Much like Mike, I was also self taught before the internet. And I always give these same 5 tips to someone starting out. These are just my opinion: 1. *_Learn other people's songs_* - Don't worry about trying to write your own songs at first. As a beginner, writing your own songs simply doesn't give you the same feeling of progress/reward that comes with being able to play something you've heard on the radio your whole life. When you figure out your first 3 chords and all of a sudden you're playing your favorite Green Day song or whatever, there's no better reward to make you want to learn your 4th chord so you can play your favorite Nirvana song next. This feeling will drive you forward. 2. *_Do NOT ignore (or simplify) barre chords_* - Yes, barre chords are hard to play, but learning that one shape is your key to being able to play any song you've ever heard (close enough to impress your friends anyway). Absolutely do not stick to only open chords! It's so, sooooo important that you learn barre chords... For instance, if you just struggle through and learn ONE barre chord, say... the G Major barre chord... guess what? Just slide the whole shape up one fret and you've _also_ learned a G# Major chord! Slide up another fret and you've suddenly learned an A Major chord! Another fret and you've learned a Bb Major! another fret and you've learned a B Major! And so on... And guess what else? Just lift up your middle finger... Boom! You've just learned a B _minor_ chord! Now slide that shape down one fret and you've _also_ learned a Bb minor chord! Or slide it _up_ one fret instead and you've suddenly learned a C minor chord... And on and on... One little shape for all those chords (and more). See why you absolutely should not ignore barre chords? 3. *_Don't take long breaks_* - When you start playing, it will be painful. After a couple weeks, it will no longer be painful at all, and your fingers will never hurt again for the rest of your guitar life if you keep playing... BUT, if you stop playing for a couple weeks straight, you'll have to go through that whole, crappy, painful-fingers thing all over again! So even if you're feeling uninspired (which happens to all of us), that's ok, but make sure you still pick up your guitar every day for 10 minutes while watching TV to _at least_ run through some stuff you already know. It'll keep your fingers in shape. And as a bonus, you may find that inspiration returns much easier if your guitar is in your hands instead of under your bed! 4. *_Make an effort to learn things BY EAR_* - This doesn't mean you can't watch RUclips lessons. You can do both at the same time. Say you're watching a video that teaches you a song. When the guy in the video says _"Ok, the first chord in this song is a D,"_ pause the video right there and see if YOU can figure out the second chord on your own. Take a guess, then un-pause the video. This will help you more than I can explain. You can even make a little game out of it. Do the same thing with solos. When you hear, _"We start by bending the G string at the 14th fret..."_ pause it! Now see if you can figure out the next 3 or 4 notes. Before you know it, you won't even need a lesson video to learn something. 5. *_Understand the existence of "the wall"_* - This is a tough one to explain. But there's something of a "wall" you'll run into in your guitar playing. A guitar journey is not linear. As you play week after week, you'll struggle, you'll think you suck, you'll struggle, you think you suck, you'll struggle, you'll think you suck.... Then one day... BOOM! You break through the wall. Suddenly, it all makes sense; your chords aren't buzzing anymore; you're muting strings you're not supposed to play without even thinking about it; you're not dropping your pick all the time; you're figuring things out by ear; you're recognizing patterns in all the songs you play... Sure, you'll still want to play faster and cleaner and better. But you'll find that you can suddenly play at least a _passable_ version of almost anything! When this happens, it happens very quickly. Depending on how much you practice, it might be that after 6 months, 8 months, 1 year, even 2 years of struggling, you'll break through the wall within a couple weeks! So do not give up! If you do, you'll have wasted all the hours you put into struggling, and you'll always know that you could have been only one short week away from breaking through the wall!
Agree, never stop playing. At first my fingers were bleeding and it was painful as hell, but I never gave up. And after months my fingers got hard and never hurt again. I am that type of guitarist that does electric guitar techniques on acoustic and it's hard to do some vibrato or mindless bends or shredding out of the guitar ;D
This is applicable to just about any skill someone desires to learn to a competent proficiency. This is also why it is the duty of parents to help progress any signs of passion being shown by their children for an art or skill as they are already miles ahead to have the desire.
