things i would NOT do if i started playing guitar in 2022

[@KaylaKent]

for what its worth too i hope nobody takes that clip as disrespect to paul gilbert. it was just a good illustration of something that i actually experienced when i was starting to play guitar. paul is awesome and i thought his artistworks stuff was actually really good. he's also like the most fricken wholesome virtuoso guitar player out there lol. just that lil tidbit of advice from him i disagreed with and thought it would be funny to poke at lol.

[@knightsofmisery3576]

The regret make you look more human 💀

[@MauroGuedes]

Hi Kayla! I'm also a huge Pantera and Paul Gilbert as well and I understand your point. While Paul Gilbert was sitting in a room practicing 3 billion ways of ascending and descending scales with the most absolute perfect picking motion and speed, he probably was losing a lot of parties and interactions with people his own age. I use that example with Buckethead, who seems to be in the autistic spectrum due to his difficulty on being social and interacting to people. On the other hand, we have Dimebag, who was partying way harder than he should at questionable age and still kicking major ass while playing stuff he dominated easily! The deal is, Paul really shouldn't focus on your hand position when you personally asked for help on your songwriting, and he really lost himself there. I share most of your regrets as well! Keep up the great videos and check out my Pantera covers!

[@danball3421]

i think Paul would agree lol 🤘

[@ronimusala]

Paul is just an unreal shredder and overall wholesome guy it seems, but yeah, what works for you doesn't have to work for everybody and that's ok. So, to Paul, in the words of The Dude "Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man."

[@jared338]

Not all of us have that. We all have something tho.

[@d1zzy693]

That paul gilbert thing was freaking hilarious

[@EllieNotSoSmelly]

My one guitar regret was trying to put a floyd rose on my strat when I had no idea what I was doing

[@area51audio]

Nothing wrong w/that. It's how you learn. It only really hurts if it's a valuable vintage one..and a LOT of people did that back in the day. You should have seen my first attempt to change pickups....disaster!

[@FaintUnicycle98]

I was thinking ab doing that thankfully I didn’t

[@JimmyKSimmonsOfficial]

A friend of my daughters was over while I was writing and got jazzed when he saw me using my Kahler - he ran out and bought a Jackson with a Floyd - he came over asking for help - showed him how to change strings and tune with a Floyd then compared it to my Kahler and he went and sold the Jackson HAHA! For the record I have owned/used a Floyd before going Kahler

[@jasonhicks887]

My regret was not getting one or into music and guitaring earlier and getting rid of my FIRST one a samick Silvertone SHREDDER!was a killer guitar but still doesn't rival my strat with Seymour Duncan hotrails and mini Seymour Duncan split coil humbuckers!!

[@JimmyKSimmonsOfficial]

@@familyengineering5591 HAHA!!

[@EarthToSean]

That's so funny that Paul gave you that advice, because the other day when I watched some of your solos and literally thought about how much Paul preaches the "thumb over bore" technique. FWIW the dude's got massive hands, and that's what works for people with that physiology. Love the channel K, keep doing what you're doing :D

[@chazbono5991]

Bore?

[@jonm420jm]

Biggest regret, not staying with it when I was younger. Got back into playing this year and the bug bit me good. I'm able to play things i never thought I would be able to at 39. Even created some music too. Always like your perspective and outlook. Sweet Channel and killer skills.

[@countzero5150]

I'm sure Paul was just trying to help but there's really no right or wrong way to play as long as it creates the sounds you want. Plenty of fantastic guitarists that use very unconventional techniques. I mean, have you seen how Marty Friedman holds his pick? And anyway, to a classical guitarist, your hand position is correct and his is bad. I would say my regret was all of the junk gear I bought in the beginning instead of focusing on just getting better at playing. I still buy a lot of gear but it's not because I think it's going to magically make my playing better. It's because I have a problem and I need help.

[@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t]

Hand position is not an isolated thing, anyway. Am I sitting or standing?; do I need to sing or do backing vocals right now?; am I playing a 'regular' guitar or a V (or something else that changes how I'm holding it, and the position of the neck relative to my body)?; am I playing cowboy chords or a stretchy lead? A lot of the actual physicality of guitar playing wasn't something I'd really thought about until I started seeing a lot of stuff - especially on KZbin - that preached 'correct' ways to do things (you'd find a lot of them were also hawking courses that promised to improve your playing more than doing a shitload of cocaine makes you think you're improving).

[@cerberus50caldawg]

Damn I hear that... my name is John... ...and I'm a guitar and musical gear junky...

[@johnpearson4899]

@@cerberus50caldawg YO!

[@Patrick-857]

His hand position is widely considered to be incorrect. Classical players aren't the only ones who practise optimal technique. But also, as you say, people do what works for them. Kayla has small hands, which probably pushed her more towards a semi classical hand position, because it's more optimal. Paul Gilbert has huge hands and so he can get away with a sloppy hand position. It also depends on style. Playing blues with the thumb hooked over the neck is pretty standard. Generally the more technical the style the more players you'll find using a classical hand position.

[@YskarAlbumLuna]

Unless you are doing the carpal tunnel injury hand position, be careful with that.

