The best method I have is taking on massive songs. Instead of learning short easy songs, I find long and difficult ones. Some songs I’ve used to get better are Achillies Last Stand and Rosetta Stoned.
Seriously though guys thanks. For a bit there I went through a rough patch that made me wanna quit playing. The toxic girlfriend part was true though hahah
One reason is....you are getting better. If you spend hours a day practicing you ARE getting better but it's become so incremental that you don't SEE your progress and it discourages you because you don't think you're making any. Sometimes it's doesn't hurt to take a break, don't burn yourself out practicing all the time. Don't be afraid to take a break, take a moment to just appreciate how awesome guitar is.
yes, everything we do practice, we are getting better over time, but for guitar learning and playing, we all know we get easily discouraged and depressed, and that is shit and i still dont know why it is like that. maybe because guitar playing is a form of art, thats why we easily feel guilty or shamed that cant play good (in our opinion) enough. i still dont know.
I was discouraged for a while until I visited my mom and she had a video of my 2nd month of guitar. It really made me look back and realize how far I’ve come.
I was discouraged for a while until I visited my mom and she had a video of my 2nd month of guitar. It really made me look back and realize how far I’ve come.
That's the most difficult task i've ever been faced with,, didn't survive it.. Just kept practicing and got burnt out,, seriously.. I picked up the guitar at the age of 20, 23 now, and i've loved it more than i've loved anything ever.. and i really wish i could make some kind of a career outta this.. Or just at least be able to afford having the time to practice and play music... Which begs the question: How the hell am i supposed to take a break?! I'm at my last months of college rn,, and i was practicing so hard because i knew that the minute i graduate,, it's just constant grinding and there'll be no time for shit else... Makes it really hard to relax and appreciate, etc...
Now i have a band with a guitarist that never played a drummer without drums and a random friend with a keyboard (i do play guitar for a month or 3 now)
Im 14 and the problem for me was that after i learned the sweet child of mine solo blindfolded i thought i could do everything... i couldnt, so i got frustrated and quit. I picked up my guitar after like three months and now i started playing more seriously and i put in hard work. So sometimes tis just good to take a break!:)
The reason I'm not getting better at guitar is that I'm "almost good" at everything I'm "almost good" at alternate picking I'm "almost good" at sweep I'm "almost good" at tapping And instead of practicing each one to become really good, I waste my time playing everything "almost good"
Keep going, exact same thing here. Expect when I see other guitarists in my class they might be better then me at strumming but they can’t do bar chores at all. You will get better. Or if ya want you can focus on one thing for like a day or two. We got time, quarantine isn’t gonna end in a while
The solution to your problem is right in front of you. Practice one thing to perfection then move onto the next. Then you will be able to play them all good
There's a point in every musician's learning where he just goes: "I'm not gonna be able to do this anymore". Survive that phase, and boom,you're a musician
Lack of self esteem and depression have kept me from even trying to improve in the past. It’s still a struggle, but I’m working through it. I used to play chords almost exclusively, but I just decided that I was going to learn the solo to wanted dead or alive and actually surprised myself at how quickly I picked it up. After that I have a hard time not plying every day to see what else I’m capable of. Point is sometimes you just have to try even if you don’t believe in yourself.
*Are you a blues dad, someone who wears socks with sandals and listens to Bebop Jazz* I'm not even a Dad and that one still hurts because it's true for me
Things that have definitely helped me: 1. Stepping outside of genre. Metal/rock is fun, but Blues, Country and other genres open your eyes to a way wider world of technique. 2. When you choose a guitar, don't be afraid to have the dude at the guitar shop pull down and let you shoot out any and all that you are interested in. Also don't be afraid to ask to switch amps. I am always surprised by the amount of people who bought their first guitar after a small shred sesh on one guitar and one amp. Then 6 months later they really don't like it that much and go shopping again. 3. Effects are cool, but don't rely on them. You aren't going to hide mistakes under more distortion, overdrive or phasers and wah. 4. Pick songs that inspire you and learn them and their techniques, but don't only focus on learning songs. Maybe do Rob's one hour challenge (or whatever time frame you pick, maybe 2 or 3 hours) and force yourself to record some stuff and make some decisions quickly and see what you can make. Then you can assess how you did and make adjustments. It will help with developing YOU as a musician, not just having you emulate your favorites.
The Albums .. Metal: Symphony X, the Odyssey Jazz: John Scofield, This meets That Rap: Jay-Z, the dynasty Indie: Wilko, sky blue sky Rock: Breaking Benjamin, Phobia Blues: B.B.King, Live at the Regal Electonic: Sohn, Rennen Alternative: White Reaper, You deserve Love Pop: Eve 6, Eve 6 Country: Brad Paisley, Play
@Mr. E. Man Exactly. You can't just "put some heart and soul into those simple notes" (this reads like it's off some shitty blog article) because you have to be deeply connected to whatever it is you're playing for that "feeling" to be there, even then it can still just be something tangible like the player having good vibrato. Terrible "advice".
I agree but while u learning a song u need to be precise. Not missing and when u make it and tune it to perfection. I believe its time to make it musical. Add touches and little notes that u play when u jam but staying in the idea of the song it self not getting put of key with the song so much. Like making a cover
10 Albums: 3:28 Metal: Symphony X - The Odyssey Jazz: John Scofield - This meets That Rap: Jay Z - The Dynasty Indie: Wilco - Sky Blue Sky Rock: Breaking Benjamin - Phobia Blues: BB King - Live at the Regal Electronic: Sohn - Rennen Alternative: White Reaper - You Deserve Love Pop: Eve 6 - Eve 6 Country: Brad Paisley - Play
My main issue has become what i’ll deem the “too much food on my plate”. There’s so much I want to learn and master, yet I can’t “eat” it all at once. I’ve found (as of recent) that learning songs is the best way to practice and get better. Using scales to sharpen techniques, etc. is also beneficial
Brother, I had this problem. The guitar is so versatile there is so much to learn! But at least for me, the problem was not being overwhelmed it was being too inconsistent with practice. Some day just sit down, write everything down you wanna master and start the process!
Joonas Tikkanen I also deal w/the inconsistency problem from time to time. Not that I don’t play everyday, cause I do; but what “you” practice matters. I find myself noodling quite a bit; usually it’s within a scale i’m learning so I guess it’s “okay”.
Peter's Place totally; lately i’ve been adopting the “learn one scale, then learn another; then combine them”. That’s really helped a lot. Same with chord extensions and inversions.
I feel I'm not getting better at guitar because I don't take practice seriously. I'm two and a half years in, and I love this stupid stick with strings on it with all my heart, but depression keeps me doing nothing with some of my days, and conflict, work, and college take up a lot of my time. I've seen this video a few times now and I've always failed to leave a comment after. Tonight, this video has inspired me to hopefully get back into the swing of what made me fall in love with guitar two summers ago. See y'all in Shred Town eventually.
i understand you, i was depressed also for my reasons and tried to learn guitar, and it was hard. But remember this, and it is important - You have to know music basic on guitar, notes you play,notes on freatboard, scales, when You will start to understand correlation, there will be huge progress, trust me, it helped me a lot. when you will strt to understand how things work on guitar, it will be more interesting and it will help with depression as well, it did for me.
I gotta be honest, I was stuck for idk maybe 2 years because I thought I was a mediocre guitarist until 2 weeks ago when I decided to learn Afterlife by Avenged Sevenfold and I was thinking "damn, that sweep picking is miles away from my skills!" but I started to learn it and I'm progressing like I'd never imagined. This shit is real.
Practice makes permanent, and only perfect practice makes perfect. I agree it comes down to practice when it comes to most players because most players aren't even real players are just owners who don't practice. but people who really want to get better, usually attempt to do things on a daily basis that they haven't done before. They will hit frustrating plateaus where they have to lay off the instruments for a few weeks only to find out they're better when they come back. It's like lifting weights and trying to become as strong as possible. You have to approach it passionately but intelligently becauseOverreaching is the classic downfall of anybody that loves what they're doing. You have to know when enough practice for the day is enoughAnd burn out is a very real thing not permanently with her a period where you need to just not see the instruments and give each other space
Top reasons I'm not getting better at guitar after 36 years: 1) I work a full time job 2) I'm not 16 years old any more, so I'm not playing 15 hours a day to become the next Yngwie Malmsteen 3) I own a cat that always demands my attention 4) I've discovered the sports channel on my tv and spend most of my time watching hockey 5) I own an old house that needs constant renovating
I want to stress #2. I played bass when I was about 9 years old until I got to high school, where I discovered....other things. They were good, fun things that I don't regret...but I let go of my bass playing. I just bought a Fender Jazz bass a couple of weeks ago and it's been fun and I'm happy; I play it everyday...but it's not like it was when I was younger. The drive and excitement just isn't quite there like it used to be. So all you young whipper-snappers keep at it!
@@yocraigst I hear ya. I've been playing drums for 25 years, but somewhere along the way I've lost the spark... the joy. It's still fun, I still identify as a drummer, but it's not a priority. Recently I started picking up my guitar, and playing with my 10 year old son. It was fun, but I can see he's losing steam. Gotta figure out if I can reignite that spark for both of us.
