Thank me later: #1 The importance of a properly setup guitar #2 Experimenting with string and pick gauges #3 Learning songs by ear #4 How to change strings gooder #5 The importance of rhythm guitar
Back in the 60's and 70's, you had to find a guitar already set up or you were stuck with what you pulled off the wall. Nobody I knew had a clue about setups or repairs. The first properly setup guitar I bought was after 8 years of playing and quite a few paying gigs when I bought a G&L F100 Series II right after they were released. A Wow moment.
And it’s not too late to start learning guitar. I started at age 50 with an infamously horrible guitar from HSN. I soon learned how to setup a guitar. How to shave the saddle. How to cut a nut. I lowered my gauge down from 12’s to 11’s on that acoustic. It made all the difference in the world. 8 years later I’m building my own guitars. I’m refretting guitars. Once you get to REALLY KNOW your guitar, you’ll really love it. And get that action low - you ain’t hanging clothes on those strings!
New fan! I can relate to everything you said. I picked up the guitar late at 15, but still rockin' out at.... well still...lol... 6. It is not important to play solos note for note like on the tape.
RJ, I really appreciate these explanation videos as much as your playing videos. Your relaxed style and person to person conversational technique draws people in. It encourages focused listening. Surely makes retention of the information more likely. Thanks for taking the time to share. I feel fortunate to have been watching when The Guitar Sage had you on his channel. Stay safe young man, thanks again for being so giving to the community. I’m still catching up on your music that I had not heard before, truly unique young man.
Hey RJ- I think showing off your string changing technique (on both standard and slotted tuning pegs) would be a really valuable video! Would you do a short video where you teach this technique?
Yeah I'm pretty decent at changing strings but my problem is the g b and e. I can never get a clean wrap. I don't lock, just through 45deg. Kink each wrap goes under the next. Except for the g b and e. Shit drives me crazy
Great advice RJ. Especially the rhythm part. I didn't learn any lead guitar riffs for about 4 years into my playing other than the riff for The Last Time by the Stones, going way, way back to about 1967 and starting in 64, when I was 10. I'm an old man now but learning how to play rhythm well at the start has always been a good thing for me. It makes you listen to the song, which puts you more inside the tune. Thanks for a good video.
Thanks for the video and the great tips! Also, that video reel on your computer really takes me back! I feel cool knowing I came from the era when MTV actually played music...and we would record our favorite videos to VHS........(I'm real old!)
Thanks man! I really like your videos. I am an older guy and just started to play guitar. I have been an amateur drummer for over 50 years! I appreciate the comments you make here about rhythm guitar. Which the part of playing that I really enjoy. It’s not as easy as it looks. Even to an old drummer!
I guess I'm lucky. I only wanted to play guitar so I could write songs. I was only interested in playing rhythm. Then I was asked to join a band to sing my songs and play rhythm. I asked "why not all these other guys you know that are smoking guitar players?" He said "they can't play rhythm." Absolutely right, RJ.
Right on mang! Some of the things I wish I was taught early were: -barre chords -matching vocal lines with guitar lines, and -the value of ear training
I started to play when I was 10 years old. I' m 56 now. I really learned to play with youtube and playing in a garage band with bodies every friday night.
These are all great. For me I would also add the idea of, if your preferred sound is something like an SRV type tone then don’t be afraid to experiment with Clapton - bluesbreakers sound as well. I got into a bad habit of buying strats and only strats for years not even trying a les Paul, an sg, an ES-335 or a D’angelico DC and now only later am I enjoying these and I really regret not being open enough to try out a new or different sounds. If you’re metal then try the blues or if you’re jazz then try something different other than what you freaks play 😜 just have fun and try new sounds
The genius of Jimis playing was in his rhythm technique.. Great video! You covered really 5 things that we all struggle with when we start out. I learned how to repair and maintain early on. I'm a way better tech than I am a player.
I'ma tell ya. RUclips kind of saved me some grief concerning some of your advice,( I'm a lucky old man) but that little overhand prewind loop string thing is a great hack. Thanks!
Thanks. Enjoying all your videos. You are a fine guitar player. Great point about rhythm guitar. Those of us who could never play all the nice leads parts kind of focused on rhythm guitar by default. Our band back in the day used to learn songs from vinyl albums, playing the tracks over and over. Learning "by ear". Never learned any song quite the same as the record. But they were recognizable. All the good songs have recognizable simple melodies that sound good over AM car radio, IMO... Again, those were the "good old days"!