[@djb6496]

My biggest regret is advice I got from a guitar "god" from a guitar magazine. He basically said that if a riff or idea was not good enough to remember it later, than it probably was no good. Once I started playing in a band, we recorded our practices and I started to get the mp3's of our practice and listen to them later. I did this because we would jam on new riffs or chord changes and it was amazing but I would forget exactly what we were jamming to the next day. Recording your sessions and IDEAS that sound or feel good to you means that they will most likely sound and feel good to someone else! Record yourself to not just improve your playing but to capture your creativity so that you can replicate it and grow from it.

[@dvrapant]

yeah man that’s def not true. So many professionals always say they have a way of recording their riffs and ideas because if they don’t they forget them and they are gone.

[@mtcoorscan]

So very true💯 "The muse" is fleeting at best, so always take advantage of recording even if you only use the voice recorder of a cell phone.

[@greggheslin2724]

I remember reading that N I took it as the the Holy Grail my whole Life! Guess what ?! Those forgotten riffs of mine show up every now n Then. It’s gonna haunt me who said it.

[@JoolsGuitar]

I agree with you on PG. The worst thing for me is trying to learn his stuff with his enormous hands and he is still like teaching this stuff like you should grow your hands and play like him.

[@dilbophagginz]

I have huge hands and it really doesn't help that much. Playing with that technique doesn't work with anything requiring wide stretches, regardless of hand size.

[@I-am-326]

Completely relate to your regrets in regards to my own journey as a guitar player. The ability to simply pick up your own instrument, and play what you like, is in itself a beautiful thing. If other people don't like it what they hear or see, that's their problem ! Great video as always.

[@TheGuitologist]

Haha! The guitar you had was a c.1990 Cushin Gakki factory Jackson Professional Archtop Soloist. It’s the brother to my Charvel 750xl, which is the model Shawn Lane played. These are probably the best Japanese electric guitars ever made.

[@KaylaKent]

Yeup. Still have it, just prefer playing my kramer now. My 15 y/o dumbass was really about to toss it up for some shitty dean razorback LOL

[@jacobdowler1]

Nicee!

[@TheGuitologist]

It’s a keeper.

[@gtorresreyes11]

That happened to me years ago, when studying classical guitar. A teacher actually changed my technique, after that I began struggling, no confidence in playing, suspect timing, it was like starting over. That mess my studies and my life changed course . I learned that technique is very personal, and is align with your motor skills and laterality, music preference etc ... some teachers, musicians are not aware that classes, techniques, are not a" fit for all". Thanks for sharing

[@JohanKarlssonGeten]

I'd say Paul Gilbert actually is the odd one out here with quite the extreme "thumb over the top" position. But that's cause he's got huge hands. But look at other super fast shredders with smaller hands, like Michael Angel Batio or Herman Li. They have a left hand position more like yours. I think it's more like focus on what position that gives you the most reach with your fingers balanced with comfort, and then you build your hand strength from there naturally. I think your technique in general is one of the best i've seen :)

[@DemothHymside]

I don't have small hands, but I have what Garand Thumb would call "medium sized man-hands", and if I hold the neck the way Paul does, I can't hit the lower strings without muting the higher ones because my fingers will lay across them, and it'll make certain chords impossible for me to play.

[@Dielawn69]

Exactly. Paul fails to realize that different sized hands are a thing lol.

[@Patrick-857]

She's basically using the classical position. If she's doing that, and it works, it should be above criticism, because the classical position evolved specifically to be a standardised system that gets the best possible results out of the largest number of players.

[@peachmelba1000]

My biggest guitar related regret: drinking a shroom milkshake before a gig, then being so high I needed help plugging everything in, then being completely incapable of singing in tune, followed by me pissing my pants lol

[@70zenboy]

Your dad sounds like a really cool dad. Glad he took the time to give his little girl a great education in the musical arts. You should have him on one day. My biggest regret is not starting guitar earlier. I was 21 and I honestly thought I’d left it too late.

[@scottwilcox6313]

Kayla you're an awesome guitarist. I have been playing for decades. You have talent and dedication and an understanding i wish i have 20 years ago. You do you girl, shred and don't care what anyone thinks, you rock. Keep jamming and writing I'll listen and enjoy.

[@billsultzbach7079]

My only regret is not finding your channel sooner and witnessing you truly enjoying music! Thanks for the great content keep doing what you're doing

[@kswannie]

A teacher who attempts to turn their student into a version of themselves is a teacher that fails their student.

[@eamonahern7495]

Paul is an awesome guitarist but he has big hands with long fingers so he has the range to be able to cradle the neck and play a low slung guitar. I learned early on to play with my thumb at the back of the neck and keep the headstock high (the classical position) and it suited me because I don't have much range between my thumb and fingers. Point being you play whatever is most comfortable for you and what gets you the best results. Chuck Schuldiner always played with a high headstock playing position and his thumb at the back of the neck.

[@bonessmith1276]

Music is art. It comes from inside you. You can take advice from other players but ultimately you will find your own way of doing it. I think you are already there. Keep playing & enjoy it.

[@pwner3089]

My biggest regret was comparing myself to others, we all learn at a different pace the finish line is there it don’t matter how u get there or how fast, all it matters is you get there or close to it.

[@YskarAlbumLuna]

There's no finish line tho.

[@puffybuns2311]

You are so gentle and soft spoken but when you wield that axe you become a badass. Cheers!