@@yocraigst thank you for sharing this I'm 13 years old playing metallica and i have so much fun... your comment is just saying what i wanted to to: keep on it. And that feels good, so thank you😁🙂
Bro how long have you been playing if your perfect you should have been practicing 13 hours per day for the past 18 years but I don't think you can do that tbh
if you don't have a great sense of timing your not going to go far, the guy playing the drums , hes going to be like, its either you gain a sense of timing or I quit this band, ill admit I had a guy tell me , he said you sound good, and you play nice, but your timing is way off my man, I asked him , whats the best way to improve my timing , he tells me ,start playing along with all your favorite songs ,but turn everything way down including my own guitar so I could hear both the song and my guitar clearly, and it did help me to stay in sync with the songs guitar player , pretty soon , I applied it to soloing , at 1st it was hard , even though the lead to the song was still in time with the rest of the band I was still having trouble , I don't know exactly why this was happening , I was playing along with the songs , it sounded great, soon as the lead started I ran into my problems , I soon found out why I was having trouble, when a guitarist goes into his or her lead there in a groove ,like they could feel it the notes they were playing had passion in,em the way they bend there notes , the feeling in those notes and how long they would hold a single note but they gave there notes feeling ,like a violinist its just so passionate I had found my issue with why my timing was off, it was all in my soloing and how much time I spent on each note, but I began to apply more heart to my playing giving my notes feeling, emotion , music is from the heart im glad I stuck to it, I continue to play as often as I can ,simply because I LOVE IT !!! I wont play if im tired that's a stone waste of time, I need to be feeling fresh, rested and ready to rock, do my warm ups , get my fingers all warmed up and nice and flexible ,then I begin to play new things , im constantly on the search for different guitarists, for new inspiration , I don't allow myself to become hung up on any one guitarist , I listen to a vast collection of all time great guitarists from B.B.King, BACH , beegee,s Queen , R.E.O. speed wagon , list is way ,way too long to list them all, lol, but you get the idea, its like capt Kirk, to seek out strange new guitarists check,em out, listen to what they have to offer if anything at all, sometimes some don't but that's life, some suck, some are awesome but you never stop searching inspiration is hard to come by , I love to listen to anything once ,at least once just to see because you just never know , so instead of letting something go by you, don't give it a try give it a listening to, see what its about, you just never know, don't deny yourself the what very well could be something awesome to you, so at least give it a chance, I mean the whole time your doing this your just becoming a better musician , its the path I chose a long time ago, I don't regret seeing my very 1st electric guitar and completely falling in LOVE WITH IT !!! I was a 9 year little boy with a paper route ,I used my paper route money to buy that guitar ,yeah it was junk but to a 9 year old boy it was the most awesome thing I had ever laid my eyes on , I was a young dumb stupid kid , but one with a heart an empty heart in search of something special, seeing that cheap K-Mart special for $60.00 bucks without another thought I bought it and brought it home and tore it out of its box and started picking at the strings and I haven't looked back since , and I wouldn,t change a thing if I had it to do over again there some things I would have done differently as far as playing the guitar that I wouldn't have changed at all , I just kept telling myself its only going to get better , its only going to keep getting better , and get better it sure as hell did , so many nights I wanted to give up, bust it up and throw it out the window, I would get so frustrated with trying to learn how this thing works , I was poor as hell, I could afford much, a chord book, a few video,s it was SUPER TOUGH in the beginning , so many times I thought of giving up, I couldn't , I looked into myself I felt it in my heart I had to play , damn it I was going to learn how or die trying , I was determined to learn how to play the guitar and learn I did, it took several long years of frustrating nights, then they became happy nights when I started playing and playing better it made me feel good about myself I had taught myself how to play the guitar , fuck what anyone says , if you feel it in your heart im talking down deep in your heart to do whatever it is, you should do it, don't listen to the haters , they cant figure out there own lives let alone anyone else,s , so follow your heart, and fuck what anybody says , its your life you came in it alone and you damn sure are going to die in it alone so fuck,em get down with your bad self and follow your hearts dreams ,fuck the dumb shit , go for it, you only get one chance make it worth it, give it all you got, if you don't and do it half assed that will be the results your going to get, half assed , you want to be a half assed guitarist or musician ?? I sure as shit don't , so don't cut any slack ,be determined, be dedicated, and committed to whatever it may be you love doing but be sure to give it all you got to give baby , you only have 1 ticket what are you going to do with yours ?? this has been a story about one poor kid growing up in the city with a dream of making music using a guitar , sincerely, W.H.W. 4-25-20 what a ride its been ,but I wouldn't trade it for nothing .
10. I don’t jump onto learning new stuff cause i want everything i play to sound so inhumanly perfect instead of just good. So i end up spending hours upon hours perfecting that one lick or run, instead of going to the next thing, learn that til' I'm comfortable with it, and can play it good. Awesome vid man, really made me think why I'm holding myself back.
I had just put my guitar down thinking "damn I think I'm not making any progress" to see this video posted the minute I put it down. Odd timing but pretty convenient. xD
Watching this makes me realize the reasons why I stopped playing seriously about 2-3 years ago. I got some progress until then, especially since I got a brand new strat-style guitar in 2016 and played it almost every day. But as time went on, my mind went from learning and getting better at playing to being good in my job as a mechanic. Despite having much free time, I didn't even take a glance at my guitars for too long, resulting in not having a balance in life. My last employment ended in a strong depressive disorder including suicidal thoughts etc, thus being sick ever since last summer. After finally getting rid of the meds I had to take for over a year, my emotions are slowly coming back and also the desire to play guitar again. Got into it since last week and it's soo damn good to make music again. I finally gained the confidence to express all my feelings with my guitars, I play everyday now. Music really does make a difference, especially when you're actively engaging in it.
One of the main reasons for my setback is i lack patience when i'm learning. One problem i have is i want to play everything, by everything i really mean everything. For eg: I am learning a paul gilbert song, i give up when the hard part comes and switch to next artist , say a jazz piece for example. And i don't learn that fully and move on to the next. And the next is Necrophagist ! or a death metal song. This is one habit that has stuck to me for years, i really don't know how to improve on this. I've forever been trying to nail the cliffs of dover intro, fuzz universe intro, midnight express (the whole song), tornado of souls solo. ignominous and pale solo. And all i've learnt is that i suck bigtime and have no patience to achieve greatness..
ripcord93 You don’t need patience. You need tenacity. I’m an impatient person and have managed to do many things through persistence. All impatience is is having a high sense of urgency. You can use that to your advantage.
Me before quarantine: "oh I can play smoke on the water... and... and stairway to heaven and... did I mention I can play smoke on the water?" Me after quarantine: "yeah I can play Metropolies and Neon and Eruption and Thunder Surrender, but it's just not *challenging* enough!"
I absolutely love playing the guitar , I play and practice everyday, somedays its just an hour or so and some days its 4 hours, bottom line I love it and it makes me happy, I know I am not the greatest guitarist in the world but I certainly can play , I whole heartedly agree with you about the getting out and playing live , and with other people , it really helped my progress , great post
I'm a metal head most of the time but as my amp's distortion channel no longer worked I decided to re-visit and finally tidy up on Under the Bridge by RHCP. From there I really started to appreciate John Frusciante's style of playing and after watching a video of him talking about how much Hendrix had an influence on him, I decided to challenge myself and learn All Along the Watch Tower as I really like the solo's. Fortunately as the world was on lockdown I had alot of time to practice and I can now play it from start to finish. At the same time and by the power of RUclips's recommendations I have been checking out more of John Mayer and learning more blues and practicing on my improvisation. From there I've decided to build on my theory and I'm now finally learning modes, scales and chords in a way which improves my playing. It's strange how I've ended up having to diversify my playing because of a broken amp, but I'm thankful for it!
After commenting an entire list of things wrong with my playing habits, here's a tip I've learned that actually improved my speed: practice really easy licks and exercises and simply ignore when you miss. Think about the mistake after the exercise is done. Repeat the exercises and finish your routine. Then forget you can play guitar for an entire day or two or be forced to be away from your guitar like having a kidney stone and being stuck at the hospital over the weekend (do not actually get a kidney stone, it hurts, trust me). When you pick up your guitar again, you're magically faster and more precise. I think it has to do with your brain memorizing muscular movement patterns and fixating the knowledge over the time you were away. I don't know.
@@kieroto5372 I try not to forget either, but after starting working from home, it became a bit harder. But also, it's kinda good to have resting days too. I finally understood how to play 16th notes, which is nice. Sometimes I try to not play and listen to tracks I know have techniques or concepts I'm trying to improve on.
This video had been out 4 months now so I'm sure no one will see this but I'm guilty of this entire list. Like most people. My number 10 however is a little different. I learned how to play to play with my dad. It's one of the few things we could do together. May 5th 2020 my dad didn't wake up. He passed in his sleep. Stage 4 bone cancer. During his illness he lost the ability to play hold a guitar.. walk.. or even get dressed. This caused me to put my guitar down and just stop because it reminds me of how much my pops was hurting towards the end and all he wanted to do was play one more SRV lick. I saw your 2020 update video a few hours ago and decided to pick up my old Kramer and give it one more chance. I suck. A lot. Its gonna take time to get it back right but I think that practice video might get me back in shape. Thanks for what you do. It helps more than guitar technique for some of us.
I take guitar lessons for 7 years now and every time my teacher gives me something more difficult to play, my first thoughts are always "Oh no, this won't be easy. I don't wanna play it. It would take so much practise and time" but exactly these songs make me better. My teacher teaches me 2-3 lines per lesson and I practise them at home. And in the next lesson she says what I can do better. So play difficult songs too. You learn so so much from them. Especially different techniques
The only reason is this: those of us who are stuck are not putting our minds and souls into it; we can't give 100% of our effort to multiple things at once: work, being healthy, other hobbies, it's that simple, if you're not getting good at guitar, maybe you don't care enough about it. There's nothing wrong with that but don't excpect to get good by not doing much.
