Never took formal lessons on guitar, so I can say without a doubt that you don't need lessons to play. Look at someone like Tommy Emmanuel for example. Self taught, doesn't read music or tabs, just plays by ear. On the other side though, I had a friend who was an incredible player, and one day he started showing me a few things. My playing and understanding increased exponentially in maybe 30 minutes. I had a block of things I didn't really understand, and after he gave me a small piece of advice it opened my mind to so many things. Self taught is great, but you could go years and years while missing a simple piece of the puzzle that can improve so much in your playing.
When I was a kid I always though musicians were just gifted individuals. Some no doubt are. But as I got older I found out a lot of them just jammed and learned on their own to develop their own style.
@@fabiogasperini5868 Guitar, bass, piano, drums, vocals....the overwhelming majority of "musicians" are all self taught. Why? Because it's easier. Pop, rock, metal, hip hop, all of the mainstream commercial material is easy to play, and is what most people are into. Tougher forms of music that are more complicated like classical, spanish flamenco, progressive genres of pop, rock and metal...all of that stuff requires a lot more, but *still* you will find a majority of self taught players. It's far, far, far more common that people learn on their own than are formally taught. Formal training is hard, demanding, takes serious commitment, and you get a complete understanding of theory and performance execution. It's intense, and most of us are not interested in that. We'd rather roll doobies and tinker around on our instrument and eventually be able to play radio songs, all that easy stuff that we like to dance and party to. Just like singing in your room, it's the easy path most of us choose. I'm a self taught "musician", for over 30 years. I've only met a handful of players over my career that took lessons or were formally trained. It's not common, and we love that people are impressed that we are self taught. I always snicker to myself...it's way, way easier to tinker and figure out than to be shown and actually deep dive into understanding.
@@ibanmarshal1607 Thank you for that. I'm learning the acoustic guitar right now and I don't like the "pressure" I sometimes feel to get "formal" lessons. I have always believed that music comes from this place in your soul that is indefinable and intangible. It shouldn't be reduced to pragmatic constraints. It's all about enjoying the overall journey and being inspired by what creativity truly is. So thank you.
Kids, I know Dave is your hero.. he's one of mine too.. but for the love of God please give lessons a chance before you decide that the DIY path is for you. Yes, we are all capable of learning on our own (some of us are forced to) but don't underestimate the power of a good teacher.
I think you're opinion is valid. There are certain things that music teachers can help you with that really allow you to go farther with your musical abilities. It isn't normal for people to be able to play things like "The Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners" without taking a few classes or working a VERY long time on playing the song.
A teacher can certainly speed up the learning process, but it is, work in = work out. A determined, motivated student using only books will progress faster and become more advanced than a lackadaisical student with the best teacher in the world. The thing I don't like about this video is that he gives the idea to young music students that theory and extensive knowledge of the instrument isn't that important.
Well I just figured out how to play Everlong from watching this video, so this counts as a lesson. Dave Grohl just gave me a lesson. Now I know something I didn't a few minutes ago.
Learning how to familiarise yourself with an instrument doesn’t require lessons. You can do that on your own. Working out how to open up the possibilities with an instrument definitely requires others. I’ve learn so much from others and that’s the joy of instruments and music in general. There is always something to learn and it’s always a privilege to do so.
How learning to play a guitar is fun? It's constant fight with yourself to don't give up. 99% of time you just make mistakes. Really if I wouldn't be so poor I would be destroying guitars everyday. I hate guitar, but I will make it my bitch or I will die trying. For me guitar is just a tool. I take hammer or screwdriver to repair something and I take guitar to express myself. Thats simple. Why do I need others to express what I feel? They will be only standing in my way, distracting me from my goal. In 2020 I have plenty of methods to record myself, to improvise with myself and to make music without anyone help, exactly how I want it to be - simple, inperfect, raw, stupid and dirty, because thats how I am. I will never be perfect, so why I should even try? This is basically point of punk rock, pretty boy.
I think a good estimate is that, what takes a month to learn on your own can be condensed into an hour of professional tuition. In saying that, a large portion of learning to play requires strength and muscle memory and there really is no short cut to the hours that takes. I'm guessing when Dave says he taught himself, yeah right while surrounding yourself with other musicians. Its not really the same as your average teenager playing Wonderwall in his bedroom.
MrBegmar If you hate trying to play guitar and think that it’s a constant struggle, you need to work out what areas are causing you issues and focus on them. I’m no Petrucci but regardless of how others perceive my abilities, I’ll always enjoy myself. When I say “others” I don’t necessarily mean Professional tuition. Go down to your local music studio or find some people online to have a jam with. We learn so much by watching others play, watching techniques, and replicating sounds we like. If you find playing guitar a constant battle, you are simply trying to run before you can walk. I didn’t pick up a guitar on day one and expect to churn out Dancing in a Burning Room. Everything takes time, and guitar is massively rewarding.
Dave is great because he's grounded in reality. He's a friggin genius, but doesn't act like it. He acts like a dude you'd see at a party with a good sense of humor. I'm a shitty guitar player, but don't get riled about it if I'm having fun. Unlike Dave, I'm not leaning on this as a way to make a living, but as a way to enjoy life and keep my mind sharp. Love his tone and way he keeps things so refreshingly simple.
+Christopher Kelly This man has saved the state of Rock n' Roll as we know it. One of the most talented musicians of our generation... For the life of me I can't understand why someone would dislike this video.
+Zen Blender Ah, thanks to the power of math we can use the number of likes to work out what percentage of the population is dumb, so that would be 1.06% of the population, or people who rated this, are incredibly dense. So dense I bet light doesn't escape.
as a music teacher and someone who took ten years guitar lessons and self taught on drums I'd say self discovery with occasional lessons to make sure you're on the right path.
agree.. its super limiting not understanding theory.. drums are intuitive as hell.. but learning chords and arpeggios all over the neck and giving names to all of them and understanding how modulation works.. visualising all the modes.. that might be a lil hard and u probably might never reach the level u could with some theory help..
I can't question Dave, cause I idolize him but at the same time I envy every musician I meet who knows how to read music. I can't speak for drums but as a guitarist I know I first hand the limitations of not being able to read music...a couple friends read music and even though I am technically a cleaner, faster and more creative guitarist they are better musicians:-(. Guitar lessons also make you accountable to the teacher while learning and I would imagine makes for a more disciplined musician.
if you devote 15 minutes a day to lear how to read music, in a year you will be able to do a lot... you will not be a first sight reader , but you will be on your way. if you are already a good player, music reading will take you higuer.
It's funny these same guys, when the chair doesn't magically come together, end up paying someone else to read the instructions for them! I know! I make a living doing this! ha ha
6 years ago I couldn't play guitar, like it was so bad I got jokes for it. I saw this video after a 1000 try. this gave me hope and I promised to not stop ever again . now I have a band signed to a label, released a Ep, and I got hope to going pro one day. thank you Dave Grohl and this video, it did changed a life !
As a drummer who recently picked up guitar, this is exactly how I see it. I know I'm playing a guitar, but in my brain it's still kick/snare. I can totally see at 0:54 his brain going 'boom/tss/boom/tss'.
Zerosonico.....bro I just started learning the djembe drum (which makes all kinds of sounds) and i tell everyone its like playing guitar. So i COMPLETELY understand. Also been playing guitar a long time.
He's not jealous - he's right. Any guitarist that's not tone deaf can do this in a second. And you could take music lessons and theory classes that would help developer your ear and be able to lower a string a whole step (or maybe even 2 whole steps!!!) without a clip on tuner.
Here's the thing. Do you NEED lessons to learn how to play/create music on an instrument? Absolutely not. But every single "self taught" musician I've ever met, neglects to admit the fact that their teachers are the bands/songs they learned to play on the instrument. Dave says that "no one taught him to let the strings ring out." except maybe the hundreds of guitarists he's listened to over the course of his lifetime who do the exact same thing for the exact same effect. Its not something that just popped into his head one day. An audience member doesn't care HOW the drum was hit, the audience member cares WHAT sound comes from the drum. Dave didn't take a formal lesson on drumming, but he was most certainly taught how to play music on drums (and guitar for that matter) by the musicians he studied independently. He heard the sound coming form his stereo, and learned how to mimic that sound. All that being said, some people absolutely do NEED lessons to learn how to play music. Some people need the TABs, the Sheet Music, the backing tracks and help from a teacher. And there is ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with that. I do get tired of the these two sides always claiming to be superior. "I'm formally trained, so I'm better." vs "I'm self taught, so I play with more feel." garbage is just so damn old and full of shit. I don't care how someone learned to play music, who taught them, or why...all I care about is the answer to one simple question: Can this person make music that I like?
@juna wood I can watch all the social media crap 24/7 on how to cut hair.. but it dont make me barber.. If you ain't got it ..you ain't got it. Every single being on this planet learns from one another. NOBODY pulls anything out of thin air..NOBODY!! NOT EVEN DAVE> IT'S CALLED EVOLUTION!!. (SOME PEOPLE'S kidds.)
HOw can anyone justify not learning as much as you can about something you are interested in? Give me a break. He is a great drummer, great songwriter. Now everyone listens to him. But still, how many others have starved in the music business? How many great players and songwriters have not sold out to the record label for fame and fortune?
The point that he’s trying to make is that no one physically sat in front of him and taught him how to play the instruments. He’s basically saying that you don’t need to spend money on expensive instrument lessons in order to learn how to play. I agree with him. It all comes down to how much you like music. A guitar teacher isn’t going to magically make you better at playing the guitar. In reality teachers are just going to try their best to motivate you into learning the chords and notes. But you can honestly do it all on your own if you put in the time and effort. Overall taking lessons isn’t a bad thing but it’s also not necessary.
Groll is what music is all about. Play what you love, love what you play. People gravitate to honesty and passion. Thats why his music will stand the test of time, along with the other greats.
OwlsAreWatchingYou too funny I thought that too... also once in a while I will tune it quick and accurate don't even need a d to match like grohl....I taught myself too no lessons he's right I'm proud of my shitty guitar cause I made it
Any guitarist worth there salt should be able to do that in a matter of seconds, any guitarist worth their salt shouldn't take more then 30 seconds to tune a guitar aswell
I've never taken lessons and played guitar for a very long time. While I still enjoy it, it saddens me that with a year of taking classes, people are technically better players than me. The only thing I can do, that they can't, is finding my own melodies and improvising. When I was in a band, they thought I was technically too weak so I had to play the bass. I left the band when all the music we wrote became a shitty version of your average A7X 3-chord songs. Ever since I've been playing in the attic by myself, using a loop station. Only my dad appreciates what I'm doing. I just wished my friends would at least ask me how my music's coming along, but they really don't give a fuck.