[@starwolffan13]

Need more talky talk videos. Super insightful

[@timbelgarde1752]

I think you have the right idea to take advice as gathering data rather than gospel. When I was a guitar teacher for 9 years, I tried to encourage my students that the way they want to play is not wrong if it feels right to them. The goal is to play what drives YOU, what makes YOU want to learn and have fun and get better. Loved the Paul G captions: "literally plays it the same way" lol! Obviously, Dimebag played the same way you do on his ripping solos with his hand in the "wrong" position. We all have different size hands, hand strength and preferences for guitar necks, string gauge and even the bridge of the guitar. My regrets are similar. I listened to a lot of people that acted like experts, to people that thought my music was 'weird' or 'stupid'. I came up with excuses not to practice, like yours with not wanting to annoy your parents. I think some of it is a fear of doing something you love and either being mocked for it or just made to feel isolated because most others don't get it. I know I was happiest at 15 when I didn't analyze any of that stuff too much, didn't get too self-conscious about it and just did what I liked, by myself. Practicing riffs I was inspired by and feeling great when I could play along with them perfectly. I get that sense of joy from your videos and I love that! Keep up the great work always. 🤘

[@scotta.6607]

My biggest regret in the guitar world,is not taking lessons when i was younger,i just taught myself with books,and never progressed much at all...you should be honored to have such talent,you're awesome,and i love seeing young people doing so well at the instrument i so love...good luck to you in your journey...keep rocking !

[@silvercloud1641]

Lessons are just a guide. There's the unique approach. Might not always sound good, but you never know what you could create by not following past trails. If you've never touched a guitar and want to learn proper guitar, I can say learn the universal power chords and two easy chords, like A and D, and learn to switch between them. And start with holding the pick properly, thank me later. Play those two chords until you can switch between them smoothly and build hand strength (great at the start with an acoustic, though in the end you'll learn it's not how hard you press the strings and play, light touch is best). Pick an easy song, like Enter Sandman. 0:11 😁 Learn the rhythm part. This should help keep you interested as you learn the other stuff. Still up to you what you do with it or how far you want to go, teacher or no teacher. The info is out there now especially with the net, forget books. Self-teaching can also help with learning improvisation when learning by ear. But it is nice to know music theory, know how to read music, and play other instruments too if possible. Just have to keep the practice up. After you get it, it's like riding a bike.

[@8KilgoreTrout4]

Me too. I still haven't taken a lesson after 25 years

[@jfo3000]

3 years of classical lessons right at the start helped me out emensely. After that I met other players, I understood I intervals, scales, some parallel modes, some theory, and I could play, while if they could play, they had no idea what they were doing. They couldn't relate it to other music, learning new tunes, creating music. I saw that my classical studies were valuable right then.

[@silvercloud1641]

@@jfo3000 I still say no one can learn the guitar for you. That was 3 years of work and practice you put in. And I agree, if you have the resources available utilize them. Take all the music classes you can in school, private lessons, etc. It's great if you can learn music theory or other instruments. Even some basic knowledge is better than nothing. Take it at the start, see how far it goes.

[@davesetnik7121]

I know I've said it before, but I'll say it over and over.... Kayla, you really are the shit. I absolutely love the fact that you remain as real and humble as you are, and allow your skill and ability speak for themselves. I can't stand overly cocky people in any walk of life. Just be yourself and bring it. That's exactly who you are, and the reason I am such a huge fan. Shred on!!

[@cafeallegro3321]

Biggest regret is worrying about not learning everything, I like what I like and it's alright to not be a master in every style.

[@timothyoo7]

I started playing not long ago, after about 30 years of taking a break. But, to be honest, I want super disciplined back then anyways. I did it to occupy myself, not only during covid, but I am now, unfortunately disabled and can't work full time, as much as Id love to! I also knew that its really good for your brain and having so much down time is definitely not! I was blown away with how much things have changed. There are amazing affordable guitars out there and plenty to choose from. That being said, I got too wrapped up in gear and not so much in putting in the effort. I just gave away 1 guitar and sold another 1 in the last week, and it feels really good to streamline things. I am still working on the discipline of practicing more. I no longer have the insecurities of my youth but am often very sleep deprived and in pain, which is not conducive to concentration and learning. But, I do what I can, when I can and have already found more enjoyment and skills than the first time around. Thanks for your channel! I doubt I'll ever be a shredder, but I will most certainly continue to enjoy playing and challenging myself.

[@kylewelsh_krossdesu7700]

Thanks for this advice. I think that number 6 is something I've been putting off for too many years. My own greatest regret is that I keep taking breaks. By breaks, I mean I quit for years at a time. I'm 29 now and I first started playing when I was like 16, but I've never had a period where I played with regularity for more than a few months at a time. I'll be like - 3 months of daily, dedicated practice, then 2 years before I play again. It's crazy to think about all the things I could do if I could even get myself to play regularly for a year. The breaks are never intentional. I just get a bit burned out, then 1 week off turns into 1 month, and so on.

