How I Taught Myself Guitar; What NOT To Do

[@bowdenmcallister993]

One of my favourite quotes is “practice for 5 minutes then PLAY for 1 hour” and I live by that!

[@SilverParatrooper]

That’s solid advice man

[@gm836]

What does that mean? Sorry if I sound stupid.

[@jakevoss7885]

@@gm836 you don't sound stupid at all. Practice techniques, scales, modes, licks etc for a little bit and spend the majority of your time playing the instrument: songs, solos. Even if that's just strumming a few chords put together. We all picked up the instrument to play music, not just playing scales

[@gregbaker6215]

J Voss And that allows the journey to continue, aha moments always come when you let go. You should always try to push your self above your known internal ability. If that makes sense. When the time comes to step up to the plate, you will be glad you challenged what was once beyond what you thought your abilities where. The ZONE... It's where MAJIK happens. Bliss beyond explaination. I think it makes God smile. At least I hope he smiles at all of us. We express our true heart and soul through an instrument that brings inner peace and tranquillity. Along with a lot of other things. It's a life style and that's how it should live it's life. 🎸🤓🎸🇺🇸☮

[@joeb3590]

For me, this is like, okay, you hear this really badass song on the radio, and your like" imma play it!!!!!" So you look up chords and such and spend about 10 minutes or so doing something I like to call "phunking offt." Then you toss on a backing track ( please check out Dopez Tracks and Elevated Jam Tracks) and you play with yourself for an hour ( not that way kids. With guitar!!) And dude, have fun. It's not a life/death type thing. Have fun!!!

[@airconditioningunit9777]

1. Don’t keep your guitar in your case. Leave it in the open. Adds motivation 2. Don’t use tabs. Use your ear. 3. Practice bends and vibrato 4. Don’t skip music theory 5. Set goals and milestones

[@airconditioningunit9777]

Igo Further no problem

[@applesyo]

Air conditioning unit a/c go buuuuurrrr do you go burrrr?

[@WeeFreeMan78]

Awww, that's so cool of you man \m/

[@gcar5214]

I use tabs and ear, like if i know a little bit of the song I can figure it out myself, idk about musical theorey but I have played many other instruments

[@gerryattrik4410]

I don’t know how people play by ear... at what level does this become possible?

[@paulxaviercyr]

My advice, especially the teenagers... "Go for it!!" Don't be shy, don't let others knock you down and take unconstructive criticism with an "F'em" attitude. It's ok to make mistakes, it's ok to suck, it's ok to be a beginner. Keep practicing, keep playing and just go for it. Let your inspiration run wild.

[@ilikewoodwithstrings5896]

Thank you

[@srvmotoman]

This should really be one of the top3 comments on here. Kudos to you good sir!

[@jazzram_]

Thanks :o

[@heyimred2745]

Thank you!

[@vampyrcia]

Is it worth it buying a guitar tho, or should u learn it by someone else

[@arnoikke]

Timestamps: 2:02 Instrument ready to play 3:54 On use of tabs 7:38 Vibrato and bending 11:35 Learn you some music theory 13:42 Set goals (somewhat based on post by Air conditioning unit) You're welcome

[@flightnavigator8999]

Thank you 🙏🏼!!!

[@rosewurkz]

Thaaaaaanks🌹

[@shouryuuken4147]

Wow. What a nothingburger of a video. How do these people get millions of views with this crap? Anyway, thanks for saving me some time.

[@RolandsDad]

Self taught for over 20 years, a lot of what is mentioned here is rock solid advice. I will add my own for those who care. Those who sort by "new" I love you. : ) I began with trash gear and getting ripped off as a kid, took a long time to learn my way around things. Tabs were a godsend, especially once I learned that you actually have a tuning! I trusted my ear and used (and still use) tabs as a great framework and let my ear do the rest. The hardest part was direction. What, when and how should I learn? Good habits and good technique aren't things you know if you are doing until much later down the line. A video or seven might really set you up well, but without a buddy or teacher it can feel a bit weird. If you have a chance to jam with friends, always take it, I've rarely had a bad time and I knew my limits were pretty easy to achieve. Absolutely positively use every tool at your disposal like KZbin, tabs, whatever you stumble across if it's something you're serious about. There's no real "right" way to learn, and self teaching introduces you to all the hard parts faster, I believe. You find the parts that come naturally and the ones that stump you every time. Those are the ones that should be babied in the beginning but really hammered on as you genuinely progress. I had a penchant for things like pinch harmonics and triplets. I really struggled with getting my pinky involved and accurate picking in the early years. I got to a point where that had to be adjusted and focused on that exclusively. As for your gear: sometimes you gotta piss with the cock you got. I did for a looooong time, and you will feel like a new amp, guitar or pedal is what you need. In the early stages it absolutely likely isn't so. It might prevent you from a sound you want i.e. a Floyd Rose on an axe or maybe some delay from a pedal, but it becomes very easy to think a new sound will fix or change you. It gives a lot of inspiration but a month later you'll be in the same rut. I hid behind distortion for YEARS until I stuck with acoustic for an extended period. Then I got a tube amp which is unforgiving for mistakes, ditto delay. That screw up will replay until that delay fades out, baby. As you progress you will begin to know without a doubt what it is you want, then you'll reach the plateau of "gear queer" where you will want all the shiney's. It happens to all of us, inevitably. Play with your knobs and tunings and find how you can get a sound you enjoy with what you have. Theory, learning your roots and chords will pay dividends as you progress. You'll hear a dude talk about some weird "Dsus7b add3# extra cheese" or whatever and when that makes sense, you're really ahead of us in the game. That's where I am, 20 years later. Don't follow my footsteps and you'll be better. The ever so cliché, have fun. If it isn't fun, you'll quit. You're going to suck when you start. Those exciting moments of "I got it!" are key, even if they suck. If you mean it, you'll get over the learning hump quicker than you think. We all sucked in the beginning and played "smoke on the water" on one string. We all hated it. Our fingers hurt and always hit a wall where we wanted to quit. It passes, it gets easier and sometimes a fat break helps. A new tuning, a different location, whatever. I've got some faith. If I can learn, I promise you can. I went almost two years before I knew how to tune a guitar.

[@KirbySaysBweo]

Didn't sort by new, just scrolled and read through some comments. I took a beginner guitar class (used classicals w/ nylon strings) in Senior year of high school, dropped guitar after graduating, and picked it up a few months later. Now I've been playing for almost a month (steel string acoustic), and while I remembered a lot from class, I needed to put in extra work to refresh my memory as well as playing on a whole new guitar. This has been some very sound advice, so thank you for the motivation and brief lessons! And goodluck on your journey now that you're on the right track!

[@RolandsDad]

@Todo Bien Hell yeah man, glad to help.

[@aidab7258]

Ok. So, suggesting a guitar player to focus on not reading music....so, how is that helpful for anyone who wants to be a professional. You guys have it so wrong.

[@aidab7258]

Lol, and, if you have to explain for 2 paragraphs on how to achieve this, I'm turning around. What the fuck??

[@aidab7258]

No.

[@ahabrawgaming1289]

Here is a little challenge for beginners, try to play "happy birthday" song without looking it up online on how to play it just try to figure it out by yourself by experminating on your guitar, if you manage to do it...then think about it what else can you play? I know this sound silly but this will train your brain, ears and your left hand fingers on how to start playing songs by just listening to them.

[@chillynilly7046]

I'm finna do that

[@eklecticskeptic]

This is not a lie! I actually managed to do this just trying to hear it out. Thanks for the pick me up.

[@not.valentina]

or the spongebob closing theme song once you’ve figured out the hbd song :) when i was barely starting out, i tried it and it was a fun challenge. plus it’s also a cool tune to play/showoff💀

[@soup7917]

Genuinely some really good advice, not just for the guitar but for any instrument too

[@heyyouthere551]

I didn’t realize I could even do this, I sold myself so short. I’ve been playing guitar for 3 weeks now and my niece’s 4th birthday was last week so I decided to learn it for her. It took me about an hour but I was shocked that my ear was actually okay enough to know what sounded right and what didn’t. This was HUGE for me, my confidence skyrocketed.

