How To Get Good, Part I: Learn To Play Tunes

The first step to getting good is developing a repertoire of traditional tunes. But not for the reasons you'd think.
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[@SteveRockstein2]

Hi David. Excellent video. Great advice. I studied with you at NSGW some 30-years ago, when I was a middle-age pure beginner. A vet of the bar-band and the singer-songwriter scenes, I stopped playing guitar 2-years ago when a growth in my spinal canal left me paralysed. Thinking I'd never play again, I gave my finest guitar to my granddaughter, who was beginning to play. Then the miracle happened - I meet a surgeon who rebuilt my spine out of steel and after months in the hospital and a ton of rehab - I am playing again. I don't have full feeling or strength in my hands or fingers, but I am creating some beautiful sounds. Getting back to basics, playing acoustic and electric solo blues, I am so happy to have found your YT channel. Its just what I need right know. Many thanks. Subscribed.

[@FretboardConfidential]

NGSW! That must have been down in the schoolhouse at Canterbury. That *is* a miracle, to be playing again (not to mention doing everything else again). Glad the channel is helping and lovely to reconnect.

[@SteveRockstein2]

@@FretboardConfidential yes, it was at Canterbury. I took “Rock 1” and it was one of the best things I’ve ever done. It was the first time I played at stage. I returned the following summer, ‘92 I think, for a two week blues class with Ronnie Earl. Heady stuff. Always grateful for my time at NSGW.

[@GRJ-uz7kf]

Glad you're hanging in there, Sir.

[@georgefenning4844]

Inspiring story Steve. I hope music continues to give you pleasure and you go from strength to strength

[@ledaswan5990]

That’s awesome Steve. I’m in my late 60’s and still love learning new things. Thanks for the inspiration!

[@GRJ-uz7kf]

Great insight! To paraphrase: "When you hear someone playing a song you like, you're not hearing them IMITATE somebody else."

[@blues61]

Thanks David! Excellent advice. My turning point in my guitar journey came when I was in my mid-30's and I made a list of 20 songs I wanted to be able to play end-to-end. That list quickly shortened to 5 songs when I realized I was overreaching, but decades later my repertoire is over 100 and still growing. 🙂

[@GRJ-uz7kf]

Great revelation: When you take on learning a masterful, complex piece exactly as recorded by a seasoned professional, you're trying to take a shortcut to the culminated learning and accomplishments that took the professional his whole life (to that point) to attain. You're setting yourself up to fail.

[@colinflynn9777]

This is an interesting channel. The thing that has bugged me most about online channels is they explain a lot about how to play but not much about how to learn. They, with a few honourable exceptions, never really talk about the amount of practice needed (it’s usually at least months) just to master technique or the enormous effort needed to really get to a point where you can take a piece of music and make it your own (probably years). This leads many people to give up too early. Trying to play like someone else is admirable especially if you love them but in the end you will only ever be at your best if you play like yourself

[@GRJ-uz7kf]

Excellent, valuable discussion and lesson.

[@derekjohnston1183]

David is a natural teacher.

[@GRJ-uz7kf]

One of the rare guitar teachers who uses invaluable "one-and-two-and" counting to explain musical time & rhythm. Counting is fundamental for every other instrument, but most non-classical guitar types never bother.

[@Romamb]

Do you count when you play? I've been playing since '05 and I've never counted once.

[@desertdean9177]

I’ve been playing since 1963 and I always count. Also pay attention to basic diatonic theory……..always.

[@karlwalker6648]

Fantastic lesson as always from my favourite teacher ! Thanks David, from the UK👍

[@TheodorElfving]

Ive been devouring your videos this past week and I cannot express my gratitude and thanks enough. I was feeling stuck in a rut with what I was playing and your "Guide to fingerstyle blues" showed up on my recommended. I dont think i've been playing this much guitar just for fun in years. Your videos are so articulate and well put together. Thank you David!

[@blues61]

One more shout out to you David. The best $5 I ever spent was to take a slide guitar workshop with you at the Fast Folk Cafe in NYC. You taught me the technique of using the fingers behind the slide like a "bridge" to make it more comfortable to dampen the strings behind the slide. No more fatigued sliding hand. Brilliant!

[@Robert_Bubba_Baker]

I am really enjoying this channel. It fills in a lot of blanks that many don’t share. Thank you.

[@mojo6778]

Great lesson, I just subbed to your channel after Tony mentioned it on Acoustic Tuesday and I am so glad I did. This is a genre of music I fail at miserably on acoustic and am so glad to find you. I am looking forward to future lessons.

[@JohnB.6251]

Thanks Dave! I think this is one of your best teaching moments ever. Clear, simplified complexity, pace, and suscinct. Excellent. - JB

[@kevininman2013]

Thanks David for the videos I really like the detail and how you break it down.

[@johnsimmons6136]

Thank you very much for this lesson. I appreciate your approach and how you communicate to your audience.

[@jimajello1028]

Fantastic insight into getting the melody, rhythms on different beats & finding my own vocals where they feel comfortable. Thank you for sharing your insights. Your lessons have made a true growth happen in my playing. Thank you. Vince James (Ajello)

[@peregrinegrace8570]

Thanks David , this is what I needed to understand going forward, sound advice and inspiration to experiment and play what id want to hear from my future self. Im two ( a bit more serious )years in now and your videos are a great help 😊👍

[@AntonEmery]

Great video and lesson. This is one of the reasons I love traditional music, especially arranging it for guitar. You can make it your own and at the same time also be a part of something bigger, and play tunes that other folks will likely know. As far as learning tunes, I had a similar process when getting into irish and old time music. Though there its a bit different because there is only the melody, not real improvisation. But the more tunes i learned the easier it became to learn them, and at the same time i was building a repertoire i could play with others.

