The 3 Most Important Things For New Guitarists To Master

Baxter and Jonathan talk about the 3 most important things you should strive to master as a new guitar player. Let us know your top 3 things in the comment section below!

[@shanewalton8888]

YOu guys need to someday do a best-of video that has nothing but closeups of Johnathan when he thinks Baxter is nuts.

[@SuperBakersk8er]

“Cursed with whiteness” 🤣🤣🤣 that one caught me off guard lmao

[@stevenpipes1555]

All players should learn how and why to set up their guitars! "Dialing it in" to your own preferences will help you develop a bond with that instrument. DONT LAUGH! When you go from liking your guitar to LOVING it, practice becomes a passion rather than a chore! AND ALWAYS WASH YOUR HANDS BEFORE YOU PLAY!

[@smelltheglove2038]

Nah, don’t wash your hands. Takes too long to properly dry and hand won’t slide the neck properly. Plus it’s a whole extra step that leaves time to get sidetracked. If you have the urge, pick it up immediately and play.

[@ryangunwitch-black]

The three most important skills to learn as a beginning guitarist? Or any guitarist, I'd say... 1. Delivery driving. 2. Bussing tables 3. Prep cook

[@ringsystemmusic]

already got 1 on lock lmao

[@juniorg296]

@Now You Shred" backing tracks, you're welcome. Serious serious game changer for me. His backing track videos include an interface that shows the chord progressions, chord shapes, basic pentatonic, pentatonic modes, scale switching depending on track, etc IN REAL TIME. It is SOOOO good for visual learners, and you're playing along so the tactile feedback is immediate. I was stuck "in the box" for SO DAMN LONG...@Now YOU Shred backing have been HUGE for me.

[@Donholleyglobeaz]

I’m one year into learning to play. Thank you for this video.

[@charleso.8998]

Being mostly self taught I wish it hadn't taken so long to realize that it ok to play like triads and stuff. That you didn't have to use the full chord on everything. I know it sounds stupid but I spent years trying to stuff full chords into everything I played. lol

[@caiusmadison2996]

I did same, like first half of my 28 years playing... it will definitely hinder you. After I found double stop and triplet magic, it's a whole new game and I stopped just being rhythm/harmony aligned. Became more lead and solo oriented as a player when I realized they're totally great in those applications, too.

[@wammons007]

@@caiusmadison2996 yup. spent 20 years not thinking I could ever solo an any level due to a few missing fingers then learned what the panitonic scale was and that I could use my knub opened a whole new world. thanks you tube

[@smelltheglove2038]

@@wammons007 I think it’s awesome you call it your “nub”. Way to lean into your handicap. It shows good character.

[@suzetteduncan]

I am already Elijah's biggest fan! hope he makes it to the channel

[@jimmyfrombrooklyn8550]

Great job boiling it down to those 3! The phrase of the day- “That’s what makes a guitar a guitar kids” New players need to keep it fun to stay interested. The skill of good pocket, ear and vibrato/bending to pitch will serve them well as they advance. Another great video guys

[@artbrock]

LOVE the new video opening !!!!

[@hangaroundrecords4761]

Totally want to see Johnathan’s kids do a guest appearance!

[@davidmiles533]

The THREE most important things for new players: 1). Love guitar 2). Be willing to go through pain until you develop callouses. 3). Be willing to practice seriously for 40-50 minutes 5 days a week.

[@carlosgravy7966]

Yep

[@rstuartcpa]

Mutting and eliminating unwanted string noise. A must for starting out.

[@brucer261]

Spot on !!

[@joerob3081]

Amen! Hear the note, play the note

[@0burrus]

Good informative video guys

[@robertclarkguitar]

I love the effect my soul feels on a nice bend. Indeed.

[@colinemily9856]

Nice video guys -- maybe a follow up with some basic exercises for playing by ear?

[@TheCultureVultures.]

I'm all in on an Elijah guest appearance.

[@exalbino]

Like the intro!