[@jericowithouth2527]

Ad: Want to learn guitar? Wait don't click ski- Me: Skip

[@Red38357]

F

[@xxxanxiety69xxx73]

I have gotten that fucking ad so many times

[@MultiCugel]

I hate those damn people

[@hassanlamidi1546]

🤣🤣

[@billy1858]

im learning with guitar tricks! to be honest ,its pretty good.cost me about £90 for one year on special offer.ive already learnt a bit and it makes me pick up the guitar more often.i dont regret starting it.

[@rawgabbit3514]

The hardest part of learning guitar is getting used to sounding like garbage.

[@Tuliomurillo]

🤣

[@cdmnchwrl2920]

I think the Hardest is when ur A good guitar player and u dont know what genre ur going to and u just pick with All and u dint actually Learn a thing and it lead u to be confuse and stuck at not learn any

[@Stream_2680]

The hardest part about guitar is bar codes

[@rawgabbit3514]

Stream I had a really hard time with barre chords too, but this is what made it click for me: First, I got comfortable playing an open E chord with my second, third, and fourth fingers, rather than using my index finger. Then I just slid that up the neck, and laid my first finger across the next fret down; I’m only having to hold down a few strings so it doesn’t take much. Another thing is, make sure you’re not gripping the neck super hard; instead, think of it like a pulling motion against the fretboard. Here’s the important part! Once you get that shape in place, just start strumming, and remember that it’s okay if a string kinda buzzes or doesn’t sound off right. The only part more important than the getting a feel for the hand shape is rhythm! Don’t be afraid of hitting wrong notes, just keep that rhythm steady no matter what! You’ll be able to refine your technique as you go, and I promise you that if you practice for at least 10 minutes a day, you’ll have barre chords down in a few weeks max. Practice for 10 minutes, play for an hour! 😎 Edit: Wrong account lmao my bad

[@Stream_2680]

@@rawgabbit3514 Thanks dude it really helps I've been playing for a year and learning on KZbin and using tabs. I don't really play guitar but it's a little hard since I play violin as my primary instrument and I only been playing that for three years so in my spare I gave my guitar. Thx

[@Metallizombie]

I agree/disagree with tab. If you trust people to pick things up by ear they might not ever get started and give up. Learning that first song or even first thing that sounds like something can be addictive

[@Feverm00n]

Yeah, if I hadn’t used tabs (well, lyrics with the chord names written above them) I absolutely never would have continued learning the ukulele. I definitely wouldn’t have managed to learn a whole song that way. The instruction to only play by ear as a beginner would have destined me to frustrated failure as someone with a lot of auditory processing issues and who has no natural ability to discern one note from another or understanding of even the most basic musical theory (for instance, I needed to show one set of chords to a friend and have him tell me if they seemed even close to the original song because I had literally no idea whether what I was playing even loosely resembled the original song). Unless they’re very different, I basically can’t tell the sounds apart, let alone identify them. I’m only juuuuuuuuust starting to make very slow progress on changing that. Since having some songs under my belt, I’ve stumbled upon parts of songs by ear. I never could have done that at the beginning. Some people are starting with strengths in different areas. I guess it just goes to show there’s no one-size fits all approach. I ended up just pausing it after that piece of advice cause figured these tips are probably geared toward a certain kind of player who is very different from me lol. More power to the beginners who can just learn songs by ear, though. That’s incredible.

[@dickvalentinesillegitimate1059]

Tabs on help me if it’s a song I REALLY know and love.

[@vicenteb531]

I learned to play guitar when I was 15 years old (I'm 37 now), and I was lucky to have these official guitar tablature + music sheet books, like all the Hal Leonard, Cherry Lane, etc. Those books are not just tabs like the ones you find in websites, since they have things like the proper names of each music section (chorus, pre chorus, bridge, outro, interlude, etc), chord notation, music sheet for the vocals, and so on. I think you can really learn a lot with that kind of books, but that is not exactly the case when just looking at tabs on the internet.

[@ohheyemmi]

I don't think he's saying "don't ever use tabs" but rather "don't RELY on tabs." So yeah use tab to learn your favorite songs when you start, but if something sounds wrong trust your ear. The goal there being to train your ear so that eventually you CAN pick things up by ear. It would be like an engineering major not learning any real math formulas or theorems because their calculator can get the answer for them. Later on when they are in upper level physics, quantum mechanics, robotics or whatever (I'm not an engineering major idk) or even once they get an engineering job and actually have to solve real world problems, they will be totally lost because they skipped learning the formulas and applications of the formulas and such in favor of just using a fancy calculator for the answers. Kind of a long winded metaphor, but I think it mostly tracks. Mostly. Like getting to the point where you've played the song a dozen times but you still have to look at the tab every time before you play it because you used tabs as a crutch. Thats what I got from what he said, but you definitely aren't the only one who commented something similar so I'm probably wrong. I hope some of that made sense.

[@thamrew676]

@@ohheyemmi Bad example since engineering majors dont have to learn quantum physics and the like, thats for physicists to worry about. Engineers still have to have problem solving skills to do their jobs right. Source: Uncle's an engineer, brother's an engineer and my classmate's doing engineering.

[@M66GUS]

I’ve been teaching guitar for many years, and I’m also self taught, and I agree with every single point you made. I would only add that as a beginner, one shouldn’t force oneself to practice, there is such a thing as bad practice.

[@gusman412]

When I started and it was going bad I would put it down and come back. Sometimes we need to reflect and chill. It seemed easy after the break !

[@Bryt25]

There is a point for most people whereby practice becomes aversion therapy I think, unless it;'s a piece that really grabs you. My buddy could practice for hours tho and he got very good.

[@ethanthorpee]

how long did it take you to play comfortably?

[@M66GUS]

@@ethanthorpee About a year, if memory serves. I started aged 13 in 1976, started with Bert Weedon's 'Play In A Day' book, but learned to use my ears. Two live albums helped me immensely, Status Quo's Quo Live and Thin Lizzy's Live & Dangerous. On both those albums, the two guitars were panned left and right, so I would turn say the left channel down and figure out what the right-sided guitar was playing, then turn him down and play with the band!

[@damagedgoods143]

i wanted to learn how to play a guitar, is it good to start with a stratocaster as my first guitar or should i start with a regular acoustic guitar? ps. sorry for my stupid question i’m just scared to spend a lot on my money😭

[@parabellum_1049]

Best quote: "plus, guitars are COOL. Why wouldn't you wanna have one in your room" That's gold

[@nehemiahzo_]

What’s cool about guitar to guys and girls: Guys: Sick shreds, sick rhythm, music memes Girls: Acoustic strumming, ambient, indie, dream pop, *callused fingers*

[@卩丨尺卂卂-d8u]

@@nehemiahzo_ that's nonsense

[@turockoelysiumtank9790]

@@卩丨尺卂卂-d8u I DISAGREE

[@brqe]

Nehemiah Zo bro I have calloused fingers... and I’ve been trying to play my favorite songs for me and my family ;-;

[@andyjc9535]

@@nehemiahzo_ girls just like attractive dudes who can hold a guitar. of course im generalizing here

[@Alexios_CV]

Dont obsess over learning the guitar. Play something you love on it and the rest follow

[@practicerepobarrie]

I agree for sure. 110%

[@yobrethren]

Mfw the best i can play is Pink Matter(Frank Ocean) and a few stupid melodies;_; It's just so hard to play something more than one and a half strumming pattern on a couple o' chords progression, i can't even consistently switch barres and sum chords😪

[@katherineespinozamontoya7567]

@@yobrethren don’t worry you will get there! Don’t give up

[@FoxenPiano]

I would say that this is bad advice that would lead to a lot of people hamstringing their progression.

[@xenixpro]

So true. I started learning Eagles songs, which made me better.

[@chzzyg2698]

When learning how to play, don't get overwhelmed(take one lesson at a time), and don't let peers pressure you into thinking you have to be a natural Hendrix right out of the starting gate.

[@TheNinnyfee]

Usually people who don't play guitar put on way more pressure, e.g. parents or people who want free music from you. But you are right, nobody should put on pressure. Guitar is an instrument you should choose because you love it.

[@johnharvey4448]

This reminds of people who go to do weight training and think It's about about how much weight one can lift in relation to others. It Isn't.