***** Don't worry, I've gotten rid of the few friends that really took the asshole behavior to another level... For example, on a class trip (3 days long or so), one 'friend' had brought his guitar and it just sat there. He wasn't there. My other friends (who all couldnt play) messed around with it, until one remembered I play too. He pushed the guitar into my hands and as I asked what they wanted to hear, the guitar owner came walking in. He pointed at the guitar, in silence, and then held out his hand: I had to give it back. From a friend, you'd at least expect him to be polite about it, even if he already doesn't care. 6 months later, when i had my guitar with me, he took it to play on his own. He asked when he already had it unpacked in his hands. Sorry for these long stories, but I kindof have to get them off my chest :/
+Reuben Victoor Mhh I know situations like that too.. Maybe not as bad as you experienced, but still in a way that hurt me. I guess it's those little situations that hurt the most and it would only need a little respect to fix it.. Anyways, I'm happy you've gotten rid of them - definitely the best choice!
+elgin prewitt tabs, as opposed to sheet music, is ok. But relying too much on tabs (or sheet music) to learn songs doesn't develop your musical ear, which is actually pretty important
+The Chratheostic it's really not about being snobby but being "cool". For some reasons it's seen as dorky to know music theory but I would bet you just about anything Dave could tell you all kinds of theory related information as it relates to the guitar, it's just cooler to say you figured it out on your own.
Laudable, but lessons still give you access to a ton of information you can’t possibly feel your way through. Makes some things come along quicker and easier etc.
@@benhawkinsguitar jimi was self taught after he came from vietnam he played blues in towns he was all self taught and so was srv, rory gallagher many more
Rodzilla When did I ever say Dave was the only one? I find a lot of people inspirational. I said Dave was because its a video on Dave. If I said Joey Jordison, Jay Weinberg,A Nameless Ghoul Earth, or ,as you said, Ringo, it wouldn't make sense. It would be out of context.
I'm a guitar player, played now for 13 years, who has always loved Foo Fighters.. This video has forever changed the way I listen to Foo Fighters music!! YES. fucking inspirational is an accurate statement for Dave Grohl!
I don't know why everyone thinks this is so special, most guitarists don't know shit about chords or scales or anything. It's just a really easy to use instrument to write music on. You don't need to know anything about music theory to write a song, you just need a sense of melody and a general idea of where you want to go with your sound. Often people are either too lazy to get into music theory, or they're afraid to lose that ''feel'', afraid to become robots. I just didn't care for it, but now that I actually started learning it after 10 years of playing guitar and writing music, I came to realize that it doesn't replace(!) your old approach of playing guitar and writing music. It doesn't replace anything. Its just an extra dimension, another way to look at music. When I'm writing a song, trial and error, or just by whatever sounds right to my ears, I'm not like ''OH MY GOD I MUST APPLY THEORY, THIS IS SO BAD''. No. That's bullshit. It's just very useful when you're writing a song, or a lead, and you're just completely lost and just don't know what to do next. Then you look at what you've done so far, and instead of looking at an entire fretboard of 100 possible notes, you'll see patterns. It's just a diffrent approach that you can apply whenever you need it. And when you really master it, you can actually instantly find the notes you think of in your head, with either your guitar, piano, or voice. Wouldn't that make you feel so free? Theory isn't about restrictions, or rules, it's just a helping hand, and when you master it, you'll become fucking god.
djhero0071 Depends on the person, and his goals. If you feel like you want to be more aware of your choices while improvising or writing, it really wouldn't hurt to get into scales and chords. You can ask your guitar teacher about it if you have one, or maybe find more info about it on internet... Just so you know where to find every note you can play to a melody or song by just listening and quickly analyzing, to really make choices instead of a trial/error approach. Point is, I think people often like to look at their fretboard as if it's some kind of magic thing, finding ''weird'' notes. Or maybe they just like to stick to very basic chords. Or they're just not motivated to get into it because they think it's just reading boring books or something. I used to write music without any knowledge of music theory, but when I did learn about it, nothing really changed to my style of writing, exept for the fact that I felt like making choices, rather than practising magic (trial/error). But I'm not too good with theory either, I'm still learning. I can only speak for myself, and my own actions/goals... But once you really master music theory, and you can play any note, chord, scale and interval you can come up with right down to the second of thinking it, THAT would be the ultimate freedom of writing music. When you can do that, it'll be great to play with other people who can do that too, so you can really anticipate what everyone's doing and really play together. So... kind of a long story, but I wouldn't recommend anyone anything if I don't know about their goals or interests :). But for me getting into theory really opened alot of doors to come up with interesting riffs, melodies, leads, anything. And I hope some day I really master it, but there's alot more to music than music theory, and you can't learn everything at the same time while actually having fun, being motivated and inspired too.
Most guitarists don't know shit about chords or scales? You mean most BAD guitarists don't know shit about chords or scales. Any guitarist worth his salt definitely knows chords and all the GREAT ones also know scales...
Disc those guitar players are applying theory, whether they realize it or not. much like an athelete is making split second kinetic calculations but wouldn't be able to use the proper formula to solve on paper. now imagine combining those. the ability to plan things out and understand your options as well as the ability to execute them. also, there are seven notes, 11 if you count the half steps (sharps and flats)... not 100.
I thought that was the most awful analogy for it I’ve ever come across. The truth is that Dave was right but not for reasons he thinks he was right. The truth is that all the formal training in the world will do nothing for your songwriting ability. That comes from years and years of sitting down and working on music. No one can teach you how to write good songs because nobody knows how to extract a completely original thought from your brain. Think of technique the way you think about your tone or the quality of your equipment. It’s nice to have these things. It’s nice to have formal training. But ultimately, if you’re just trying to learn how to make songs, you’ll have the skill necessary to do that within six months of guitar playing. The rest of the journey is sitting around dissatisfied with what you’re making nearly all of the time only to have something decent jump out at you suddenly and often when you least expect it. Songwriting can really suck, but once you’re locked into it, it’s the most rewarding thing I’ve encountered on earth.
Okay, the no-lessons advice thing is fine as far as it goes. But if you DON'T take any instruction you BETTER have something else, like a good ear. And luck. And determination. And discipline. And perseverance. And patience. And good people skills. And good timing. Oh, and BTW finding your own way AND taking lessons are NOT two mutually exclusive things. I've taken instruction from dozens of different sources, picked up what I could and then moved on.
The first part is true, but you need determination, discipline, perseverance, patience, timing and people skills either way. You may have a good ear but no theory background and eventually, you'll get where you want. It's gonna take a very long time though, and people rather tend to quit. You can take all the instructions you want, but it all comes down to hours you put in yourself. On the other hand, if you have a good musical knowledge but no ear for the music, you'll never amount to anything. Your timing will be impaired, your dinamics will be bad. I didn't have much lessons in my life, I was shown some basic chord, major(ž/minor scales and that was pretty much it. I still don't know (theoretically) much more than a major/minor and a pentatonic scale. But I can make out what sounds good and can make my own melodies. I've never had problems with learning a song by ear and that's also helped me with writting a few. But yeah, I do realise that getting some lessons (and by lessons I mean even just getting some literature and learning by myself, we're living in an age that doesn't demand interaction in order to learn something) would help me immensely.
Underrated. Effing. Comment. So many kids I grew up with and today are like "I don't need to learn or work or practice! My favorite rock stars didn't!" And it's like well, you better hope you get ridiculously lucky then.
Learning by listening to Rush is both brilliant and daunting!! Awesome. Loved their touching impersonation for the Rock Hall of Fame. RIP Neil Peart...
In my experience with music, you don't NEED lessons to be a good musician, no. Some of the greats, Cobain, Grohl as seen, Hendrix, lots of early blues cats, were self taught. But if you want to take your music to the next level, eventually you'll want an instructor, a mentor. It becomes very difficult learning to play like Eric Johnson or Eric Gales without some form of a good teacher. You'll learn lots of scales and modes and chord variations and tricks and tips to sound better. It's like school. I don't need a teacher to help me understand astrophysics, but it helps a lot if I'm taking it seriously. It takes a lot to answer your own questions, while it might take someone with experience on those topics a few seconds. I was a good player in my early teens, but I didn't really start gaining recognition from my peers and other musicians until I took guitar lessons from an incredible retired session musician who helped my take my playing to the next level.
There's always more to learn, and it's way easier to learn with somebody pushing you along. If I could take instruction from a great jazz instructor for cheap even now in my playing, I'd be all over it.
+Rilay Marino Its relative (as I'm certain you would recognize) to the style/genre' of music one wants to play regarding receiving instruction. The true essence of a good -great musician is talent and desire. A musician with tremendous ears and feel trump knowing all the scales and theory. I started playing guitar(I sing as well) in 89'. It wasn't until 2 years ago I started composing. A good portion of the time I have no idea what notes and many of the chords are I'm playing. I know though and others have told me what compose is good( would love more to..) I can't refute one iota that a quality teacher isn't worth their weight in gold but.. The internet is at times beautiful place and cheaper/free:-) I'm learning, improving, absorbing and working with what I'm given.
+Bodyknowledge 77 I agree completely! Guys like Gary Clark Jr. or Hendrix are perfect embodiments of that. Learning to play with tone and work the guitar how you want is extremely important, as with any instrument. They do trump theory and technical knowledge. But, once you have that feeling down, its always great to try to take your playing to the next level. And its very difficult to do that if you dont know any or little theory. I brought up Eric Gales and Johnson, who are two guys who play with amazing tonality and feel, but also have tons of experience with learning modes and scales and the technical side. They have great tone, but without their knowledge, they would be completely different players. Its what makes them so good. John Mayer, one of my favorites, has said before that some of the songs he wrote he would not have been able to without attending Berkeley and training under Tomo Fujita. He has incredible tone, but he decided to take it to the next level and it totally paid off. Lots of self-taught students make the mistake of thinking there comes a time to make a decision; Feel and tone, or Theory. There doesn;t have to be that, you can master both easily if you put your mind to it. I think that myth stems from genres like metal where guitarists can often shred through modes and scales, but you take away all the sweeping and kick off the distortion and sometimes they just naturally dont have a great feel (cough Kirk Hammett cough). Then they hear players like Angus Young and Jimi Hendrix who dont venture super far into the very intellectual side of music, but have a great feel for their guitar, and see they know no theory, and think theyre off the hook. The truth is that the best players will master both and have an incredibly wide arsenal to work with.
As a music teacher, one of my MOs is teaching my students how to perform and create music in a way that does not physically hurt them; the techniques for singing and holding instruments are the way they are for a reason. It’s also important to stretch those muscles. So if you can learn on your own, all power to you, but research how to be physically safe about it. Many pop singers are getting lesions and surgeries because they’re singing incorrectly. Be careful.