[@davedavid7061]

the first movie we went to with my infant son was Faces of Death at a midnite movie. He was tucked into his little sleeper carrier and we thought he would sleep through the thing-but noooo. He woke up half way through and started climbing around and staring at people. We left thusly

[@johnwashburn3793]

Jonathan, about the beard, do whatever will make you happy. To heck with what people say. Great video! I am a proud boomer bender but I use to fall off of the low E. Now I pull it.

[@dana.9377]

Still waiting on that 50k sub silver sky give away lol. Thanks for the videos guys, great stuff!

[@pierheadjump]

😎 Thanks ⚓️ Casino 🎸

[@surinderpunia2804]

Elijah...yaaas!!!

[@adoubleu___]

The new MTV style intro/lead-in video is epic. Great channel y'all

[@CasinoGuitars]

Derrick had to step it up!

[@jimmextorf7785]

Great advice, fellas. The start of every (most?) Saturday morning for me is to let KZbin cycle through any music it selects and try to figure out the key and play along. Obviously I'm taking periodic breaks to eat my bagel and drink my coffee. I mean, breakfast IS the most important meal of the day.

[@MarsGuitarOfficial]

Agreed on all the 3 and Goonies lol 😆

[@artbrock]

Great! Those are 3 of the best goals I have heard, even for more advanced players. I remember the first time Jonathan heard/saw my vibrato. (A trembly, side to side, violinish type movement that sounded like a dizzy fly in a web). He was like what the hell is that ?! Don't ever do that again !! LOL Well not really because Jonathan wouldn't ever say that, but he showed me the correct way & I am so thankful for that !! I have to work on my ear training though. I suck at that unless it's a 12 bar blues

[@simonpark843]

For some reason I imagine Jonathan's son having a beard exactly the same as his Dad's.

[@Lovell93]

It’s Polyphia John and they are so good! I’m 30 years old and have been playing for 15 years. If I can learn to play Polyphia songs, you guys can too. It just takes a lot of dedication! Granted there are some I’m really struggling with, I won’t stop trying til I can do it.

[@ochayethenoo15]

A suggestion for a video on your opinions of preferred string gauges for both acoustic and electric. Not brands just the gauge and material make up.

[@3cardmonty602]

I’m usually in my pocket when I’m playing with myself. Playing by Ear gave me the “Frank’s Crease” on my earlobe, then I needed Open Heart Surgery to replace my aortic valve (back in April). Jonathan should do a General Ambrose Burnside Beard.

[@itstravisjames512]

Elijah NEEDS to come on! Guitar is never done, always learning. Thanks for the vid guys.

[@xamislimelight8965]

I wish, when I started out, someone told me how many aspects of playing is personal to the player. For the first year i was too focused on "is there a specific way to do (insert whatever it is here)" and sometimes the answer was yes, but most of it was finding what works for me, not everyone else.

[@alanbeesby8914]

The world needs a Baxter cover of “in time” by Robbie Robb from Bill and Ted! 🤘EXCELLENT!

[@ChristTiger]

Yes, bring on Elijah! 😎

[@brettgl21]

The boy must be on!

[@Briandnlo4]

The “Star Licks Master Series” is for guitarists of a certain vintage. If you ever see me playing out, PLEASE request “Magic Power” by Triumph.

[@timothypotter2137]

Bring on young Elijah!

[@GinraiMinor]

Dang it Baxter I love shadow of the colossus, you've grown on me a good bit ya dark wizard you. Ok films I like Baxter since you're a movie guy.... Transformers(1986), Day of the Dead(1985), Cool Hand Luke(1967), Fistful of Yojimbo(you pick swords or guns), Dawn of the Dead(1978), Labyrinth(1986), Tombstone(1993), The Thing(1982), all the Friday the 13ths(Jason is legend!!) good call on Robocop, part 2 is rad as well....good ole' Irvin Kushner and makin' sequels!

[@sneakerhead6184]

We must see Elijah!! 👍👌🤘

[@LakesideWeldingJerry]

And bring the kid on!!