[@suicidalloafofbread2009]

I don't even own a guitar and I'm overwhelmed. The more I look into it, the more stressful everything relating to guitars seems, especially when compared to the instruments that I do play.

[@chzzyg2698]

@@suicidalloafofbread2009 Think of it as a game like Magic The Gathering. You can dabble with it, be pretty good playing it, or you can be the divisional champ at it. No matter how good you are it's always played for fun. Okay, that metaphor kinda sucks, it's just a play thing that you mess with for fun like any instrument.

[@nateballfr]

1. Leave guitar out to play - you practice more and want to play it. Also guitars look sick. 2. Don’t rely on guitar tabs - use your ears. 3. Use KZbin to your advantage - watch great artists to find the emotion and story around what they are playing. 4. Practice your bends and vibrato. 5. Don’t skip over music theory - major scales, notes of fretboard, triads, and caged system. 6. Set goals and milestones.

[@jimboilard1764]

I'm 59 and started playing in '76. There wasn't much tab in the 70s at all and it was mostly wrong. Everyone learned songs by ear. We wore out LPs and tapes trying to figure out stuff. One way we developed the skill for figuring out songs was to play along with the radio. You had 3 minutes to figure it out and then you were off to the next song. After a while you get pretty good at it. Now we have all of these great tools at our disposal, KZbin, Spotify, PCs, lots of tabs, etc. I still try to learn songs by ear first, tab second, KZbin third, if I'm having a hard time. Also, play with other people. This is very important. Another trick is to play a note and then sing it while playing it. Provides major reinforcement.

[@pakyu8077]

Thank you for this

[@nehemiahzo_]

1. Pick a genre 2. Study that genre 3. Practice guitar concepts of that genre.

[@kiri4186]

Metal! I want to djent but my strings aren't for low tones.

[@flamecrew9atroblox958]

I do all

[@supernoah71]

Number 1. reminds me of this: "Put me in the Eagles and I wouldn't know what to do." - Tony Iommi

[@cron6435]

it's better to not stick with one genre

[@nehemiahzo_]

soup I never said you had to pick just one 🗿

[@k4z2K]

"leave your guitar out" me being extremely lazy: way ahead of you😏

[@melonbals5512]

bruh same z

[@nternetrat]

literally lol

[@florntbringby6531]

my exact reaction ahahaha

[@user-yg5sx9mz1q]

Me with only a stand and no case 😏😏😏😏

[@spooky-nz9vj]

i didnt know you could play a guitar mista

[@DalisYn]

Learning by ear is so hard when songs have pedal effects.

[@whisperscribe]

Its just a ear training obstacle but can be done! Try to focus on the notes being played!

[@soultheory8441]

Learn theory

[@masteraxe9238]

@@soultheory8441 that can only get you so far, you can't change bad ears unfortunately

[@grigno97]

What i can recommend and was a game changer for me is this: learn how to recognize a unison interval (two same notes) and sing what you play. Simple single note lines. Then try to recognise intervals as visual and finger shapes (example: the power chord shape, is always a perfect fifth) and sing those intervals. This way you start to naturally recognize the intervals when you hear them, and your fingers will go automatically where they have to when you're learning a song. It's slower than looking at tabs but way more useful in the long run

[@soultheory8441]

Master Axe92 true, but if you have a little bit of a better understanding of music you can pick things up easier

[@thedevine1628]

This is fantastic advice. Practice is everything. I’ve spent the past 3ish years just trying to get better by learning songs and solos. In this I’ve completely neglected my technique. I’m now focusing on a rigorous practice routine, focusing on speed, dexterity, and overall cleanliness, and rewarding myself with playing songs afterwards. It’s made learning easier, and playing much more sarisfying

[@teriakamoto]

Amen. I definitely relate. You're on the right track. I totally get the reward thing.Dollars to Donuts that your laying is improving greatly.

[@mate53]

14:59 Learning what fingers should go where and not getting into a bad finger placing habits was something I struggled with early on. I would use my index and pinky alone to create a 3 string power chord, not realizing it would hurt me down the road when it came to making more complicated chord shapes or even making power chords sound more clean, etc.

[@hunterprice3320]

I'm actually just now trying using three fingers for power chords. They sound much cleaner that way and I think it helps down the road too. But I still enjoy doing just 2 fingers sometimes like Kurt Cobain tho lol.

[@dickvalentinesillegitimate1059]

This is the road I am going down and I need to practice more finger exercises. I am currently only using my index and pinky and I know that’s wrong

[@frit6646]

him: "don‘t skip music theory" the ad under the video: "skip guitar theory - do THIS instead"

[@wididididididi8693]

Omg I thought I was the only one. It's really confusing when you hear the one thing and then hear the opposite of said thing.

[@MetalMarauder]

@@wididididididi8693 pro tip: “guitar teacher” apps you see ads for on KZbin don’t have any vested interest in you getting any good at guitar. there’s no incentive. What they want is more app downloads, so their way of accomplishing that is telling you what you wanna hear: “guitar is easy! you don’t need theory! you can be a rock star by next week!” they want you to download it impulsively but the reality is guitar’s not something you can learn impulsively. It IS hard, you SHOULD learn theory, and getting good takes a LONG time, but it’s all worth doing IF and only IF you’re passionate enough to see it through.

[@villusive]

😂

[@paradiddle5150]

😆 😂

[@teriakamoto]

@@wididididididi8693 Don't believe everything you hear, and only half of what you see.

[@mikeaustin4138]

Scales are important; so are arpeggios. Arpeggios, combined with "short" scale phrases, are extremely useful for introducing variety into your playing.

[@JMartinDA]

any video recommendations on how this would sound like or this method being taught?

[@B0K1T0]

@@JMartinDA Rick Beato mentioned this in his videos for example (and also in his book).

[@mathlfr]

short scale phases do you mean like pocket octaves?

[@idontwant2beasoldiermama241]

@George Sander I don't know man, hope it helped ;)

[@animonke5481]

@Peter Martins The first, third and fifth notes in a scale. This is why theory is so important

[@romaholcomb7768]

My problem is I can't put my guitar down, lol. I've been practicing for 4 months, and I'm always happy. Love y'all.

[@Cris18Martinez]

lol haha yeah Ive been playing for about 2 and a half months, the first month it was annoying cause my fingers were horrible unconditioned for chord shapes and pressing the strings down but now it’s getting fun.

[@nehemiahzo_]

Love you too lmao 💕💝

[@chandraabudiman]

@@Cris18Martinez i just bought my first guitar today. How do u learn to play? Tutorials? I really don't know where to start and the step by step on how to learn

[@andrewlankarge1966]

@@chandraabudiman Check out Justin Guitar!

[@stevescuba1978]

@@chandraabudiman I just got a friend started... Learn 3 chords (I suggest D, A, G) and then start trying different strumming patterns. At the same time, learn a scale or two (most seem to start with the A minor pentatonic). Practice those for AT LEAST 5-10 minutes EVERY DAY. Once you can nail those chords and that scale, add a chord (C, E) and a new scale (major scale) and practice those for AT LEAST 5-10 minutes EVERY DAY. Then learn F and B (and the other Barre chords)...AT LEAST 5-10 minutes EVERY DAY.

[@geraldaugustus739]

These are all great tips for someone who is starting out incredibly dedicated to the craft of learning guitar. But I taught guitar for many years (also after many years of being self taught), and the biggest hurdle for most starting guitar players is managing that commitment. Keeping the guitar out is a great nod to this, but some of this advice is actually terrible for that. The biggest one is, beginners should ABSOLUTELY use tabs if it helps them learn a song that they'll WANT to practice. Most people starting out wont have the ears to just "pick stuff up", so when you reinforce the idea that that's something beginners SHOULD be able to do, then when someone can't it immediately sends the message "well I guess I'm not talented enough/good enough/musical enough to play guitar", and 9 times out of 10 they quit. To any beginners, THAT'S NOT TRUE. If you can't learn your current favourite song by just listening and plucking around, OF FUCKING COURSE YOU CANT. Get a tab, get a friend who kinda knows it, watch youtube (which rhett does suggest). Do whatever it takes to learn the thing that you'll ENJOY practicing. Should you also try plucking things out by ear? Of course! And as you develop your ears and that skill you'll likely find it super rewarding and may end up writing some tab corrections yourself! But the messaging that if you don't do that you're learning guitar wrong is terrible. Also, forget about theory and vibrato when you're starting. I learned theory 2-3 years into playing and tbh, it was perfect timing. I understood enough about playing that the theory mapped onto the guitar in a way that had so many "oooooh, that's why" moments and made learning it really rewarding. I'm not arguing the relevance and benefits of working on vibrato and theory, rather saying, if you're here trying to get tips on how to get started out teaching yourself guitar, those things are not where you start.