I started 35years ago as a teen on a pack, a worthless (enfin, you cannot compare the actual cheaper ones to those era guitars lol) strat copy, and a few months later my dad let me buy a Aria Pro ll, and it was day and night...properly setup, with dimarzio pickups done by the shop tech. Helps indeed! Anyway thanks R.J. for all the good advice and work you put into these videos. Peace
The setup tip is so important. I've had a Squier Strat sitting around for like 12 years and I never played it because my dad had a Gibson that I could grab for and the Squier just played like a toy in comparison. Now that I'm on my own and don't have the luxury of playing his Gibson, I took a second look at my Squier...cleaned it out of all the dust and hair, new strings, tightened up the tuning pegs, polished fretboard, set the intonation, string height, used string cleaner/lube, etc. Anyways, the thing plays fantastic now and even after buying a new guitar, I still find myself grabbing for it to noodle around the house because it's already dinged up so there's no worries.
That was too funny. I was literally just watching an old old rerun of the original Headbangers Ball with Rickie Rachman like 4 days ago. Lol. I had to put it on for the nostalgia. Made me feel like that long haired creetan headbanger i was at 13 years old! Haha.
All great insights! I started playing in a time (1984-ish) when instructional materials were limited (compared to now!), and I lived in a small rural town with limited access to materials...that was key to my development as a player and songwriter! Excellent point on learning by ear RJ!
@@RJRonquillo - if you could choose only one, the Combinata or the Mondata - which would it be? One day I'm prepared to order the C, the next day the M. ;-) I'm leaning Mondata - with the idea of possibly placing that killer Duesenberg term and roller bridge from the Combinata on it someday. The upper register reach on each looks a little Les Paul-esque - is there any difference between the two Rivoltas in that area?
Great list! I will say my teacher did point out the differences in picks. Unfortunately it went in one ear and out the other. It wasn't till years later watching a tutorial on acoustic playing that it sunk in. I still wish I would have learned it earlier😆
Love your videos RJ! I would dig a practical rhythm video with some of your favorite tricks you've developed over the years. Thanks for all your content!
You know come to think of it. When i was 12 and got my first electric guitar and got into lessons at my local music shop. I had a cheapo guitar with high action, i didnt even know what a setup was back then. Also i was playing with an ultra thin pick for years and years. My teacher never once told me about getting a setup and using a thicker pick. Not one of my many mentors growing up told me any of this nor any of my band mates! This is crazy to me now that its been 30 years later and i would never let a kid just learning play with a guitar with high action like i had and that flimsy pick without giving them advice about a setup. I was under the belief that you had to buy a new guitar to get lower action. Lol.
My first guitar was an Anjo acoustic. The strings were so high that my calluses were visible from across the room. I hated that thing, and as a sign of rebellion I put a "B" with liquid paper in front of Anjo. Knowing what I know now, I should have probably loved that guitar more, it got me started in music.
Solid advice R.J.! The longer I play, the more I appreciate solid rhythm playing - especially knowing a lot about chords, changes, inversions, substitutions, etc. I wish I had focused more on learning the basics of theory early on. I'm certain that would have helped me develop a lot quicker.
Rhythm Guitar is so underrated. IMO it is so important especially if you are playing for the band. Sure, if you can't play a good Solo then you should practice that too but at some point you probably are able to cheat your way around solos but never around rhythm. And yes a good setup on a cheap guitar will make it play way better than a poorly setup expensive one. Keep up the good work Dude, you're giving great insight into the life as a musician. Rock On!
Just to put a more positive spin on my last post...the 60s-70s guitars are gone but the amps still live and they still scream. If you could manage to wrassle those those strings down you could get a tone through your 5 watt Silvertone that was as sweet as anything you've ever heard...music came from transistor radios and maybe mom and dad's HiFi console...so to hear such a beautiful tone coming from that guitar ..hooked me. I've been chasing that tone ever since So let's all celebrate these golden days of inexpensive quality instruments ...
When i started there were no tabs, u should learn how to fig things out by ear 1st then tabs. Love the color of blue strat. And a metronome, timing , timing, timing.
Hey man great video! Im gonna try the pick idea...I've been using Tortex Dunlap 60's for a while...and they shape to my fingers too.... Have you ever thought of doing a lottery?,...your fans buy tickets then you draw a name ... you show up at their gig or practice and do a show or practice with them...a little time on the road, no pressure and great video material!...
You skipped by the nut issue super fast but a correctly cut nut is the single biggest contributor to comfortable playing in first position and clean tuning on the first fret in particular. Amazing how many stock instruments guitar and bass have the nut cut unnecessarily high affecting playability and intonation right away.
Agree 100%. The last two Fenders I bought (not cheap either) needed nut slot work. I don't know why manufacturers consider this not important. Someone told me they cut 'em high so you can play slide. Really, how many noobs play slide?