Bruh Man tbh yes, because I’ve known a drummer who are now a music producer, every time people hear his stuff, they must be amaze with the drum beat and yeah it is because he came from the drummer perspective
This was some of the most inspirational advice I’ve ever heard as someone who is sort of afraid to pick up and play music. I think what people tend to say to themselves is “I can’t play”. Can’t play? Who told you that? We’re born knowing how to play, it’s more that others tell us that we play the wrong way. That’s not possible and that’s not how playing works.
i’ve been playing guitar for around 2 yrs without lessons and i’d say i’m probably somewhere between beginner and intermediate. i taught myself chords/bar chords and how to read tabs first. after that i learned some of the classic fingerstyle songs like blackbird and tears in heaven and whatnot, as well as other pretty songs i like to listen too like cherry wine and let her go. now I’ve started to arrange fingerstyle acoustic songs as practice, although my arrangements are not nearly as good as ppl like Andrew foy. i want to take lessons but they’re too expensive, but i am kind of at a point where i don’t know what to learn or where to find information on how to improve my playing. i’ve watched a lot of RUclips vids and some are helpful, but almost all sound pretty much the same. does anyone have advice on where i can find resources to better my skills? i am also saving up for an electric guitar and a small amp, so resources for electric guitar would also be helpful!
Same shit man.I just started learning Metallica,they have a lot of hard songs. +I play scales, train hammers and pull-offs.Also play downstrokes and alternative picking at max speed for minute or more so eventually I can play longer and faster.
Miguel Sanchez i hope to have a more diverse skill set in guitar because right now, i pretty much only know how to play acoustic and fingerstyle. my goal right now is to get better at fingerstyle and become more comfortable moving around the fretboard. I would also like to expand my knowledge and skill with acoustic guitar into the styles of jazz and blues. I am really excited to get an electric guitar because I could expand more into other styles like funk and rock. I want to develop my own style with these influences and figure out what I like best. it feels like an ambitious goal to just try to learn everything, but there’s really nothing else I’ve ever been so motivated to do. to be honest, i am not sure what I want to do with music in the future. the goal would be to be able to make a living off of music, but I also know that achieving that would be difficult, so playing as a hobby and releasing music on the side would also be great. I feel such a deep connection to music and I would never want it to not be a part of my life. Thank you for taking the time to read and I’m sorry for the long reply!
+E Schur To be fair, chairs are usually not rocket science. A wardrobe or a bed with drawers or so, sure, but a chair? Might still depend on the model, but usually you can figure it out.
+E Schur Maybe if you are stupid. Ikea shit is so easy and so self explanatory. If you could put the shapes in the right hole as a kid you can build an ikea chair
E Schur it is easy to build an ikea chair minus the instructions, there is nothing that can go wrong, it is a simple process. You either have the imagination and develop the skill or you just don't have a clue. You either fall down on the first step or you don't, talent and expectation will smash the painting by numbers lessons to bits, being taught is like a replica, a copy, a cover band artist, they can have a lot of fun and sound great but without that tab to learn from they are hopeless, no originality. Not knowing the chords by name, not knowing the scales back to front is a blessing in my mind. I never know what i will play next each time i pick up my guitar and i love that. Ooh, that's not musically correct, oh, really? Then fuck off and get your copy book out, take a new note and do something fresh. Fuck cover version shit.
I’m the same way, lessons made me board of piano, constantly having to play scales for months, and not playing any actual songs is what led me to quit, I started guitar about a year ago and I’m not doing lessons, and it’s fun doing scales when I want to do scales not only scales.
I took guitar lessons for several years from an incredible guitarist who inspired me even more to continue learning and playing on my own. You don't really need a teacher to play guitar but it's better, of course, if you have a GREAT teacher.
Thank you Mr.Dave for your honest. I took piano for like Five years it still drives me berserk trying to coordinate my hands to the notes. Just way too much to recall. Who would have known that I could play guitar. I’m sixty now and I took 2 lessons from my friend and ran with it. Two years later I’m busking and changing the world! Maybe not the world but, I sure put a lot of great smiles in all the folks in my kool community her in fla.
Don't kid yourself. He did learn enough to know about suspended chords. He did take lessons ,either by reading books or learning from friends who knew how to play . Knowledge is not magically bestowed upon us . You have to work hard , read books , take lessons if you can .
lmao you do realise that if you spend a few hours everyday at a guitar, as I imagine grohl did, you don't just stay at the same ability, people do have the ability to learn without guidelines you know?
@@cheeselover2 You eventually will hit a wall where you cannot progress further. You can't magically come out with knowledge without actually studying and learning. Sure you can play your songs through without any theory or extensive knowledge but you need some sort of guidelines
I've been playing guitar for 7 years now, I went to a couple of lessons and didn't learn a single thing that I apply to my playing style today, I like to consider myself as a self taught guitarrist, one night I blew off a party and just sat down with my guitar, put the first Ramones album on my headphones and started to learn how to play song by song on my own, by sunrise I already knew how to play the entire album, as time passed I left punk and started to play more sophisticated stuff but never actually got lessons, my point is that you can be good being self taught, you just have to be dedicated and try your best and you will get better
Nico Rodriguez Ok but at certain point you will need at least some tabs right? i doubt someone can learn holy wars the punishment due using ears only. Is really good knowing how to play by yourself but u cant depend on that if you really want to improve. I never had a proper teacher but i had to research on how to do arpeggios and and more complex riffs.
Not High, I swear Of course, I'm not gonna lie and say that I learned every last thing I know on my own, I did the same things you did to learn new techniques, I'd say it's next to impossible to learn to play heavy metal by ear
Godddamn, how did I not see this interview back in 2013???? That concept of seeing the strings from a drummers perspective totally makes sense and just gave me a whole new other POV of playing guitar.
You can be amazing without any lessons, there's a lot of musicians without any lessons, but the thing is, with lessons you will get there faster, will learn the correct technique without any bad habits or wrong things, and also, will UNDERSTAND how music works. Yeah, you can create music anyways, but creating things like harmony for example, will be just trial and error, and if something sounds good, it will stay that way, if sounds bad, you will try again. If you understand how harmony works, you can make up whatever harmony you want to add based on how you want it to sound, you can add some warm chords around that, without any trys, because you KNOW how those things work. yeah, tldr, don't worry if you can't get lessons, but if you can, go for it
Yes, also understanding music will not only make you a better musician for you, but will make you work better for others. Being versatile and easier to work with can make you go miles ahead. If you play guitar and understand how the drums have to coincide with the bass for example can open oportunities for you to work with them. The same way if you play the violin, knowing how the bassoon enters a particular part can help you be a better musician to you and to others
Charlie Watts said in an interview that he’d never had a drum lesson but he learnt by listening to old jazz records and playing along to them .. seemed to have worked!!!!
i mean the songs he's playing are pretty easy I've actually played the too fighters song where he drops it to D its very easy. now if you wanna play jimi Hendrix you're probably going to need a lesson. not saying it is impossible to master the guitar by ear but save yourself a year of dicking around and learn a few things from other players
it's still studying, it's not self-experencie to watch someone from youtube who knows it. dunno why people think they are better than the others who go to a place to study instead of watching youtube.
Körmendy Mátyás I dont think im better then those people who took classes but saying that a person like me who hasn't taken any classes isnt a real muscian is an insult.
Can you can tell me what you've done? I do want to start guitar playing and i have an acoustic guitar (lend from a friend) with me since a week. I want to switch to an electric guitar (a strat would be my favourite) as soon as possible. I don't take lessons and don't really know where to start. At the moment i try to learn to make the A, D and E chord sound nicely and be able to switch between them as quick as i can do. After that play some simple songs to have some kind of base. How did you start your learning process, how long have you played per day, have you had a specific structure or anything? Thank you
Dave inspired me to play drums and guitar. I dont know musical theory shit about these instruments, but I play the hell out of them(not saying im amazing). You gotta do what you gotta do
out of context , but thats how i learnt physics actually , it took time , it was all about learning it myself without looking at the solutions , just doing things in my own way and developing my interpretation/method/understanding of it. But yeah, good mentors / peers can make a whole lotta difference .
Phil875019 he’s just saying that Dave can get away with not taking lessons because he just plays rhythm he doesn’t need all the theory for playing lead parts in a song.
@@phil_fr6732 a ton of great guitarists didnt go to... "music school"(?), doesnt mean they didn't spent years in their bedroom learning the intellectual side of guitar.
"The guitar is basically a big complicated tambourine". I forget who said that but it made the role of the instrument clear to me. That's why it's in the rhythm section.
I have to say this: as someone who taught myself to play the guitar, when people say “I learned by listening to music” they are full of shit. Maybe 1 out of a 1000000 are telling the truth. They were born with a ear and that’s more than talent it’s boarderline a superpower. You learn by watching people play music. At a show you watch their hands. You watch videos obsessively and pause the video to see where their fingers are. You learn a couple chords. You get good at those. Then you learn a couple more chords and so on. But, to say you just heard a song an instinctually knew the chords they were playing is fuckin insane. It’s insane even if it’s true.
I can play by ear, I just listen then pause it find the same notes on the fretboard by playing them till I hear the same one as the song then find the closest chords that match these notes, then carry on untill iv got the whole song ,then I'd practice it listening to the song untill iv got it down pack, then might put my own spin on it if I want too , but if it's a really hard or complicated song then it would be really difficult or too difficult for me to figure out
Sonzai so you magically know how to arrange your fingers into chords? You can hear how to play an AM? I’m not saying someone who knows how to play can’t play by ear. I can figure out most songs by just listening to them, as well. Now, not the first time I picked up a guitar. I’m saying a kid with no prior knowledge. No lesson whether it be from a friend showing you a power chord to full out lessons. Can do that. You need to know at least the basics.
@@johnnieriot13 I see and your right Haha, my father showed me the basics and I went from there, but yeah playing by ear from scratch would be pretty hard
i have played guitar for 9 years learning by my self. tried 3 guitar lessons until i found out it wasn't for me. What i notice is that people with guitar lessons are obvously alot better than me technaly on the guitar even if they have only played 2-4 years. BUT, i don't know how to say this without looking like an ego dildo, what i feel, is that in return for learning on my own and figuring things out my self. Is that it gives me alot better sense of rythm and creativity when it comes to making my own shit than ''MOST'' others. Keep in mind tho, of what i can play on guitar, 98% is rythm/riffs and 2% solo In my personal opinion, i think that developing your own style or feel to your playing, comes more natural for those that like to learn by them self, through jamming and learning by sound. But don't get me wrong, i think i would sound 10x better if i learned some teqniques. but i am lazy
Eh, I don't know about that to be honest. I self taught for 4 years, I had a creative and rhythmic depth, but I honestly didn't know shit. I wasn't bad by any means but I also wasn't that good at soloing. I started taking lessons in January, and at the same time I started playing with a band and that made a pretty substantial improvement on my playing. Lessons helped me see what I was doing wrong and I improved on that, I also began soloing. Playing with a band helped fine tune my rhythm and taught me the importance of constant communication. Without the lessons a lot of this wouldn't matter since the lessons are what truly made me a better guitar player. I went from playing strictly rhythm with this band, to being the main backup lead guitarist (I still play rhythm mostly, but I also solo more often and am able to sub in for the lead when he couldn't perform). In other words, lessons will always be the better choice when it comes to becoming a better player.