Exactly! That's why my younger daughter just got an acoustic/electric ukelele and why my older daughter will be getting an acoustic guitar. I have 3 electrics but acoustic is what she wants so acoustic is what she shall have. I'm so thankful to my grandma for buying my first electric guitar and practice amp when I was 13 years old. Early 90s and the only teachers in my town wanted to force an acoustic and shit like "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on me. No thanks. I taught myself through tablature books and tabs in the back of guitar magazines. I learned music that *I* wanted to learn by practicing 2-8 hours per day, at least 5 days per week. Would I have done that if I'd done that on an acoustic and kids songs? Fuck no! I practiced like that until I hit 19 years old and got pregnant with twins--I blew up so fast and so huge that holding my axe was physically impossible. I always planned on jumping back into it when the boys were a few months old but tragedy struck--one died at 3 months old and life turned into a nightmare for a very long time. I did try to pick it back up over the years but something always made me put it back down. Without going into detail, my life has been a rollercoaster and I haven't always made the best choices. I'm proud to say that 2 months ago, at age 39, my love for the guitar came back to me and I began playing again. I have to relearn nearly everything I once knew and THAT'S OK! I'd rather relearn than never play again. As a motivator, I just bought a less expensive version of my dream guitar--the Gibson Les Paul. I grew up on a Les Paul knockoff and currently have one of the cheap Epiphone versions but I wanted the real thing. The standard is way out of my price range but I was able to get a used studio at a good price :) The Epiphone is going to a good friend who wants to learn and my Ibanez is being passed to my roommate, who has also become interested in the instrument.
You know nowadays it's kinda hard to draw the boundary of what a self taught guitarist even is. Back in the day, you'd figure it out with books and by ear and stuff but nowadays it's like, if you're sitting at home watching videos to help you learn, are you really self taught or are you taking lessons?
I think you’re on to something here. For me with the drums I would go to shows or gigs and watch people play or listen to something on the radio and figure it out but with string instruments there had to be some lessons for sure and if I want to progress I need some more but yeah it’s more self disciplined than self taught
There is one thing that videos cannot give you and that is feedback. Let's say you watch a video about pinch harmonics. You might think you are doing it correctly but still not getting the sound you want. It that's the case, your teacher can fix your minor mistakes to lead you to perfection.
Haha...I've been drooling on my instruments for 25 years. Do yourself a favor all you 1 to 4 year hotshot players (we've all been there...lol...slow it down) and put your playing under a serious microscope, especially your bends, vibrato, and delivery of each note, along with your muting, dynamics and tone. The only technical difference between a good player and a pro is the quality and timing of their notes...be that guy, make every note count. For the rookies: Stick with it youngsters, the gear of the future is reason enough to push yourself, let alone how amazing guitar will make you feel inside. Its like a drug.
It's kind of disrespectful to your teacher because they expect co-operation from you and the next lesson builds on the previous. If you don't put in the work you're both wasting your time on the lessons, in which case you should just end that relationship. If you don't like the content of the lessons or want to something very specific, then discuss it with your teacher and work together to create new plans with more interesting content.
One of my family members is turning 75 soon. Last year he started playing the guitar after never having picked one up before. No, hes not as good as mark knopfler but damn that guy has learned a lot in the span of one year. All self taught, with hard dedication. From a 19 year old who’s also learning... and struggling. I may not be as wise as you but what I do know is that you’re never too old to learn something new. You got this
@@chawk_ some of us we're born with special talent that is been dorment for years but is there just waiting to wake it up for other is going to be harder but if it's what we really want go for it be great
I didn't really start playing until I was around 37, 50 now and somebody who didn't know better might say I'm ok. If you want to really make a jump on things, get set up with an actual online course, learn the basic music theory first and play for a minimum of 15 minutes a day. That will quickly become an hour or more, and you'll miss it any day you have to skip. The theory will give you a framework to identify what you're hearing and make all music more fun to listen to as well as make it easier to figure out songs or play what you hear in your head.