[@ohheyemmi]

Thats literally what he said.... He said don't *RELY* on tabs, not "dont ever use tabs." So if you're reading a tab but it *sounds* wrong to you, trust your ear. Yes that is going to take time, thats why he said its "something thats worth starting to work on early in your guitar playing career." He goes on to say that some people get to the point where they can't play a song without looking at tabs first, even if you know the song or how it goes or whatever. He is correct in that learning to read music early on in your guitar career is going to be massively beneficial, especially if you plan on playing with anyone else because tabs are guitar specific. No other instrument uses tabs. He never, EVER said "if you use tab you're learning guitar wrong." Its really bizarre to me that THAT is the message you got from this seeing as you're both saying the same thing regarding tabs. Idk why you seem so angry. He also didn't say "YOU CAN ONLY USE MUSIC THEORY FOR LEARNING AND YOU MUST KNOW EVERYTHING RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING." He said, "don't IGNORE theory." Immediately after he says you should learn a couple scales. Then he talked about triads, which is basically just learning chords. Those are the only two music theory bits he suggested you "don't skip." Anyway, hope you feel better.

[@geraldaugustus739]

@@ohheyemmi Weirdest white knighting I've ever seen. Thank god you're here. You saved the channel. From my counterpoints. Great work.

[@geraldaugustus739]

@@ohheyemmi While also completely misunderstanding the dichotomy I was drawing.

[@TheCptMojo]

@@geraldaugustus739 I'm a month late and I completely agree with you

[@dracodaym715]

Completely agree with u on using tabs. He’s really overestimating a beginners ability to listen to a song and hear the different chords being played. Some beginners don’t even know what an A minor chord is, so how r they supposed to improvise a song when they don’t know the basics. Nd like u said, when they can’t do it, it’ll discourage them and cause them to quit before they really even give it a shot.

[@sapphavoc8626]

I’ve been teaching myself how to play guitar, I began in may this year, and I finally, FINALLY, learnt how to do barre chords. I’m still rusty on transitioning in and out of those chords but I CAN do them :)

[@stephr5914]

Just started weeks ago and barre chords are like witchcraft to me 😅💀 I can't even reach them.... Just see them and go nope

[@Hyberi0n]

I've been learning for almost 2 months now and I've already got the Barre chord down , the transition isn't that smooth but all you gotta do is play play and play even if you sound like garbage , what I do sometimes is I play some guitar pieces on headphones ( pink Floyd , plini , snowy white ) and imagine myself playing those while I'm hammering my barre chords 😂 worked for me. Most important thing is not to let your ego get the best of you, play for yourself not thinking about impressing others. Good day y'all

[@ge45gecalled39]

being 74 and just starting out and knowing nothing, just got my Epiphone Limited Edition Peter Frampton Les Paul Custom PRO Electric Guitar today and that has given me the wanting to succeed, where would you have me to start, plus want to read music, was listening to Peter Frampton and it's the first time of hearing a guitar axially sing, couldn't believe my ears, not a word was sung all guitar, Wow, how sweet it was, that's my inspiration, in 30 years or so, Lol well head me off in the right direction, take care, have fun and be happy, George

[@graphicartdude]

That's inspiring George. Frampton could make his guitar sing, I agree.

[@EduardoLopez-bl6gj]

practicing guitar standing up is also really helpful

[@kerrykroger7323]

I can honestly not play well sitting down... I started playing sitting, then performing Standing now I can't play seated anymore... I also never had You Tube or any other videos to learn, I had books and Fake Books and Tablature and Score, I can't read "Score" as it pertains to the notes on the guitar... But I can read them for TIMING I never could read tab unless I had the song to hear...

[@paparuffy406]

As I never plan to perform, I’ve always played sitting. Also I didn’t start playing until after I had been injured by an IED. I don’t stand well for periods of time now so even if I wanted to, it’s out of the question. Not meant for pity, playing guitar has helped me move on in life past thinking about life pre-injury. Helped with PTSD immensely as well.

[@phillippickett6540]

Papa Ruffy Cool Papa. Play how you like and how you can. Just play! Thanks for your service.

[@dancalifone4557]

If you adjust your strap to the same height sitting as it is when you’re standing, playing either way feels the exact same 👍

[@msenecal]

I learned this the hard way. I had a complicated solo nailed while I practiced sitting down. I was shocked when I was standing on stage and couldn't reach the notes as fast. This threw off my timing and ruined the solo. Stand up for what's important to you.

[@davidnuckols8151]

I wish I could have heard this when in was 21. I'm 68 now. Between You and Rick Beato I've learned more about music in the last year than I've ever had.

[@martinwise9705]

Rhett I've been playing over 50 years and I love listening to you because you know what you are talking about. Thank you for all of the great advice.

[@princessbeauty7989]

This is some of the best advice i have heard on KZbin. My dad is a musician and he has been playing since he was 18, he is now 52 and he learned by ear. Learning by ear is the best way you can possibly learn guitar, because you can understand your instrument alot better if you learn it, instead of looking up tabs and just looking at sheet music. So thank you for giving out this advice.

[@august9855]

I can confirm that having your guitar on the wall or on a stand will make you play more. I have mine on the wall by my bed and whenever I can't sleep I pick it up and play something, it doesn't matter if it's 2am and I have school the next day or if I'm just going to bed and have a lot of energy.

[@willixm2520]

I learnt to play the violin for 6 years and bcuz of the humidity in the air it's bad to leave it exposed and having to take it out of the case every time really killed my motivation. I'm getting into guitar and I'm gonna buy my first one in a week so yeah I'm not gonna leave it in a case unless I need to take it somewhere else, a friend of mine who plays guitar lended me one that he doesn't use and I've been practicing on it since then (like 2 days ago) and I'm pretty stoked to get my own :D

[@fitchyyboi]

Joseph Oakwood more like puppy eyes 🥺🥺🥺

[@fitchyyboi]

Guilherme Gaspar yoo how you doing??

[@willixm2520]

@@fitchyyboi I ve been doing pretty well i think, I've had my own guitar for a month now and have been learning a lot of stuff. I can tell you a lot of skill translates from the violin to the guitar so it was not hard for me to get the hang of it. I've got a teacher who I've met before and has been helping a lot, not only on the technical part of playing guitar but also a lot of music theory I didn't really need before (on the classical scene) but which is very useful now which is good so yeah it's been fun.

[@fitchyyboi]

Guilherme Gaspar Nice mate!

[@druwk]

Concentrate on playing accurately, in time. Not necessarily with a metronome, but tapping out steady time. If a part hangs you up, slow down the whole piece/part/line until you can play it smoothly. Playing smoothly, without anxiety about weather you have “enough time” to make a change, play a line, etc. allows you to work up tempo while concentrating on accuracy. Practice makes permanent, not perfect. Practicing a part accurately builds muscle memory, which then allows you to play forget about form (because it’s already locked into your hands), and work on expression.

[@nonaaame550]

Well said

[@Lamo2100]

Excellent Point!

[@rangerdoc1029]

I had no idea how bad my timing was until I first tried to play along with a backing track. The beat is everything.

[@phillippickett6540]

Thanks for that advice!

[@soultheory8441]

I think a metronome is definitely perfect for improving tempo

[@isaacsanchezcomedy]

Hey I’m 14 and I’m teaching myself with tabs too! And I’m sitting on my bed with my guitar on my lap!

[@timscarrow9151]

I'm 54 and have been playing since I was 10 and I ain't famous But I love having a guitar to hold I could never give them up.

[@icephonex]

How does it go? What tools are you using to learn?

[@paulcooper5748]

@@timscarrow9151 Same.