[@pfkroger1]

Fantastic lesson-can’t wait for the rest. My problem is that I spend so much time watching all your video presentations that I can’t find enough time to fully utilize all the tools and techniques that you give us.

[@artsun812]

Totally excellent, this is the real stuff. This is the basic the fundamental in learning to play. Thank you so much❤

[@beppeslaviero]

Beautiful, Great! Lot of good work to do. Thanks

[@rob8482]

Man, I love this Delta Blues sound. The baseline adds so much! Well done young, man! I'm reading your stuff, you're inspiring! That Martin has been around the block a time or 10!

[@GRJ-uz7kf]

Yes, I think he's the best, most effective teacher on YT. As for that Martin (00-18?) I'm guessing it's a cedar-top model, but hard to say under all the grime. Try as I might, I can't resist wiping mine down with a damp cloth occasionally.

[@wileyriveaux8666]

You da man! Single, best explanation I've ever seen on how to improve one's guitar playing, I would call it the Unified Theory of Blues Guitar.

[@billreeve3245]

Great lesson. One downside to learning from tab or standard notation is that is is easy to get caught up in the vertical ‘weeds’ and to overlook thinking of the phrases of the song and the structure outlined by the bass. I like that you pointed out that on guitar we are able to play the parts of the band. I think it is helpful to be able to hear and think of these independently in the process of learning to pull them together. You remind us that we can break down any song this way and make it more approachable. Learn an aspect of the song first (bass line, melody ) and be able to get through the song before added another part. This way you always have the ability to play the song. Over time you can continue to develop it. I too often forget this perspective and get caught up learning fragments but never getting the entire tune under my fingers even in a simple manor. Silly. I want to apply this thinking to learning jazz standards which is more my jam. Thank you for this.

[@georgefenning4844]

Great message re making public domain songs your own. It was your house of the rising sun arrangement that made me re examine this sold song and I created my own version . It was inspired by your swing / shuffle groove … opened my eyes . You have a great touch and sense of rhythm . Ps I share your frustration re public domain issue and the joy or utility of covering other more recent works . Sadly, it’s a no go area. Roll on 2040 …

[@BrickDavis]

I've watched so many videos but your's are the best. I just like you....

[@srosenbush]

David, fantastic lesson, thanks.

[@FretboardConfidential]

!! The Steve Rosenbush I know??!

[@rickschellenberg9074]

Love this!

[@jz295491]

Definitely a great video..Tk u..

[@harryhole4427]

Hi David, excellent lesson and breakdown plus the tabs. Makes it easy for us beginners. If you have similar content on Fretboard Confidential, Im in.

[@flashkatwillie7657]

Great lesson Thanks

[@billregan1981]

This is really great!

[@carl1776]

Good stuff. Thanks.

[@KevinLopez-vf1wk]

Thank you.

[@johnpandolfino8663]

Great playing.....

[@williameason1194]

When you know only 2 1/2 licks, it helps to spice up a tune with some lyrics.

[@ralphditchburn1456]

First thing I noticed was a pronounced use of the first note in each bar louder. Decreases in depending volume each beat of bar. Thus repeating each bar. A clear advantage for the fingerpicker to do this as makes voice easier

[@Slippery-Stan-Miracle-Man]

Love Hamburger. A top ten acoustic blues guy! Lots of words though before guitar stuff

[@lazeerivers8581]

David, Great lesson, nobody does it better than you. Thanks!

[@StewartBlues]

Like it already and its just been put up!

[@davidgerrard8661]

Yes please

[@peterschmidt7713]

you gotta move! great tune!

[@artvandelay1555]

This tune IS totally cool and how it can be used to get all the various timings down. Can it be a month to month payment on the school as i will be overwhelmed. This one tune will keep me busy for some time, but a labor of love for sure. Thanks.

[@IamPoppaGallo]

I have been watching your lessons on KZbin for time now and have learned a great deal from them all. But I am curious about the guitar you use in these videos. I see it’s a Martin but what model. Blessings to you and yours.

[@FretboardConfidential]

Thanks! It's a 1956 00-18.

[@davidforsyth389]

Hi. Many thanks for the lesson. Cannot see the link for the tab. Where would I find this ? Am going to be regular visitor. Great teaching.

[@udayanmustafi3963]

🎸

[@markthompson5310]

This must be beyond my reach because I'm trying to figure out the chord shapes you are moving between and youtube makes it virtually impossible because in the video the neck of the guitar is at the bottom so when you pause the screen its covered up by other video suggestions, a tremendous amount of work to decipher, when I reference the tab, the chord notations there are no help, I have to learn the tune before I can begin to think about improvisation.

[@tompoynton]

This one isn’t in the playlist, only parts 2 and 3 are

[@MJHunt434]

Clearly, gear isn't super important in getting good. Having said that, what model Martin are you playing? Thanks

[@VitalBigras]

Did I just find a great blues teacher ?

[@violayla]

Same here.

[@desertdean9177]

Does any one have a good source or list of public domain blues songs.

[@bradmasiowski5233]

I can't access the pdf.

[@johnrobertpalomo4283]

David is this a 000-18 or 000-21? Thank you

[@FretboardConfidential]

It's actually a 00-18. Short scale! I talk about it more detail here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/apiUaYlqpbZ1m7c