Though I've been self-teaching guitar for about 4 years now, something I only learned recently has helped me tremendously: Learning to play entire albums! Not only does it give me a specific, realistic, and often challenging goal to work on, but it helps me develop in ways that a lot of solitary guitarists might not be able to otherwise. For example, sitting down and playing along to an album the whole way through will not only supplement the feeling of playing with other people, but it can also help build endurance to play song after song, which is quite handy if/when you start to play gigs. It also gives me a lot of insight into the different techniques my favorite musicians use commonly in their songs, and I often gain a new appreciation for the music itself. (Bonus points if you ditch the tabs and learn by ear, or by watching videos of live performances!)
I'm still very early game. I have been going through these videos, MartyMusic, JustinGuitar, MusicIsWin and other guitar youtube lesson groups. I've been spending about 1-3 hours daily playing the guitar as an older learner, and honestly enjoying the hell out of it. This and other channels have helped a LOT and hearing some progress has been very, very rewarding. I just started some in person lessons, which I figure I'll use sporadically to course-correct and occasionally make sure I'm not picking up any bad habits. But seriously, this channel and some of the other resources out there have been invaluable. Thanks!
I bought my first guitar in 1988 when I was 25. I was a maintenance man for 178 apartments, on call 24-7 never had time to practice, and I was afraid to even change the strings there was no internet then, so I eventually gave up fast-forward I'm 59 now retired, and I'm going to learn I'm no longer afraid to work on it, I bought a Jackson js32 dinky and replaced the saddles with stainless steel ones the guitar feels great, and I practice several times a day it sits next to my recliner, so I can pick it up and practice anytime, and I am really enjoying playing it having RUclips really helps out I really like your videos you do a great job I should know I watch a ton of them.
Playing full songs rather than just riffs really helped me keep my tempo (find my rhythm) and made it easier to jam... Creating riffs/progressions on the fly taught me how to find the 3 major and minor chords of each key (which can later be embellished into odd out of key chords that are super easy to remember (Major in between V and iv is super Nirvana sounding, doing a Major 3 chord rather than the regular minor 3 chord)). Learning a single song really well (I Heard Love is Blind by Amy Winehouse taught me so much about Jazz embellishments, many other good ones). Learning to play different genres (especially for other people), nothing wrong with playing poppy sounding music in the usual I, IV, V, iv, but also nothing wrong with going out of that box. Playing everyday for a few days, and taking a break for a day or two to get life experience outside of your house, crazy how going on a walk can be more inspiring and thought-provoking for your playing than playing sometimes... Really just keeping at it and being openminded to other musicians and styles of music.
That last one I like to call it dogged determination. This is really good what you’ve laid out and if truly followed I believe will be satisfying. I’ve been doing some of this in the two years I’ve been an autodidact at guitar and I’m really grateful to you for helping me in this grand adventure especially at my age which is now 53.
You came up in my recommended about 3 hours ago, and ever since then, I've been binge watching your vids. Absolutely love them, so I finally subbed. Keep up the good work, and keep on rocking, my dude! 🙏♥🎸🤘😝🤘. Btw, I was self-taught, have been playing for 39 years and still very eager and willing to keep learning and practicing.
Started learning guitar 4 months ago with RUclips videos first time I picked the guitar and play was with you :) at first I really wanted to play songs that I like but then Guitar changed me a lot I wanted to know more learn some theory understand why things work like that my guitar is in front of me in my bedroom I picked her every day practice every day with RUclips books as well and like to do challenges to myself and sometimes I try hard songs for me I get to learn in Facebook groups and show videos of me and people that plays for years get to help me a lot and see where I should work more and now I decided to get lessons from your website cause I need to have some order in lessons search a lot of teachers in RUclips although there good don’t know why I prefer your lessons o just think we just connect more with some teachers and persons than others 🙂 I really did learn a lot of things to see where o came from even in the theory and it’s really amazing 🤩 even I’m not a master of course I mean I didn’t know absolutely nothing about guitar and I still have a lot to learn it can be overwhelming sometimes all the knowledge we need to learn
Stellar thoughts. You have given me much to think about. 4 yrs with the guitar, started at age 50, one year of that with lessons, then my instructor retired. I want to live my life without regrets and one regret I am determined to avoid is wondering if lessons would have helped me enjoy the guitar more. You have convinced me to do the work necessary to clearly answer that question. So I can put that wondering to bed once and for all. Thanks.
ever since i started playing ive picked up the guitar once a day for at least 6hrs still do just learn my favorite songs learn my idols inspirations so i can play more like him but also learning my inspirations and finding new things to learn
When I'm feeling the pain, I sit down and watch all my favorite bands on RUclips (and you of course!). That usually gets me in the mood again. Happy Birthday. Thank you for all your great content.