Eh, I don't know about that to be honest. I self taught for 4 years, I had a creative and rhythmic depth, but I honestly didn't know shit. I wasn't bad by any means but I also wasn't that good at soloing. I started taking lessons in January, and at the same time I started playing with a band and that made a pretty substantial improvement on my playing. Lessons helped me see what I was doing wrong and I improved on that, I also began soloing. Playing with a band helped fine tune my rhythm and taught me the importance of constant communication. Without the lessons a lot of this wouldn't matter since the lessons are what truly made me a better guitar player. I went from playing strictly rhythm with this band, to being the main backup lead guitarist (I still play rhythm mostly, but I also solo more often and am able to sub in for the lead when he couldn't perform). In other words, lessons will always be the better choice when it comes to becoming a better player.
You just described me and my playing exactly.. except I've been doing it for 20 years. I like that i have my own thing going on but could play better solos with lessons. I can't be bothered though. That isn't fun for me. Picking up the guitar and there being more mystery in it makes it more fun for me. Same with drums. I play drums pretty well for someone who has had no lessons.
There isn't much to theory except for learning that every key has 7 pitches, and every pitch has a chord. And you can play pretty much all of them with power chords. You can learn theory in like 1 week, and be able to solo really well. The problem is that theory is only good after playing for a year or two. Normally it is better to spend the first year or two just jamming on your own with the knowledge of a couple chords.
I went to a guitar summer class before, the teacher only taught me G, Em, C, Am, D, and Bm chord. I go to class everyday, and I keep repeating all of it over and over again, she barely thought me about strumming patterns, and she didn't teach me how to pluck/fingerpick. I had to teach myself everything after the summer class ended. Thinking about it now, it was definitely a waste of money, when I could have just taught myself how to play at home. I'm also a lefty, and I was forced to play right handed.
I just figured out how golf works after 20 years of practicing random things that never led to improvement now im practicing real shit and getting dialed in. I had to learn how it actually works not how i think it works its a totally different approach than the blind squirrel theory
@@techsysengineer5135 Right so ur well versed in golf theory lol. How bout OP lol? What really tripped me out is the science and the d plane, it seems so simple but I NEVER would have guessed it by just trying different stuff
This is just what I needed to hear cause I’m a self taught drummer and I’ve been slowly learning guitar. I suck at chords but I’m good at finger style probably thanks to being a drummer
It is pretty amazing how over the years you just develop the ear for it so you know almost instantly where the D note is. I’ve been playing for almost a year now and just the other day I realized I can find drop D and standard without knowing exactly what note it is with a tuner. Hope I can develop my ear to a whole new level someday
Totally appreciate Dave's approach but I'm going to follow the directions on that chair build lol. And I do like how theory helps me navigate what I'm hearing or playing. At the end of the day, it's about whether you're happy with your product or not, regardless of your method of getting it out. Thanks for this video!
fucking no guitarists know anything about music theory, they just play something that sounds good. Both guitarist in my band can't even read sheet music, you just tell them the chords and they make it sound amazing
+Ron Burgundy who says he's wrong? like the majority of guitarist play something that sounds good and half of the time they don't even know the notes in the chord or melody. I'm a guitarist a don't know a lot of music theory, I can read tabs and sheet music. So he's not wrong and neither are you.
Dave is like...screw this interview I’m just gonna keep playing Everlong.
Dave Grohl proves you don’t need speech to interview
Nobody complaining tbh
one of the easiest songs to play ever
@@diogoalmeida4115 not everyone who never stops playing is a musician...
U made my morning with this comment haha - was just getting to this very point as I read it
Never took formal lessons on guitar, so I can say without a doubt that you don't need lessons to play. Look at someone like Tommy Emmanuel for example. Self taught, doesn't read music or tabs, just plays by ear. On the other side though, I had a friend who was an incredible player, and one day he started showing me a few things. My playing and understanding increased exponentially in maybe 30 minutes. I had a block of things I didn't really understand, and after he gave me a small piece of advice it opened my mind to so many things. Self taught is great, but you could go years and years while missing a simple piece of the puzzle that can improve so much in your playing.
Tommy Emmanuel is a child prodigy.
actually exactly how it happened for me was that I spent a day with a friend and he completely opened up the fretboard to me.
Emmanuel had probably the best teacher of them all, Chet Atkins.
Same, I’m no theory nut, but I can definitely make some pretty cool riffs
No shit I just bought a TE Maton absolutely love it!!!
1:40 Thought he was gonna pull out a mini-drum set to demo.
Hahahaha 😆
Heheeeeeeeeh
Built to spill are better
@@_aworldthatspoke950 yeah duh
@@saturatedneowax but dough doesn’t have a fucking interview
When I was a kid I always though musicians were just gifted individuals. Some no doubt are. But as I got older I found out a lot of them just jammed and learned on their own to develop their own style.
Yes, because it's way easier to learn on your own.
@@ibanmarshal1607 you're joking, right? Learn what?
@@fabiogasperini5868 Guitar, bass, piano, drums, vocals....the overwhelming majority of "musicians" are all self taught. Why? Because it's easier. Pop, rock, metal, hip hop, all of the mainstream commercial material is easy to play, and is what most people are into.
Tougher forms of music that are more complicated like classical, spanish flamenco, progressive genres of pop, rock and metal...all of that stuff requires a lot more, but *still* you will find a majority of self taught players.
It's far, far, far more common that people learn on their own than are formally taught. Formal training is hard, demanding, takes serious commitment, and you get a complete understanding of theory and performance execution. It's intense, and most of us are not interested in that.
We'd rather roll doobies and tinker around on our instrument and eventually be able to play radio songs, all that easy stuff that we like to dance and party to. Just like singing in your room, it's the easy path most of us choose.
I'm a self taught "musician", for over 30 years. I've only met a handful of players over my career that took lessons or were formally trained. It's not common, and we love that people are impressed that we are self taught. I always snicker to myself...it's way, way easier to tinker and figure out than to be shown and actually deep dive into understanding.
@@ibanmarshal1607 Thank you for that. I'm learning the acoustic guitar right now and I don't like the "pressure" I sometimes feel to get "formal" lessons. I have always believed that music comes from this place in your soul that is indefinable and intangible. It shouldn't be reduced to pragmatic constraints. It's all about enjoying the overall journey and being inspired by what creativity truly is. So thank you.
Learning how to write music with no knowledge of the chords is extremely talented it’s almost like they picked up a guitar and could instantly play it
Kids, I know Dave is your hero.. he's one of mine too.. but for the love of God please give lessons a chance before you decide that the DIY path is for you.
Yes, we are all capable of learning on our own (some of us are forced to) but don't underestimate the power of a good teacher.
Says teacher.
I agree. Taught myself and still am teaching myself. Takes a really long time than with a teacher but it's more satisfying. Guess I'm a patient man.
I think you're opinion is valid. There are certain things that music teachers can help you with that really allow you to go farther with your musical abilities. It isn't normal for people to be able to play things like "The Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners" without taking a few classes or working a VERY long time on playing the song.
A teacher can certainly speed up the learning process, but it is, work in = work out. A determined, motivated student using only books will progress faster and become more advanced than a lackadaisical student with the best teacher in the world.
The thing I don't like about this video is that he gives the idea to young music students that theory and extensive knowledge of the instrument isn't that important.
Don't take lessons from a teacher, take lessons from a guitar player.
looks like the drummer from Nirvana
huh... I wonder why????
*He Is ThE dRuMmEr FoR NiRvAnA*
@@lookatmyplaylists9848 No, he was! :)))
Looks like the lead singer from Foo Fighters
I’m sure there’s a comment on Smells like Teen Spirit that says “The drummer looks like the lead singer from Foo Fighters.”
Well I just figured out how to play Everlong from watching this video, so this counts as a lesson. Dave Grohl just gave me a lesson. Now I know something I didn't a few minutes ago.
+Helium Road Send him $30.
+Helium Road First song i ever learned to play. Simple tune. But some people will try to make it more confusing than it is.
Drop D is extremely common in every genre, you will bump into it eventually
still trying to figure out how he played the tune before that..what is he alternating with???
no thanks I'd rather not break my strings
Next up:
"Brushy One String proves you don't need 6 strings to rock"
Impossible 😂
fuck that guy
@@14scythian88 lol, somebody's mad..
@Trad Chad he isn’t interested in lolis
:))) that would be something
Learning how to familiarise yourself with an instrument doesn’t require lessons. You can do that on your own. Working out how to open up the possibilities with an instrument definitely requires others. I’ve learn so much from others and that’s the joy of instruments and music in general. There is always something to learn and it’s always a privilege to do so.
Dan Couldn‘t say it better.
I was influenced by Malcom Young, Eddie VH, Hetfield and henneman .all different styles. I still can’t get” Mean streets “ down
How learning to play a guitar is fun? It's constant fight with yourself to don't give up. 99% of time you just make mistakes. Really if I wouldn't be so poor I would be destroying guitars everyday. I hate guitar, but I will make it my bitch or I will die trying.
For me guitar is just a tool. I take hammer or screwdriver to repair something and I take guitar to express myself. Thats simple. Why do I need others to express what I feel? They will be only standing in my way, distracting me from my goal. In 2020 I have plenty of methods to record myself, to improvise with myself and to make music without anyone help, exactly how I want it to be - simple, inperfect, raw, stupid and dirty, because thats how I am. I will never be perfect, so why I should even try? This is basically point of punk rock, pretty boy.
I think a good estimate is that, what takes a month to learn on your own can be condensed into an hour of professional tuition.
In saying that, a large portion of learning to play requires strength and muscle memory and there really is no short cut to the hours that takes.
I'm guessing when Dave says he taught himself, yeah right while surrounding yourself with other musicians. Its not really the same as your average teenager playing Wonderwall in his bedroom.
MrBegmar If you hate trying to play guitar and think that it’s a constant struggle, you need to work out what areas are causing you issues and focus on them. I’m no Petrucci but regardless of how others perceive my abilities, I’ll always enjoy myself. When I say “others” I don’t necessarily mean Professional tuition. Go down to your local music studio or find some people online to have a jam with. We learn so much by watching others play, watching techniques, and replicating sounds we like. If you find playing guitar a constant battle, you are simply trying to run before you can walk. I didn’t pick up a guitar on day one and expect to churn out Dancing in a Burning Room. Everything takes time, and guitar is massively rewarding.