@@IvorThomas I've often wondered why nobody in the factory or in store invested just a few extra minutes getting a good guitar to actually sell itself! Nut height should be equivalent to a zero fret, no more, no less and most noobs don't understand about build, just that falling in love with an instrument in a shop has everything to do with one that plays anf feels "fantastic" right away and sounds in tune. I did try a top of the range fretless bass in a boutique bass store once and bridge intonation on the D string was so completely out of whack (probably 8mm) it was ridiculous
This was helpful for me. I had learned several of these tips the hard way, and hearing about your experience was actually encouraging. I’ve been wondering about picks. I’ll check out some different types.
Great stuff! The basics are always worth reviewing and this was clear and concise. I wish I'd learned these things (especially the importance of setup/action/intonation and having a good nut) two decades earlier.
I blindly used heavy Modulus Graphite picks I got many years ago., Great picks, but I've decided to experiment with lighter picks and find I really like medium Jim Dunlop. I still don't like pointy picks... guess I'll never get the Eric Johnson shit down.
Tim Pierce's views on this were a revelation to me... he has 3 different picks for different scenarios. It's worth watching the video on his channel if you can find it.
I use Dunlop Jazztone picks. They last a long time and even when they go round/wear out...they don't sound bad. I used to grind through a dozen 1mm picks in a show where they sounded nasal, not anymore.
Hey R.J., LOVE your channel! Couldn't agree more with everything you said about rhythm guitar playing. Can you PLEASE do a funk rhythm lesson with some cool chord voicings?
If I knew then what I know now I'd have saved up for a Tele a and deluxe reverb. It took me close to 100 guitars to get to that point. That's not an exaggeration as I bought and sold guitars based on their likeability factor. Once I bought the tele my salivation for other guitars diminished considerably. I still buy guitars, as a matter of fact when I get back to Canada in mid April from Mexico I have a guy holding a 1983 Yamaha sa1200s for me. I do salivate for guitars but it's not like it used to be. Thanks Uncle Leo!!!
Thanks R.J.! Any recommended resources on drills/books/lessons to improve rhythm guitar playing? How about 5 recommended songs that will help improve our rhythm playing?
When I got my first new guitar (I had a used one prior), I was given a set of picks of all gauges and I spent a lot of time experimenting with them, learning how they effected sound and my playing. I was stoked when I bought a guitar for my daughter and they gave her a set of various picks as well! Lucked out there. Prior to that, I used a pick I found in the floor after a garage band played at my school. I wouldve stuck with it forever had I not been given all those picks.....I wouldn't have thought about it on my own. It worked for me so why change it, was always my argument then.
I’m glad you brought up the rhythm guitar playing, many players think shredding makes one a great guitarist but yet they neglect the fundamentals so their timing SUCKS! 😂
I wish I knew that you should change yours string not just when they break. I wish I knew not to blame the only the tuning keys when your guitar goes out of tune. I wish I should have asked others to show me how something done because I am a visual learner. I wish I had figured out I was a visual learner - This was decades before RUclips. I wish I wasn't so stupid about the guitar when I was a teenager.
I tried learning Thinking of you by Nile Rodgers ,I then found out how hard it was to get that feel and sound, I then found out it was way harder than Eruption solo by V Halen , rhythm is as important than soloing and as difficult. Django Reinhardt and Wes Montgomery could solo in chords at speed which further expands the equation.
Thank you R. J. Hm, not sure what gave you the idea to keep that TV thing on in the background but for some odd reason it helped me focus on what you were saying. Odd. But yeah, interesting. And everything you said, helped. Thank you. ~Joe
I started off on a First act Wal mart guitar that was never truly in tune. 12 years later I'm rockin Gibson and Marshall every gig. Btw gator 2.0 picks are great
Dang RJ wish I would have known that stuff too. I pretty much never liked playing the guitar because I didn't know about adjusting the action. I mean when there's pain involved it looses its attraction. I use to buy nylon strings for my acoustic hoping it would be less painful. I actually had a Danelectro like that. Gave it to my son. I'm not sure he still has it but I really liked the sound of it. It wasn't hard to play. Those are all good tips for beginners . I hope they take them.
Fantastic tips, RJ! They all seem so "commonsensical", but as you point out, not so common at all. If I may make a couple of comments, though, I would say that to your first point, it is a great idea to learn to do your own setups. I used to get all my setups done by a genius tech, but I don't always have access to him, and now, not at all. Luckily, I learned step by step from him (there are lots of RUclips videos on it as well) and practiced it a few times. I'm still extremely slow, but I do know how to get it done. Of course, you need the right tools and your personal specs (relief, height at the 12th fret etc), but that's a small investment. StewMac has everything you need, and one should really learn to take care of one's instrument. Thank you for emphasizing the importance of learning songs by ear. These days, with so much emphasis on technique, there is a lot of importance placed on sight reading (which, by the way, I wish I could do - I'm envious of people who can!), but developing one's ear is even more important, in my opinion. To your point about changing strings, I've found an easy way out - and a good one too, I think. I always replace my tuners with locking tuners, even though I'm a hard tail guy. This eliminates tuning post fumbling, and greatly speeds up string changing. Finally, about rhythm guitar - once again, thank you for pointing out a critical factor. To that end, I'll point out that listening to great players can be very inspiring. My own heroes are people like Paul Jackson Jr and Larry Carlton (yes, for rhythm guitar as well!). It's a whole thing. There's a wonderful RUclips channel called TastyGuitar.com, and Rick gives you the inside scoop on rhythm guitar - truly amazing stuff. Anyway, thank you for a wonderful post.