I'm 25, finally picked up a guitar a few months back and now I'm fully obsessed, it's all I think about 24/7. I cant believe I've waited this long to pick it up. Thanks for your great videos, they're a massive help. Happy birthday to you!
When I wrote these down I put "8 qualities needed for a self-taught guitar player... Or WHATEVER". Really, this is good advice for anything you are pursuing on your own. Freaking awesome lesson. DIG IN. Don't give up. YOU'VE GOT THIS! I have a small white board I keep next to my desk. It's not in the wall. I use it to take notes, draw out scale shapes, create chords, whatever. It helps me a lot to get my ideas down, and to remember them. Another one is to just remember... This is supposed to be fun! Go be awesome people. Thanks Mike, you ROCK man! Happy Birthday!
That's a good, well-balanced, complete video that covers a whole load of information. I couldn't agree more about recording yourself and then listening/watching your performance. It's so important to vary your practice, too - not jut repeat stuff you already know.
Totally self-taught, with the exception of RUclips videos. It wasn't until I was 47 that I developed the drive to really learn how to play. Been maniacal for over a year now, though, and that works well for me. Bought one 7-string and that wasn't enough, so I got a second. Different tunings now, though. One is dropped to A-tuning. I've learned a lot from your videos, as well as many others on RUclips, so thank you for that.
My dad taught me chords when I was a kid and then I learned from tabs throughout my teens and into my early twenties. Last year, at 24 years old and with 12 years of playing by tab and not having had any real training, I was fed up with my playing. So I opened my university trombone teacher’s daily routines and decided to learn them on the guitar. I learned my major and minor scales, started attempting to piece together my knowledge of music theory from my time as a music education student, and just connected as many dots as I could. I’m still not as good of a player as I want to be, but I can see just how much I’ve improved just by doing those few things over the last year.
Seriously....how do scales even help? I really don't get it...a scale is just a piece of a few notes arranged in some systematic order....but how does it benefit when arranging songs on fingerstyle!!???
@@nigelmascarenhas9907 I know this is an old reply but helpful for someone reading. Scales are more than systematic order. Knowing scales allows you to set the tone of your music creation. Example would be iron maidens wasted years. That song gives a sort of far off in time Egyptian feel cause they use the mixolydian scale. They take their chord progression from there and use the scale in solo also. But also knowing your scales makes it much easier to learn cover songs. Knowing the mixolydian scale allowed me to learn wasted tears solo in a couple hours, enough that I could play with the song. Also combing scales together moves you around the neck easier. Another example is in Mr crowely 2nd solo, randy combines the Ionian and Dorian mode to move continuously from 1st fret down to the 7th fret area fluidly. There's much more to it,I'm fairly limited in my music theory since I only had 4 months of lessons,everything else since 1991 has been self taught for me.
Happy birthday!!! I have beentrying to teach myself to play for a while now and I sometimes find it hard because of my job. I travel a lot and sometimes I’m away from my guitar for days and that is something that I feel is keeping me from progressing
I've just picked up the guitar as I've always had the longing to learn how to play an instrument. The guitar is something that I've always loved the sound of so here I am... The struggle is real but I am determined. However, the road ahead is thorny and I hope I maintain the perseverance to keep going.
Wow i have the same bday as well and have been self taught since 84’ i did a lot of practicing wrong over my years but developed the ability to self examine and be brutally honest with myself. And I’m eight for eight on your things you need to be able to do. So i guess I’m qualified to keep teaching myself! So keep shreddin’ cuz i am!!