[@SunburnRunner]

Great tips, Kayla! I would like to add one that I think might help a lot of beginners out there, myself included. I first started playing in high school and had a basic Washburn Strat-style guitar. Run of the mill. Cheap. Nothing fancy. I don't even remember the model. But I had no gear. Like, zero. No cab. No amp. No pedals. Nothing. I plugged it into the microphone jack on an old 1970's stereo so the sound came out the speakers. There was absolutely no effects and the basically no gain. I was like, "Why doesn't this sound right?" It was like playing a toy. "Clean" doesn't even begin to illustrate how basic it was. I practiced a bit, learned a few basic power chords, and pretty much put it down after a few months. I just couldn't get into it with what it was acoustically producing. Fast forward to now. I am 52. Once the pandemic started, I decided to take the time to actually get back into playing, except this time I got the best guitar I could afford AND some decent gear. Randall amp. Orange cab. Chorus pedal, distortion pedal, delay pedal, EQ, noise gate, overdrive pedal, fuzz pedal, and reverb. OMG what a difference. While I was starting all over, it actually sounded like what I thought a guitar should sound like, and encouraged me to play and practice. So, anyone reading this, if you want to get started playing, get SOME gear. Don't have to go crazy, but some essentials are...well...essential. Even a $2000 Les Paul won't sound even remotely good if you are (*cough*) trying to play it through your weak ass stereo. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

[@DanzoSrife]

I also can comment on Paul Gilbert. I really like the guy, but the lessons weren't for me. He had me stomping loudly on a box while I play and told me really exaggerate it while playing. This made a lot of things more difficult. 1. This is bothersome to my mom n roommates. 2. I like to record direct like yourself, so I couldn't do that and my mic wasn't catching my guitar that way it was too bassy from the stomp and couldn't hear me. 3. He didnt want me using a drum track or metronome either. 4. I couldn't get past this so I ended up stopping the lessons because we were stuck at this point. 5. I did send him some but it was pretty hard to coordinate a big stomp and play at the same time. 6. The lessons were mainly playing pentatonic licks but seemed to totally skip chords and rhythm that would have helped more I also wish I didn't go to certain forums where the group mods and admins were gaslighters and said how everything was easy then in another note said I shouldn't start lead until I'm an advanced player. What? There were lots of idiotic things they tried to get me to believe for months and wasted time arguing instead of just leaving . I stayed because I thought I would get my moneys worth for lessons there too, NOT.

[@aaronburratwood.6957]

I dig the tutorials. I’m still a Pantera fan and I even got stomped in the head by Phil Anselmo at 16y/o and I got my friends to help me try to get over the security mote & on stage and just as I was there 💥 to the skull. Than I was immediately rushed out the way to the back of the mob. Ah memories. 🤘🏽 I’m really sorry you didn’t have more metalheads to hang out with coming up, it was the best. (Kinda cheesy but we all wore metal t-shirts everyday but Friday was Metallica day only because it’s the only band the preps knew and we thought that some how offended them more) Yeah, maybe you were better off without.

[@FaintUnicycle98]

It shouldn’t be really but that’s so damn cool. Thank you for sharing

[@rickyhyppa7960]

I hope your dad isn't the dude that inspired Phil to write 5 minutes alone lol

[@FaintUnicycle98]

@@rickyhyppa7960 nah good friends and bottle of pills would be devastating

[@aaronburratwood.6957]

@@FaintUnicycle98 I also got hit in the head by a water bottle thrown by Marilyn Manson too. Concerts were great in central Florida in the ‘90s.

[@aaronburratwood.6957]

@@rickyhyppa7960 It was the Far Beyond tour.

[@mitchoburrito2836]

My biggest regret playing guitar BY FAR, was being was too hard on myself and never thinking i was up to the standard of my guitar playing buddies. I spent SO many nights beating myself up over my technical ability, that i completely lost track of why i played guitar in the first place, TO HAVE FUN! Its hard to think that i lost literally 20 years to that way of thinking and now i dont care about that im not the best guitarist or the fastest or whatever, but i find joy again in playing riffs through my amps in my house and thats all that matters :)

[@jeremiahclay6602]

I have no regrets, everything I've done and gone through with my instruments made me the player I am today and forward. Just keep mastering your craft!

[@captainchaos8701]

As a beginner at the age of 43, thank you for the advice. I often struggle with not being able to do what the "correct technique" is. I realized after watching this, that i need to focus more on the joy of the process, rather than Musician X's opinion of what perfect hand position is, in this example. Thanks for the wake up call.

[@llywelyngruffydd8474]

Looks aren't everything but the old school Kramer logo on that headstock is so f*cking cool looking

[@annamckinney6622]

My biggest regret was slowing then stopping playing for YEARS. I wish I had the computer gear and KZbin. I had to learn by ear(never really got into tabs), but used to practice about 2 hours a day. I had an accident and crushed my left hand. Really tried playing again, using different styles/tunings but eventually gave up. If you can play at all, it's a gift. NEVER QUIT. I did and that will always be my biggest regret.

[@amandahuginkiss6868]

I've been trying to get back into playing, after going dormant for almost 2 decades. I do love the fact that I can record on the computer, no more tapes. Had a couple of Fostex four tracks back in the day, so glad that isn't the way things are done anymore.