[@todd2837]

Save the trim for Halloween. Go for Travis Tritt "94, the full lion's mane

[@carlosgravy7966]

Yes to Elijah! Assuming he wants to.

[@andrewhess2978]

I'd add dynamics to the list.

[@mcfontaine]

‘Playing by ear’ … well said gents. It’s also so much easier to do now because digital recordings are going to be in tune. Gone are the days of the 80’s when I was learning playing to songs in cassettes … where pretty much every time, you had to start of by tuning your guitar to that recording or tape player.

[@supernothing77]

Yeah you can loop a part over and over even one bar of music

[@ginopini6484]

Pause/rewind/pause/rewind/pause/rewind.............

[@brandonbock4763]

Home Noodler here, where is the best resource I can use to improve my playing. Truefire?

[@Nick-qq2nq]

The three most important things when playing guitar are: Spending money on gear Looking cool when you play Toan

[@rickeybecker3495]

Trim a Tele scoop in your beard Jonathan.. 1- tune by ear 2- sing your notes

[@ryangunwitch-black]

It's kinda weird with the learning by ear thing because it always seemed to be discouraged in the 80s and early 90s. Maybe that was just the metal scene and the virtuoso shred scene but so many people put a big focus on reading. Which seems like typing class to me. I've always learned by ear with some clues from tab.

[@peteralerich5085]

1. Learn how to tune your guitar. 2. Learn (by ear would be great) and play along with your favorite songs to learn how to play in time. 3. Learn how to tune your guitar. Number 1 and Number 3 are very important and are overlooked far too often.

[@cdavidlake2]

I hope "Stairway" is somewhere on this list.

[@kirkknutson7843]

Bring in the kids. Make their day and ours

[@johnbolton3542]

Another brilliant video. Funny as ****. Let the kido have a go.

[@Barbarapape]

I tried to learn and gave up many times before a neigbour moved in next door. He could make a guitar talk, i was so impressed that i asked him where i was going wrong. The first issue was a bad guitar the even he couldn't play, so that was replaced, then he showed me a few chords and said paractice, your fingers will be sore for a while, and he was right! You have to put in a lot of time and effort, only a lucky few make it to become a player. and even fewer become great players. I left it too late to learn, so if you are in your youth start learning, if you realy want to play you will get there, but don't expect to play in a day!

[@smelltheglove2038]

To be fair, I was a crappy player for probably a decade and a half. Then one day something clicked and I was able to identify notes from ear and from that day on I was a much better player. One day made a massive difference.

[@Barbarapape]

@@smelltheglove2038 That one day applies to all players, but many years ago "Burt Weedon" wrote a book on learning to play and made the mistake of giving it the title of "Play in a Day", as a beginners book it was of little use, no one learns from just starting to learn the basic chords in one day and plays them clean, your finger tips and muscles in you hands take months to master the chords, then you have to learn changing chords and keep in time with the song, this is why only 1 in 10 would be players stick at it long enough for that special day.

[@kyonghiner284]

First, I agree with Baxter, of all of his guitar skills B.B. King's vibrato technique is/was extremely unique and will more than likely never be mastered or surpassed by any current, or future guitarist. It truly was an extension of his mind and soul and hearing it, was hearing his hand and Lucille say "You heard me, but can you feel it?" Second...I feel the jury is still out, as to whether someone is a new guitarist or not, and we all should know it's about the music (or should be), and assuming one is beyond the preliminaries, such as, (why guitar, What is a Guitarist, what is my direction, what are my goals, what is my purpose, and what is it going to take to become a Guitarist?), then... 1. Master crawling before walking, and running. Practice right, and left hand techniques, which do not cause excessive pain and discomfort for you. 2. Practice!...practice as often, and for as long as your body, and schedule allow. I always mention to students, that practicing for 10 minutes every day, will produce results faster, and better than practicing for 2-3 hours once a week. That being said, listening to music and playing with like minded individuals improves results 10 fold. 3. You're new, but have you decided that you're really going to be a guitarist (any type of instrumentalist really) ? If the answer is Yes then learn music theory. While it is true (if you're gifted) that you can become a guitarist without learning theory, learning theory will not harm you regardless of your aspirations. I began my musical background in Classical, and Classical instructors are very particular, so I had no choice but to learn theory from day one, beginning with the elements of musical notation, and notes of the guitar in the open position, beginning with notes on the 1st string, and trust me, it didn't hurt a bit.