[@suhanichatterjee6740]

lol im 14 too and same thing

[@kieliton-vh6rx]

Same man execpt ive got no experience

[@rickybgoode9078]

New fan, 65yo beginner, and you hit the nail on the head right out of the box. Leave your guitar out and visible!!! I could NOT agree more. This one thing has made a huge difference for me. I still suck due to physical limitations but, I have learned so much. Because of people like you, I pick up my guitar several times a day and learn something new. Thanks Rhett

[@SamanthaGusman]

I am 17 and I just got a guitar yesterday which I plan to teach myself how to play. Thank you for this video! I learned a lot.

[@ric2854]

can you play now

[@eggbass]

Enjoy the journey!

[@julieeee898]

I just started teaching myself to play guitar and I must say it's really overwhelming and hard... but watching your videos for beginners really do give me a good feeling I can achieve it and also kind of take away the fear. Thanks, Rhett !

[@wmgreen00]

You got this! I started playing 3 years ago and its one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! I’ve been playing drums since I was 11 but something about playing guitar is special! Good luck in your journey!

[@jperryfan]

Devote some time to trying to learn by ear. Devote a lot of time having fun and writing your own stuff.

[@stephenabshire1960]

picking up my guitar again at 62 was the best decision i ever made. i barely knew how to play before. after 21/2 years of playing i now have 4 guitars ( and love all but 1) and went from playing 40 min. a day to playing as much as i possibly can every day. and loving it. just don't quit it only gets better and better steve abshire ps i have also written a number of songs already don't quit

[@dankay7982]

One step at a time. One day it clicks and it all falls in place. You got this!

[@chandraabudiman]

I just bought my first guitar today. How do u learn? Tutorials? I really dont know where to start. If u can share ur learning source that would be amazing

[@5-sf]

"Try that bend on your first finger" *acoustic players start crying*

[@lily_rose_]

I got calluses so fast though lol

[@fitchyyboi]

lily bruh same im 5 days in

[@lily_rose_]

Andrew F. hahaha good luck with it. I lost feeling in my fingertips on day 3 lol but I was literally playing for a solid 8 hours at a time.

[@jettmommyA]

@@lily_rose_ how? this is my third day and my fingers are sore and they hurt so bad so i can't even play my guitar anymore. :( ... any advise?

[@lily_rose_]

Roomisa Abid just keep playing the pain goes away in like 2 weeks u get used to it. Play for like 15 minutes and take a break for like 30 minutes. I just obsessively played for hours and I’m pretty sure I screwed up my nerve endings or something lol. Just keep playing it’s worth it.

[@animonke5481]

Once you have learnt one instrument, regardless of how related they are, it's a lot easier to learn another. I'm an alto saxophonist and learning guitar is going a lot quicker than my first instrument. Learning also gets a lot smoother (not necessarily quicker but a lot less laborious) the further you get with any instrument.

[@spaghettieata]

i agree! guitar helped me a lot with piano, it felt like the exact same thing

[@Bryt25]

True and all the woodwind have the same main 6 finger positions and reed pressures, even double reeds.

[@justray8841]

Same but I play trumpet :)

[@Gxafnmmgvgg]

Same here I played alto sax for a while and it's def helped me learn guitar faster

[@migelgekiere8207]

I play the drums...

[@Kmn55650]

Best advice I could give, is learn all your major chords, minor chords dominant etc. in all 5 positions on the neck. Learn how to build chords, like adding 9ths and 11ths and 13ths. Learn all your basic scales in all 5 positions. You have to know the neck. And train your ear. This is very important. I can't read music other than read a chord chart for a song. After my first couple of years of "training", I did everything by ear. But I guess the most important part is to practice, practice, practice, if you want to get competent. Hopefully you also have some natural talent that helps in your journey.

[@kc_sunshine]

been a teacher on and off for twenty years, and this is the best advice i've seen in one place. well thought out and well put.

[@Rustyjamesman]

that first tip is such a good one, I literally just pick up my guitar all the time and play it even for just a few minutes

[@lilyskindasilly]

This video helped me a ton. When you start off with the guitar, you should start where you feel most comfortable. People can’t tell you what to do, they can only tell you what’s best. I’ve been playing the guitar for less than a month now (3 weeks and 5 days). Some things I did for myself was making goals for myself, watching KZbin to help me, and having fun. NEVER feel like your pressured to learn it quick because somebody told you that they did. I learned some chords, learned a few string songs, and just kinda did my own thing. Just by doing what made me comfortable is what made me into a not so bad guitar player. It doesn’t matter how long you practice for each day, it’s about if your having fun and learning new things while your practicing :) hope this helped anybody who is having a hard time with guitar or just wanted some inspiration.

[@dannyhuffman3587]

How’s it going? You still playing guitar?

[@jackdaniel338]

hows it going now

[@johnk7093]

in 86 when I started learning I tried to pick out notes on songs. found a note and everytime it was played I would play it... next time, would add another note, soon I was hitting 7-8 notes in row.. then like you said, find out what that note was then I would write them down, and learn it.... later when I was in Music Theory class in College I went back to my "notebook" and figured out what scale they were in. really helped in leaning what was where.... and always did finger exercises... 1,2,3,4 then skip a string and play 4,3,2,1 so on.. then would skip fingers and strings 1,3 next string 2,4 and so on.then move up one fret and do the same thing. Training my fingers to go places I wanted them to. Great Vid Rhett, will be checking out your live stream for sure. Cheers from Montana

[@1337million]

That is exactly how a student orchestra in northern Norway teaches people who are completely new to an instrument. "Take this trumpet, this is how you play C, this is what it looks like on the sheet music, we'll cue you in, play it LOUD"

[@pen9103]

I tried playing with my ear, but found it much easier to use my hands.

[@TheyfoundRickGrimes]

😂😂😂 lol

[@dudesayingthings]

Probably a better idea, yes 😂

[@EddyTeetree]

Hendrix used his teeth.

[@nicb.1411]

I started playing with my wee wee so I'm done.

[@Emrys345_Guitar]

4 months into guitar, and I’ve started learning triads, scales, and arpeggios recently. Between those and learning some theory, for example what makes a minor triad, my major and minor pentatonic scale degrees not just the shapes, and how to put together chord progressions while using the scales to lead into each chord, have made me feel better about not actually learning other peoples songs, but still feel like I’m progressing.

[@jenesaisvraimentpasquoimet8473]

What did you do during these 4 months?

[@Emrys345_Guitar]

@@jenesaisvraimentpasquoimet8473 I’ve used content from Rhett, Paul Davids, Justin guitar, tomo fujita, Jack ruch, Guitareo, and pickup music.

[@Mylifeandfriends101]

Been learning in quarantine n the best thing that's keeping me motivated is having one of my friends giving me tips and sending videos of him playing too, as well as looking at tutorials on KZbin and playing in front of my family, its nice to see them smile even in these hard times

[@aristeas]

I had 5 bass lessons when I was 17. That taught me scales and fingering and memorising every note on the neck. I taught myself guitar from there aged 30. That was 30 years ago. I'm retired, ownm 20+ guitars and write and record in my music room. It puts joy, absolute pleasure at the centre of my life. The biggest problem is not knowing what you dont know, and therefore not looking for ways to learn them. My one tip that isn't covered often is this. Get recordings of the songs and solos you really love, that's why you became a guitarist in the first place. Put them into software that slows down and speds up and learn the bits that make you feel great. First slow down as much as possible to get the chops, then speed up a bit at a time until you reach normal.THEN play the recording faster, about 110% is good. Then when you play at normal speed it will be easy.

[@-uniqueamari]

Shoutout to all my beginners for guitar we got this keep goinggg❤️

[@cdubb2k]

I wonder if you still play lol

[@cw3149]

*leaves guitar open* my cats : “ make sure you pass the tickets to our neighbors .. we’re gonna rockk tonightttt”

[@shinko1211]

god my cats would use it as a litter box

[@nadiamarie613]

my kitten literally tries to play mine with his teeth-

[@giselle5596]

You can hang it on your wall

[@jazzram_]

Wtf 😂

[@dahliafiend]

My cat learned to play the low E string to get me to feed him. My other cat peed in my guitar case so…this rule is hard for me.