Mike. Success! With your help, advice, and videos. It was like college algebra, bam! It clicked! I can now find and hit all the notes on the fretboard, so exciting! Thank you, all. Reading threads helps, from many encouraging folks, really helpful. Excited! It's really cool, learning my way around the fretboard. Use 12 as a way to get back on track, sound out and repeat the notes as I go. So Cool! Hope I'm thinking on track. Thanks.
Honestly, when I first got a guitar, I was 10 too. I also didn’t pick it up until I was 12, but my learning experience didn’t really kick in until I forced myself to learn the intro to welcome home sanitarium. Afterwards, I started learning a bunch of bits and pieces of songs that are played in standard tuning from stuff that everyone knows like don’t fear the reaper to songs like deep six by Marilyn Manson. Eventually I started experimenting with other tunings and getting into other songs like whale and wasp which the acoustic for is played with a finger style method. Watching vids like these and covers and just people explaining the intricacies of guitar playing has always kept my attention on continuing to learn guitar lol some can say I’m obsessed but I’d rather say I’m dedicated
I've been sporadically picking up and dropping guitar for the past few years, with only a few stretches of extended practice. My biggest problem is definitely No. 3, where music theory just seems so vast that I didn't really know where to go. I'd watch a video on some piece of theory, they'd refer to another piece that I didn't know, and I'd feel lost and demotivated. Oh, and a belated happy birthday to you
I am self taught and I now enjoy practice more than I have ever done because I have the confidence to know that good practice will yield results. For a beginner it can be hard to see why endless repetition is anything other than mind crushingly dull but once it starts working and real progress becomes visible it can be addictive. And after years of being a bedroom warrior I finally joined a band and did THAT ever push me to improve still further. The band decides that we are going to do Number of the Beast - I have to learn the solo. Back to the practice room...
I’m 45 years old and I’ve recently picked up the guitar. I’m a month in. I’m very motivated to be able to learn some technical skills and eventually rock out in front of a crowd small or large. I came across your page and I’ve already learned some good practices
I miss Ju Jitsu, I wanted to train all the time. It's so expensive now, that I just can't afford it anymore, and I can't just roll with my phone. Lol ♥
Every now and then I write my own Solos or even complete songs. When I do I try to make them the hardest thing I can pull off, so it gives me certain challenge and I can see my progress based on the difficulty of the solos/songs.
Lots of good "stuff" here. I started a year ago, I was 65. I had never even held a guitar before. It was online instructors that helped so much. I believe I am right where the average person is, 1 year in. At first it was "no way this is going to happen" Slowly it turned into "wow this is starting to happen". I would print out chord finger position guides,they were everywhere. Soon it was slowly moving from one chord to the next. Then I started concentrating on strumming (wow it sounds different when I upstrum). I can do the DCG EADA progressions, backwards and forwards. The finger pain will hold you back, work past it in small steps. It will be amazing when you manage to put something together. Avoid the pressure of "you need to learn a song" "play me a song" People (non students/non players) just do not understand how it is not about "playing a song" at first. I look at my music theory lessons along the lines of learning algebra. It is simply an agreed upon system, it takes time to learn the system. Ah time. I have both unlimited time to practice (I get in right at 3 hrs a day) and limited time here on this earth, don't waste time but try not to stress over it. Wondering about having enough time left on this Earth to get to where you want is non productive. Oh, having someone knowledgeable look over the ways life (and your life's work) have bent and formed your hands is important. I am not saying hand and finger issues are totally limiting but you need to develop a way around hand and finger problems. I turned wrenches for 40 years (I was an auto mechanic) Using my hands (and abusing my hands) for so long at work has bent them and made certain moves difficult. My screen name at one site is "Clawhand" (the fingers on my left (fretting hand) are pretty bent. Oh, 'first song" Neil Diamond's "Cherry, Cherry". I did not realize I was picking such a fast chord change song. EADA is pretty easy but you must move those fingers to make it work.
