1, 4, 5, is - I didn't understand what that really meant for years (I still don't find it altogether intuative, I have to think about it) but I didn't get it at all - not at all - for years, until finally someone condescended to explaining it to me in simple English. Often as not, some unfathomable nugget of music theory that you don't understand will turn out to be painfully simple when someone, at last, TELLS YOU what it means, and then you wonder why someone didn't tell you that years ago. Anyway, that ISN'T YOU, mate... and thank God for that... but that sort of teacher, that fellow who thinks he is god's gift to baffling his students into submission, he is out there...

[@ztwilkerson]

It’s funny, every time I start flirting with the idea I might start teaching again one of these videos magically shows up in my suggestions. Great content, subbed.

[@PeteLoughlin]

Great video John. I have confess, I see a little bit of all (well perhaps not all) of them in me aver the years. I am still regularly reminded that there is no short cut to learning something new - you have to practice, practice, practice and then practice some more. It's hard work, it takes commitment and it can be boring. This video would make a great first lesson to any new guitar player.

[@zepapires]

Very nice video. I bursted out laughing when you described some of them. I’ve seen some chaps like that too.

[@IrishStewGuitar]

hi John.yes we love your instructional videos and we also love your recollection videos.i've seen some of the people you talk about at live jams.yes they can pull all the faces and shapes and moves and have all the best of gear,but can they hit the right chord at the right time in the right key? nooooooooooooo - it is painful to watch and hear and if they spent more time looking at the guitar neck instead of looking at themselves in the mirror,things would generally be a lot more pleasant.i even watched an online 'tutor' with an 'outstanding' musical publication available on Amazon try and play some sequences and thought 'even i can play better than that and i don't even teach guitar'.keep it up John - i know when your video comes on because the intro volume almost collapses my eardrums hahahaha

[@shanewright2772]

Bill Oddie plays the piano, doesn't he?

[@Martin7182]

Very entertaining John! I guess I'm the Rock Star Dad then, except for the kids, the Gibson, Marshall stack and ancient music choice, although The Darkness actually seems to be not so old. There are so many cool things to do in life. I'm glad guitar is one of them :-D

[@KazKasozi]

Crank the marshal up to 1! 😂😂😂

[@futuregenerationz]

This was hillarious to hear. I taught for awhile. That was pretty much most of my students fit into one of those categories. Oddly the lazy kids liked hanging out and eventually learned something; though not on anyone's schedule. Most I had to spend a portion of time on their favorite songs. Attrition is pretty high. Even good students eventually want to move to what new things they can earn from another teacher. At least that was my experience. I may go back to it; which i why I had to watch this. Thanks for posting it!

[@Devi_Shammuramat]

I used to get all the great solos coming to mind, before learning to play: even better than any originals - but none after !

[@63mckenzie]

Just a point, BB King refused to play chords!

[@JJDoole]

Sometimes I felt I had more than my fair share of these types! It’s one of the reasons I’m now focusing more on setups, repair and maintenance. Less direct contact with people!

[@imaXkillXya]

When the rockstar dad showed up at your door. My guess was a custom Gibson. I was right lol

[@TheDunateen77]

Bring up some of the big guitar debates John,tonewood,valve vs solid state amps,string gauges,Mexican vs American fenders,effects,relics etc and keep telling those stories they are interesting to listen to ,I’m running out of videos on your channel so hopefully you will be recording some now haha

[@iannicholls7476]

I’ve attended a few classes where a dozen or so students are together and there’s always some bloke right at the front who has his amp far too loud and plays the whole time the instructor is talking. They think that they are so brilliant and they know we want to hear them (NOT!)I think some instructors nowadays insist on the class being unplugged during the talking bits.

[@bassmana2z686]

The Music Teacher - Peter Cooke and Dudley Moore (Derek and Clive).

[@barryfletcher2000]

HI John, you are not alone at meeting "Rare Types". I was a Taxi Driver for 25 years and met these "Rare Types" every weekend! They are even worse when full of beer. But, getting back to your advice, I agree you have to put the time in with the boring stuff before you can attempt to play the good stuff. But it feels oh so good when it eventually all comes together, Rock on!!!

[@EM-df6mo]

I started out in my teens as the guy who practiced in the evenings. Then went to my lesson and my teacher who was a couple of years older than I would try so hard to put it all together with me. I ended up buying books and working a little of it out at my own pace. Now that I am retired and can practice for hours everyday with those books and some new ones I have i'm making real progress. Its just a matter of time (mostly time to practice, lol) I can't stand doing anything if I can't commit the time to do it right. I've always been that way from a little kid on up to now.