Dave is great because he's grounded in reality. He's a friggin genius, but doesn't act like it. He acts like a dude you'd see at a party with a good sense of humor. I'm a shitty guitar player, but don't get riled about it if I'm having fun. Unlike Dave, I'm not leaning on this as a way to make a living, but as a way to enjoy life and keep my mind sharp. Love his tone and way he keeps things so refreshingly simple.
+Christopher Kelly My words exactly!
+Christopher Kelly This man has saved the state of Rock n' Roll as we know it. One of the
most talented musicians of our generation... For the life of me I can't
understand why someone would dislike this video.
+Zen Blender Absolutely not. I can't figure it out either.
+Zen Blender Ah, thanks to the power of math we can use the number of likes to work out what percentage of the population is dumb, so that would be 1.06% of the population, or people who rated this, are incredibly dense. So dense I bet light doesn't escape.
+Christopher Kelly "dave grohl is a friggin genius". i guess the bar has never been lower.
as a music teacher and someone who took ten years guitar lessons and self taught on drums I'd say self discovery with occasional lessons to make sure you're on the right path.
you right
agree.. its super limiting not understanding theory.. drums are intuitive as hell.. but learning chords and arpeggios all over the neck and giving names to all of them and understanding how modulation works.. visualising all the modes.. that might be a lil hard and u probably might never reach the level u could with some theory help..
+Rudegardt Britz without some theory help*
I can't question Dave, cause I idolize him but at the same time I envy every musician I meet who knows how to read music. I can't speak for drums but as a guitarist I know I first hand the limitations of not being able to read music...a couple friends read music and even though I am technically a cleaner, faster and more creative guitarist they are better musicians:-(. Guitar lessons also make you accountable to the teacher while learning and I would imagine makes for a more disciplined musician.
if you devote 15 minutes a day to lear how to read music, in a year you will be able to do a lot... you will not be a first sight reader , but you will be on your way. if you are already a good player, music reading will take you higuer.
At the end of the day, when I'm sitting in my shity Ikea chair, I feel proud, because ikea didn't tell me how to put it together.
-Dave Grohl
It's funny these same guys, when the chair doesn't magically come together, end up paying someone else to read the instructions for them! I know! I make a living doing this! ha ha
I read this while he was saying it
@@ChrisMillerdoubleplanet WHAT
@@goranfazlinovic4030 ikr easy money 💴 💰 💵
Pride is at the core of this statement. A man is an island, right? I don't need no one. Sad
6 years ago I couldn't play guitar, like it was so bad I got jokes for it. I saw this video after a 1000 try. this gave me hope and I promised to not stop ever again . now I have a band signed to a label, released a Ep, and I got hope to going pro one day. thank you Dave Grohl and this video, it did changed a life !
Can you give an update on what you and your band are doing now? I hope everything is going well:)
whats the band called?
@@GrimmCrackerrled zeppelin
hell yea dude!! i been trying and giving up for years
this is gonna be me 3 years from now
No doubt about it- Dave Grohl is a legend!
Could anyone else hear drums once he explained how he thinks about the strings
shnpio yeah, and if you listen to other songs a lot more starts making sense! all my life is a great example
No because it is borderline bullshit.
@@ngc-fo5te Talking about Dave Grohl's logic for learning and being a small bit successful with it. 🤔
@@ngc-fo5te I agree
@@asupertramp948 You mean successful in spite of it. Remember musicians more successful than him don't talk about such bullshit.
As a drummer who recently picked up guitar, this is exactly how I see it. I know I'm playing a guitar, but in my brain it's still kick/snare. I can totally see at 0:54 his brain going 'boom/tss/boom/tss'.
It's funny how you say that, cause as someone who spent 10 years playing guitar, when it comes to playing drums, I play more like a guitarist
Ahahhaha
zerosonico this was hard for me but I was told that my rhythm guitar is great due to the percussion past.
Zerosonico.....bro I just started learning the djembe drum (which makes all kinds of sounds) and i tell everyone its like playing guitar. So i COMPLETELY understand. Also been playing guitar a long time.
That's exactly how I play the guitar. I am a drummer and I learned playing the guitar on my own.
"Dave Grohl Proves You Don't Need Lessons to Rock"
isn't that a lesson?
Ironic
Pro tip
A life lesson.
It's more of an explanation, than a lesson.
No because everybody does it.
“ I taught myself how to play the guitar, which was a bad decision... because I didn't know how to play it, so I was a shitty teacher.”
-Mitch Hedberg
RiP. Such a great comic and was only getting better.
rip legend
"Metal bands always have these intense names like Mortuary or Rigor Mortis". We were just called injured.
Damn my mans just drop to D like nothing !
cereal4u yeah no one mentioned that He tuned to drop d in Like half a second
Operation Agatha someone is jealous
Tuning to drop D isn't a super power, it's part of something musicians have to be able to do.
He's not jealous - he's right. Any guitarist that's not tone deaf can do this in a second. And you could take music lessons and theory classes that would help developer your ear and be able to lower a string a whole step (or maybe even 2 whole steps!!!) without a clip on tuner.
@Operation Agatha youre an arrogant teacher, dave Grohl makes way more money than an arrogant bastard like you
Here's the thing. Do you NEED lessons to learn how to play/create music on an instrument? Absolutely not. But every single "self taught" musician I've ever met, neglects to admit the fact that their teachers are the bands/songs they learned to play on the instrument. Dave says that "no one taught him to let the strings ring out." except maybe the hundreds of guitarists he's listened to over the course of his lifetime who do the exact same thing for the exact same effect. Its not something that just popped into his head one day.
An audience member doesn't care HOW the drum was hit, the audience member cares WHAT sound comes from the drum. Dave didn't take a formal lesson on drumming, but he was most certainly taught how to play music on drums (and guitar for that matter) by the musicians he studied independently. He heard the sound coming form his stereo, and learned how to mimic that sound.
All that being said, some people absolutely do NEED lessons to learn how to play music. Some people need the TABs, the Sheet Music, the backing tracks and help from a teacher. And there is ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with that. I do get tired of the these two sides always claiming to be superior. "I'm formally trained, so I'm better." vs "I'm self taught, so I play with more feel." garbage is just so damn old and full of shit. I don't care how someone learned to play music, who taught them, or why...all I care about is the answer to one simple question: Can this person make music that I like?
I agree with you (based solely on the number of ALLCAPS words you typed)
@juna wood I can watch all the social media crap 24/7 on how to cut hair.. but it dont make me barber.. If you ain't got it ..you ain't got it. Every single being on this planet learns from one another. NOBODY pulls anything out of thin air..NOBODY!! NOT EVEN DAVE> IT'S CALLED EVOLUTION!!. (SOME PEOPLE'S kidds.)
@@b98a4c37 I just KNEW that someone would understand. ;)
HOw can anyone justify not learning as much as you can about something you are interested in? Give me a break. He is a great drummer, great songwriter. Now everyone listens to him. But still, how many others have starved in the music business? How many great players and songwriters have not sold out to the record label for fame and fortune?
The point that he’s trying to make is that no one physically sat in front of him and taught him how to play the instruments. He’s basically saying that you don’t need to spend money on expensive instrument lessons in order to learn how to play. I agree with him. It all comes down to how much you like music. A guitar teacher isn’t going to magically make you better at playing the guitar. In reality teachers are just going to try their best to motivate you into learning the chords and notes. But you can honestly do it all on your own if you put in the time and effort. Overall taking lessons isn’t a bad thing but it’s also not necessary.
Groll is what music is all about. Play what you love, love what you play. People gravitate to honesty and passion. Thats why his music will stand the test of time, along with the other greats.
fastest change from a standard to a drop d tuning ever??
OwlsAreWatchingYou too funny I thought that too... also once in a while I will tune it quick and accurate don't even need a d to match like grohl....I taught myself too no lessons he's right I'm proud of my shitty guitar cause I made it
nope
OwlsAreWatchingYou
Dont get carried away now😀
Its not that hard....
Any guitarist worth there salt should be able to do that in a matter of seconds, any guitarist worth their salt shouldn't take more then 30 seconds to tune a guitar aswell
OwlsAreWatchingYou takes two seconds.
I've never taken lessons and played guitar for a very long time.
While I still enjoy it, it saddens me that with a year of taking classes, people are technically better players than me.
The only thing I can do, that they can't, is finding my own melodies and improvising.
When I was in a band, they thought I was technically too weak so I had to play the bass.
I left the band when all the music we wrote became a shitty version of your average A7X 3-chord songs.
Ever since I've been playing in the attic by myself, using a loop station.
Only my dad appreciates what I'm doing.
I just wished my friends would at least ask me how my music's coming along, but they really don't give a fuck.
+Reuben Victoor If you don't have a solid technical foundation you will always be limited. Taking lessons is not a bad thing.
Internet Tough Guy definitely true. However, I've given up on doing anything other than recreation with music.
College also takes up 90% of my time :/
+Reuben Victoor damn, it's kinda sad to read this! maybe you just need new friends? :/
Personally, I'd love to hear what you're playing!
***** Don't worry, I've gotten rid of the few friends that really took the asshole behavior to another level...
For example, on a class trip (3 days long or so), one 'friend' had brought his guitar and it just sat there. He wasn't there.
My other friends (who all couldnt play) messed around with it, until one remembered I play too. He pushed the guitar into my hands and as I asked what they wanted to hear, the guitar owner came walking in.
He pointed at the guitar, in silence, and then held out his hand: I had to give it back.
From a friend, you'd at least expect him to be polite about it, even if he already doesn't care.
6 months later, when i had my guitar with me, he took it to play on his own. He asked when he already had it unpacked in his hands.
Sorry for these long stories, but I kindof have to get them off my chest :/
+Reuben Victoor
Mhh I know situations like that too.. Maybe not as bad as you experienced, but still in a way that hurt me. I guess it's those little situations that hurt the most and it would only need a little respect to fix it.. Anyways, I'm happy you've gotten rid of them - definitely the best choice!
"Dave Grohl proves he's a musical savant with perfect pitch"
Also he has fantastic music taste.
Sam be like: "What the fuck is hi hat? Who the hell is ride cymbal??"
+Lily Thomas No, a symbol is an image that represents something. A cymbal is is a part of a drum set.
+Petar Pavasović they are instruments in a drum set
jAdamariE I know, I play the drums. I was just reading Sam's mind. :)
Petar Pavasović Haha I know right
+Lily Thomas noob
I mean all I do is read tabs
+elgin prewitt it's all i've really needed up to this point. i don't care. snobs will be snobs.
+elgin prewitt tabs, as opposed to sheet music, is ok. But relying too much on tabs (or sheet music) to learn songs doesn't develop your musical ear, which is actually pretty important
+Kurisuto321 I guess I'll keep that in mind thx for advice
+Kurisuto321 that's right.. sometimes you need to learn some songs by ear.. it'll improve your skill :D
+The Chratheostic it's really not about being snobby but being "cool". For some reasons it's seen as dorky to know music theory but I would bet you just about anything Dave could tell you all kinds of theory related information as it relates to the guitar, it's just cooler to say you figured it out on your own.