I keep a log book and write down the day and the amount of time I practice. I average about 1 1/2 - 2 hourd per night "on the guitar" ( no phone-no utube )
At least have/find someone or more to "look interested" sometimes for your own good. My goal was creating melodies (not even good melodies) and it all worked out over time. Everything comes in layers and bubbles where ones own urges are important. Even the piano helped me with guitar and back. Now that I CAN create a bit of melody, it's time for others to be involved both ways; Like exchanging goods. Maybe some are 9 at my current level and can go to a music school, but I feel it's working fine as it is.
Having to teach myself at the moment. When I have something I’m working on that’s not coming together and I keep making mistakes I slow it right down to the point where I play each note correctly. Doing this makes it sound nothing like the song but it just makes it clear in my mind where my fingers must go, once I have is down literally playing in slow motion each note correctly I start speeding up and then it comes and if it doesn’t I just slow it down again to recheck I’m doing it correctly then bring the speed up. If it’s really tricky and I feel Myself getting tired, frustrated I’ll leave it and go play a piece I’m good at then try again the next day.
Regarding #6, it can be frustrating to spend your time "copying" when you have a powerful urge to be creative and original, but "imitation" is a phase that every artist has to go through. Two examples might be helpful: 1. Bob Dylan wrote songs at an extremely young age, but at a certain point (I think, in his late teens) he took two or three years OFF from writing his own music and focused exclusively on learning the songs of others. I thought this might be important info for people who aspire to make their own music. 2. In the words of (extremely creative) Nobel Prize winning novelist Orhan Pamuk: "One of life's great ironies is that we only ever become original by imitating others."
Happy Birthday Mike, oh and btw for us self taught guitarists people like you make a HUGE difference in helping us hone and get our techniques/riffs etc right! Keep up the good work! :D
But no matter what I do play everyday! I need to play for longer and learn full songs. I always focus on learning new technique's. I can finger tap, play harmonics, pinched harmonics...not well yet...but don't know a song. As far as that goes I learn a part or two from a song them another song. I do LOVE trying to be creative though. Coming up with your own material is the best feeling to me
First, happy belated birthday Mike! And being self-taught does have many obstacles but in today’s world, you’re right, if you have the self motivation to pursue this, there is a multitude of options available that many are certain to be ideal for you to learn from. When I started (in 1978) I found a book that showed me first position chords, but the rest was music theory that at the time was like a foreign language! Haha! And I had a brother-in-law who wanted to learn which kinda made us not wanting to fall behind from other, and trying to figure out a song from a record album was a difficult task and I had to get a cassette player which at least had a counter to rewind to! And when we finally got a guy that he knew that knew a few songs and he came over and showed us was like a miracle of fortune to happen to us! Haha! Because this was before MTV or tablature even existed. But all your points hit home and I like the way you present things and your explanations make sense and I at times listen to, even when it’s not something I am working on, I get it on what you’re teaching. And while I no longer drive myself on rigid practice anymore and no longer pursue jamming with anyone, I have finally in the past five years or so decided to learn music theory and so much of the stuff that I would play all connect and makes sense on why and broadens what I want to learn or figure out next! Keep up the good work and rockin’ out!
yes...the creative side!!!! finally someone noticed the prodigy syndrome.....they always seem to be more like quick studies than creative geniuses.....technically amazing but very seldom interesting beyond that.
i have been trying to learn guitar and bass for a few years. i also have been learning to play drums but im further along on those than the rest. i got a very late start on all of them which some say is a mistake. but ive also always been surrounded by people that either told me i was too young or too old to do everything. never just the right age for anything.
just pick it up and play and listen and move around the neck, and if your still going after 25 years congratulations its written in the dna, now write a song it takes time to know it takes time, and maybe 300 songs later, gratitude for the art is success if your gratefull after a long time you are winning imo, good vibes
Lol, as a self taught guitarist for three year I can't help but thinking about guitar 24/7...I mean... Ambition is everything... After just 1 year of guitar I started a band with people who all could play much better than me and pushed me to learn and learn, and now, after 3 years I can say I can play Judas Priest and Gamma Ray songs in a band as the lead guitarist... Maybe I will never be able to become someone, but I think there's nothing more I could do... Even while studying at the university and having to keep my means to have my studies financed and teaching subjects to kids to have some money for me... Guitar is all I can think of
All Kool man. I took lessons as a kid in 1966, half a year and quit. Still have my 1965 fender mustang. Started back at it off and on about twenty years ago, the internet has been a great source for learning. . Just bought a Taylor 416 yesterday. Happy Birthday. Mine is October 6th. Right on.