[@ramrocker1004]

Hello! Is it ok to use an NGR penetrating wood stain on an acoustic guitar? I have bought one online but I'm worried it could muffle my guitar or something. The plan is to stain both fretboard and body and then apply clear lacquer top coat on the body. Got a pretty old spruce top, mahogany back and sides Stafford here

[@csnide6702]

my biggest question is .... Why..? is finish damaged or blighted in some way ..... ? .... it will change the sound ( a muffle is possible)..... that top moves and vibrates helping create sound. putting lacquer on will stiffen it up slightly...... After doing this it MAY sound worse or you MAY like it . But there is really no way to tell....

[@ramrocker1004]

@@csnide6702 it's actually been repainted around 4 years ago and paint started to chip after a while. Some relative borrowed it before and returned it with a little gap between the next and the body which resulted into very high action. Paint also had some obvious scratches so i had a friend "repair" and refinish it

[@ramrocker1004]

@@csnide6702 but, had i known a little more about guitars, i would have had it just repaired on the neck part

[@csnide6702]

@@ramrocker1004 ahh.... sounds like what you are doing can only improve on what is left - go for it........good luck !

[@ramrocker1004]

@@csnide6702 it still sounds great, actually. Better than my Aria and i also have an all solid mahogany which i bought from a local maker here. That's why I'm keen on refurbishing it

[@Nugmania1]

Hey Boys, # 3, not for beginners, # 4, Baxter all the chords in the first position, this will eventually get you checking out the same chords inverted, ie: different positions

[@joaotordo449]

ELIJAH please!!! :D :D :D

[@martin-1965]

Totally unrelated but... could both Jonathan and Baxter prove how heavy that Marshall Bluesbreaker that is behind you in all the videos, by picking it up with one hand on camera? 👍

[@teddyrascal6305]

Lol, the last of us... well you guys definitely freestyle. Youre glad your shop is far away from me, i would just come hang out to talk hahahaha

[@fredfloyd34]

Had a casino amp in the 70's...didnt know they made guitars...cool.

[@hollbeckghyll817]

😂 I felt Baxter was speaking directly to me about winding your significant other up! I’ve grown my hair out over the last year mainly because she hates it.

[@user-no1cares]

Most important, writing the check correctly at the guitar store. 😆

[@granthostheflatulent]

Play by ear - absolutely - but I think the most important is to learn to listen. I'm lucky I started playing as a young kid back in the '60's where there was no alternative. It's the only way to capture the spirit, groove and feel of songs - the subtleties of pulling and pushing time. We don't play any of this modern time aligned crap - 70's British pub rock only.

[@jonkerr2050]

My wife wants me to grow my beard like yours. I just can’t get used to it when it’s about 1/3 or yours. Lol.

[@rowbags3017]

That's a good Top 3. I think a precursor to them for total beginners should be a combination of patience, determination and realistic expectations. I remember how when I was starting out with a £30 axe plugged into an old tape recorder for an amp, a guy I worked with thought it sounded fun and went out and bought a brand new Telecaster and a Marshall combo. He sold it all two weeks later because he didn't realise that how much hard work was needed and that he'd get sore fingers!

[@Napalm6b]

I started with a peavey predator plugged into the aux input of a digital piano. Can't agree more with this.

[@markpell8979]

@ Rowbags... so when he quit you bought your friend's Tele and Marshall, right? Ha!

[@rowbags3017]

@@markpell8979 LOL! I WISH! Sadly, he only told me after he'd ditched everything. But I was only a teenage beginner with a part-time job in a hotel kitchen, and I couldn't possibly have afforded his rig (even at a "Please, just take it of my hands" price). So maybe it's just as well, because it saved me risking getting out of my depth in debt to buy it! I bet someone got a real bargain though...