Thanks SriniP!! 😀👍 Rick's channel is great, i've been following him. With regards to locking tuners, stay tuned (no pun intended) for my next video later this week!
Damn, we had the exact same first guitar (minus the pickup upgrades shown here). Lake Placid Blue, maple neck. I can still smell it if I concentrate. First Fender smell..
Rhythm player here...thanks for the recognition. Yeah, playing solid rhythm guitar isn't easy. The band I point too for how important this is is Social Distortion...that's solid rhythm there. If you listen to any great band or group the solid rhythm behind the guitar hero is important, otherwise it sounds mediocre at best. Strings and picks, I play thick jazz picks (2mm and 3mm) and use 11s on my solid bodies and 12s on my hollow bodies. I get great tone that way even with stock pickups. I also wind my strings the same way except I use a string winder and just do the above and below wrap by cranking the peg, that way there's no twisting. I also kink the string once I slide it back. If you look closely at the actual post you will see a flare where it gets thicker and goes into the wood of the headstock. You want the string to end up doen there as it gives you more angle over the nut and more pressure. Works great on stock tuners. Everyone that I have heard bitch about tuners...surprise surprise...had only a few wraps and no downward angle. Yeah...no shit your guitar sounds bad, you're lazy and didn't get the most out of what you got. I wind their guitar as described above...tadaaaaa...stays in tune, sounds better, issues pretty much disappear.
Ha - my first real guitar was an 86 Japanese Strat. I still have it and one of these days I'm going to have some new (taller) frets put on it - nearly impossible to bend with those tiny frets.
I actually picked up the guitar wanting to learn stuff by Bob Marley, Kurt Cobain, Frank Iero, Johnny Ramone, etc. Didn't feel interested in lead guitar until after I had good grasp on playing rhythm.
Thank me later:
#1 The importance of a properly setup guitar
#2 Experimenting with string and pick gauges
#3 Learning songs by ear
#4 How to change strings gooder
#5 The importance of rhythm guitar
Back in the 60's and 70's, you had to find a guitar already set up or you were stuck with what you pulled off the wall. Nobody I knew had a clue about setups or repairs. The first properly setup guitar I bought was after 8 years of playing and quite a few paying gigs when I bought a G&L F100 Series II right after they were released. A Wow moment.
And it’s not too late to start learning guitar. I started at age 50 with an infamously horrible guitar from HSN. I soon learned how to setup a guitar. How to shave the saddle. How to cut a nut. I lowered my gauge down from 12’s to 11’s on that acoustic. It made all the difference in the world. 8 years later I’m building my own guitars. I’m refretting guitars. Once you get to REALLY KNOW your guitar, you’ll really love it. And get that action low - you ain’t hanging clothes on those strings!
New fan! I can relate to everything you said. I picked up the guitar late at 15, but still rockin' out at.... well still...lol...
6. It is not important to play solos note for note like on the tape.
Thanks RJ. Angus Young once commented that the rhythm work of Malcolm was what actually made acdc, acdc.
Yup that and his Gretsch! That's what you're hearing.
Yeah, he said that Malc made him sound good. Without Malc (RIP) I think Angus said it would have just been "endless wank" or something equally salty.
@@mattgilbert7347
Pretty much. It was just R&B grooving. Many bands actually had that direction when they started.
Yeah for sure he was the driving force. Now it's Malcolm's son playing right?
Got my little fender acoustic set up, made all the difference in the world.
Been on the jazz 3s for years can't use any other picks anymore they're amazing
I never knew how important rhythm playing was until I joined a punk rock band, not the most difficult stuff but it’s gotta be rock steady. Good tips!
Great advice RJ, thanks for sharing. This last year I have taken to heart the importance of being a good rhythm player advice too.
RJ, I really appreciate these explanation videos as much as your playing videos. Your relaxed style and person to person conversational technique draws people in. It encourages focused listening. Surely makes retention of the information more likely. Thanks for taking the time to share. I feel fortunate to have been watching when The Guitar Sage had you on his channel. Stay safe young man, thanks again for being so giving to the community. I’m still catching up on your music that I had not heard before, truly unique young man.
Hey RJ- I think showing off your string changing technique (on both standard and slotted tuning pegs) would be a really valuable video! Would you do a short video where you teach this technique?
Sure!