[@musemuser777]

Play it the way that feels right.. Look how Eddie tremolo picks at high speed with his right wrist. It looks tiring and less efficient but it worked for him... 🔥🎸🔥

[@erieschl]

I regret giving up on guitar because of the size and shape of my hands. I played a double bass through high school and it literally never was an issue, yet my guitar teacher called me “crazy hands” and made me feel really self conscious. This is in the 2000s as a young man idolizing, Paul Gilbert, Steve Vai, Jimi Hendrix, Dave Mustaine who can all literally hang their thumb over the top of the neck and still reach the low E with their other fingers. I was led to believe that I would never play fast or clean by this same attitude, when in fact I was avoiding the guitar because I felt too self conscious to play it. I feel a lot of closure to see this young woman play so well, and relaxed, and able to put herself out there.

[@Iron_Grizzly_Heavy_Metal]

Kayla, I agree and I am catching up on your shows so pardon me for being a year behind hear but you brought out a good point when you refer to the virtuoso guitar player. I never idolized guitar players when I was a kid. My favorite was Alex Lifeson because I felt he was a genius as was the rest of the band Rush but I was into rhythm, groove, harmony and vocals. Malcolm Young was one of the most under rated rhythm guitar players around yet he was phenomenal! Being able to hold down the rhythm with perfect timing and keep your tone consistent is what I am striving for. I don't pay attention to the idea of having to shred everything and I certainly don't like people who are full of themselves and showboat everything. The negative energy is bad.... that being said I have a love for the dirty grinding chug of that groove and soul and don't care about what others think. I am 58 and my grand kids always tell me I am not acting like a Grandpa but then I just crank it up and barre chord the shit out of them! The sad part is although I see a revival and appreciation of the music I grew up on, many of the guitar and bands greats are going to pass away shortly and I fear the music will pass with them as I will. Take care... mad respect, Thomas

[@drivenbydemons6537]

I commented a while back - your left hand is the closest I've ever seen to being like dimes technique when he would rip pentatonic runs. You do you...

[@marko1843]

so first, thanks. funny, i like watching your fretting hand technique and find it painfully precise compared to my fretting hand. but you get there how you can. my guess is that if you sat in a room with gilbert, he would say the same thing, then say "DAMN MISS KAYLA, TIGHT SOLO" followed by" FORGET WHAT I JUST SAID, KEEP DOING IT THAT WAY!!!" if there are 100 players in a room, there will be 100 different ways to play the same thing, i admire your maturity, and appreciate what you continue to do for young players and older players alike. Stay Grounded and long live Dime!!!🤘🤘🤘

[@user-zv5jy2ev9y]

I totally agree with everything you just said and had the same journey with the same guitar gods and offcourse everyone finds there own way there ,anyway your adorable and a kick ass player.

[@afrolund80]

Wow! Is that a King's X vinyl in the background? You are just too cool!

[@jayperez955]

Keep doing it your way , it's you playing how it works best for you is what matters. It's fun playing other people's stuff , it's more fun doing it your way 🙂

[@ViolentPortKar]

Kayla, i want to thank you for being extremely inspirational. Listening to you shred some of Dimes hardest solos is enlightening and I've begun slowly practicing some of his material myself , keep up the great work and thanks for your videos

[@danielballarino5457]

Nothing wrong with your hand position,it obviously allows you to articulate what ever you're playing efficiently while keeping your hand relaxed which has always been a struggle for me,rock on 😎🤘

[@alanhovexak6898]

The hand that rocks chords rules the music.

[@DayInTheLifeOfAl]

You’re meek, yet confident. I like that, great playing!

[@rickydeleon461]

I REGRET deciding to stay home and practice instead of practicing with my friends like we did mostly everyday. We were kids doing so good but I knew I had to sit down and come up with solos for the songs but by that time everyone went separate ways. We all just grew up and yeah you know how it goes.

[@rottingcorpse6002]

When your young,you always feel like a weirdo. As you grow and learn you develop both in skills and emotional abilities. Your crushing it now,Kayla. Your legato is fantastic. Just keep being you.

[@brandonm7913]

Dime is my hero too, some of his solos stretches from the 12th fret to the 21st fret. Your hands and fingering placement is appropriate for that

[@LECHATBOITDELEAU]

Keep on going mate, we're back to take over this town !

[@unicodeunicorn3949]

Haha I live Paul Gilbert but OMG that part of the vid was excellent. Totally cracked me up. Great to see you went your own way!

[@ahtech1990]

The funniest thing about that Gilbert clip is that his technique for hand position is considered unorthodox and "improper". It only really helps folks with long fingers, as we can still reach with relative ease despite our thumbs position. I myself play with my thumb as he does, so I've had it pointed out to me.

[@DevilBoy666Mykill]

I somewhat regret never learning the scales and theory and all of that, but, when i actually learned the Pentatonic scale (after playing for around 10 years) it changed my playing style and seemed like everything I played was based around that. I should’ve went ahead and learned some other scales so I wasn’t stuck on that Pentatonic pattern. But after playing since Xmas 1997, I still don’t know shit about theory or any of that, but I can, for the most part, play what I’m aiming for. I’ve never been a lead/solo guy, I just wing it when I’m jamming along with Slayer, and usually do ok I guess. But I’ve always just played. I just like to play. I don’t care about this or that, if I like what I come up with, it’s a win for me. Most of the time I just freestyle it and whatever happens, happens. I also regret selling my limited run of 50 Dean Stealth Dime signature model. The spring cover was signed by Vinnie, the ceo of Dean and Rita. It was one of the only 2 guitars I’d ever bought brand new. I had it a little over a year I’d say, and only played it a handful of times and only for a few minutes. It was so nice I was afraid I’d scratch it up or bust a horn on something. Also, regret not keeping the Mesa Mark IV combo I had. It had a minor issue so I took it back….. The one that got away.