[@monicasangre5847]

I've been playing piano for around 6 yrs (I'm 17yrs old) and this would be my 6th day learning electric guitar. I'm atm discovering riffs for different songs i love, working on my spider walk, and a routine down picking with a metronome that goes 70-95 beats per min. For practice. It has been amazing in the past few days and also surprising. I set my hands on an acoustic a few yrs ago and said no to it. As a classical pianist, In the past days, I still can't believe what my fingers can do with strings. The strings are a whole new world from keys and I'm all here for it!

[@redmed10]

Learn a bit of piano at the same time. When you see a chord or scale on the piano it makes more sense straight away with keyboard layout than a guitar fretboard which shall we say is not so linear.

[@Spongebob-lf5dn]

I'm glad I bought a keyboard. It helps with referencing pitch and rhythm. Its like a loop pedal too so I can accompany myself.

[@nternetrat]

oh shit that's a really good tip! I always turned my nose up to piano but i might give it a shot lol

[@sundialmusicproductions2346]

Agree: learning "by ear" has served me well over for almost 50 years, now. Learning The Beatles catalog was my building-blocks for future song learning.

[@Adam-mv4nz]

Hello there so i've been playing for like 4 days now and i find the A chord very hard to play mainly because my fingers can't all fit and my question is the following: is it normal in the beginning or am i just not doing it right i would really appreciate your help since you've been playing for so long.

[@sundialmusicproductions2346]

@@Adam-mv4nz Hello: for only 4 days, you are doing great! I think that I could only play maybe an abbreviated G-C-D in my first week. So don't worry too much about A-chord (or Bb or B) for now, it will come eventually. Also try your three smallest fingers, which will come in handy for easier transitions to either Bb or B chord. Rock n' roll songs in the key of A- (there are MANY), if you look in videos at the way the guitar players 'cheat' (me included - LOL), we usually just 'bar' our first finger across the 2nd fret (4th-3rd-2rd strings, deaden the 1st string). Then when you move from A (root) to D (5th or dominant), you can again either leave out the 1st string or let it ring open (D9), which is used in countless songs, even though they will write 'D' chord in those popular online chord-song sites: don't believe everything you read there. Watch the artist in their videos to see HOW they play the chords...that will show you the true way to do it, IMO.

[@timscarrow9151]

WORD! That was my inspiration to play in the first place .Johnny and his "all my loving" guitar part.

[@johnharvey4448]

@@Adam-mv4nz I think it is normal to find the A chord very hard to play for the reason you stated that your fingers can't all fit. I remember being the same regards that chord. Spaces between frets are not particularly wide really. Mr.P's suggestion seems good - giving the using of your three smallest fingers, instead of the more standard way A is played. I'm not even sure my fingers all fit when it comes to the A chord after 30 years yet somehow it sounds ok.

[@Adam-mv4nz]

@@johnharvey4448 thank you that's what i figured after practicing for so long

[@supadumi5489]

I still remember trying to learn the Skyrim theme on guitar by ear, another classmate learnt from tabs and would complain that how i did it was wrong. Learning by ear is fun, even if you aren't fully replicating what you're hearing. don't let perfectionists and elitists ruin your fun.

[@teriakamoto]

Tell your classmate to do him (or her), and just do you. There is no perfect formula for learning as everyone is different and have different agendas.Take the positives and the obvious and apply them. Practice as much as you feel necessary. It's a process. Have fun. It's not a competition sport. Enjoy-

[@jasong4879]

Love this list! I only wish I started bends and vibrato earlier in my playing journey. Also, I remember the confidence I got after admitting to myself that tabs are often wrong and my ear was often right! Train your ear! Trust your ear!!

[@BradAndLex]

I like this video! I’m just learning and these are solid pieces of advice that i haven’t heard anywhere specifically.

[@aidanhill690]

I've been playing nearly for 2 years, I genuinely can't put it down anymore it's always in my sight, I just sit and play all day. Ive tried most genres, rock, metal, shred, blues but I feel like shred/rock is where I'm going most often. I like playing fast I'm obviously not the best, but I enjoy it! I'm completely self taught and now I'm teaching myself theory

[@jrenaud22]

Additional tip: Get your guitar set up by a professional luthier. I always thought that was for "good" guitar players of which I certainly am not one. After 10 years of being stuck in the beginner stage, I've recently decided I'm going to follow an online course from the very beginning and stick to it. While learning scales, my cheap guitar's high action was becoming very frustrating so I decided to take it to a small guitar shop for a professional setup. WOW, for $49 I feel like I now own a much higher end guitar. And the dude spent so much time explaining guitar stuff to me. I have so much more confidence now when I practice. I can't believe I didn't do that 10 years ago.

[@timscarrow9151]

Pro TIP Learn to work on your own fuckin guitar guys.

[@RimshotKiller]

I'd have to agree for a complete beginner picking up guitar for the first time. If you are in that position, then get it set up by somebody who knows what they are doing, and if possible have them explain it to you. However, setting up your guitar, i.e. changing strings, adjusting action, neck curvature and intonation is something every guitar player should be able to do on their own after a while. It is really easy (if a bit tedious at times) but working on your instrument really gives you a better feeling for what it does for you and how you can finetune it to meet your personal taste/style of play. Also, saves money in the long run :p

[@RC32Smiths01]

Learning guitar inside now is a real help given how we are in this uncertain times. Grateful to see you giving experience and advice on this

[@fallsarian5371]

The point of always having your guitar, stand-in-front was spot on. Accessibility is crucial, right on man!

[@georgehowell5877]

Rhettt....I just saw this Viddy,,,,,,,I am just nobody, but I am here to tell everybody that you are so RIGHT,,,,,,,,I am 70 yrs, started in 1965, played clarinet in school band, and then the BEATLES!!!!.....I can't express myself any more...The future of guitar will be better for your efforts.....THANKS........................G

[@camarotrash]

There’s a part in Jamie’s Cryin’ by Van Halen where the end of the chorus jumps into a C Minor chord for the bridge and my fingers just would not land on the C Minor properly, but I persisted until it became second nature. And I still practice tedious shit like that to this day.

[@anthonymorales842]

Nice

[@davetheunshaved4552]

I wasn't self taught. I had formal lessons that my parents paid for, god bless them. But.... I did have to learn alot of things by my self. Eventually everyone reaches the point where any further education will be self taught. The two bands that I basically learned how to play on were: Van Halen, and Metallica. No it's probably not the easiest for someone who is litterally a beginner, but you learn so much from those two. Or pick a band that you love and buy a TAB BOOK of one of their albums. Then just listen to the song and follow along in the tab. That will get you half of the way to being a pro. The rest of the way comes from really digging into music theory and watching youtube videos. Most importantly, never stop being passionate!

[@deadvolume]

#1 Yes, yes, yes. My guitar is on a stand right next to my couch, it gets played every day. I even get itchy watching tv and rarely can sit through a whole movie without picking it up (been working on my ear training!). Now if only I could build my studio around my couch....

[@SteinerFab1357]

I've had my guitars for about 20 years. When I started buying them the internet didn't exist yet, cell phones were at the flip phone stage. Learning to play was frustrating because I also have A.D.D. and I do so many things ( job & business ) that my mind constantly wonders, so concentration is in and out. I agree that KZbin is a huge help. People like yourself, Rick Beato, Mary Spender & your other friends that have channels on here I watch have taught me a lot. I understand what has been explained ( theory), it's getting it from the head to the hands that's hard for me.

[@knutefenstad]

Very well articulated. Hard to find a guitarist that can verbalize what he's doing as well. I've been looking for awhile. You hit the high note! 🎶 Thanx.

[@mikeokeefe9396]

Damn, this so cool. I was a garage band kind of guy for many years- 72 years old so lots of history for me. Learning songs from Vinyl and no tuners was how we did it.

[@bobdaniel282]

Rhett, I agree wholeheartedly about using your ears to figure out the music in a song. I grew up in the 60s I’d never even heard of tabs. I’m 67 now and started playing and singing when I was 12. I ordered my first guitar from Sears. We lived out in the country were there wasn’t much else to do but spin vinyl and play my guitar at night. Learning that way was really hard at first, but finally my ears got smarter and it’s benefited me greatly over the years!