[@tommydeamon7657]

+ the original robo cop has red from the 70,s show as a bad guy and ide buy that for a dollar $

[@dejavoodoo7204]

for some reason the Goonies didn't really find its way to a mainstream children's audience in Australia. Video Store classification and TV station scheduling or something,...i feel very the same thing happened to The Princess Bride. I listen to y'all americans talk about these films like they were mainstays of a normal kids viewing.... downunder these were a couple of worn out VHS copies in the "cult" section. (Film and Entertainment Syndication/Classification was a strange beast 30 years ago, ...still is of course:)

[@robertwillett4122]

In my humble opinion. I'll give you 5 things a new guitarist should do. I've been playing for over 4 decades. Having the skills to play a guitar is the ultimate. It's like having a superpower, and once you have learned your way around the old fret board, you should be proud because it's fn hard. But so satisfying. The best hobbie there is. And you could make money,even possibly become a rock star. This is for the young beginners. 1. It is vital to have a playable well setup guitar. I don't mean a custom shop Gibson. I have played on very well setup guitar that costed 200.00 2. It's extremely difficult do not quit. 3. It's extremely difficult do not quit. 4. It's extremely difficult do not quit 5. It's extremely difficult do not quit. Follow these steps. I will guarantee you will become a guitarist. Your welcome, you now know the secret.

[@CraigGriffiths]

Go the mega goaty.

[@keomo]

Bill and Ted 1 = Golden!! 2 = meh 3 = Worth watching, Baxter!! Check it out!

[@JackelopeRabbit]

I was in a video once, now I work the pole to afford expensive guitars.

[@homegrownson]

Practice, Practice and Then Practice Some more, 2 How to properly care for your instrument, 3 Play with others #4 is find a Luthier you Trust and Respect

[@carlosgravy7966]

I'm not clicking the bell until you tell us why it's important.

[@ErichPeace]

Michael Hedges made that tapping thing work within the context of the song. 🤔

[@victorcurtis6400]

Start your talking about movies channel already! 😊 For Bass Guitar players #3 is muting.

[@davidleinweber]

Last of Us was a good game and an even greater story. A fungal virus turning people into mushroom zombies was a really scary premise because it was sort of based actual science

[@stephenrich8808]

yay, the 'good' (no 'tash') Baxter returns (the 'tash accountant/serial killer is gone!)

[@HUGzJayGon]

"Would you go short like Dereck?" "I would N E V E R--"

[@dannyb4826]

i clicked like

[@marcinmcula99]

You do look like Andy and Alex

[@jamessator5564]

Yes Johnathan, shave your beard up some! Good episode!

[@ErichPeace]

Michael Hedges made that tapping thing work. 🤔

[@Black-Jack-2022]

no no do not cut the bread! I think Billy Gibbons length

[@keomo]

8:20 hahahaha

[@YdoIneedahandle869]

Let the little guy talk about a guitar (bearded dude’s kid)

[@Nugmania1]

Should have Mastet? Not Baxter lol

[@buddehaole]

You didn't even talk about Ellie's guitar. Missed opportunity, those things go for big $ now.

[@Donholleyglobeaz]

No Johnny! No beard trim!

[@chrischilders4873]

Put jonathon's son in a video asap

[@LakesideWeldingJerry]

48 year old Boomer bender 4 life!

[@jasonm3602]

No moustache, a beard trim - a shave is as good as a holiday.

[@rodanone4895]

I'm bill s preston... and im ted theodore logan... together, we are:........

[@XoseGuitar]

1. LEARN TO TUNE 2. Play songs 3. Have fun

[@shanethefortean431]

You haven't began your journey until you learn to restring your own guitar

[@texhaines9957]

I guess I had to learn by 'playing by ear' being legally blind.

[@bat2508]

Puppets!!!

[@artbrock]

We want Elijah ! We want Elijah !

[@BoundaryElephant]

So funny that this video about things new guitarists need to master ends up talking about video games! LOL.