Jimi Hendrix couldn’t read music, all it takes is passion
B_ 5hannn and a buttload of Peanut butter.
But he did have an understanding of theory, knew chord functions, and keys.
Most of the iconic guitar players can't
Eldon Acharya they apparently all learnt guitar while dancing to the Macarena
Some say Jimi wasn’t technical. My ass.
When he started playing Everlong tho...
TheGoodWay -182 Fr tho!
TheGoodWay -182 you hand Dave grohl a guitar and the first fucking thing he whips out is Everlong lol
when you play the same song everytime you chill with friends
HOW DID HE DOWN TUNE that string SO FAST! HOW
lots of experience. lol
Guitar is no option for me...so heading to buy a shitty Ikea chair right now!
yeah, u wd be surprised on how complex they are, at-least some of them.
Guitar is always an option.
Not if he has no arms.
+JustAGuy mom can help him
You'd be better off buying a guitar, at least to sit on.
Laudable, but lessons still give you access to a ton of information you can’t possibly feel your way through. Makes some things come along quicker and easier etc.
Are you famous? No
The greatest guitar player in history taught to himself
@@kaliyuga1476 Jimi went to jazz school
@@benhawkinsguitar jimi was self taught after he came from vietnam he played blues in towns he was all self taught and so was srv, rory gallagher many more
@@dan-zq4kr mike bloomfield!
Dave Grohl is so fucking inspirational.
+Rodzilla I taste a bit of sarcasm.
Rodzilla When did I ever say Dave was the only one? I find a lot of people inspirational. I said Dave was because its a video on Dave. If I said Joey Jordison, Jay Weinberg,A Nameless Ghoul Earth, or ,as you said, Ringo, it wouldn't make sense. It would be out of context.
+
Jesse Crawford
I'm a guitar player, played now for 13 years, who has always loved Foo Fighters.. This video has forever changed the way I listen to Foo Fighters music!! YES. fucking inspirational is an accurate statement for Dave Grohl!
that sounds so sad
I don't know why everyone thinks this is so special, most guitarists don't know shit about chords or scales or anything. It's just a really easy to use instrument to write music on. You don't need to know anything about music theory to write a song, you just need a sense of melody and a general idea of where you want to go with your sound. Often people are either too lazy to get into music theory, or they're afraid to lose that ''feel'', afraid to become robots.
I just didn't care for it, but now that I actually started learning it after 10 years of playing guitar and writing music, I came to realize that it doesn't replace(!) your old approach of playing guitar and writing music. It doesn't replace anything. Its just an extra dimension, another way to look at music. When I'm writing a song, trial and error, or just by whatever sounds right to my ears, I'm not like ''OH MY GOD I MUST APPLY THEORY, THIS IS SO BAD''. No. That's bullshit. It's just very useful when you're writing a song, or a lead, and you're just completely lost and just don't know what to do next. Then you look at what you've done so far, and instead of looking at an entire fretboard of 100 possible notes, you'll see patterns. It's just a diffrent approach that you can apply whenever you need it. And when you really master it, you can actually instantly find the notes you think of in your head, with either your guitar, piano, or voice. Wouldn't that make you feel so free? Theory isn't about restrictions, or rules, it's just a helping hand, and when you master it, you'll become fucking god.
Random question,so would you recommend taking a class (like a college class) on music theory?
djhero0071
Depends on the person, and his goals. If you feel like you want to be more aware of your choices while improvising or writing, it really wouldn't hurt to get into scales and chords. You can ask your guitar teacher about it if you have one, or maybe find more info about it on internet... Just so you know where to find every note you can play to a melody or song by just listening and quickly analyzing, to really make choices instead of a trial/error approach.
Point is, I think people often like to look at their fretboard as if it's some kind of magic thing, finding ''weird'' notes. Or maybe they just like to stick to very basic chords. Or they're just not motivated to get into it because they think it's just reading boring books or something.
I used to write music without any knowledge of music theory, but when I did learn about it, nothing really changed to my style of writing, exept for the fact that I felt like making choices, rather than practising magic (trial/error). But I'm not too good with theory either, I'm still learning.
I can only speak for myself, and my own actions/goals... But once you really master music theory, and you can play any note, chord, scale and interval you can come up with right down to the second of thinking it, THAT would be the ultimate freedom of writing music. When you can do that, it'll be great to play with other people who can do that too, so you can really anticipate what everyone's doing and really play together.
So... kind of a long story, but I wouldn't recommend anyone anything if I don't know about their goals or interests :). But for me getting into theory really opened alot of doors to come up with interesting riffs, melodies, leads, anything. And I hope some day I really master it, but there's alot more to music than music theory, and you can't learn everything at the same time while actually having fun, being motivated and inspired too.
Most guitarists don't know shit about chords or scales? You mean most BAD guitarists don't know shit about chords or scales. Any guitarist worth his salt definitely knows chords and all the GREAT ones also know scales...
Lynn Turman
I was just talking about anyone using the instrument, not necessarily lead guitarists. But whatever man...
Disc those guitar players are applying theory, whether they realize it or not. much like an athelete is making split second kinetic calculations but wouldn't be able to use the proper formula to solve on paper. now imagine combining those. the ability to plan things out and understand your options as well as the ability to execute them.
also, there are seven notes, 11 if you count the half steps (sharps and flats)... not 100.
Was thinking i should go for it, then he used the ikea chair analogy...
@Ljubo Divljak on jah
Yeah, because it is an idiotic premise. I am getting sick of these rich LA humble brags. Piss off Dave.
@@ouyrwq didnt he come from seattle?
@@matthewlafontaine7386 He grew up in the DC area. Upper middle class family life.
I thought that was the most awful analogy for it I’ve ever come across. The truth is that Dave was right but not for reasons he thinks he was right. The truth is that all the formal training in the world will do nothing for your songwriting ability. That comes from years and years of sitting down and working on music. No one can teach you how to write good songs because nobody knows how to extract a completely original thought from your brain. Think of technique the way you think about your tone or the quality of your equipment. It’s nice to have these things. It’s nice to have formal training. But ultimately, if you’re just trying to learn how to make songs, you’ll have the skill necessary to do that within six months of guitar playing. The rest of the journey is sitting around dissatisfied with what you’re making nearly all of the time only to have something decent jump out at you suddenly and often when you least expect it. Songwriting can really suck, but once you’re locked into it, it’s the most rewarding thing I’ve encountered on earth.
That explains why he played his sticks upside down in nirvana
DrumRapTech well drummers do that often to make a louder sound. Neil Peart did that in songs
Daniel Backiel oh ok
DrumRapTech lmao
Kurt Cobain is GOD no i was actually curious
DrumRapTech
Kurt go Bang
Thanks for the guitar and drum lesson Dave.
A good teacher can save you frustration and time.
So can reading the IKEA manual
Okay, the no-lessons advice thing is fine as far as it goes. But if you DON'T take any instruction you BETTER have something else, like a good ear. And luck. And determination. And discipline. And perseverance. And patience. And good people skills. And good timing. Oh, and BTW finding your own way AND taking lessons are NOT two mutually exclusive things. I've taken instruction from dozens of different sources, picked up what I could and then moved on.
The first part is true, but you need determination, discipline, perseverance, patience, timing and people skills either way. You may have a good ear but no theory background and eventually, you'll get where you want. It's gonna take a very long time though, and people rather tend to quit. You can take all the instructions you want, but it all comes down to hours you put in yourself.
On the other hand, if you have a good musical knowledge but no ear for the music, you'll never amount to anything. Your timing will be impaired, your dinamics will be bad.
I didn't have much lessons in my life, I was shown some basic chord, major(ž/minor scales and that was pretty much it. I still don't know (theoretically) much more than a major/minor and a pentatonic scale. But I can make out what sounds good and can make my own melodies. I've never had problems with learning a song by ear and that's also helped me with writting a few.
But yeah, I do realise that getting some lessons (and by lessons I mean even just getting some literature and learning by myself, we're living in an age that doesn't demand interaction in order to learn something) would help me immensely.
Underrated. Effing. Comment. So many kids I grew up with and today are like "I don't need to learn or work or practice! My favorite rock stars didn't!" And it's like well, you better hope you get ridiculously lucky then.
You'd have to be insane to not recognize that Grohl got some divine shit going on in his creative flow. What a freaking dude.
Let us know when your album goes platinum, buddy.
Learning by listening to Rush is both brilliant and daunting!! Awesome.
Loved their touching impersonation for the Rock Hall of Fame. RIP Neil Peart...
In my experience with music, you don't NEED lessons to be a good musician, no. Some of the greats, Cobain, Grohl as seen, Hendrix, lots of early blues cats, were self taught. But if you want to take your music to the next level, eventually you'll want an instructor, a mentor. It becomes very difficult learning to play like Eric Johnson or Eric Gales without some form of a good teacher. You'll learn lots of scales and modes and chord variations and tricks and tips to sound better. It's like school. I don't need a teacher to help me understand astrophysics, but it helps a lot if I'm taking it seriously. It takes a lot to answer your own questions, while it might take someone with experience on those topics a few seconds. I was a good player in my early teens, but I didn't really start gaining recognition from my peers and other musicians until I took guitar lessons from an incredible retired session musician who helped my take my playing to the next level.
There's always more to learn, and it's way easier to learn with somebody pushing you along. If I could take instruction from a great jazz instructor for cheap even now in my playing, I'd be all over it.
+Rilay Marino Its relative (as I'm certain you would recognize) to the style/genre' of music one wants to play regarding receiving instruction. The true essence of a good -great musician is talent and desire. A musician with tremendous ears and feel trump knowing all the scales and theory. I started playing guitar(I sing as well) in 89'. It wasn't until 2 years ago I started composing. A good portion of the time I have no idea what notes and many of the chords are I'm playing. I know though and others have told me what compose is good( would love more to..) I can't refute one iota that a quality teacher isn't worth their weight in gold but.. The internet is at times beautiful place and cheaper/free:-) I'm learning, improving, absorbing and working with what I'm given.