Or perhaps you just aren't practicing enough. I'm able to learn by having someone correct my mistakes, and that was it at first. When I first started, I got one lesson a month. Imagine how boring doing the same thing over one month is. As well as the fact everyone pressured me into trying Harder and practicing more, I quit. Now, I go on my own schedule, practice as much as I want to. At one point, I went twice a week to lessons. I love guitar now, and can play from tabs and online videos because I've mastered the basics. It's almost one year, now
Jorge Chávez No, you're right , you can't give 100% of your effort to multiple things at once (the fallacy of multitasking.) But, can you give 100% of your effort to the one thing you are doing right now? You can't do everything, but what you can do - do well. Incremental improvements do add up, be patient and it will happen.
My number 10 relates to your efficient practice comments. I feel I have too much to do. I’m in a rock band so I practice that, I play in church and I try to memorize that each week. Kids, dogs, wife and job. I plan a practice time each day and the next thing I know is it’s dinner time and the day is done.
Here I am at 1:40 am watching a video from a year ago and all I can say is, "Thank You." I am new to the channel and I'm sure you won't see this comment, but I am still grateful for this video. I have been feeling like I hit a plateua for a few months now and this was exactly what I needed to watch. It was very encouraging. 10/10 would recommend
I tried learning when I was younger and just didn't have the patience with myself to keep at it. Now that I'm into my 30's I'm finding it much easier to tell myself "not quite, try again"
Reason 10 for me: My band's style of music doesn't necessarily require me to get much better than I am. Basic 4 or 5 chord rock & roll with bluesy solos, pentatonics for days. After almost a decade of recording, selling albums, playing hundreds of shows, I got bored. REALLY bored. So I started an instrumental project with two of the guys from aforementioned band, and I haven't been more excited to play in a very long time. If you would, check out birdleaves - Turquoise here on RUclips. We're all more proud of that then what we did together for almost 10 years.
I think one of my pitfalls, which I am conquering currently, is that I often took shortcuts when learning new solos and stuff, since it sounded "close enough" anyway. Not doing that and sticking to the original is slowly helping me to improve tremendously.
Great video! As a 15 years old guitarist who is only trying to get better at guitar I got to say you are kind of insperation for me, thanks for the advice! And thank you for this amazing video again
This is all stuff that I know and would even preach to someone else who was playing guitar for a few years but for some reason I think I needed someone else to say it to me. Thanks Tyler your an inspiration and your love for our instrument reminds me of how I felt my first 5 years of playing. I've played for 15 years now and have definitely fallen into some of these traps. Thanks for keeping it real brother keep shredding
I feel like I could benefit from playing with other musicians, however there are not many around my area that seem to be invested enough to hold a weekly jam session. Anyone else here feel that?
I am just beginning my journey into guitar (again, I guess, I took a class in high school...), so I haven't even looked around me for stuff like that...But, maybe there is a way to use discord to create a jam session group online?
You hit the nail on the head in the first 2 minutes. "You get out what you put in" simple as that. Rushing things will cause frustration and will become detrimental to progress. Just slow down and enjoy the journey of LEARNING. If your passion for the guitar is enough to keep you practicing, your progess will flourish.
My brightness was really low so with his hand like that I thought he was wearing a black shirt and holding something. Then I realised it was just his cool pockets. Nice shirt man
My worst habit is I will play the things I know randomly, jump from on to the other, but rarely stop and work on a new skill. Well, aside from just not playing enough.
I've found something that works for me, not learning scales, sound weird but listen, don't learn scales, find them, simply put on a song, start playing underneath it, start from the pentatonic, doesn't matter. You start from the pentatonic, then figure out the rest of it, just go on, play other notes, see what sounds like, if you've been playing for a while, you'll usually have an intuition as to where the right note is, then just go on, put that song on repeat, keep playing and slowly you'd have known all the "right" notes that lie within the chord progression of the song, and this is better than learning scales(at least for me), because you're finding it yourself, you don't have to memorize it, you know it, your finger will just land on the right place. If you were able to make any sense out of this then try it, I've never learned a single scale except for the pentatonic and the blues, I started playing along to dead and company tracks and now I'm good at whatever mode they play in, I figured this out thanks to their song "sugaree", I played along to it, really went for the soloing with the chords type of stuff and then I've played along a few other songs of theirs, pink floyd have fitting music for this as well. Try this once
The most invaluable advice I could give anyone especially since I'm not the best would be to master your chords, as early as you can this will lead to you being better prepared to play your favorite songs in the future
Maibe you could listen to random Songs in spotify and try to find some new songs and bands. Also I would recommend songsterr.com as the have the tabs for every single instrument of over 500k songs. Just browse through and take a look at some songs. They even play them for you.
8:30 Actually, one bit of gear did help my playing. But she wasn't expensive. I always found it nearly impossible to play barre chords on my Strat cos my fingers have almost no muscle or fat layers, & even worse, the hereditary arthritis I got at 20 made my knuckles bigger, so my fingers are kinda scalloped like Yngwie Malmsteen's fretboard. Then I test-played a Les Paul, figuring her 24.75-inch scale length would make her easier to play. That was the secret to barre chords & double bends. Last Sunday, I bought a 2010 Gibson Les Paul Studio in Fireburst, w/a broken & repaired headstock, for $600. She plays buttery soft, & sounds absolutely bitchin. My rapid improvement has resumed. Now if there's anything that's excruciating to play on the Strat, I figure it out on the Paul, then go to the Strat. And now that I can play difficult things, instead of avoiding them, I can already feel my fingers getting stronger & more agile. And thanks to the Paul's headstock, now I can play at breakneck speed...tee hee.
Reason number ten: life threw you a curve ball and you couldn't play for almost ten years. I had a bad accident as a teenager and most days I was in so much pain that I couldn't sit up without back support long enough to play. It honestly crushed me and I had no desire to play anymore. I've been doing a lot better the last year and a friend recently asked if I could teach him how to play. I told him I'd try but I hadn't played in years. I was shocked at how quickly things started to come back to me, I couldn't believe it. I hadn't moved my fingers like that in years. Your channel along with stevie t and davie504 have inspired me to start playing again. Your setup video was a godsend. I'm going to try setting everything myself except adjusting the truss rod. My les paul has developed some gnarly buzz over the years. As a kid I never really drove into the "technical side" of music; I just used tabs and never learned to read music. Now I want to learn some theory and learn as much as I can about the mechanical aspect of guitar. Your channel is awesome. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.
I think my 10th reason is that I spend too much time comparing myself to other people and getting jealous. It steals my joy and keeps me from growing musically. Been working on letting that go.
Jerry Johnson he’s not being negative He’s being realistic Some people don’t have the determination or persistence to the learn something and improve So they give up
10. I don't have a teacher. 😭 Completely self taught. I can play things like Free Bird and many Guns N Roses songs but I feel that without the theory side of things and learning scales; I've just hit a brick wall. 🤦♂️
Oh man, I feel exactly the same. I think I really have to sign up for some guitar course but for some reason I still stick to yt videos and learning the most popular riffs
learn theory. I don’t have a teacher, but I’m already pretty decent. Find a fun way to learn scales, arpeggios and everything else. Look for a teacher maybe or an online course.
@@airconditioningunit9777 thanks man, I think that's what I have to do, because I don't see any other way to make a progress and understand the guitar, fretboard and all that stuff. I was thinking about Guitar Super System or that other course by Marty Music. You guys know anything about it?
Being in a band can also restrict your development; you automatically only play the songs you play and if you have booked gigs only practice those songs. I've found trying various on-line exercises, like your alternative picking, finger picking and spider crawls have helped recently. But finding a song that you like that is really tricky and persevering helps, breaking it down into small segments and taking each one slowly and then building up speed, then linking then in larger segments; 1+2, 2+3, 5+6 etc.
1st: You don't even attempt to create your own music. Yeah, learn some theory, some scales and chords and create your own licks, or riffs, or chord progressions... Anything is good. I made this mistake a lot and now creating my original material is way more fun than just learning what other musicians composed in the past. That will make you a more original musician than the others who just play their favorite riffs and the ones who start cover bands.
César Nava Léon true. I have all these ideas and they never work. I try to write lyrics and drums to go with my riffs. I’m okay at guitar. Just running out of ideas.