You’re awesome RJ!! Love your channel man ! Keep up the fine work (you’re really giving back to the community w/ your content)
@@RJRonquillo I second that, please sir!
Yeah I'm pretty decent at changing strings but my problem is the g b and e. I can never get a clean wrap. I don't lock, just through 45deg. Kink each wrap goes under the next. Except for the g b and e. Shit drives me crazy
Great advice RJ. Especially the rhythm part. I didn't learn any lead guitar riffs for about 4 years into my playing other than the riff for The Last Time by the Stones, going way, way back to about 1967 and starting in 64, when I was 10. I'm an old man now but learning how to play rhythm well at the start has always been a good thing for me. It makes you listen to the song, which puts you more inside the tune. Thanks for a good video.
Thanks for the video and the great tips! Also, that video reel on your computer really takes me back! I feel cool knowing I came from the era when MTV actually played music...and we would record our favorite videos to VHS........(I'm real old!)
Thanks man! I really like your videos. I am an older guy and just started to play guitar. I have been an amateur drummer for over 50 years! I appreciate the comments you make here about rhythm guitar. Which the part of playing that I really enjoy. It’s not as easy as it looks. Even to an old drummer!
I guess I'm lucky. I only wanted to play guitar so I could write songs. I was only interested in playing rhythm. Then I was asked to join a band to sing my songs and play rhythm. I asked "why not all these other guys you know that are smoking guitar players?" He said "they can't play rhythm." Absolutely right, RJ.
Right on mang! Some of the things I wish I was taught early were:
-barre chords
-matching vocal lines with guitar lines, and
-the value of ear training
I started to play when I was 10 years old. I' m 56 now. I really learned to play with youtube and playing in a garage band with bodies every friday night.
Dude, the clip of that one guy who can't play guitar has fits....i'm going to watch him a little bit for fun. Thanks R.J.R.
Thanks RJ. Spot on with these. Rhythm helps you to become more musical.
Great point on playing rhythm, because leaning that will allow you to integrate all of your techniques into your playing, including chord melody!
These are all great. For me I would also add the idea of, if your preferred sound is something like an SRV type tone then don’t be afraid to experiment with Clapton - bluesbreakers sound as well. I got into a bad habit of buying strats and only strats for years not even trying a les Paul, an sg, an ES-335 or a D’angelico DC and now only later am I enjoying these and I really regret not being open enough to try out a new or different sounds. If you’re metal then try the blues or if you’re jazz then try something different other than what you freaks play 😜 just have fun and try new sounds
The genius of Jimis playing was in his rhythm technique..
Great video! You covered really 5 things that we all struggle with when we start out. I learned how to repair and maintain early on. I'm a way better tech than I am a player.
Great Tip, especially the rhythm and ear training. Back in my youth I was always given cassettes & now MP3.
I'ma tell ya. RUclips kind of saved me some grief concerning some of your advice,( I'm a lucky old man) but that little overhand prewind loop string thing is a great hack. Thanks!
Trailer for The Gate at the beginning! Loved that movie in the 80’s!
80's commericals in the background love it! and everything u said as well
John Lee Hooker is what got me into guitar playing. I loved that blues rhythm.
Thanks. Enjoying all your videos. You are a fine guitar player. Great point about rhythm guitar. Those of us who could never play all the nice leads parts kind of focused on rhythm guitar by default. Our band back in the day used to learn songs from vinyl albums, playing the tracks over and over. Learning "by ear". Never learned any song quite the same as the record. But they were recognizable. All the good songs have recognizable simple melodies that sound good over AM car radio, IMO... Again, those were the "good old days"!
I started 35years ago as a teen on a pack, a worthless (enfin, you cannot compare the actual cheaper ones to those era guitars lol) strat copy, and a few months later my dad let me buy a Aria Pro ll, and it was day and night...properly setup, with dimarzio pickups done by the shop tech. Helps indeed! Anyway thanks R.J. for all the good advice and work you put into these videos. Peace
The setup tip is so important. I've had a Squier Strat sitting around for like 12 years and I never played it because my dad had a Gibson that I could grab for and the Squier just played like a toy in comparison. Now that I'm on my own and don't have the luxury of playing his Gibson, I took a second look at my Squier...cleaned it out of all the dust and hair, new strings, tightened up the tuning pegs, polished fretboard, set the intonation, string height, used string cleaner/lube, etc. Anyways, the thing plays fantastic now and even after buying a new guitar, I still find myself grabbing for it to noodle around the house because it's already dinged up so there's no worries.
Glad you mention Jim Dunlop (he passed away yesterday). Thanks for this video!
Ok, so the next time you do a live stream, I wanna hear your keyboard playing. The fact that you’re a man of many abilities is cool, to me.