+Bodyknowledge 77 I agree completely! Guys like Gary Clark Jr. or Hendrix are perfect embodiments of that. Learning to play with tone and work the guitar how you want is extremely important, as with any instrument. They do trump theory and technical knowledge. But, once you have that feeling down, its always great to try to take your playing to the next level. And its very difficult to do that if you dont know any or little theory. I brought up Eric Gales and Johnson, who are two guys who play with amazing tonality and feel, but also have tons of experience with learning modes and scales and the technical side. They have great tone, but without their knowledge, they would be completely different players. Its what makes them so good. John Mayer, one of my favorites, has said before that some of the songs he wrote he would not have been able to without attending Berkeley and training under Tomo Fujita. He has incredible tone, but he decided to take it to the next level and it totally paid off. Lots of self-taught students make the mistake of thinking there comes a time to make a decision; Feel and tone, or Theory. There doesn;t have to be that, you can master both easily if you put your mind to it. I think that myth stems from genres like metal where guitarists can often shred through modes and scales, but you take away all the sweeping and kick off the distortion and sometimes they just naturally dont have a great feel (cough Kirk Hammett cough). Then they hear players like Angus Young and Jimi Hendrix who dont venture super far into the very intellectual side of music, but have a great feel for their guitar, and see they know no theory, and think theyre off the hook. The truth is that the best players will master both and have an incredibly wide arsenal to work with.
I agree completely
I agree completely
As a music teacher, one of my MOs is teaching my students how to perform and create music in a way that does not physically hurt them; the techniques for singing and holding instruments are the way they are for a reason. It’s also important to stretch those muscles. So if you can learn on your own, all power to you, but research how to be physically safe about it. Many pop singers are getting lesions and surgeries because they’re singing incorrectly. Be careful.
No one :
Really, no one ever :
Dave : Umm...this guitar is like a drum set...
It's really an interesting way of thinking.
@@tk-hf4oz I feel like he tried to say something far too smart for the situation and made little sense...
Anorexiás NémethSzilárd totally
Idk dude. As a person who taught himself how to play drums and guitar (in that order), it makes perfect sense to me.
Bruh Man tbh yes, because I’ve known a drummer who are now a music producer, every time people hear his stuff, they must be amaze with the drum beat and yeah it is because he came from the drummer perspective
I’ve always adored and loved Dave’s artistic touch in music since I was young
That was the fastest d tune I've ever seen.
Sabiancym its a full step down.
it's super easy to tune to d.
I've done faster.
This was some of the most inspirational advice I’ve ever heard as someone who is sort of afraid to pick up and play music. I think what people tend to say to themselves is “I can’t play”. Can’t play? Who told you that? We’re born knowing how to play, it’s more that others tell us that we play the wrong way. That’s not possible and that’s not how playing works.
Correct. I guarantee you can learn if you’re really motivated
i’ve been playing guitar for around 2 yrs without lessons and i’d say i’m probably somewhere between beginner and intermediate. i taught myself chords/bar chords and how to read tabs first. after that i learned some of the classic fingerstyle songs like blackbird and tears in heaven and whatnot, as well as other pretty songs i like to listen too like cherry wine and let her go. now I’ve started to arrange fingerstyle acoustic songs as practice, although my arrangements are not nearly as good as ppl like Andrew foy. i want to take lessons but they’re too expensive, but i am kind of at a point where i don’t know what to learn or where to find information on how to improve my playing. i’ve watched a lot of RUclips vids and some are helpful, but almost all sound pretty much the same. does anyone have advice on where i can find resources to better my skills? i am also saving up for an electric guitar and a small amp, so resources for electric guitar would also be helpful!
What do you want to learn on the guitar? What are your musical goals?
Harley Benton is a conpany which has some kick ass budget guitars and other music equipment. Have a look there
Same shit man.I just started learning Metallica,they have a lot of hard songs.
+I play scales, train hammers and pull-offs.Also play downstrokes and alternative picking at max speed for minute or more so eventually I can play longer and faster.
I bought a guitar music theory book for a few bucks on Amazon and I feel it's helping my understanding a lot
Miguel Sanchez
i hope to have a more diverse skill set in guitar because right now, i pretty much only know how to play acoustic and fingerstyle. my goal right now is to get better at fingerstyle and become more comfortable moving around the fretboard. I would also like to expand my knowledge and skill with acoustic guitar into the styles of jazz and blues. I am really excited to get an electric guitar because I could expand more into other styles like funk and rock. I want to develop my own style with these influences and figure out what I like best. it feels like an ambitious goal to just try to learn everything, but there’s really nothing else I’ve ever been so motivated to do.
to be honest, i am not sure what I want to do with music in the future. the goal would be to be able to make a living off of music, but I also know that achieving that would be difficult, so playing as a hobby and releasing music on the side would also be great. I feel such a deep connection to music and I would never want it to not be a part of my life. Thank you for taking the time to read and I’m sorry for the long reply!
Sounds like hed also make a great bassist considering he imagines the beat in his head
first foo record was entirely him.
Bryan Mannoia didnt know that but a very neat fact
Jimbo Turkey Who?
Would love to drink a beer with this guy!
Dave Grohl is one of the most underrated sax players of all time.
If you build an IKEA chair without checking the instruction, your going to regret it 30 minutes into the building process.
Instructions unclear: got my dick stuck into the chair
+HowlingFang6258 Happens too often :(
+E Schur To be fair, chairs are usually not rocket science. A wardrobe or a bed with drawers or so, sure, but a chair?
Might still depend on the model, but usually you can figure it out.
+E Schur Maybe if you are stupid. Ikea shit is so easy and so self explanatory. If you could put the shapes in the right hole as a kid you can build an ikea chair
E Schur it is easy to build an ikea chair minus the instructions, there is nothing that can go wrong, it is a simple process. You either have the imagination and develop the skill or you just don't have a clue. You either fall down on the first step or you don't, talent and expectation will smash the painting by numbers lessons to bits, being taught is like a replica, a copy, a cover band artist, they can have a lot of fun and sound great but without that tab to learn from they are hopeless, no originality. Not knowing the chords by name, not knowing the scales back to front is a blessing in my mind. I never know what i will play next each time i pick up my guitar and i love that. Ooh, that's not musically correct, oh, really? Then fuck off and get your copy book out, take a new note and do something fresh. Fuck cover version shit.
As an ikea employee and a musician I approve this message.
music lesson from Dave: "Just fucking play"
I’m the same way, lessons made me board of piano, constantly having to play scales for months, and not playing any actual songs is what led me to quit, I started guitar about a year ago and I’m not doing lessons, and it’s fun doing scales when I want to do scales not only scales.
For piano you have to take lessons, it takes a long time to get to the intermediate level but patience and perseverance is the key
Love love love him so much. Cool, down to earth and crazy talented.
the man just drop d tuned in 1 second. my god.
It's really not that hard
z3idd it is when you're a noob like me
+paradoxdesigns just play the d string at the same time and if they vibrate at the same speed then it's correct
I do it faster. It's really not hard
I find your honesty refreshing. Learn from everyone; you're going to do just fine.
I took guitar lessons for several years from an incredible guitarist who inspired me even more to continue learning and playing on my own. You don't really need a teacher to play guitar but it's better, of course, if you have a GREAT teacher.
Thank you Mr.Dave for your honest. I took piano for like Five years it still drives me berserk trying to coordinate my hands to the notes. Just way too much to recall. Who would have known that I could play guitar. I’m sixty now and I took 2 lessons from my friend and ran with it. Two years later I’m busking and changing the world! Maybe not the world but, I sure put a lot of great smiles in all the folks in my kool community her in fla.
He's just such a cool guy and he's consistently that way. I wish he was my friend
I could actually feel how happiness was growing inside me when he played everlong
Actually u can rock just by playing Smoke on the Water...
0-3-5 greatest piece of music ever written
giacomo dattoli can’t forget about that one 6 in there 😂
smoke on the water? bah! all i can say is
7 7 10 7 5 3 2
@@khoroshoorange is that Seven Nation army?
@@bunnybook6590 no its darude sandstorm by limb basket
Don't kid yourself. He did learn enough to know about suspended chords.
He did take lessons ,either by reading books or learning from friends who knew how to play .
Knowledge is not magically bestowed upon us . You have to work hard , read books , take lessons if you can .
suspended chords are LITERALLY some of the easiest chords up there with 7ths and 5ths.
lmao you do realise that if you spend a few hours everyday at a guitar, as I imagine grohl did, you don't just stay at the same ability, people do have the ability to learn without guidelines you know?
@@cheeselover2 You eventually will hit a wall where you cannot progress further. You can't magically come out with knowledge without actually studying and learning. Sure you can play your songs through without any theory or extensive knowledge but you need some sort of guidelines
Pedro Silva Hendrix never had guitar lessons? Did he hit a wall?
@ Alexander Vickers excellent point. I think Hendrix with lesson would have never been able to be the guitarist he was.
So True, Dave. Me and Bill changed the galaxy with our band Wyld Stallyns and we never had one lesson! Party On!
Ted Logan. Party on Garth ! Party on Wayne ! Oh ! Wrong movie ! Dooh ! Oh !Wrong movie, again !
I thought you guys went away for 16 months of extensive music practice and 2 weeks of extreme princess banging.
I'm glad y'all did post this video for me to see years & years later.
David makes so much sense here.
A new way & old way to see things. I like it!!
Different people learn in different ways, also have different goals in mind.
0:16 Dave looks at his imaginary watch to see how many years have passed since he started playing drums.
A very kind person, and a very stimulating message. Chapeau for Dave!
What a genious
There is no O in the word genius.
@@jrad4871 he asked a Question what's a genius can you answer it?
Fucking genias
I've been playing guitar for 7 years now, I went to a couple of lessons and didn't learn a single thing that I apply to my playing style today, I like to consider myself as a self taught guitarrist, one night I blew off a party and just sat down with my guitar, put the first Ramones album on my headphones and started to learn how to play song by song on my own, by sunrise I already knew how to play the entire album, as time passed I left punk and started to play more sophisticated stuff but never actually got lessons, my point is that you can be good being self taught, you just have to be dedicated and try your best and you will get better
Nico Rodriguez Ok but at certain point you will need at least some tabs right? i doubt someone can learn holy wars the punishment due using ears only. Is really good knowing how to play by yourself but u cant depend on that if you really want to improve. I never had a proper teacher but i had to research on how to do arpeggios and and more complex riffs.
Not High, I swear Of course, I'm not gonna lie and say that I learned every last thing I know on my own, I did the same things you did to learn new techniques, I'd say it's next to impossible to learn to play heavy metal by ear
it took you all night to learn a ramones album??? lol
Godddamn, how did I not see this interview back in 2013???? That concept of seeing the strings from a drummers perspective totally makes sense and just gave me a whole new other POV of playing guitar.
I was given a “first act” drum set. I haven’t played on drums since I was 10 but I can rock a drum set then some of my marching band friends.
I love that he makes up his own rules and doesn't follow tradition. That was incredibly refreshing to see.
Like that the interviewer is actually listening to dave and not asking him questions about Kurt's suicide every minute
You can be amazing without any lessons, there's a lot of musicians without any lessons, but the thing is, with lessons you will get there faster, will learn the correct technique without any bad habits or wrong things, and also, will UNDERSTAND how music works.
Yeah, you can create music anyways, but creating things like harmony for example, will be just trial and error, and if something sounds good, it will stay that way, if sounds bad, you will try again.