[@paulcoleman3081]

If they're young, they sometimes don't get past the "pain in the fingers" phase! I've got an eleven-year-old student right now who has potential, but spends half of each lesson with his left hand under his right armpit staring at me as if I've slapped him!

[@tommyvictorbuch6960]

I had many students of the kind you describe, but never one who's instrument was in the wrong tuning, insisting I was wrong when pointing it out. And I rarely had beginners, because I learned that many gave up when they realized, they actually had to put a little effort into it. Main complain, as I recall, was sore fingertips. I took mainly advanced beginners later on, because I got tired of wasting my time. Time I'll never get back. I don't teach music anymore due to sever ear damage. Beware of that, John. Protect your ears. You don't want to be where I am.

[@madcockney]

If that guy thought what you were trying to get him to do was boring then he/she should have had my first guitar teacher when I was in my early 20's. He was a classical and flamenco (professional) guitarist and he was of the old school. Show you a few chords but you must learn the fretboard and notation. I did indeed learn the fretboard and notation and some chords, plus one or two simple songs, but in the meantime my friends were moving forward playing songs, being in bands. However though he was good he forgot that it should be fun and when it's fun then you learn quicker. As a student you have to put in the ground work. If not it's like being a brain surgeon with no training. Anyway l did learn some of the scales, notation, the fretboard, and could play to a degree finger style, that I still tend to do, so in the long run it was beneficial but it could have been so much better. Funnily he liked Jimmy Hendrix and thought he was a great guitarist. Iron Maiden: one of my brothers who was also a guitarist knew them well as they used to practise and hangout at a practise studio in London. My brother used to help out at the studio. (From all accounts his name is on the credits on the back cover of one of their early Vinyl LPs. You do remember LPs? You certainly wouldn't see it on the later CD copy as they just reduced the LP cover and the credits disappeared into nothingness.) Anyway he told me that they had asked him at one time to join them as a guitarist but he never took it up. Many years, probably getting on for a couple of decades, later I was talking to his closest and longest friend who' had been a drummer and said that I didn't know why he had not taken up the opportunity. According to him they had both been asked to join, but he didn't want to be in a pro band as he did it for fun and my brother didn't want to be the rhythm guitarist. I think he, my brother, missed the point at that time and these days would probably have handle it differently. I think a lot of not wanting to actually put in the groundwork is similar to those that want to be celebrities and that is the most important without doing anything worthy of that status. If you want to good at something at least you need to work at the basics. Having said that to my knowledge, BB King never played a chord and only blues leads, and I certainly have not seen any videos, TV broadcast that show him using chords though he has used chord fragments. Regarding the strings tuning. It is possible I suppose that he saw a string guide and read it the wrong way up. A lot of people do that, even with the fretboard, so it is a good idea to get them to draw it out and notate themselves and they learn at the same time.

[@tomfletchervideos]

I couldn't agree more. I've encountered every one of those types. Your first story of the guy with the Les Paul Custom I had the same thing once, a guy showed me photos of 14 guitars he had, all top brand stuff, which I reckon the value would have been about 25 grand. I showed him his first notes on a cheap strat copy! Frequent cancellers I remedy by simply not replying after the third time or so.

[@EdBMetal]

Lol oh man, hilarious but very sad at the same time. Glad you got a lot of patience and a sense of humor. Great video, thnx for the smiles 😀

[@bealetm]

"I used to like it, but then again I was only 10 years old." Beautiful summation.

[@NathanChisholm041]

Great video mate! I'm 43 and have just picked up the guitar after 20 yrs of not playing and I'm doing much better than i did in my 20s I guess being older and wiser helps a bit so I went out and bought a Fender Strat players edition with a flamed maple top and a Vox Vt20X and I'm having a ball! I try to but in one hour per day! Cheers

[@lloydhollebeke]

For some reason I feel horribly guilty now. But still, I am happy that I've learned some things from your channel. Thanks for telling real life stories.

[@landofahhs_1]

Good discussion, been there and know exactly how you feel. I remember in school as a kid fellow students compared playing an instrument to playing sports...like anyone can make good sound or perform a piece of music as easily as runnung and kicking a football. To be a musician takes years of total dedication and practice, study, and training...playing a child's game requires only an empty lot, friends and a ball.

[@hoze1235]

play box ,X-station

[@lmjones7716]

Surprised about Bill Oddie. Apparently he was the musical director behind the Goodies '70s LPs - which to be honest, are very good. Maybe he sent a bunch of studio musicians round the twist into bringing to life his musical fantasies.

[@shaunw9270]

Thanks for the laughs John 😊👍

[@FilipeDiogo49]

Quite entertaining video!