I’ve been teaching myself how to play guitar through RUclips and reddit, and I’ve hit a point where I don’t know what to learn at my skill level. I’ve memorized all 5 positions of the major scale and pentatonic scales, and can incorporate them into solos. But everything past that seems so far away from my skill level(I.e: different major modes, alternate picking, legato, complex riffs)
Alternate picking is definitely something you can work on just running through scales up and down the neck. Takes work, but becomes second nature once you do it enough. Modes for me were these strange things that were really confusing until one day it just clicked and made perfect sense. If you feel like you have a handle on major and pentatonic scales, maybe modes are a good next step - they're a different way of applying what you already know. For whatever reason, the Mixolydian mode was a good starting point for me to dip my toes in that pond.
try working on other techniques too (while not neglecting what you already know) like tapping, legato, arpeggios, sweeping, pinch harmonics and bending. if you have a floating bridge, try landing it on a note and not somewhere in between (start small, like 1 semitone lower so you get a feel for where that is, then do 2,3,4 until you run out of whammy movement) and most importantly, if it sounds like shite, don't be discouraged. slow down, see (and feel) where you're going wrong and adjust accordingly
Yeah I recommend backing up from theory for a sec (you’re off to a great start), and just look up some tabs of your favorite bands and have fun. Then apply what theory you’ve learned to that and vice versa
I did self learning for 3 months before getting a teacher. If your not going the structured route I'd recommend a couple things. Definitely continue scales, start practicing chords( cannot stress the chords thing enough), pick a route to study the fretboard (i picked a poster myself), check out techniques like hammer ons and such,LEARN ALL THE SONGS, do all these things but be direct in your approach. Practice with an hour limit taking a break every 20 minutes for 5 minutes. After an hour stop "practicing" look up what diminished returns are. After an hour if you still want to guitar then just noodle my dude. Noodling is always after practice. Good luck my dudes
Right now I have chops from 20 years of playing guitar. I’m relearning music theory and sight reading notes and getting back into playing with a metronome and learning songs like I did when I was a kid. I’m 28 now and i am ready to become an absolute beast on guitar and quit procrastinating
I’ve been watching your videos for a while, but that Symphony X suggestion just earned my subscription to your channel! Thanks for the inspiration to pick the guitar back up and just start playing again.
My 10th reason, ear training/singing I personally feel that my technical chops and theory knowledge are miles ahead of my ear. I have some ear, I can learn almost anything by ear. But I can't sing and, SUPER IMPORTANT, I can't sing what I play. I keep procrastinating ear and singing training! It's going on for years. It's embarrassing
This a weird reason: there ain't no much motivation and reward, guitar playing is under appreciated in these days and you don't have that many people whom to share with about true music. You can't play loud in your house or practice as much as you'd want to, you can't make sufficient money out of music (At least where I live) and in a new world full of possibilities it is way hard to excell as a musician and become recognized. The music industry is broken, corrupted, disgusting, etc. And it feels like just playing guitar won't change anything; I don't know if I managed to explain my point, but I hope some of you agree with some of the things I said.
Man this one hit deep and is kind of demotivating to be honest. I'd like for music to be a career in my life, but I have no idea how to start and getting into the music industry is probably hell. I'll just try to get better myself and if the I can't make anything of it then I guess it'll have to stay a hobby.
If you can't have fun playing for yourself then you won't be able to make people like you. You should not start playing an instrument only to be successful and famous if you don't even enjoy it in the first place.
Space Doode Big facts. Started playing the guitar because I fell in love with everything about it .The community ,dedication and emotion.It wasn’t a matter of whether I’d be rich off of it or not.
I have been playing the guitar for almost two years now and I know one thing that sticks out that I did and sort of still do that I need to stop doing. When your listening to music and you think "I kinda want to learn that" go to you couch (watch a Marty Schwartz video) and LEARN THE WHOLE THING. I know 43 licks on the guitar, but three total songs! Its a terrible habit to get into, and I highly suggest you don't waste your time learning parts of songs. I am finally learning a the rest of the songs I know parts of and I am starting to go out into the street with my acoustic. Happy Playing!
A reason I'm not getting better is I find no motivation in my self or from others so I just don't really care to try so I just let my guitar sit there.
What's one way you've gotten better at guitar? Your comment might help someone out!
Music is Win you should do guitar / song covers
Can you please do a video on my chemical romance?
The best method I have is taking on massive songs. Instead of learning short easy songs, I find long and difficult ones. Some songs I’ve used to get better are Achillies Last Stand and Rosetta Stoned.
putting in so so so much time
One way I got better at guitar is by watching your videos!
2 things I learned. Break up with my toxic girlfriend. And practice. (Edit) thanks for the kind words guys, much love)
You can do it man
You will do great for sure bro
Good wishes from India ❤️
Seriously though guys thanks. For a bit there I went through a rough patch that made me wanna quit playing. The toxic girlfriend part was true though hahah
lmaoooo yo i can relate sadly
There’s only so many G strings you can pluck 😏
10) Everyone
9) Is
8) Different
7) We
6) All
5) Have
4) Our
3) Own
2) Reasons
1) We watch your videos instead of practicing
lool
He's just giving common examples of mistakes people make
@@briancobb8997 hes just making a joke
this is definitely directed at me
I am actually having a break, my fingers are burning 👍🤘
One reason is....you are getting better. If you spend hours a day practicing you ARE getting better but it's become so incremental that you don't SEE your progress and it discourages you because you don't think you're making any. Sometimes it's doesn't hurt to take a break, don't burn yourself out practicing all the time. Don't be afraid to take a break, take a moment to just appreciate how awesome guitar is.
yes, everything we do practice, we are getting better over time, but for guitar learning and playing, we all know we get easily discouraged and depressed, and that is shit and i still dont know why it is like that. maybe because guitar playing is a form of art, thats why we easily feel guilty or shamed that cant play good (in our opinion) enough. i still dont know.
I was discouraged for a while until I visited my mom and she had a video of my 2nd month of guitar. It really made me look back and realize how far I’ve come.
I was discouraged for a while until I visited my mom and she had a video of my 2nd month of guitar. It really made me look back and realize how far I’ve come.
That's the most difficult task i've ever been faced with,, didn't survive it.. Just kept practicing and got burnt out,, seriously..
I picked up the guitar at the age of 20, 23 now, and i've loved it more than i've loved anything ever.. and i really wish i could make some kind of a career outta this.. Or just at least be able to afford having the time to practice and play music...
Which begs the question: How the hell am i supposed to take a break?!
I'm at my last months of college rn,, and i was practicing so hard because i knew that the minute i graduate,, it's just constant grinding and there'll be no time for shit else...
Makes it really hard to relax and appreciate, etc...
My mom’s banjo teacher (she started learning banjo at 68) has her record once a month and listen to her progression.
As a Drummer i can confirm that we are infact attracted by cotton candy and flashy lights, pls dont tell anyone tho
I have some cotton candy and flashy lights
I’m looking for a drummer! This is perfect. I can assure you that what Hollan plays is offering you in cotton candy and flashy lights, I can triple it
HEY YOU, get in the van!
Why?
Problem, Tyler just did... lol
"I wonder why I am not getting any better"
Also me: *only learns main riff and fun licks*
But they are just so fun to play
I feel personally attacked
😂😂
50 years later.... And I don't know any song 💯😭
Krstorm402 me too
"metal head? indie kid? blues dad? or that guy who wears sandals and socks and listens to bebop jazz?"
im all of them.
I looked at my feet and noticed the sandals and socks and was like wow😂 how'd he know
i like most genres except pop country
Yeah.
Yes
DEATH METAL
Tyler: "Jam with some friends! Make a garage band! Perform live!"
Corona virus: "I'mma stop you right there chief."
Corona is best for practising I've played for around 8 months and this has been the time I've most evolved with guitar playing just practice
@@mortisedleech7409 Right on!
Now i have a band with a guitarist that never played a drummer without drums and a random friend with a keyboard (i do play guitar for a month or 3 now)
Lmao
@@marieke1219 yess
I've always wanted to learn how to play the guitar, but the beginning was so slow and frustrating...
Lmao
@@evans3234 r/whoosh
I understand this is a reference I just don’t know what from
@@belugaman6772 the yousician ad brother
i hate these advertisements, when you want to learn and they tell you that you not gona improve..
Im 14 and the problem for me was that after i learned the sweet child of mine solo blindfolded i thought i could do everything... i couldnt, so i got frustrated and quit. I picked up my guitar after like three months and now i started playing more seriously and i put in hard work. So sometimes tis just good to take a break!:)
The reason I'm not getting better at guitar is that I'm "almost good" at everything
I'm "almost good" at alternate picking
I'm "almost good" at sweep
I'm "almost good" at tapping
And instead of practicing each one to become really good, I waste my time playing everything "almost good"
Keep going, exact same thing here.
Expect when I see other guitarists in my class they might be better then me at strumming but they can’t do bar chores at all.
You will get better.
Or if ya want you can focus on one thing for like a day or two.
We got time, quarantine isn’t gonna end in a while
ify bro.
The solution to your problem is right in front of you. Practice one thing to perfection then move onto the next. Then you will be able to play them all good
you just described me perfectly
Break that rusty cage bro ;)
There's a point in every musician's learning where he just goes: "I'm not gonna be able to do this anymore". Survive that phase, and boom,you're a musician
THIS!!! THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS!!! A MILLION TIMES THIS!!!
I felt this post
ok then i feel like this rn: Current objective:SURVIVE
That was amazing.
I am at this phase LOL its so brutal and time consuming all at the same time
Lack of self esteem and depression have kept me from even trying to improve in the past. It’s still a struggle, but I’m working through it. I used to play chords almost exclusively, but I just decided that I was going to learn the solo to wanted dead or alive and actually surprised myself at how quickly I picked it up. After that I have a hard time not plying every day to see what else I’m capable of.
Point is sometimes you just have to try even if you don’t believe in yourself.
"You just have to try even if you don't believe in yourself" As everything in your life mate
@@Haise-sandisabled people can literally play guitar hands free. No way a person is not able to learn something they are passionate about
*Are you a blues dad, someone who wears socks with sandals and listens to Bebop Jazz*
I'm not even a Dad and that one still hurts because it's true for me
Same
I don’t know man, rocksteady is pretty cool
Yeah I think they were two separate genre Tyler was talking about there - Blues is not Bebop Jazz.
It was Blues and then Jazz.
bebop and blues is one thing, but socks with sandals.....? oh dear:)
My reason ten
I keep playing “leaves from the vine” and crying instead of practicing or learning new songs.