If you understand how harmony works, you can make up whatever harmony you want to add based on how you want it to sound, you can add some warm chords around that, without any trys, because you KNOW how those things work.
yeah, tldr, don't worry if you can't get lessons, but if you can, go for it
Yes, also understanding music will not only make you a better musician for you, but will make you work better for others. Being versatile and easier to work with can make you go miles ahead. If you play guitar and understand how the drums have to coincide with the bass for example can open oportunities for you to work with them. The same way if you play the violin, knowing how the bassoon enters a particular part can help you be a better musician to you and to others
Charlie Watts said in an interview that he’d never had a drum lesson but he learnt by listening to old jazz records and playing along to them .. seemed to have worked!!!!
And Keith learned guitar on the Black Pearl with the pirate crew.
Very true, I never had a lesson. Only life lessons. I just wrapped up a solo album! Believe in your feels and you’re golden!!
He doesn’t give a toss about showing off technique... 😂
He’s just a true ‘Melody maker’. from the heart, and ears.
He's just such a cool guy I love him
I love this entire interview. didn't know some of it was filmed tho, I just found it on Spotify. So this makes me happy.
i mean the songs he's playing are pretty easy I've actually played the too fighters song where he drops it to D its very easy. now if you wanna play jimi Hendrix you're probably going to need a lesson. not saying it is impossible to master the guitar by ear but save yourself a year of dicking around and learn a few things from other players
i can play jimi and ive been playing for 8 years. I've only had one lesson but ive learned everything i know from youtube.
it's still studying, it's not self-experencie to watch someone from youtube who knows it. dunno why people think they are better than the others who go to a place to study instead of watching youtube.
Körmendy Mátyás I dont think im better then those people who took classes but saying that a person like me who hasn't taken any classes isnt a real muscian is an insult.
Finkardop
i don't say but it's not "self teaching" if you watch teachers online
Can you can tell me what you've done? I do want to start guitar playing and i have an acoustic guitar (lend from a friend) with me since a week. I want to switch to an electric guitar (a strat would be my favourite) as soon as possible.
I don't take lessons and don't really know where to start.
At the moment i try to learn to make the A, D and E chord sound nicely and be able to switch between them as quick as i can do. After that play some simple songs to have some kind of base.
How did you start your learning process, how long have you played per day, have you had a specific structure or anything?
Thank you
Dave inspired me to play drums and guitar. I dont know musical theory shit about these instruments, but I play the hell out of them(not saying im amazing). You gotta do what you gotta do
DG is a good man. We need more like him.
That is fascinating. Dave is a legend.
That one friend that always skip classes but get an A.
out of context , but thats how i learnt physics actually , it took time , it was all about learning it myself without looking at the solutions , just doing things in my own way and developing my interpretation/method/understanding of it. But yeah, good mentors / peers can make a whole lotta difference .
Yes Dave, you're a rhythm guitar player.
Yes he is. Is it bad ?
Phil875019 he’s just saying that Dave can get away with not taking lessons because he just plays rhythm he doesn’t need all the theory for playing lead parts in a song.
@@enserupt3503 Hendrix didn't go to music school either.
@@phil_fr6732 a ton of great guitarists didnt go to... "music school"(?), doesnt mean they didn't spent years in their bedroom learning the intellectual side of guitar.
he is a musician ok
Its always funny seeing Dave say " I dont know how to ....." then totally kicks ass.
"The guitar is basically a big complicated tambourine". I forget who said that but it made the role of the instrument clear to me. That's why it's in the rhythm section.
I have to say this: as someone who taught myself to play the guitar, when people say “I learned by listening to music” they are full of shit. Maybe 1 out of a 1000000 are telling the truth. They were born with a ear and that’s more than talent it’s boarderline a superpower. You learn by watching people play music. At a show you watch their hands. You watch videos obsessively and pause the video to see where their fingers are. You learn a couple chords. You get good at those. Then you learn a couple more chords and so on. But, to say you just heard a song an instinctually knew the chords they were playing is fuckin insane. It’s insane even if it’s true.
You even need to have music knowledge to know in the firstplace what chord is that just by listening. (If you haven't played any instrument)
Hexter Zerda exactly.
I can play by ear, I just listen then pause it find the same notes on the fretboard by playing them till I hear the same one as the song then find the closest chords that match these notes, then carry on untill iv got the whole song ,then I'd practice it listening to the song untill iv got it down pack, then might put my own spin on it if I want too , but if it's a really hard or complicated song then it would be really difficult or too difficult for me to figure out
Sonzai so you magically know how to arrange your fingers into chords? You can hear how to play an AM? I’m not saying someone who knows how to play can’t play by ear. I can figure out most songs by just listening to them, as well. Now, not the first time I picked up a guitar. I’m saying a kid with no prior knowledge. No lesson whether it be from a friend showing you a power chord to full out lessons. Can do that. You need to know at least the basics.
@@johnnieriot13 I see and your right Haha, my father showed me the basics and I went from there, but yeah playing by ear from scratch would be pretty hard
i have played guitar for 9 years learning by my self. tried 3 guitar lessons until i found out it wasn't for me.
What i notice is that people with guitar lessons are obvously alot better than me technaly on the guitar even if they have only played 2-4 years.
BUT, i don't know how to say this without looking like an ego dildo,
what i feel, is that in return for learning on my own and figuring things out my self. Is that it gives me alot better sense of rythm and creativity when it comes to making my own shit than ''MOST'' others.
Keep in mind tho, of what i can play on guitar, 98% is rythm/riffs and 2% solo
In my personal opinion, i think that developing your own style or feel to your playing, comes more natural for those that like to learn by them self, through jamming and learning by sound.
But don't get me wrong, i think i would sound 10x better if i learned some teqniques. but i am lazy
Eh, I don't know about that to be honest. I self taught for 4 years, I had a creative and rhythmic depth, but I honestly didn't know shit. I wasn't bad by any means but I also wasn't that good at soloing. I started taking lessons in January, and at the same time I started playing with a band and that made a pretty substantial improvement on my playing. Lessons helped me see what I was doing wrong and I improved on that, I also began soloing. Playing with a band helped fine tune my rhythm and taught me the importance of constant communication. Without the lessons a lot of this wouldn't matter since the lessons are what truly made me a better guitar player. I went from playing strictly rhythm with this band, to being the main backup lead guitarist (I still play rhythm mostly, but I also solo more often and am able to sub in for the lead when he couldn't perform). In other words, lessons will always be the better choice when it comes to becoming a better player.
Eh, I don't know about that to be honest. I self taught for 4 years, I had a creative and rhythmic depth, but I honestly didn't know shit. I wasn't bad by any means but I also wasn't that good at soloing. I started taking lessons in January, and at the same time I started playing with a band and that made a pretty substantial improvement on my playing. Lessons helped me see what I was doing wrong and I improved on that, I also began soloing. Playing with a band helped fine tune my rhythm and taught me the importance of constant communication. Without the lessons a lot of this wouldn't matter since the lessons are what truly made me a better guitar player. I went from playing strictly rhythm with this band, to being the main backup lead guitarist (I still play rhythm mostly, but I also solo more often and am able to sub in for the lead when he couldn't perform). In other words, lessons will always be the better choice when it comes to becoming a better player.
You just described me and my playing exactly.. except I've been doing it for 20 years. I like that i have my own thing going on but could play better solos with lessons. I can't be bothered though. That isn't fun for me. Picking up the guitar and there being more mystery in it makes it more fun for me. Same with drums. I play drums pretty well for someone who has had no lessons.
There isn't much to theory except for learning that every key has 7 pitches, and every pitch has a chord.
And you can play pretty much all of them with power chords.
You can learn theory in like 1 week, and be able to solo really well.
The problem is that theory is only good after playing for a year or two.
Normally it is better to spend the first year or two just jamming on your own with the knowledge of a couple chords.
I can relate to your post about guitar playing. And you also came up with a great garage band name: Ego Dildo!
I went to a guitar summer class before, the teacher only taught me G, Em, C, Am, D, and Bm chord. I go to class everyday, and I keep repeating all of it over and over again, she barely thought me about strumming patterns, and she didn't teach me how to pluck/fingerpick. I had to teach myself everything after the summer class ended. Thinking about it now, it was definitely a waste of money, when I could have just taught myself how to play at home. I'm also a lefty, and I was forced to play right handed.
It's all a part of you now brother, none of it wasted.
New players and beginners, please don't confuse music theory/learnedness with technical proficiency. The latter is crucial to any good musician.
To know WHY what you are playing sounds good isn't THAT important. To know HOW to play GOOD is VERY IMPORTANT.
Playing an instrument is like playing golf if it work don’t change it, just improve by practice.
Well done.
Right how good did u get at golf with that
I just figured out how golf works after 20 years of practicing random things that never led to improvement now im practicing real shit and getting dialed in. I had to learn how it actually works not how i think it works its a totally different approach than the blind squirrel theory
@@buckylove6918 I was a pro @ my parents' course - I had the luck of the best instructor in the area.
@@techsysengineer5135 Right so ur well versed in golf theory lol. How bout OP lol? What really tripped me out is the science and the d plane, it seems so simple but I NEVER would have guessed it by just trying different stuff
This is just what I needed to hear cause I’m a self taught drummer and I’ve been slowly learning guitar. I suck at chords but I’m good at finger style probably thanks to being a drummer
Anybody else amazed how quickly he put that in drop D
It is pretty amazing how over the years you just develop the ear for it so you know almost instantly where the D note is. I’ve been playing for almost a year now and just the other day I realized I can find drop D and standard without knowing exactly what note it is with a tuner. Hope I can develop my ear to a whole new level someday
Guy looks at Dave the whole time like, Dude, You’re a genius. 😆
Totally appreciate Dave's approach but I'm going to follow the directions on that chair build lol. And I do like how theory helps me navigate what I'm hearing or playing. At the end of the day, it's about whether you're happy with your product or not, regardless of your method of getting it out. Thanks for this video!
This is true i knew how to drive wayyyyy before my learners because of gta 😂😂
He may not have had lessons...but he had the best teacher imaginable
Who?
Oh I loved this, I learned guitar by myself and I'm really inspired by Dave, and much more now
fucking no guitarists know anything about music theory, they just play something that sounds good. Both guitarist in my band can't even read sheet music, you just tell them the chords and they make it sound amazing
+SkizzlePiano Your 2 guitarists does not equal "fucking no guitarists" Don't generalize
+Ron Burgundy who says he's wrong? like the majority of guitarist play something that sounds good and half of the time they don't even know the notes in the chord or melody. I'm a guitarist a don't know a lot of music theory, I can read tabs and sheet music. So he's not wrong and neither are you.
There are 7 billion people on earth so just stop lol
+Ron Burgundy 7.125 as a matter o' factly.
Ron Burgundy and all of them are guitarists? wtf