[@Moulie415]

Your point about hand positioning is so true, in fact your hand positioning really reminded me of doug aldrich from whitesnake, if you search doug aldrich solo on youtube you can literally see his hand position in the thumbnail lol and he's a pretty damn good shredder if you ask me. Also Marty Friedman is another example of someone who you might say has "unconventional" technique, so clearly your point about "doing what works for you" definitely has some truth to it.

[@joeymcmanus448]

I agree with a few points in this video. I'm in my 40's so MTV was a big factor or I should say a huge distraction from admitting I should practice. I'm not as far as I would like to be in what I'm playing but now my kids are grown and have jobs and they're own things going on I'm falling back in love with playing again and having a blast. Thanks for the videos

[@ryanduey7531]

I would love to see a video specifically on your last tip with the audio interface. Basically, start to finish of how you make a cover video. How do you physically set everything up and plug it in? How are you recording the sound? What do you do with the DAW? How do you tweak the input signal using amps and effects to get the tone you want, etc.?

[@JasonVladimir]

You are awesome, Kayla! Keep rockin'!

[@masaharumorimoto4761]

Just starting guitar this month at 39 years old, thanks for the tips, I think I'm already past most of the bullshit in life and really don't care what people think anymore so that should at least help somewhat :)

[@themetalminster8752]

Funny thing about the hand positioning, when was searching for stuff about dimebag on YT I had seen your video pop up and first thing I noticed was your hand and though it was very much like how dimed played. I actually met paul at GIT when me and him both were teenage dudes well he was a bit older. You have to be you that is why eddie van halen called dime and "original" we don't see many originals these days which is why I refused in my early years to learn someones "style" and just play the way I play. keep rocking Kayla god bless!

[@dimetime4059]

I think you are spot on with everything you said in this video. And, not to mention, it’s nice to hear the respect you have for Dime and Vinny.

[@icenic_wolf]

That old video clip is gold. "Woo!"

[@chaddavis513]

Keep on doing you! Your a beautiful bad ass never change!🤘🤘🔥🔥💯

[@Plowguitarist]

You put your left hand on the fretboard very similar to Dimebag. I think that technique works best for me as well. And rules are just guidelines anyway. What you’re doing is OBVIOUSLY working. I never followed rules either. Comfort combined with accessibility is most important. 😎 PS: I love the fact you’re soo soft spoken but sooo damn brutal on the fretboard!! 🤘🤘🤘 As Dime would say about playing “Just let it all hang out”!!

[@sciomancy6]

There's time I regret learning guitar left handed. It blew my mind that a lot of left handed writers learned to play right handed. Sick players too. The choices were slim pickings back in the late 90s. I go to Guitar Center today and it's nothing but an art gallery for me. I'll be lucky to find the one lefty(usually in the acoustic room). But in the end I learn to wear it with pride. I'm grateful there are way more lefty options today.

[@josepalomares3763]

You should check out Eric Gales. Amazing left handed player. His guitars are righties but he plays them left handed upsidedown with the high strings on top.

[@jfo3000]

Born lefty, mom made me a righty. As a transformed righty I learned to play righty too. I made quick progress early on, I think because my left hand was very dexterous. I guess the opposite of your experience. One of my lefty (playing) friends had the limited choice of guitars. I always felt for him. He has an awesome Kramer now...badass player he is.

[@jimfinley2300]

YOURE PLAYING IS AWSOME AND YOURE SO FINE KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK

[@LucasMastropasqua]

Don’t worry about the Paul Gilbert thing. I love Paul and he’s killer! But Everyone should be free to express their opinions regardless of what it’s about. I can understand where Paul was coming from and I’m sure he wants to promote the techniques and standards that work from his standpoint and it may work for some and may also be technically correct but the one thing I’ve learned from trying to play guitar for the past 30 years is, everyone is better off developing what comes naturally for them in the best way that works for them personally. This is to me what separates amazing players, including you, from the average ones. You can always tell when someone is doing something 100% genuine that they really believe in from inside them. As always, a great video! Sorry about the lengthy comment.

[@REVVVENANT]

Your opinion on the "gotta be a virtuoso" just made my day. 100% agree. Who cares what they think??? As Anselmo said "Guitar nerds". In fact, I figured the more groovy your rhythms are the more you're heard.

[@iancurrie8844]

I agree with you completely about doing what works best for you. I notice you don't hold your pick in the "prescribed" method, either and I do it the same way. I've had a lot of people try to convert me to hold it "correctly" but it just doesn't work for me and my regret is wasting time trying to do it their way, rather than the way I already knew worked for me. I've been playing since 1994 but I don't have anywhere near your level of talent.

[@Freempg]

"Never apologize for the music you're into." --- TheDooo

[@henrymulberry]

I totally agree with your point. When I started to worry about the sound that I want FIRST, other things like: technics, postures or patterns came along easily in my mind. It is obvious that the advices from people like Gilbert, who is a professional player, are gold but you have to filter those always and make your own style.