That was too funny. I was literally just watching an old old rerun of the original Headbangers Ball with Rickie Rachman like 4 days ago. Lol. I had to put it on for the nostalgia. Made me feel like that long haired creetan headbanger i was at 13 years old! Haha.
Walkman, God that takes me back!!!!!
All great insights! I started playing in a time (1984-ish) when instructional materials were limited (compared to now!), and I lived in a small rural town with limited access to materials...that was key to my development as a player and songwriter! Excellent point on learning by ear RJ!
I should point out though, with such easy access to info now, it is a challenge for me to not always "look up" the answer, so to speak! :)
@@DaleBoyle Especially RUclips, right? What a great resource!
@@MrGtargy It's a different world for sure!
Bro, I’ve been sharing your channel with every guitarist I know! Good stuff & thank you!
Thanks Edward!
I like the Mercury records reference in the beginning a lot!
Yes!!! This was excellent information. No one has every told me the things you shared. 🤘🏾
Happy 4th RJ, love your advice on picks and strings. By old guitar player
I went looking for videos on Rivolta guitars...now I'm here...and I just subscribed.
Thanks mpactdesignmedia!! 😀👍
@@RJRonquillo - if you could choose only one, the Combinata or the Mondata - which would it be? One day I'm prepared to order the C, the next day the M. ;-) I'm leaning Mondata - with the idea of possibly placing that killer Duesenberg term and roller bridge from the Combinata on it someday. The upper register reach on each looks a little Les Paul-esque - is there any difference between the two Rivoltas in that area?
Great list! I will say my teacher did point out the differences in picks. Unfortunately it went in one ear and out the other. It wasn't till years later watching a tutorial on acoustic playing that it sunk in. I still wish I would have learned it earlier😆
Love your videos RJ! I would dig a practical rhythm video with some of your favorite tricks you've developed over the years. Thanks for all your content!
A Mentor in any subject is important at any age.
You know come to think of it. When i was 12 and got my first electric guitar and got into lessons at my local music shop. I had a cheapo guitar with high action, i didnt even know what a setup was back then. Also i was playing with an ultra thin pick for years and years. My teacher never once told me about getting a setup and using a thicker pick. Not one of my many mentors growing up told me any of this nor any of my band mates! This is crazy to me now that its been 30 years later and i would never let a kid just learning play with a guitar with high action like i had and that flimsy pick without giving them advice about a setup. I was under the belief that you had to buy a new guitar to get lower action. Lol.
My first guitar was an Anjo acoustic. The strings were so high that my calluses were visible from across the room. I hated that thing, and as a sign of rebellion I put a "B" with liquid paper in front of Anjo. Knowing what I know now, I should have probably loved that guitar more, it got me started in music.
Solid advice R.J.! The longer I play, the more I appreciate solid rhythm playing - especially knowing a lot about chords, changes, inversions, substitutions, etc. I wish I had focused more on learning the basics of theory early on. I'm certain that would have helped me develop a lot quicker.
Great stuff RJ! Oh... and I'll buy you a stringwinder!
Rhythm Guitar is so underrated. IMO it is so important especially if you are playing for the band. Sure, if you can't play a good Solo then you should practice that too but at some point you probably are able to cheat your way around solos but never around rhythm. And yes a good setup on a cheap guitar will make it play way better than a poorly setup expensive one.
Keep up the good work Dude, you're giving great insight into the life as a musician. Rock On!
Those clips of the frustrated old guy kill me 😂😂😂
Just to put a more positive spin on my last post...the 60s-70s guitars are gone but the amps still live and they still scream. If you could manage to wrassle those those strings down you could get a tone through your 5 watt Silvertone that was as sweet as anything you've ever heard...music came from transistor radios and maybe mom and dad's HiFi console...so to hear such a beautiful tone coming from that guitar ..hooked me. I've been chasing that tone ever since
So let's all celebrate these golden days of inexpensive quality instruments ...
When i started there were no tabs, u should learn how to fig things out by ear 1st then tabs. Love the color of blue strat. And a metronome, timing , timing, timing.
Hey man great video! Im gonna try the pick idea...I've been using Tortex Dunlap 60's for a while...and they shape to my fingers too....
Have you ever thought of doing a lottery?,...your fans buy tickets then you draw a name ... you show up at their gig or practice and do a show or practice with them...a little time on the road, no pressure and great video material!...
You skipped by the nut issue super fast but a correctly cut nut is the single biggest contributor to comfortable playing in first position and clean tuning on the first fret in particular. Amazing how many stock instruments guitar and bass have the nut cut unnecessarily high affecting playability and intonation right away.
Agree 100%. The last two Fenders I bought (not cheap either) needed nut slot work. I don't know why manufacturers consider this not important. Someone told me they cut 'em high so you can play slide. Really, how many noobs play slide?