This hit right in the feels
😭
That’s why I stick to playing ‘the girls from ba sing se’
damn, I keep playing the avatar's love. The nostalgia is enough to kill a baby elephant.
Damn
Things that have definitely helped me:
1. Stepping outside of genre. Metal/rock is fun, but Blues, Country and other genres open your eyes to a way wider world of technique.
2. When you choose a guitar, don't be afraid to have the dude at the guitar shop pull down and let you shoot out any and all that you are interested in. Also don't be afraid to ask to switch amps. I am always surprised by the amount of people who bought their first guitar after a small shred sesh on one guitar and one amp. Then 6 months later they really don't like it that much and go shopping again.
3. Effects are cool, but don't rely on them. You aren't going to hide mistakes under more distortion, overdrive or phasers and wah.
4. Pick songs that inspire you and learn them and their techniques, but don't only focus on learning songs. Maybe do Rob's one hour challenge (or whatever time frame you pick, maybe 2 or 3 hours) and force yourself to record some stuff and make some decisions quickly and see what you can make. Then you can assess how you did and make adjustments. It will help with developing YOU as a musician, not just having you emulate your favorites.
The Albums ..
Metal: Symphony X, the Odyssey
Jazz: John Scofield, This meets That
Rap: Jay-Z, the dynasty
Indie: Wilko, sky blue sky
Rock: Breaking Benjamin, Phobia
Blues: B.B.King, Live at the Regal
Electonic: Sohn, Rennen
Alternative: White Reaper, You deserve Love
Pop: Eve 6, Eve 6
Country: Brad Paisley, Play
Thank you..it helps a lot.
Thanks a lot! Was just going to make one. This helped! :)
B.B. King clearly be the best tho
Jason Becker is THEE shredder. That man was the god. Feel bad for him. He has ALS. That guitarist was one of my main inspirations to play.
Jew Adolf Really sucks. Man had legendary talent and he lost it because his body became disabled I feel so bad for him. He is an awesome person
Everyone should buy his albums, don’t steal his music. He deserves to get paid.
Lukas Rydelius CORRECT
I was literally listening to Altitudes before this and when I heard Tyler mention him I was like ‘oh shit no way’ he’s a god!!
The guy writes better music with his chin than we do with everything...
11. Play with feel, don’t play with a straight face. Just putting some heart and soul into those simple notes can much improve your sound.
How?
@Mr. E. Man Exactly. You can't just "put some heart and soul into those simple notes" (this reads like it's off some shitty blog article) because you have to be deeply connected to whatever it is you're playing for that "feeling" to be there, even then it can still just be something tangible like the player having good vibrato. Terrible "advice".
Not how it works soul won't make me play through fire and flea perfectly I hate seeing this
Robert Fripp would beg to differ
I agree but while u learning a song u need to be precise. Not missing and when u make it and tune it to perfection. I believe its time to make it musical. Add touches and little notes that u play when u jam but staying in the idea of the song it self not getting put of key with the song so much. Like making a cover
10 Albums: 3:28
Metal:
Symphony X - The Odyssey
Jazz:
John Scofield - This meets That
Rap:
Jay Z - The Dynasty
Indie:
Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
Rock:
Breaking Benjamin - Phobia
Blues:
BB King - Live at the Regal
Electronic:
Sohn - Rennen
Alternative:
White Reaper - You Deserve Love
Pop:
Eve 6 - Eve 6
Country:
Brad Paisley - Play
I'm surprised he used Phobia for rock. One of my all time favorites.
My main issue has become what i’ll deem the “too much food on my plate”. There’s so much I want to learn and master, yet I can’t “eat” it all at once. I’ve found (as of recent) that learning songs is the best way to practice and get better. Using scales to sharpen techniques, etc. is also beneficial
Brother, I had this problem. The guitar is so versatile there is so much to learn! But at least for me, the problem was not being overwhelmed it was being too inconsistent with practice. Some day just sit down, write everything down you wanna master and start the process!
Hey just empty your plate. And learn one thing at a time like first learn a scale then learn a solo it really helps
Joonas Tikkanen I also deal w/the inconsistency problem from time to time. Not that I don’t play everyday, cause I do; but what “you” practice matters. I find myself noodling quite a bit; usually it’s within a scale i’m learning so I guess it’s “okay”.
Peter's Place totally; lately i’ve been adopting the “learn one scale, then learn another; then combine them”. That’s really helped a lot. Same with chord extensions and inversions.
Chris Giannola Music Oh shit, there’s more of us? Thank you so much for posting this, this has been the biggest hurdle i’ve yet to get over :]
I feel I'm not getting better at guitar because I don't take practice seriously. I'm two and a half years in, and I love this stupid stick with strings on it with all my heart, but depression keeps me doing nothing with some of my days, and conflict, work, and college take up a lot of my time. I've seen this video a few times now and I've always failed to leave a comment after. Tonight, this video has inspired me to hopefully get back into the swing of what made me fall in love with guitar two summers ago. See y'all in Shred Town eventually.
i understand you, i was depressed also for my reasons and tried to learn guitar, and it was hard. But remember this, and it is important - You have to know music basic on guitar, notes you play,notes on freatboard, scales, when You will start to understand correlation, there will be huge progress, trust me, it helped me a lot. when you will strt to understand how things work on guitar, it will be more interesting and it will help with depression as well, it did for me.
It's all up to YOU!!
I gotta be honest, I was stuck for idk maybe 2 years because I thought I was a mediocre guitarist until 2 weeks ago when I decided to learn Afterlife by Avenged Sevenfold and I was thinking "damn, that sweep picking is miles away from my skills!" but I started to learn it and I'm progressing like I'd never imagined. This shit is real.
Honestly this all just boils down to: practice
Nope
Practice makes permanent, and only perfect practice makes perfect. I agree it comes down to practice when it comes to most players because most players aren't even real players are just owners who don't practice. but people who really want to get better, usually attempt to do things on a daily basis that they haven't done before. They will hit frustrating plateaus where they have to lay off the instruments for a few weeks only to find out they're better when they come back. It's like lifting weights and trying to become as strong as possible. You have to approach it passionately but intelligently becauseOverreaching is the classic downfall of anybody that loves what they're doing. You have to know when enough practice for the day is enoughAnd burn out is a very real thing not permanently with her a period where you need to just not see the instruments and give each other space
The only thing is, idk wtf to practice
Yep.
@@CheiDaFrio a comprehensive guitar book, or a set of comprehensive guitar videos should do (example: guitars for dummies: 7 books in 1)
10. You’re being scared easily when something is hard to play
Why I’m not getting better at guitar?
I’m a drummer
Lol and I'm a bass player
would you like some cotton candy?
That black guy in the yellow shirt will beat you tf up in boxing
@@thulsa_doom same
Matt from Wii Sports Resort lamooo
Me: sees title
Also me: is that like a personal attack or something?
Daniel Nuttall i felt the same 😅😅🖖🏾
The worst was "Recommended for you"
Top reasons I'm not getting better at guitar after 36 years:
1) I work a full time job
2) I'm not 16 years old any more, so I'm not playing 15 hours a day to become the next Yngwie Malmsteen
3) I own a cat that always demands my attention
4) I've discovered the sports channel on my tv and spend most of my time watching hockey
5) I own an old house that needs constant renovating
I want to stress #2. I played bass when I was about 9 years old until I got to high school, where I discovered....other things. They were good, fun things that I don't regret...but I let go of my bass playing. I just bought a Fender Jazz bass a couple of weeks ago and it's been fun and I'm happy; I play it everyday...but it's not like it was when I was younger. The drive and excitement just isn't quite there like it used to be. So all you young whipper-snappers keep at it!
@@yocraigst I hear ya. I've been playing drums for 25 years, but somewhere along the way I've lost the spark... the joy. It's still fun, I still identify as a drummer, but it's not a priority.
Recently I started picking up my guitar, and playing with my 10 year old son. It was fun, but I can see he's losing steam. Gotta figure out if I can reignite that spark for both of us.
@@yocraigst thank you for sharing this
I'm 13 years old playing metallica and i have so much fun... your comment is just saying what i wanted to to: keep on it. And that feels good, so thank you😁🙂
Then stop watching the sports channel
check an interview with jacob collier he gave me alot of freedom in my music
Reason No. 10 why I am not getting better: I’ve reached perfection.
@NPC 177O13 the joke went over your head
you Buckethead?