[@mallorcasara1]

John where are you from? Awesome video

[@JRobsonGuitar]

Cheers 👍 I'm on Teesside on the NE coast of England 😀

[@joseedeslongchamps1186]

Good video John, I’am not a Guitar teacher but I see these kind of people in my profession too. Better to laugh at it.

[@smilingpate5008]

First time view john enjoyed it a lot thank you.

[@andrewreynolds2647]

John, on watching this again you have an amazing persona that draws the viewer in when your are giving what is effectively a cozy fireside chat, I am hooked, all you need now is a homely pipe and a winged slightly tatty leather Chesterfield chair lol, great stuff.

[@happyads9439]

Haha,, "and I was very very drunk"

[@andrewreynolds2647]

happyads , Ha ha I loved the fast show too, those were the days.👍😄

[@happyads9439]

@@andrewreynolds2647 yeah happy times😂 i checked out abit of dave angel yesterday?! Its hilarious treat yourself👍

[@andrewreynolds2647]

happyads, Will do. 👍👍

[@IanLuckett]

LOL! OhYes, I know each and every one of the characters your describe :) But how about this as a nightmare to tutors, yet who is actually innocent of any serious wrong-doing... A middle-aged (usually) Phd in music, who now has a Parkinson-like functional tremor,, along with other serious medical conditions, and therefore can't guarantee being able to play for extended amounts of time, but clearly knows the essentials and the subtle elements of music / musical theory. In case you think me nasty for suggesting this as a (thankfully) rare type of guitar student, please be aware that I am describing myself!!!! (You will be very pleased to learn that I live nowhere near the North-East (sadly), and find Face-time / Skype too distracting! So no worries.) Thank you John for making me chuckle so much (in all your videos) and for the serious help you have given me, both in keeping abreast of musical theory by "reminding" me of things I may have developed significantly bad habits concerning, and in selecting gear on a fundamentally crippling budget! Cheers mate, may you live long, and come to dominate the world of e-teaching.

[@DefaultName-pe6hz]

I'm the retired empty nester, however I have no desire to be in a band or fashion myself after a particular musician. Purely for self enjoyment. My rig, HB CST -24 hard tail and a practice amp. I'm a realist, I can build on the guitar I have as you have done, and have a great guitar that rivals those guitars that cost a months home mortgage. My music tastes run the gambit from Chester Burnett to Keb Mo and everything inbetween. If I learn the basic principles and a variety of songs, I'm satisfied.

[@alabamahebrew]

Hi John, just found your channel this evening and liked what I heard so I subscribed. Lol you started getting me worried when you were telling the story of the middle aged guy. Since I was about 9 or so I had "picked" the guitar but I never had the time or money to really learn how to play it. Finally at the age of about 49 I decided it was time to really learn. That was 5 years ago and now at the age of 54 I have to say I am the best guitarist ever, LOLOL. It has been so difficult to "unlearn" all the stuff I used to do when I "thought" I was playing the guitar. My biggest issue is finger control, I record myself playing some of the time and I think you will agree that if you can hear your own fingers hitting the fret board whenever you play a different note, you are using way too much force lol. I have often times wondered if I would be some nightmare student tale a guitar instructor would tell his audience. I have never taken formal lessons but in my mind I think the first and absolutely most foremost understanding a person needs to have when entering into taking lessons is that they must submit. YOU are the student, YOU are the one needing to be taught and YOU went to that instructor, they did not come to you. Do you agree with my thoughts? You told of several who did not want to learn things like chords, I know of a guy who can play the guitar extremely well, lead guitar material mainly. I have watched and listened to him for a long time now, but it was not until I started to learn how to properly play that I discovered that this guy I am speaking about does not know a single chord! He said exactly what that one student you spoke of was saying, "I only want to play lead guitar, so I don't have to worry about playing things like chords."! To me, in my opinion those types are not guitar players, they are show offs. They want everyone's attention when they are playing and they don't want to be playing what the rest of the band is playing. Anyway, great channel from what I have seen so far, I look forward to browsing through your video library and seeing what else you have to offer.

[@Jcp108]

Oh dear the darkness not a good start

[@kevkeelan5106]

I needed a hobby so I thought Id leard to play the guitar. I bought a guitar, and it wouldnt tune properly, so I stripped it down and learned how to make it playable. Fast forward 4 years, as a hobby I now make the bloody things from scratch, carve the necks etc...but Im still useless at playing them.

[@robertlussier2944]

But you found a passion!

[@kevkeelan5106]

@@robertlussier2944 That is true, you rightly point that out. There is a weird magic at the end of a build, hearing the guitar for the first time, it makes it hard to put down. And there lays the problem, not enough skills or knowledge to play this beautiful new creation.