@@IvorThomas I've often wondered why nobody in the factory or in store invested just a few extra minutes getting a good guitar to actually sell itself! Nut height should be equivalent to a zero fret, no more, no less and most noobs don't understand about build, just that falling in love with an instrument in a shop has everything to do with one that plays anf feels "fantastic" right away and sounds in tune.
I did try a top of the range fretless bass in a boutique bass store once and bridge intonation on the D string was so completely out of whack (probably 8mm) it was ridiculous
This was helpful for me. I had learned several of these tips the hard way, and hearing about your experience was actually encouraging. I’ve been wondering about picks. I’ll check out some different types.
Great stuff! The basics are always worth reviewing and this was clear and concise. I wish I'd learned these things (especially the importance of setup/action/intonation and having a good nut) two decades earlier.
Thanks for this, very helpful!
I tell my students the same things :-) (Minus the string shifting part, but I'll include that too from now on :-) ) THX!
I’ve haven’t tried a new pick for like 20 years. You’ve inspired me to 🤘🏼
I blindly used heavy Modulus Graphite picks I got many years ago., Great picks, but I've decided to experiment with lighter picks and find I really like medium Jim Dunlop. I still don't like pointy picks... guess I'll never get the Eric Johnson shit down.
Tim Pierce's views on this were a revelation to me... he has 3 different picks for different scenarios. It's worth watching the video on his channel if you can find it.
I use Dunlop Jazztone picks. They last a long time and even when they go round/wear out...they don't sound bad. I used to grind through a dozen 1mm picks in a show where they sounded nasal, not anymore.
Hey R.J., LOVE your channel! Couldn't agree more with everything you said about rhythm guitar playing. Can you PLEASE do a funk rhythm lesson with some cool chord voicings?
Love the clip of the Treeman! Haven’t seen him in ages, I bought his album and a tshirt
He's great!
If I knew then what I know now I'd have saved up for a Tele a and deluxe reverb. It took me close to 100 guitars to get to that point. That's not an exaggeration as I bought and sold guitars based on their likeability factor. Once I bought the tele my salivation for other guitars diminished considerably. I still buy guitars, as a matter of fact when I get back to Canada in mid April from Mexico I have a guy holding a 1983 Yamaha sa1200s for me. I do salivate for guitars but it's not like it used to be. Thanks Uncle Leo!!!
Hey I'm just starting thank thank you so much
Thanks R.J.! Any recommended resources on drills/books/lessons to improve rhythm guitar playing? How about 5 recommended songs that will help improve our rhythm playing?
Great ideas, let me think about some!
Vernon Reid got me to try Jazz 3's. I didnt look back for over a decade. Now I'm more flexible...
Great Video RJ!!!
Just a question. Have you thought about doing a Full Rig Rundown or a video showing all your guitars and amps? Looks like you have a lot of cool gear.
When I got my first new guitar (I had a used one prior), I was given a set of picks of all gauges and I spent a lot of time experimenting with them, learning how they effected sound and my playing.
I was stoked when I bought a guitar for my daughter and they gave her a set of various picks as well!
Lucked out there. Prior to that, I used a pick I found in the floor after a garage band played at my school. I wouldve stuck with it forever had I not been given all those picks.....I wouldn't have thought about it on my own. It worked for me so why change it, was always my argument then.
Always, great videos. Top re-stringing tip 🙏
Great vid. I had to rewind like three times. I kept getting distracted by my childhood (vid in back). lol
I’m glad you brought up the rhythm guitar playing, many players think shredding makes one a great guitarist but yet they neglect the fundamentals so their timing SUCKS! 😂
I also see many guitarists who can 'shred', but completely off-time with the backing track / band!
2:23 This is so me when I was TRYING to learn barre chords.
Oh, and BTW Perf Talk brought me here! :D
You're doing great RJ, keep it up.
Excellent video RJ!
I got a Dunlop Variety pack and ended up using the X Heavy just cause it felt comfortable.
I wish I knew that you should change yours string not just when they break. I wish I knew not to blame the only the tuning keys when your guitar goes out of tune. I wish I should have asked others to show me how something done because I am a visual learner. I wish I had figured out I was a visual learner - This was decades before RUclips. I wish I wasn't so stupid about the guitar when I was a teenager.
Love the 80s commericials rolling in the background 😂
I tried learning Thinking of you by Nile Rodgers ,I then found out how hard it was to get that feel and sound, I then found out it was way harder than Eruption solo by V Halen , rhythm is as important than soloing and as difficult. Django Reinhardt and Wes Montgomery could solo in chords at speed which further expands the equation.
Love this bro! Thank you!
Thank you R. J. Hm, not sure what gave you the idea to keep that TV thing on in the background but for some odd reason it helped me focus on what you were saying. Odd. But yeah, interesting. And everything you said, helped. Thank you. ~Joe
Nice product placement for Trojan on the TV (9:50). They should give you some swag for that, or maybe a sponsorship!