[@davidmurphy4844]

I'm 65 and from Liverpool. I started playing in 1970 and playing by ear was my method. It developed your ear to tune up using a record that you knew what key it was in. I think the first riff I learned was Love Like A Man by Ten Years After.

[@VictorTarela]

I'm 20. I've been playing since 10, but took guitar seriously at 16. I've been figuring stuff out by ear for the past 2 years and I feel like I improved a lot more in those 2 years than in the previous 8 :)

[@pczYT]

Same here. I started in the 80s and my teacher was the rewind button of my dad's shoebox cassette player

[@nickl2883]

I big DO for me is don’t forget to work on your timing . Play along to a metronome, drum tack or a backing track. You can have all the chops in the world and know everything about the fretboard but if you’re timing sucks . Well you’re in real trouble when it comes time to record or play with other people. Another thing is get to know your guitar. Learn some very basic things about how it works. Learn How to do some very basic guitar maintenance. Changing strings , adjusting your truss rod and setting your action.

[@jamiethomas6430]

He hits some really solid points… when I started I was basically scared of string bending and thought vibrato is for pros but those two techniques alone really do make the instrument sing.

[@tuma8093]

Man my history with my guitar will just like yours , i also started self learning when i was 13 , now i'm 15 and i still a beginner just like how i started , thx sooo much i was in a huge need for this

[@MyOwnSummer_]

How dafuq do you people learn songs by ear i would never be able to hear an exact note from listening are my ears just broke or somethin

[@christophertolosa7142]

It’s just practice. Start out with kids songs and try to figure those out. Do it 20 times and once it starts getting easy, move to pop songs. Do it a bunch then move to harder funk or jazz songs and it’ll get easier I promise.

[@ZodiacEntertainment2]

@@christophertolosa7142 It gets easier but not by much. The best thing to do initially is to check tabs / sheet music if you're having a hard time to get some hints.

[@christophertolosa7142]

Justice it does get easier slowly. However if you want to be good at anything you have to take the time to practice it and get better just like bodybuilding. It’s a slow process but when you get to the end it’s so worth it. I’ve done it for a year and I didn’t even dedicate time to practicing it I just did it sometimes and now I can do stuff by ear

[@danielcarter6894]

You just start memorizing some basic chords, and then you work on simple songs, like Tambourine Man by Bob Dylan or other songs by him, once you've confidently gotten that down, you can start to transition to more complex songs.

[@oskarkawulicz3956]

in 90s after few years of play one of my friends cam to me and say - do play from tabs? and i said....from what?.....hehe I ONLY play from my ears, later I realize that I play the same sounds but not everytime on the same fret or string as officially version cause most times my guitar was tuned diferently anyway . but...generaly it doesnt matter. Now I can play improvisations and from tabs:)

[@coreydavison4971]

Jam with people that are farther along than yourself. You can possibly learn months of different things in a much shorter time frame.

[@sc3ku]

Agreed - this has been so true in other areas for me (rock climbing, for instance). In any activity - working with more experienced people will get you to improve so SO much faster

[@babwaffles]

This can apply to any skill really

[@kerrykroger7323]

"Sitting in" is a great way to learn, if you don't have anyone to jam with try getting some backing tracks (lots on you tube or Jam Kazam) and "Sit in" with those...

[@joeb3590]

@@kerrykroger7323 to piggyback off you kind human, look up Elevated Jam Tracks and dopez tracks. Also learn slide.

[@riffratt]

When I learned to play there wasn’t even tabs online, you had to learn everything by ear and occasionally get some tabs from music shops, KZbin is a wonderful helper but you still need to learn to use your ear when you can

[@superrookie-1]

can you give us steps on how to do it, plz

[@patricksebire7953]

I’ve tried to do it by ear but I find it impossible. What’d you do to help you?

[@BeyTM]

@@patricksebire7953 don't know if that helps but, when trying to play by ear, try to take it slowly, don't just go to a dragonforce song and say "hey im gonna learn it just by ear!", start with super simple melodies, and stick with it, and from time to time try to learn a melody thats just sightly above your ear skills, if you keep going, at the end you can learn everything by ear

[@timscarrow9151]

Frickin wore out tape decks, but I will use the parts for the tube screamer win win.

[@riffratt]

SUPER ROOKIE don’t choose anything complicated to start, something fairly simple, try and find the first note- go up the whole fretboard I’d you have to- it’ll get easier as you learn to recognise notes, it depends if you’re trying to learn the chords to a songs or a lead melody etc, for chords try and pick them out by notes eg if it’s a G chord you’d try the greys until you hit on the G on the 3rd fret on the E string and so you know it’s a G chord, then basically do the same for each chord, it gets easier as you recognise chords, chords have different voicings too which again is just experience, sorry but there’s no easy way until your ear gets used to it, you can also train your ear by playing chords and notes until you start recognising them, it gets easier as you get a bit of confidence

[@Plug_Art]

8:01 gollyyyyy. Brought a tear to ny eyes 😩

[@jrcadventures2905]

Hey plug I’ve see u before

[@grene1955]

another of the best videos you have ever produced! I have been playing guitar for a lot of years, and I benefited from this. Not only good for beginners, but a good reminder for all of us! Keep up the great work!

[@mr.groove5352]

After playing bass for several decades, Im learning guitar and having a blast. As for tips, using a metronome is valuable. Also being able to use KZbin to slow down the clips helps me a lot. Thanks Rhett.

[@frankiechan9651]

Yep - leaving mine out has been huge in getting me to just pick it up. Then picking it up for a quick strum turns into an hour. I'll look at tab, then also look at an instructional on KZbin, but trust my ears if neither sound "right". I'll also look a few sources as some will play that chord differently and an alternate fingering may suit me better for a particular passage. Some basic theory has also helped immensely and I keep a picture of an annotated fretboard next to me and I use it to deconstruct any new chord so I can try and understand it.

[@Markstun]

As a full time guitar teacher (now online) for many years I have taught lots of people that originally tried to teach themselves with tab and KZbin videos. They all had picked up tons of weird an inefficient habits. Problem is teaching yourself you get no feedback at all. Having a good teacher watch and listen to you play can save you years of messed up left and right hand habits. (There usually is no 1 “right” way but several options) I taught myself just like you did for years, no tab no KZbin just listening to records. I really wish that I had a good teacher for the first 5 years I would have saved hundreds of practice hours. I did try a teacher but he gave me Mel Bay book 1 and I wanted to learn Clapton Hendrix and Zeppelin. Your videos are great Rhett!

[@PaulWilliamsIE]

What...no Bert Weedon books ? Good enough for Jimmy Page to learned to play ;)

[@strangeaslife]

I see a lot of people saying to just play what you love and let the rest fall into place over time. This is sound advice for the very beginner who just wants to get comfortable with the instrument and experience the joy of creating the sounds to your favorite songs and will def help you just stick with it. But I think after you learn the basic chord shapes from so simple songs and learn some basic techniques like hammer ons and pull offs and barring etc.... it REALLY benefits any play who has the mildest interest in ever playing with someone else or writing a song etc to learn at least some basic music theory and other "less fun" stuff he talks about here. I've been playing guitar 16 years and I'm very comfortable on the instrument and play the songs I know very well, but I recently started learning theory and its kind of heart breaking to think how much better and more confident I'd be on the instrument if I had done this idk.... 10 years ago! As soon as you're getting q little bored of feeling stuck, KICK IT UP a notch and learn theory! That's likely what you're missing to go to the next level. I wish someone told me this a long time ago. Maybe someone did and I didn't listen. I'm 100% self taught so maybe that's been a little bit of a pitfall too.

[@ElectricalEcho]

The most important lesson I possibly learned ever on guitar, was to stop when you practiced a long time to climb the skill ladder again and take the skills I had to simply just use the set to play hours, days, weeks over random backing tracks that I didn´t fully understand but liked alot. This method frequently makes me explode on various things until this day.

[@HeyLiem]

Your best tip for me was to leave my guitar out and ready to easily start playing! I learned songs by ear on vinyl albums, at 33 rpm, sometimes I would play them at 16 rpm, at half speed and about an octave lower. You can easily do that with KZbin videos at .5 speed.