[@paintnamer6403]

When the therapist needs therapy. The Yin and Yang. It feeds us.

[@bartholomeusclever]

i am kind of the dreamer type guy ... but, luckily for all the teachers, never took lessons ;)

[@VvERingmustmOneven]

as for txting... my teacher used to do that. Now I am the one with little time and getting nowhere as teachers keep being lame. They care about the money only and not if I learned anything any week or what I practised. you seem to be more reasonable, wish I had such a teacher

[@toodyface]

All the gear, no idea!

[@stevewarren4813]

Have you ever had the "guitar teacher as cheap therapist" student? Because I have.

[@JRobsonGuitar]

Yeah, it happens 😀

[@alanwann9318]

Yes,I was a music teacher also.On visiting a first time student I found he had a full p.a.system and amps set up in his living room for the lesson.I am retired now though I could make money teaching part time I cant be hassled with text cancelling, non practicing students,I just want to play wonderwall but I don't want to play chords requests?

[@paultraynorbsc627]

Dry humour at its finest John now for Mr S Cowell cheers 😁😁

[@SidBonkers51]

Just to add some balance John, id like to add that there are some truly awful teachers out there too, i first picked up a guitar at around 18 but never really got anywhere other than learning the intros to a few songs by T-Rex and Ducks Deluxe and the like and gave up. Many years later I was made redundant and my wife had a horrible Spanish guitar and as I had some time on my hands I picked it up and started playing again, after a month or so I bought a Squier Strat and a few months after that knowing a handful of chords and a few intros to songs I liked I asked in a couple of local guitar shops for a good tutor, two shops recommended the same guy saying he was the best in the area so i booked a few lessons and soon discovered that he assumed that what he told me I would somehow instantly understand and be able to play, he would almost shout at me "No not like that and physically pull my fingers off the fretboard and try to rearrange them. I think I did well to keep my cool and attended 3 lessons before vowing reluctantly never to return... Now Im sure he was a great tutor for intermediate and advanced players but he just didnt have the patience to teach beginners, sad because I never had any more lessons as I had such a bad experience and taught myself after that by ear, from tabs and friends that I jammed with before joining my first band. Shame there wasnt the internet back then and I could have found someone like you :)

[@JRobsonGuitar]

I think I know that teacher! There's a guy on Teesside who behaves EXACTLY like that. Gives beginners songs with barre chords in their 1st lesson & so on. If you don't manage what he shows you, he loses his rag & gets abusive. He got a job teaching music theory at a local college & was fired for telling students they were "thick as pig sh~t". Sad thing is that he's a phenomenal guitarist and (outside of his lessons) he's actually a nice chap.

[@kieranroberts9119]

Lmao excellent play box cretin machine I recently got your udemy modes course and have to say its excellent I've never been taught modes from a pentatonic point of view very interesting

[@fromthesilence9583]

Apart from the Cancelling one (I hate those people) I think I see myself in all these over the years, especially the Dreamer lol bringing a JCM800 and half stack to a Guitar lesson, that cracked me up! Great entertaining stuff John.

[@mikesmith8187]

Hi John, my son falls into the lazy category. Too busy on his friggin’ game. Can’t even play happy birthday.! 😡

[@budandbean1]

WHAT! What do you mean the guitar is NOT TUNED to E-B-G-D-A-E? I’ve just learned “Stairway to Heaven”.... Now what do I do? Jeeze! (Winky-winky... That was so funny!)

[@Claymor621]

I’ve been playing even longer than John and he talks sense. BUT I have to admit I have some sympathy with the ‘Bill Oddie’ approach. Let them have a go at the solo, it’s their money. Then when they struggle and ask the whys and wherefores it’s a way of introducing theory and they stay keen.

[@jamesonpace726]

Through the years folks have asked me " you're good, why not teach?" And now I know why not...!

[@chasleask8533]

At his third lesson , a kitchen designer glowered into my studio, threw down a 99p tutor book, and spat " You told me there was a 'B' chord" -- " There is" -- "Find it in there then"

[@tomc.3987]

The mid life crisis. Ha. Hadn't thought of that.

[@triplesevensix291]

So funny John. I remember that show with Bill Oddie. Ha!

[@paulmckeown8557]

as a guy of 55 i thought i needed a usa fender, bought the fender, then bought a $130 fender copy, learn't how to set it up, quickly realised the fender didn't make me play better, the Fender got sold ; )

[@paulmckeown8557]

@Dave54600 Nah mate, my fender regret was when i didn't buy the old used blonde fender tele for 100 Pound when i was 16 ; )