Very Good Advise.
Just had this suggested to me, R.J. Good stuff and you seem like a good dude. Subbed.
Thanks for subbing!! 😀👍
I started off on a First act Wal mart guitar that was never truly in tune. 12 years later I'm rockin Gibson and Marshall every gig. Btw gator 2.0 picks are great
Dang RJ wish I would have known that stuff too. I pretty much never liked playing the guitar because I didn't know about adjusting the action. I mean when there's pain involved it looses its attraction. I use to buy nylon strings for my acoustic hoping it would be less painful.
I actually had a Danelectro like that. Gave it to my son. I'm not sure he still has it but I really liked the sound of it. It wasn't hard to play.
Those are all good tips for beginners . I hope they take them.
Fantastic tips, RJ! They all seem so "commonsensical", but as you point out, not so common at all. If I may make a couple of comments, though, I would say that to your first point, it is a great idea to learn to do your own setups. I used to get all my setups done by a genius tech, but I don't always have access to him, and now, not at all. Luckily, I learned step by step from him (there are lots of RUclips videos on it as well) and practiced it a few times. I'm still extremely slow, but I do know how to get it done. Of course, you need the right tools and your personal specs (relief, height at the 12th fret etc), but that's a small investment. StewMac has everything you need, and one should really learn to take care of one's instrument.
Thank you for emphasizing the importance of learning songs by ear. These days, with so much emphasis on technique, there is a lot of importance placed on sight reading (which, by the way, I wish I could do - I'm envious of people who can!), but developing one's ear is even more important, in my opinion.
To your point about changing strings, I've found an easy way out - and a good one too, I think. I always replace my tuners with locking tuners, even though I'm a hard tail guy. This eliminates tuning post fumbling, and greatly speeds up string changing.
Finally, about rhythm guitar - once again, thank you for pointing out a critical factor. To that end, I'll point out that listening to great players can be very inspiring. My own heroes are people like Paul Jackson Jr and Larry Carlton (yes, for rhythm guitar as well!). It's a whole thing. There's a wonderful RUclips channel called TastyGuitar.com, and Rick gives you the inside scoop on rhythm guitar - truly amazing stuff.
Anyway, thank you for a wonderful post.
Thanks SriniP!! 😀👍 Rick's channel is great, i've been following him. With regards to locking tuners, stay tuned (no pun intended) for my next video later this week!
Great video, I recognize so much of this struggle in my own playing/learning journey :-)
That's a nice Strat. I've gott a couple of 86 Contemporary Strats MIj... Great guitars.
RJ , good tips. I got my free picks and ordered a GuitarMa tee. Supercool stuff. Thanks Lonnie
Hey Lonnie thanks! Enjoy the picks and the shirt!
Great video man!
Thank you for the video! I can sign up under every statement you did 🙏
That tv screen did my head in.
Damn, we had the exact same first guitar (minus the pickup upgrades shown here). Lake Placid Blue, maple neck. I can still smell it if I concentrate. First Fender smell..
Me too! New Case Smell
Wonderful advice!
Rhythm player here...thanks for the recognition. Yeah, playing solid rhythm guitar isn't easy. The band I point too for how important this is is Social Distortion...that's solid rhythm there.
If you listen to any great band or group the solid rhythm behind the guitar hero is important, otherwise it sounds mediocre at best.
Strings and picks, I play thick jazz picks (2mm and 3mm) and use 11s on my solid bodies and 12s on my hollow bodies. I get great tone that way even with stock pickups.
I also wind my strings the same way except I use a string winder and just do the above and below wrap by cranking the peg, that way there's no twisting. I also kink the string once I slide it back. If you look closely at the actual post you will see a flare where it gets thicker and goes into the wood of the headstock. You want the string to end up doen there as it gives you more angle over the nut and more pressure. Works great on stock tuners. Everyone that I have heard bitch about tuners...surprise surprise...had only a few wraps and no downward angle. Yeah...no shit your guitar sounds bad, you're lazy and didn't get the most out of what you got. I wind their guitar as described above...tadaaaaa...stays in tune, sounds better, issues pretty much disappear.
Nice info
Thanks for the advice. RJ... USEFUL INFO FO SHO..
Ha - my first real guitar was an 86 Japanese Strat. I still have it and one of these days I'm going to have some new (taller) frets put on it - nearly impossible to bend with those tiny frets.
And the 6th is to watch every R.J new vidéo !!!!
Thank you R J.
I actually picked up the guitar wanting to learn stuff by Bob Marley, Kurt Cobain, Frank Iero, Johnny Ramone, etc. Didn't feel interested in lead guitar until after I had good grasp on playing rhythm.
I went to opposite way with picks lol. The perfect thickness for me is lighter than what I started with