@Naggingaphid9 bruh that's the joke
That’s bull
Bro how long have you been playing if your perfect you should have been practicing 13 hours per day for the past 18 years but I don't think you can do that tbh
1.Sit straight
2.Free-up Tension in hands, Don't play notes or chords hardly
3.Always play with Drums to maintain rhythm
if you don't have a great sense of timing your not going to go far, the guy playing the drums , hes going to be like, its either you gain a sense of timing or I quit this band, ill admit I had a guy tell me , he said you sound good, and you play nice, but your timing is way off my man, I asked him , whats the best way to improve my timing , he tells me ,start playing along with all your favorite songs ,but turn everything way down including my own guitar so I could hear both the song and my guitar clearly, and it did help me to stay in sync with the songs guitar player , pretty soon , I applied it to soloing , at 1st it was hard , even though the lead to the song was still in time with the rest of the band I was still having trouble , I don't know exactly why this was happening , I was playing along with the songs , it sounded great, soon as the lead started I ran into my problems , I soon found out why I was having trouble, when a guitarist goes into his or her lead there in a groove ,like they could feel it the notes they were playing had passion in,em the way they bend there notes , the feeling in those notes and how long they would hold a single note but they gave there notes feeling ,like a violinist its just so passionate I had found my issue with why my timing was off, it was all in my soloing and how much time I spent on each note, but I began to apply more heart to my playing giving my notes feeling, emotion , music is from the heart im glad I stuck to it, I continue to play as often as I can ,simply because I LOVE IT !!! I wont play if im tired that's a stone waste of time, I need to be feeling fresh, rested and ready to rock, do my warm ups , get my fingers all warmed up and nice and flexible ,then I begin to play new things , im constantly on the search for different guitarists, for new inspiration , I don't allow myself to become hung up on any one guitarist , I listen to a vast collection of all time great guitarists from B.B.King, BACH , beegee,s Queen , R.E.O. speed wagon , list is way ,way too long to list them all, lol, but you get the idea, its like capt Kirk, to seek out strange new guitarists check,em out, listen to what they have to offer if anything at all, sometimes some don't but that's life, some suck, some are awesome but you never stop searching inspiration is hard to come by , I love to listen to anything once ,at least once just to see because you just never know , so instead of letting something go by you, don't give it a try give it a listening to, see what its about, you just never know, don't deny yourself the what very well could be something awesome to you, so at least give it a chance, I mean the whole time your doing this your just becoming a better musician , its the path I chose a long time ago, I don't regret seeing my very 1st electric guitar and completely falling in LOVE WITH IT !!! I was a 9 year little boy with a paper route ,I used my paper route money to buy that guitar ,yeah it was junk but to a 9 year old boy it was the most awesome thing I had ever laid my eyes on , I was a young dumb stupid kid , but one with a heart an empty heart in search of something special, seeing that cheap K-Mart special for $60.00 bucks without another thought I bought it and brought it home and tore it out of its box and started picking at the strings and I haven't looked back since , and I wouldn,t change a thing if I had it to do over again there some things I would have done differently as far as playing the guitar that I wouldn't have changed at all , I just kept telling myself its only going to get better , its only going to keep getting better , and get better it sure as hell did , so many nights I wanted to give up, bust it up and throw it out the window, I would get so frustrated with trying to learn how this thing works , I was poor as hell, I could afford much, a chord book, a few video,s it was SUPER TOUGH in the beginning , so many times I thought of giving up, I couldn't , I looked into myself I felt it in my heart I had to play , damn it I was going to learn how or die trying , I was determined to learn how to play the guitar and learn I did, it took several long years of frustrating nights, then they became happy nights when I started playing and playing better it made me feel good about myself I had taught myself how to play the guitar , fuck what anyone says , if you feel it in your heart im talking down deep in your heart to do whatever it is, you should do it, don't listen to the haters , they cant figure out there own lives let alone anyone else,s , so follow your heart, and fuck what anybody says , its your life you came in it alone and you damn sure are going to die in it alone so fuck,em get down with your bad self and follow your hearts dreams ,fuck the dumb shit , go for it, you only get one chance make it worth it, give it all you got, if you don't and do it half assed that will be the results your going to get, half assed , you want to be a half assed guitarist or musician ?? I sure as shit don't , so don't cut any slack ,be determined, be dedicated, and committed to whatever it may be you love doing but be sure to give it all you got to give baby , you only have 1 ticket what are you going to do with yours ?? this has been a story about one poor kid growing up in the city with a dream of making music using a guitar , sincerely, W.H.W. 4-25-20 what a ride its been ,but I wouldn't trade it for nothing .
@@The68lespaul Longest Comment Award 2020 ⚡
But... bar chords... hand cramps..
@@The68lespaul Thank you for posting your story
So inspiring!
@@sharko3211 Try not to squeeze the need with your thumb and rather push back with your arm and it will be less of a problem
10. I don’t jump onto learning new stuff cause i want everything i play to sound so inhumanly perfect instead of just good. So i end up spending hours upon hours perfecting that one lick or run, instead of going to the next thing, learn that til' I'm comfortable with it, and can play it good.
Awesome vid man, really made me think why I'm holding myself back.
I had just put my guitar down thinking "damn I think I'm not making any progress" to see this video posted the minute I put it down. Odd timing but pretty convenient. xD
Watching this makes me realize the reasons why I stopped playing seriously about 2-3 years ago. I got some progress until then, especially since I got a brand new strat-style guitar in 2016 and played it almost every day. But as time went on, my mind went from learning and getting better at playing to being good in my job as a mechanic. Despite having much free time, I didn't even take a glance at my guitars for too long, resulting in not having a balance in life. My last employment ended in a strong depressive disorder including suicidal thoughts etc, thus being sick ever since last summer. After finally getting rid of the meds I had to take for over a year, my emotions are slowly coming back and also the desire to play guitar again. Got into it since last week and it's soo damn good to make music again. I finally gained the confidence to express all my feelings with my guitars, I play everyday now.
Music really does make a difference, especially when you're actively engaging in it.
One of the main reasons for my setback is i lack patience when i'm learning. One problem i have is i want to play everything, by everything i really mean everything. For eg: I am learning a paul gilbert song, i give up when the hard part comes and switch to next artist , say a jazz piece for example. And i don't learn that fully and move on to the next. And the next is Necrophagist ! or a death metal song. This is one habit that has stuck to me for years, i really don't know how to improve on this.
I've forever been trying to nail the cliffs of dover intro, fuzz universe intro, midnight express (the whole song), tornado of souls solo. ignominous and pale solo. And all i've learnt is that i suck bigtime and have no patience to achieve greatness..
ripcord93 You don’t need patience. You need tenacity. I’m an impatient person and have managed to do many things through persistence. All impatience is is having a high sense of urgency. You can use that to your advantage.
Oh my god this happens to me on every single instrument I play. I km getting better at it but I hate it when I move on from an unfinished piece
Now that we're on Quarantine we have time to practice and study music.
Me before quarantine: "oh I can play smoke on the water... and... and stairway to heaven and... did I mention I can play smoke on the water?"
Me after quarantine: "yeah I can play Metropolies and Neon and Eruption and Thunder Surrender, but it's just not *challenging* enough!"
fender play gives 3 months free so do that lmao
Lol right?? This Stimulus package needs to come soon so I can upgrade a bit! Hopefully guitar stores are still open lol
@@daylight1908 I don't think we're getting that stimulus package. Senate is having trouble passing it
🎶🎵Take advaaaaantaaaage, take advantage. Take advaaaaantaaaage, take advantage. 🎶🎵🎸🎸🎸🎸
I absolutely love playing the guitar , I play and practice everyday, somedays its just an hour or so and some days its 4 hours, bottom line I love it and it makes me happy, I know I am not the greatest guitarist in the world but I certainly can play , I whole heartedly agree with you about the getting out and playing live , and with other people , it really helped my progress , great post
I'm a metal head most of the time but as my amp's distortion channel no longer worked I decided to re-visit and finally tidy up on Under the Bridge by RHCP. From there I really started to appreciate John Frusciante's style of playing and after watching a video of him talking about how much Hendrix had an influence on him, I decided to challenge myself and learn All Along the Watch Tower as I really like the solo's. Fortunately as the world was on lockdown I had alot of time to practice and I can now play it from start to finish. At the same time and by the power of RUclips's recommendations I have been checking out more of John Mayer and learning more blues and practicing on my improvisation. From there I've decided to build on my theory and I'm now finally learning modes, scales and chords in a way which improves my playing. It's strange how I've ended up having to diversify my playing because of a broken amp, but I'm thankful for it!
After commenting an entire list of things wrong with my playing habits, here's a tip I've learned that actually improved my speed: practice really easy licks and exercises and simply ignore when you miss. Think about the mistake after the exercise is done. Repeat the exercises and finish your routine. Then forget you can play guitar for an entire day or two or be forced to be away from your guitar like having a kidney stone and being stuck at the hospital over the weekend (do not actually get a kidney stone, it hurts, trust me). When you pick up your guitar again, you're magically faster and more precise. I think it has to do with your brain memorizing muscular movement patterns and fixating the knowledge over the time you were away. I don't know.
TheCdetonados bro I don’t know my strings are busted and I can’t play my guitar because I can’t buy strings outside 🤧
TheCdetonados bro I don’t know my strings are busted and I can’t play my guitar because I can’t buy strings outside 🤧
TheCdetonados bro I don’t know my strings are busted and I can’t play my guitar because I can’t buy strings outside 🤧
I also observed this in my playing but recently I committed myself to not skip a routine for even a single day.
@@kieroto5372 I try not to forget either, but after starting working from home, it became a bit harder. But also, it's kinda good to have resting days too. I finally understood how to play 16th notes, which is nice. Sometimes I try to not play and listen to tracks I know have techniques or concepts I'm trying to improve on.
This video had been out 4 months now so I'm sure no one will see this but I'm guilty of this entire list. Like most people. My number 10 however is a little different. I learned how to play to play with my dad. It's one of the few things we could do together. May 5th 2020 my dad didn't wake up. He passed in his sleep. Stage 4 bone cancer. During his illness he lost the ability to play hold a guitar.. walk.. or even get dressed. This caused me to put my guitar down and just stop because it reminds me of how much my pops was hurting towards the end and all he wanted to do was play one more SRV lick. I saw your 2020 update video a few hours ago and decided to pick up my old Kramer and give it one more chance. I suck. A lot. Its gonna take time to get it back right but I think that practice video might get me back in shape. Thanks for what you do. It helps more than guitar technique for some of us.