I'm a weird guy. In either all passion or no passion. Just depends. I definitely need to get more consistent...though there have been times that I had caught myself drooling. Even on the guitar...eww 😂😆. Now I know that I'm not the only one lol. Ty!
Tips and tricks were taught by most musicians for decades. If you wanted to take lessons you basically had to go to school for music itself. Check out the history of many if not all of the old guitarists. They all learned from each other. There were no places to take lessons. Cliff Burton took music in college and he passed his knowledge on to the other members of Metallica. Jerry Garcia used to listen to old bluegrass records and slow them down to where he could play each note until he got it down. And then there are the ton of musicians who are just like Jimi Hendrix. Jimi didn't know anything about music, and never learned to read it. He just picked up a guitar and started playing.
I don't have a lot of talent but I have stuck with it for fifty years just because of love I guess. My daughter started playing violin in grade school and was very good. Her dexterity by the time she was in high school was amazing to me. But she stopped in college and I fear it is gone forever. I think for her it was about acheivement and not a passion for music. As inept as I may be at times I still love learning about technique and theory. I still love to hit a sweet note or phrase or new chord inversion. I had two lessons fifty years ago from two different teachers. One taught me the blues pentatonic scale and the other taught the diatonic scale. I memorized those patterns, taught myself how chords are built. Sometimes I try to learn a new song or technique but mostly it is just undisciplined banging and exploration for the joy of playing. Some people can't stick with it? I can't stop. I watched of few of this guy's videos today and enjoyed.
I was just told today that people that live close by an have listened to my practice habits. Are amazed that I can sit there for hours an play the same bar or 2 whatever the case an difficulty level. I dont shy away from the very difficult things I encounter. When I picked the guitar up I told myself there is no quit! An I resemble a lot of things you through out there, good an bad. The one thing I am missing is getting out the bedroom an playing with other people. I just dont know anyone who plays.
set your sights high....... Play shine on you crazy diamond after one year of playing. I bit off a bit much but i am chewing through it bar by bar. One bar at a time. I an play up to the 50 second mark now.
I'm self taught and I've just kinda started playing and there's barely any days that i haven't played since i started two years ago am currently playing in my second band
9th quality of being self taught....don't be self taught. music theory is so important. These an amazing series of books that will help greatly called guitar for dummies are that there several others but start with that. To learn the basics than go to the others. The layout is perfect for beginners who have no idea what they're doing. You may be intimidated by other ways to learn but it's super easy. You maything it's hard but its really is simple. It can get really deep but it's not necessary to learn those till later. But you at least NEED to learn the quick easy basics and go from there. It's not nearly as hard as you may think. And will unlock so much
Lately, i have been making a log of what I practiced, and metronome speeds...and how many hours a day i have been practicing. This has shown me what i need to spend more time on and what is progressing well...
Buy books, they follow a program - then with what the lessons teach you apply it "play songs that use those techniques". Get inspired from everything, I watch youtubers and try out the things that they are doing. When you aren't physically playing, contemplate/ponder over what you've learned and what's next 👍
Your awesome dude. Gotta say not a member but the fact that you said "whether you find that out from me here OR SOMEONE ELSE" says your not in it for the money. Yeah everyone needs money, and is in it to some extent, but the sincerity is there. Think I might do your course
Right now, my goal is to get use to playing it and feel comfortable playing I'm on disability due to my back but my hands and fingers are strong I can play for 90 with no problem I'm just playing for fun and getting my fingers use to playing and picking, and it's easier every time I pick it up my goals are to learn how to play and how to work on it, I love a good challenge and my back limits me, so I have a lot of free time to learn I am no longer afraid to work on it.
Regarding number 5 - The main reason I started on guitar was so I wouldn't have to deal with other musicians & their egos. I'm gonna have to think about this... Great list.