[@crazymonkey60123]

I use Rocksmith and it has helped me tremendously! I would recommend it for everyone beginner or intermediate

[@jeffTcorbin81]

Great tips!! I remember around 1990 at 9 years old, learning Metallica's Fade to Black and Call of Ktulu by listening to the cassette tape. I would listen to the first 2 notes on the tape then press stop and find those notes on my guitar. i would then rewind and double check before moving on to the next 2 notes. I figured out entire songs this way and although it was a major pain in the ass and took forever. I now feel doing this really helped develop my ear.

[@popogejo7245]

Rhett going back to these older vidios you've done is NEVER a disappointment! You are a master for the ages, this sh-t is timeless, and so point on. I came in the back door, (so to speak) got interested in playing building guitars for my kids! You and Billy Sheehan have been my motivators. Yes, I know, two totally different styles, but both class acts as motivators and teachers

[@EJD339]

I’m so glad my parents made me take guitar lessons for a year. I’ve never was really a good guitar player but I know the basics and I’ve been playing a lot lately and probably is as good as I’ve ever been (which isn’t saying much but I’m enjoying it) lol

[@larrybailey711]

In the early seventies, when I was about eight my oldest sister went off to college. She left behind a Silvertone acoustic, a chord book and a couple song books or sheets. Carly Simon, maybe Joni Mitchell. The music in those books had chords above the staff that sorta gave you an idea what the sound was but I had no idea what to do otherwise. There was no TAB, no internet and I didn’t have any records only an AM radio. The chord book was really confusing as I had no idea what any of it was about, but it had photos of an actual hand forming the chords. I think it took me over a year to change chords in what I can only describe as throwing my hand at the fretboard in the shape of the chord and hoping it landed in the right shape and place. I have never forgotten the feeling of being able to change chords, easy open chords but I was making somewhat pleasing noise. I have many books now, scales, modes, you name it. The Silvertone is long gone, but I still have that first chord book and still refer to it fifty years later. Oh yeah almost forgot, still have all the bad habits, but I’m working on that.

[@paulypoobrain2929]

Keeping the guitar on a stand. That’s exactly what I did for my daughter. She wanted a bass so we got her one and I don’t think it’s been in her gig bag since. It warms my heart when I hear her pluck away trying to play some tabs with music with out my intervention. I offer help when she asks or sometime when she doesn’t but mostly let her do her thing. My guitar was out of sight and out of mind for 15 years. Lost time. My daughter asking for a bass is what got me to dig it out again. My Ultimate Guitar was Online Guitar Archive (O.L.G.A). Agreed! KZbin is amazing. In the 80s when I got my first we didn’t even have the internet so I had to sit close to a speaker and hit stop rewind stop play rinse repeat.

[@yuvalh4519]

You are an awesome dad. Wish my parents cared about my interests like that, it makes such a huge difference. I hope you know that! :)

[@paulypoobrain2929]

Yuval l thanks for that.

[@v0rteks644]

Just started truly learning last week. Learned a few chords in music class when I was a kid, but never really went anywhere with it. Luckily got hooked up with the full set of old instructional videos from John Petrucci. For those whose fingers are in pain and are frustrated, know that you won't be alone. I'll also be here making my fingers bleed until the thing sings right. Stay motivated everyone!

[@practicerepobarrie]

my free channel will help you. I don't make a penny from it. I just wanna have people enjoy it and help me stay motivated.

[@evilfiftyone]

As an older beginner i would like to applaud you very helpful and informative video, ive learned a lot just from this video. Thanks for the inspiration.

[@bhargavpandya9189]

My approach has been a bit different. I pick some really difficult licks or solos that I absolutely love, and try to master them regardless of t time it takes. Since I love them, the boredom is minimised. Along with the days you enjoy playing, It’s really important to get through the days when you’re bored of playing the instrument as well. I make sure each of these solos or licks have some different technique that I haven’t mastered fully like say sweep picking or tapping etc. During the same jamming session, I also make sure I use a loop pedal to loop over some fresh new chords and I dedicate some time everyday trying to solo over the progression. This video has convinced me that I do need to start learning music theory and even train my ear better. Thanks brother..

[@TomCPlus1]

I've been self-taught, then took lessons, then went back to self-teaching, then took a few more lessons . . . The live teachers just frustrated me and showed me how I *should* be sounding. That was a perverse form of motivation. But I didn't retain much from each lesson, just small scraps of knowledge. Still, being with a live guitar player was helpful. It never solidified any of the techniques for me, only my later repetitions did that. Two things (that I discovered much later) have accelerated my learning. (1) Getting drafted into a band, having them hand me the chord charts and telling me "you're the electric guitar player in this band, now play with us." And the learning was by ear and by copying what the band leader showed me. (2) KZbin guitar instructors! And the magical speed control. Slowing down parts to be able to hear them clearly, and being able to repeat them a zillion times to mimic every nuance. I lived long enough to experience these advances . . . after starting out with a 45 of "Sunshine of Your Love." :)

[@ashleyjordan8869]

Good video Rhett. I’ve been paying for 20 years now, and lead playing has definitely been neglected in that time. I’d not thought about vibrato before, but will be focussing on that. My tip: put on an album you enjoy and learn every song by ear/play along. It’s helped me a few times to get into the mindset of those players, and crucially it’s fun, so keeps you playing.

[@internalmethods]

One of the best decisions as a musician I ever made was to learn music theory on the piano. I already played multiple instruments by ear, but I really took off after taking music theory courses while studying with a jazz pianist at the same time who made everything very easy to memorize.

[@morelia21701]

Your comment about KZbin: so true. I tried years ago and failed... to keep trying. Picked it up again five years ago and KZbin had made learning the guitar so much better.

[@srvmotoman]

Dayum, the "don't" with regards to tabs is spot on!!! I did not pick up on tab that was off for a long long time. As I got older (20-something) theory was a way to take away from the purity of the idea. Boy was I foolishly wrong. Now in my 40s, I wish that I would have had basic theory. Major chords/scales(all positions), Minor chords/scales (all positions), the key you are in, triads, CAGED system, and a metronome. I think these are fundamental music theory skills that will greatly improve your ability to play music.

[@k_dog_9756]

I'm a music educator who has taught private music lessons for over 15 years that includes the guitar, my primary instrument. I have also taught at the university level instructing undergrads on sight-singing and ear training. I agree with everything in this video, especially with the section that emphasized the importance of developing one's musical ear. I would recommend to any starting musician, not just guitar players, to try to learn by ear early on...Hearing music is such an important part of understanding music.

[@000gjb]

I started playing guitar 5 years ago in my early sixties, ticking another item off the bucket list. I have not settled on any genre and enjoy everything except jazz as jazz bands cannot make up their mind when to play the same song at the same time. I enjoy learning songs I like by watching guitar tutorials such as on Shutup and Play and Tim Pierce Guitar as I find they are the best and write my own Tabs after watching the video a 1000 times. Yes there is such a thing as finger memory and the notes of the songs eventually sink in. One of the songs I really wanted to learn was Kashmire by Led Zeppelin. Took me a month or so but eventually got there. Practice what you love to hear, scales are monotonous and useless if you don't apply them.

[@practicerepobarrie]

maybe my channel would interest you ? No talk, no bull, straight up, I don't earn a penny, just experience and fun. Variety of music.

[@silverwest174]

"try to play by ear" well, i've been playing the guitar for 3 years and i'm so bad at playing by ear...

[@_kqcper_332]

You'll get better, 3 years is nothing :)

[@ZodiacEntertainment2]

@@_kqcper_332 That's the painful part.

[@timscarrow9151]

My teacher gave my a tape and sent me home and said learn this, figure it out, "Broadway" Live George Benson. I got the chord pitches right and I was off to learn every song I could.And you will start to understand that many songs follow the same rules.

[@leedutfield964]

im finding the best thing is playing short cool riffs keeps you in. like the idea of learning a full song at the begining is overwhelming. but cool well known riffs. make you feel awesome.

[@bitterrsweet1616]

i wanna say that the leaving your guitar on display at all times really works. i fell out of playing my electric because i was super unmotivated (due to lack of progress for a lot of reasons) but when i got that stand and left it out-it was like a whole new world for me. the guitar itself is just beautiful so i loved to look at it, but it _made_ me pick it up because i was able to admire it everytime i walked in the room.