10. You can only do covers of other people's songs, and never try to compose something original
I try to make original music (never use a lyric generator just don't)
All the good music has already been made. Every guitarist is a cover artist these days weather they want to admit or not.
J What do mean there’s no more good music to be made
Terrible outlook to have on music but alright
I always compose somdthing original
2:58
My favourite guitar solo is Stream of Conciousness - Dream Theater so i think i'll just stick with the blues licks i already know
You can get it! ;)
Mine is 'erotomania' LoL
How do I be in a band if my friends don't play any instruments
Or they do but aren't that into it
This is like, my life except most hobbies I ever had...
Reach out through social media found what musicians are closest to you
@@malachibozikis4094 oh nice idea like hire someone, hah!! nice
@@r4v3nner not necessarily hire them, but just try to make friends and see if theyre up to jam? haha
Why I'm not getting better at guitar: I don't know what I need to know
Learn some scales man
Sign up for a guitar class online, find something that interests you. Then move on to things you dont understand.
rocksmith
NO! You should quit it 'll be good
(It's a negative comment☝️)
Best tip: stick with it instead of looking forward to learning 100 other things, then after u master it move forward.
Tyler: "take care of your instrument"
*sets guitar down on the head stock. Specifically the tuning pegs*
I take guitar lessons for 7 years now and every time my teacher gives me something more difficult to play, my first thoughts are always "Oh no, this won't be easy. I don't wanna play it. It would take so much practise and time" but exactly these songs make me better. My teacher teaches me 2-3 lines per lesson and I practise them at home. And in the next lesson she says what I can do better. So play difficult songs too. You learn so so much from them. Especially different techniques
Last time I was this early he only had 20 prs guitars
The only reason is this: those of us who are stuck are not putting our minds and souls into it; we can't give 100% of our effort to multiple things at once: work, being healthy, other hobbies, it's that simple, if you're not getting good at guitar, maybe you don't care enough about it. There's nothing wrong with that but don't excpect to get good by not doing much.
Or perhaps you just aren't practicing enough. I'm able to learn by having someone correct my mistakes, and that was it at first. When I first started, I got one lesson a month. Imagine how boring doing the same thing over one month is. As well as the fact everyone pressured me into trying Harder and practicing more, I quit. Now, I go on my own schedule, practice as much as I want to. At one point, I went twice a week to lessons. I love guitar now, and can play from tabs and online videos because I've mastered the basics. It's almost one year, now
Jorge Chávez No, you're right , you can't give 100% of your effort to multiple things at once (the fallacy of multitasking.) But, can you give 100% of your effort to the one thing you are doing right now? You can't do everything, but what you can do - do well. Incremental improvements do add up, be patient and it will happen.
My number 10 relates to your efficient practice comments. I feel I have too much to do. I’m in a rock band so I practice that, I play in church and I try to memorize that each week. Kids, dogs, wife and job. I plan a practice time each day and the next thing I know is it’s dinner time and the day is done.
Let's hit the clutch and shift out of neutral boys !!!!
"The difference between he novice and the master, is hat the master has failed, more times than he novice had strived." A man after my own heart
Here I am at 1:40 am watching a video from a year ago and all I can say is, "Thank You."
I am new to the channel and I'm sure you won't see this comment, but I am still grateful for this video.
I have been feeling like I hit a plateua for a few months now and this was exactly what I needed to watch.
It was very encouraging. 10/10 would recommend
I tried learning when I was younger and just didn't have the patience with myself to keep at it. Now that I'm into my 30's I'm finding it much easier to tell myself "not quite, try again"
Reason 10 for me: My band's style of music doesn't necessarily require me to get much better than I am.
Basic 4 or 5 chord rock & roll with bluesy solos, pentatonics for days.
After almost a decade of recording, selling albums, playing hundreds of shows, I got bored. REALLY bored.
So I started an instrumental project with two of the guys from aforementioned band, and I haven't been more excited to play in a very long time.
If you would, check out birdleaves - Turquoise here on RUclips. We're all more proud of that then what we did together for almost 10 years.
I think one of my pitfalls, which I am conquering currently, is that I often took shortcuts when learning new solos and stuff, since it sounded "close enough" anyway. Not doing that and sticking to the original is slowly helping me to improve tremendously.
"" Reason 10 : you spend too much time watching guitar videos on RUclips without taking out the essence of it ! ""
Great video! As a 15 years old guitarist who is only trying to get better at guitar I got to say you are kind of insperation for me, thanks for the advice! And thank you for this amazing video again
Hey I’m 15 also, who’s only trying to get better at guitar, who thinks Tyler is a cool guy. We are twins
@@grapedigger7522 do you know do a solo
Xertias Strat I know a lot of solos
@@grapedigger7522 oh ok u must be good so
Xertias Strat Thank you! I see from your videos you’re good too
This is all stuff that I know and would even preach to someone else who was playing guitar for a few years but for some reason I think I needed someone else to say it to me. Thanks Tyler your an inspiration and your love for our instrument reminds me of how I felt my first 5 years of playing. I've played for 15 years now and have definitely fallen into some of these traps. Thanks for keeping it real brother keep shredding
Humbly admitting why I am not progressing:
Overthinking all the nuances of playing, whether it's practice or live.
Meditation.....
I feel like I could benefit from playing with other musicians, however there are not many around my area that seem to be invested enough to hold a weekly jam session. Anyone else here feel that?
yea me
my friends also don't play instruments
They do not know what they are missing man.
I am just beginning my journey into guitar (again, I guess, I took a class in high school...), so I haven't even looked around me for stuff like that...But, maybe there is a way to use discord to create a jam session group online?
You hit the nail on the head in the first 2 minutes. "You get out what you put in" simple as that.
Rushing things will cause frustration and will become detrimental to progress. Just slow down and enjoy the journey of LEARNING. If your passion for the guitar is enough to keep you practicing, your progess will flourish.
Sometimes people don't need discipline to practice. They do it because it's all they want to do. Great video.
My brightness was really low so with his hand like that I thought he was wearing a black shirt and holding something. Then I realised it was just his cool pockets. Nice shirt man
Favourite licks. These days solo, bed of roses solo, in these arms solo, always solo. Ill be there for you solo. Livin on a prayer solo.
My worst habit is I will play the things I know randomly, jump from on to the other, but rarely stop and work on a new skill.
Well, aside from just not playing enough.
you mentioned jason becker... im happy now
Exactly my thought at that moment
Tyler isn’t teaching us guitar but he is also teaching us life
We are playing for others not for ourselves that is why we are not getting better.
Mic Drop-
OH Music Then how about the people who do covers?
I play for myself and fame that's why I'm 11 an have a band B17 bombers
I've found something that works for me, not learning scales, sound weird but listen, don't learn scales, find them, simply put on a song, start playing underneath it, start from the pentatonic, doesn't matter. You start from the pentatonic, then figure out the rest of it, just go on, play other notes, see what sounds like, if you've been playing for a while, you'll usually have an intuition as to where the right note is, then just go on, put that song on repeat, keep playing and slowly you'd have known all the "right" notes that lie within the chord progression of the song, and this is better than learning scales(at least for me), because you're finding it yourself, you don't have to memorize it, you know it, your finger will just land on the right place.
If you were able to make any sense out of this then try it, I've never learned a single scale except for the pentatonic and the blues, I started playing along to dead and company tracks and now I'm good at whatever mode they play in, I figured this out thanks to their song "sugaree", I played along to it, really went for the soloing with the chords type of stuff and then I've played along a few other songs of theirs, pink floyd have fitting music for this as well. Try this once
Interesting concept.
The most invaluable advice I could give anyone especially since I'm not the best would be to master your chords, as early as you can this will lead to you being better prepared to play your favorite songs in the future
I'm so freaking scared rn. I was at 1:15 when he said pot playing bass. As soon as he said that, Davie504 (bass youtuber) uploaded
Everytime someone disses bass, Davie uploads a video.
Ofc
I was waiting for someone to say this😂
@@JumpMasterJef sweet
I feel like my tenth reason is that I can’t find any songs that I would like to learn, and I don’t want to force my self to play songs I don’t like.
Maibe you could listen to random Songs in spotify and try to find some new songs and bands. Also I would recommend songsterr.com as the have the tabs for every single instrument of over 500k songs. Just browse through and take a look at some songs. They even play them for you.
I can definitely relate.
@@xDerFred make you own then😁
I signed up for super system a few months back and in that time I've learned more then I had in the last 15 years. Thanks Tyler
8:30 Actually, one bit of gear did help my playing. But she wasn't expensive.
I always found it nearly impossible to play barre chords on my Strat cos my fingers have almost no muscle or fat layers, & even worse, the hereditary arthritis I got at 20 made my knuckles bigger, so my fingers are kinda scalloped like Yngwie Malmsteen's fretboard. Then I test-played a Les Paul, figuring her 24.75-inch scale length would make her easier to play. That was the secret to barre chords & double bends.
Last Sunday, I bought a 2010 Gibson Les Paul Studio in Fireburst, w/a broken & repaired headstock, for $600. She plays buttery soft, & sounds absolutely bitchin. My rapid improvement has resumed. Now if there's anything that's excruciating to play on the Strat, I figure it out on the Paul, then go to the Strat. And now that I can play difficult things, instead of avoiding them, I can already feel my fingers getting stronger & more agile. And thanks to the Paul's headstock, now I can play at breakneck speed...tee hee.
"Or Playing Bass"
Davie504: Am I a Joke to you?