[@kiethgerling341]

Nice Kings X reference in the background! One of my favorites!!

[@kellyhanna4730]

I have to do a double take every time I see you play....you absolutely melt my face....LOL!!! You are a great player. The best is yet to come. I'll be listening...

[@TheMetalMag]

u're a good girl, you're right you must play how you feel! learning people's solos is good, but you must play your way. Others help. you to gain knowledge and easiness but at the end of the day if you try to play the pick like someone else or placing your hand.. you'll never manage to feel confident. From what I see you are pretty talented and your play is great! Never regret Anything. Life won't go back do the thing you do and change later if you are not happy! Paul gave you advice that obviously didn't match your playing. move on! one way or another he helped you. There are so many guitarists out there, each has their style! So you do! keep it up girl u kick ass! Can't wait to hear your own creations

[@vadenk4433]

Drugs, and trying to find inspiration with drugs is my biggest regret. I went from being 22 years old, in a good band, and supporting myself as a musician (barely) to not being able to even pick up a guitar if I wasn’t high. It took away the magic, like when great music gives you chills & makes you emotional. The music didn’t move me like it did before being an opiate addict. That’s just MY experience but it is the biggest regret of my life ever getting involved with drugs. It seemed kinda cool and mysterious as a teenager to seek inspiration from drugs, but it isn’t cool and shouldn’t be romanticized. I thought if Jimmy Page did it I should too, and boy was that stupid. It changed the entire course of my life- and not in a good direction. I lost my band, I lost the love of my life, I lost my house, I lost friends & and I lost respect for myself. ** I wouldn’t have listened to anyone’s warnings back then because I thought I was smarter than everyone else but I beg anyone thinking about trying opiates to reconsider. Your entire life can change for the worse faster than you can believe. Have a few beer instead if you want a buzz and leave the dope to junkies like me.

[@jk-76]

You absolutely RIP! Paul Gilbert is one of the greats. But he thinks we all have to do the same thing. I am 45, been playing since I was 6 and I am trying your technique. Super fluid to me. Keep it up!

[@thomascooper438]

You are a trip! In your own way, you showed him that you are doing just fine!

[@bigmetalglenn]

That paul gilbert part was a crack up, I have played drums for over 40 years. I watch everything but i watch the best players for inspiration and to develop my own style. But feel is the key but only comes with practice and time. You play great and have fun with it.

[@Kruizzer]

Thanks for taking the time to make this video. 🤘🏻

[@adam872]

Two things about the comment on Paul G: firstly, the dude came across as super respectful and trying to help a learning guitar player, so kudos to him for that; secondly, he has large hands and his technique will definitely not work for everyone. I actually think that using the thumb behind the neck and using it as a pivot point makes a lot of sense.

[@TheJMan1K]

I had a Jackson DK2M and Marshall DSL40c. Got em for my 14th birthday. My mom’s side is full of musicians so she was exited for my interest in music to start. Still play daily and have 2 bands thanks to the support my parents gave but shouldn’t have sold em.

[@TooPunkToBeAPodcast]

New to your channel and really like it. The Paul stuff is funny. He's a favorite of mine but you are right about finding your own way. I just realized somehow after almost 30 years I've been holding my pick "wrong". (I have it across my index and middle finger with thumb on top with my hand kind of down) Something I just never realized and no one ever said anything. Im trying a more traditional pick style but there's almost no going back now lol

[@slayerx2000]

Very inspiring video. All of these points hit home. Good job and thanks for sharing. On a side note, I thought I would share something. My 5 year old daughter asked me a few weeks ago if mommies (she calls all women who are adults mommies whether they have kids or not) can play guitar too. As soon as she asked that, I just fired up a random video of yours with you absolutely melting the fret board. Her face was priceless. Her jaw was on the ground. She also said that you were way better then me, which is absolutely true! Anyways, I thought I would share that and just say that you are most likely a huge inspiration for female and male guitarists alike. Especially in the metal scene. I think it's awesome when women are super into metal. Especially ones you wouldn't expect to be based on looks. Keep shredding my friend and always stay metal! Love your vids! Edit: spelling

[@8KilgoreTrout4]

My biggest regret is following signature models ALL my guitar-playing life! After 25 years I FINALLY bought a guitar that fits ME, not my favorite artists who have twice the size of hands! Your #2 I AGREE WITH FROM THE HEART! When I stopped caring about what I "should" or "shouldn't" be listening to! This is a really close to the heart one for me too!

[@8KilgoreTrout4]

Also playing too thick gauge of strings! .8's FTW

[@craigcampbell6690]

I regret not using audio interface yet..Your response to Paul's comment was Hilarious.. Just be who you are, is Super Advice 🙂Luv the way you play

[@robertramirez1082]

There really is no wrong way to approch the guitar. We are all different. I agree advice is just a tool to find your own way. Love your videos! Keep on Keeping on! 🤘

[@notuern]

I agree with basically everything, especially restringing. Intonation will drift, output will decrease, it will cause more wear on the fingers etc. I'd like to point out that Gilberts advice is actually pretty good though, BUT it's not something you have to do.. but if you really want to get up to max speed with clarity and not harm yourself doing it, it's a very important step. The most important thing though is to have fun, nothing else is really all that important.