Reason number ten: life threw you a curve ball and you couldn't play for almost ten years. I had a bad accident as a teenager and most days I was in so much pain that I couldn't sit up without back support long enough to play. It honestly crushed me and I had no desire to play anymore. I've been doing a lot better the last year and a friend recently asked if I could teach him how to play. I told him I'd try but I hadn't played in years. I was shocked at how quickly things started to come back to me, I couldn't believe it. I hadn't moved my fingers like that in years. Your channel along with stevie t and davie504 have inspired me to start playing again. Your setup video was a godsend. I'm going to try setting everything myself except adjusting the truss rod. My les paul has developed some gnarly buzz over the years. As a kid I never really drove into the "technical side" of music; I just used tabs and never learned to read music. Now I want to learn some theory and learn as much as I can about the mechanical aspect of guitar. Your channel is awesome. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.
Music is Win: She plays bass, don't stay with her.
Meanwhile in BASSLAND: DAVIE 504 WOULD LIKE TO KNOW YOU LOCATION
@Robb Brown bass is a meme in the music industry but I have respect for the power it adds to a song
I think my 10th reason is that I spend too much time comparing myself to other people and getting jealous. It steals my joy and keeps me from growing musically. Been working on letting that go.
Thanks for the encouragement. Late in lifer. Wanted to be a folk singer my whole life. Finally starting to grow a pair
"Play other Genres" is the one thing i didn't want to hear.....
I HATE LISTENING TO MUSIC I DON'T WANNA LISTEN TO!!!
But most of the times i do, I appreciate the fuck out of it..
One reason why: you’re one of the 80% of guitarists on the internet complaining and whining about their problems instead of fixing them.
DJ Skullboy this is me
People talking about their genuine insecurities should not be mocked they could be practicing everday shut the fuck up and stop being so negative
Jerry Johnson he’s not being negative
He’s being realistic
Some people don’t have the determination or persistence to the learn something and improve
So they give up
Just watched your video and it was the most illuminating video I've watched to date. BTW I'm 62 and love your videos. Keep it up.
10. I don't have a teacher. 😭 Completely self taught. I can play things like Free Bird and many Guns N Roses songs but I feel that without the theory side of things and learning scales; I've just hit a brick wall. 🤦♂️
Oh man, I feel exactly the same. I think I really have to sign up for some guitar course but for some reason I still stick to yt videos and learning the most popular riffs
Same :(
Hania Szczygielska Me too dude :(
learn theory. I don’t have a teacher, but I’m already pretty decent. Find a fun way to learn scales, arpeggios and everything else. Look for a teacher maybe or an online course.
@@airconditioningunit9777 thanks man, I think that's what I have to do, because I don't see any other way to make a progress and understand the guitar, fretboard and all that stuff. I was thinking about Guitar Super System or that other course by Marty Music. You guys know anything about it?
Being in a band can also restrict your development; you automatically only play the songs you play and if you have booked gigs only practice those songs. I've found trying various on-line exercises, like your alternative picking, finger picking and spider crawls have helped recently. But finding a song that you like that is really tricky and persevering helps, breaking it down into small segments and taking each one slowly and then building up speed, then linking then in larger segments; 1+2, 2+3, 5+6 etc.
I love how straight and honest he is, it feels like my dad is teaching me life lessons right now.
Yesterday was my last time learning something new, slither by velvet revolver (I'm still pretty new to electric)
1st: You don't even attempt to create your own music.
Yeah, learn some theory, some scales and chords and create your own licks, or riffs, or chord progressions... Anything is good. I made this mistake a lot and now creating my original material is way more fun than just learning what other musicians composed in the past.
That will make you a more original musician than the others who just play their favorite riffs and the ones who start cover bands.
For sure. But you also should learn your inspirations' songs so you have more of a library to refer to
I actually wrote my first song after 1month of guitar, not a good idea... but it was fun
I know theory, but for some reason I am limited to writing lofi, punk, metal, and acoustic riffs.
@@nehemiahzo_ Even in punk, there are some theory, despite for what other would think, theory is not just classical and jazz.
César Nava Léon true. I have all these ideas and they never work. I try to write lyrics and drums to go with my riffs. I’m okay at guitar. Just running out of ideas.
One thing that helps me out a lot is i started to love to practice. Creating a routine just for me and also freestyling. I just love doing it
I’ve been teaching myself how to play guitar through RUclips and reddit, and I’ve hit a point where I don’t know what to learn at my skill level. I’ve memorized all 5 positions of the major scale and pentatonic scales, and can incorporate them into solos. But everything past that seems so far away from my skill level(I.e: different major modes, alternate picking, legato, complex riffs)
Try learning songs?
Learn Triads and start using them over songs
Alternate picking is definitely something you can work on just running through scales up and down the neck. Takes work, but becomes second nature once you do it enough. Modes for me were these strange things that were really confusing until one day it just clicked and made perfect sense. If you feel like you have a handle on major and pentatonic scales, maybe modes are a good next step - they're a different way of applying what you already know. For whatever reason, the Mixolydian mode was a good starting point for me to dip my toes in that pond.
try working on other techniques too (while not neglecting what you already know) like tapping, legato, arpeggios, sweeping, pinch harmonics and bending. if you have a floating bridge, try landing it on a note and not somewhere in between (start small, like 1 semitone lower so you get a feel for where that is, then do 2,3,4 until you run out of whammy movement)
and most importantly, if it sounds like shite, don't be discouraged. slow down, see (and feel) where you're going wrong and adjust accordingly
Yeah I recommend backing up from theory for a sec (you’re off to a great start), and just look up some tabs of your favorite bands and have fun. Then apply what theory you’ve learned to that and vice versa
Love your stuff man and your a great player, I’m curious also of how much theory you know I’m guitar?
Jacob M I’ve never met guitar
He went to Berklee - He is well schooled.👍
Hey guitar! I am Lute
No I'm Guitar.
Jacob M you’re you’re you’re you’re you’re you’re you’re. Not your. Get it right.
6:40 setting up your own guitar is actually pretty easy. Imo it also makes you understand and appreciate the instrument better.
I just started playing guitar 4 months ago ....And I just tried to learn the intro of Sweet Child O' Mine yesterday
Nice
good choice, and try to slowly learn notes on these intro you are playing, cause notes repeat all over fretboard.
@@zv3763 I will ...for sure
I just keep playing pentatonic licks
same
Wish I knew those
@@maJastoL same, just know the dm scale, but this does not mean that i can improvise something what is enjoyable xD
@@deathrebel9899 yo it’s been 3 months I’m stuck in the exact same spot can you help me out dude
I did self learning for 3 months before getting a teacher. If your not going the structured route I'd recommend a couple things. Definitely continue scales, start practicing chords( cannot stress the chords thing enough), pick a route to study the fretboard (i picked a poster myself), check out techniques like hammer ons and such,LEARN ALL THE SONGS, do all these things but be direct in your approach. Practice with an hour limit taking a break every 20 minutes for 5 minutes. After an hour stop "practicing" look up what diminished returns are. After an hour if you still want to guitar then just noodle my dude. Noodling is always after practice. Good luck my dudes
Right now I have chops from 20 years of playing guitar. I’m relearning music theory and sight reading notes and getting back into playing with a metronome and learning songs like I did when I was a kid. I’m 28 now and i am ready to become an absolute beast on guitar and quit procrastinating
10.1 Don't be frustrated when the results don't come as fast as you would like them to be. Just keep playing and they will come at appropriate time.
The "someone who wears socks with sandals and loves bebop jazz?" line cracked me up.
I’ve been watching your videos for a while, but that Symphony X suggestion just earned my subscription to your channel! Thanks for the inspiration to pick the guitar back up and just start playing again.
My 10th reason, ear training/singing
I personally feel that my technical chops and theory knowledge are miles ahead of my ear. I have some ear, I can learn almost anything by ear. But I can't sing and, SUPER IMPORTANT, I can't sing what I play.
I keep procrastinating ear and singing training! It's going on for years. It's embarrassing
This a weird reason: there ain't no much motivation and reward, guitar playing is under appreciated in these days and you don't have that many people whom to share with about true music. You can't play loud in your house or practice as much as you'd want to, you can't make sufficient money out of music (At least where I live) and in a new world full of possibilities it is way hard to excell as a musician and become recognized. The music industry is broken, corrupted, disgusting, etc. And it feels like just playing guitar won't change anything; I don't know if I managed to explain my point, but I hope some of you agree with some of the things I said.
Man this one hit deep and is kind of demotivating to be honest. I'd like for music to be a career in my life, but I have no idea how to start and getting into the music industry is probably hell. I'll just try to get better myself and if the I can't make anything of it then I guess it'll have to stay a hobby.
If you can't have fun playing for yourself then you won't be able to make people like you. You should not start playing an instrument only to be successful and famous if you don't even enjoy it in the first place.
Space Doode Big facts. Started playing the guitar because I fell in love with everything about it .The community ,dedication and emotion.It wasn’t a matter of whether I’d be rich off of it or not.
I have been playing the guitar for almost two years now and I know one thing that sticks out that I did and sort of still do that I need to stop doing. When your listening to music and you think "I kinda want to learn that" go to you couch (watch a Marty Schwartz video) and LEARN THE WHOLE THING. I know 43 licks on the guitar, but three total songs! Its a terrible habit to get into, and I highly suggest you don't waste your time learning parts of songs. I am finally learning a the rest of the songs I know parts of and I am starting to go out into the street with my acoustic. Happy Playing!
A reason I'm not getting better is I find no motivation in my self or from others so I just don't really care to try so I just let my guitar sit there.