[@raheemthesecond]

i completely agree with the hand positioning i think it is a huge part of how ppl play but i think finding the right one that works for u is super important

[@KingGrio]

About the Paul Gilbert part: yeap, I've been to his online guitar school and he can get a bit preachy indeed. I think he has actually improved on this lately. My frustration with him was about the picking hand and anchoring. He will tell you to never anchor. To be fair to Paul: I took his advice and ran with it for a long time and, although in the end it turns out that I do need to anchor in many situations, forcing myself to not anchor has unlocked a lot of wrist motions and other right hand techniques I wasn't tapping into when I was always anchoring. It allowed me to get back to anchoring but differently, and my hand position is now very different, my technique also improved. So humoring Paul did turn out to be beneficial, although I reverted to anchoring and probably won't get back to not anchoring anymore. Lastly: you have the fretting technique of Doug Aldrich, and, if Doug can make it work, then I'm shoryuken too.

[@medicman5278]

Paul Gilbert's fingers are like 10 inches long so of course his thumb can hook over the top of the neck. My own hand position is very similar to yours...thumb low, hand flat. It works just fine. I once went into a golf shop to buy a club and upon trying it out and taking a bunch of shots with it in the practice range the store clerk proceeded to give me a bunch of advise on how I should swing the club. Mind you I was ripping the golf ball right down the middle. I goes to show how some people think their way is the right way and everyone should do it that way regardless of how killer they are doing it. Love your vids. Keep ripping.

[@ZiddersRooFurry]

As far as regrets go I regret not sticking with it. I started playing in 1986 when I was twelve years old. From that point until I was around eighteen I played every single day. The problem was I didn't apply myself. I just tried to play tab and play along with stuff but because of my learning disability, it was very difficult for me to remember things I'd learned. After about six or seven years i stopped playing as much, and by the time I was in my mid-twenties I was down to maybe half an hour a day. Since my mid-thirties I haven't picked up the guitar much at all. Five minutes here or there every few weeks. My biggest issue now is when I start playing I get frustrated and all the years of not being good make me upset. I get depressed and despondent. I'm going to be 48 in a few days and it just feels like it's too late. Along with my struggles to learn things I'm disabled and depend on disability insurance to live. I can't afford decent gear and forget being able to run my own KZbin channel. It's just so frustrating. I've tried and tried to get into it and get better but it's such a struggle that I've given up. I thought about restoring my original Epiphone Les Paul I bought back in '91 but so far it's been collecting dust along with the Dean MLX I've had since 2005. I highly suggest people stick with it while they're still young because once that drive and love is gone it's really hard if not impossible to get it back.

[@Void921]

Wow, killer Jackson. There's so many guitars that look and play amazing at the same time. The hardest thing is choosing "The One".

[@vikthorbrock]

You are DEFINITELY Amazing! Just for the fact that you play in a different style, is not a shame. Think about Marty Friedman (the ex-guitarist of Megadeth), which he has a creepy picking style, I mean: holding his hand somehow weird, and he is considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time! So, what I want to say, is this: play however you feel confortable, because you're doing well! And good luck in everything you do! 😘🙏🤘🤘

[@iliafigueroa4820]

The other “weird” one is for sure: vernon reid!

[@04machGT]

I can relate to this. My first guitar when I was 12/13 was a black and white squier strat pack. After a year or so learning I got a eipiphone Zakk wylde les paul for Christmas. I really started to get into playing guitar and discovered Pantera. I became obsessed. I didn’t think it felt right playing Pantera songs in a les paul. I was convinced I needed a Dean. I begged for one from my parents and finally got one 3 years later. When the dime o flames first came out. I fell in love when I first saw it at the sam ash in Philadelphia. I was young and dumb and thought that playing Pantera would sound a lot better being played on an ML. It just felt right. Looking back on all the things you thought or seen when you first were learning about plying music makes me laugh now.

[@samtheman6197]

Hey Kayla! I’ve only been playing guitar for almost 4 years and I definitely found some of this relatable lol. Thanks for the awesome video🤟

[@astickofbutter5863]

I just found your video,it's 2:38am. You are going to influence a great number of future musicians by being down to earth. Take the following in anyway you wish:you Are an inspiration I Thank You I was in a funk and your video helped me out. And that PG insert is hilarious. He's 6'5 .Angus is 5'2 . I learn more from AC/DC. Thanks again

[@MrMixolydian7]

Wow your advice is awesome! I listened to a lot of new instrumental heavy metal, djentleman who eat only the finest shredded wheat. However, the music I am writing is heavy but not virtuosic (I’m a pianist by trade and okay at guitar). I can’t shred and now don’t feel embarrassed based on your advice here. Thank you. Also, I can’t believe he tried to correct hand position on your flawless shredding. For my piano students, as long as there is no tension, is accurate and it sounds good, I leave room for their fingering and hand position.

[@josephforrest3713]

I completely agree about the hand position thing. The amount of people who told me I needed to change the way I held my hand. I had everything from, it will limit your playing, to you will get arthritis... I never changed my hand position. I tried it the other ways, and it just felt shit.

[@LUCIDX.]

You are truly great for the guitar community! Thank you!