I think you've got to develop a bit of stick-at-it-ness. Or actually a high degree. It's like his no. 8. I think the best way to do this is to try and get yourself into a virtuous circle that raises you. Rather than a vicious circle that normally brings you down. Do not try to move too fast and that way your enthusiasm will lead you to work and that should lead you to successes and that should maintain your enthusiasm and so the circle starts again. And try to make it as fun for yourself as you can. That may be by learning songs at your level.
We're taught countless myths from birth. One myth I have the biggest beef with is that a person can be a "self taught"... ANYTHING. Jimmy Hendrix was gifted a guitar by an uncle who showed him roughly 12 chords. After that it was off to the races. If you only learn from guitar tabs then guess what? Another human had to produce that tab in some fashion. If all you do is watch concert footage, in slo-mo, watching a player's hands then you're still learning from another person. Although this is one of my top 3 resources for learning guitar and I feel I owe this guy my life, the fact the he says "data resource" and "self taught" in the same sentence kinda pisses me off. Some chords and techniques are so utterly complicated that I would argue you could live to be 300 years old and you'd never just figure it out with nothing but you and a guitar on a desert island. Aside from maybe those savants with brain injuries. This myth is downright dangerous because how many millions of kids get frustrated, discouraged and ultimately give up because they couldn't just sit down with a guitar and create the next great rock song? "The Beatles Did It". No...they fucking... didn't!!!
That's a great perspective, BUT maybe the "self-taught" in this video refers to not having a formal instructor or classes. If you can consider that point then you will realize you typed a bunch for nothing. No one said anything about using ZERO RESOURCES, but everything was said about getting to them yourself and walking the path to success without the various feedback mechanisms of an instructor/class. pro tip: actually watch the video next time, THEN type.
lolll me practicing something every day, also delvs ito a lot of just playing and noodling.... but i got wayyy to good at fur elise and my couple of favorite songs.. one day i realized how bored id gotten with my level of playing
I am self taught and have struggled to find friends to jam with. I have several riffs written but kinda don’t know how to resolve them into a song. You are awesome and wish I could have been one of your students
Much like Mike, I was also self taught before the internet. And I always give these same 5 tips to someone starting out. These are just my opinion:
1. *_Learn other people's songs_* - Don't worry about trying to write your own songs at first. As a beginner, writing your own songs simply doesn't give you the same feeling of progress/reward that comes with being able to play something you've heard on the radio your whole life. When you figure out your first 3 chords and all of a sudden you're playing your favorite Green Day song or whatever, there's no better reward to make you want to learn your 4th chord so you can play your favorite Nirvana song next. This feeling will drive you forward.
2. *_Do NOT ignore (or simplify) barre chords_* - Yes, barre chords are hard to play, but learning that one shape is your key to being able to play any song you've ever heard (close enough to impress your friends anyway). Absolutely do not stick to only open chords! It's so, sooooo important that you learn barre chords...
For instance, if you just struggle through and learn ONE barre chord, say... the G Major barre chord... guess what? Just slide the whole shape up one fret and you've _also_ learned a G# Major chord! Slide up another fret and you've suddenly learned an A Major chord! Another fret and you've learned a Bb Major! another fret and you've learned a B Major! And so on... And guess what else? Just lift up your middle finger... Boom! You've just learned a B _minor_ chord! Now slide that shape down one fret and you've _also_ learned a Bb minor chord! Or slide it _up_ one fret instead and you've suddenly learned a C minor chord... And on and on...
One little shape for all those chords (and more). See why you absolutely should not ignore barre chords?
3. *_Don't take long breaks_* - When you start playing, it will be painful. After a couple weeks, it will no longer be painful at all, and your fingers will never hurt again for the rest of your guitar life if you keep playing... BUT, if you stop playing for a couple weeks straight, you'll have to go through that whole, crappy, painful-fingers thing all over again!
So even if you're feeling uninspired (which happens to all of us), that's ok, but make sure you still pick up your guitar every day for 10 minutes while watching TV to _at least_ run through some stuff you already know. It'll keep your fingers in shape. And as a bonus, you may find that inspiration returns much easier if your guitar is in your hands instead of under your bed!
4. *_Make an effort to learn things BY EAR_* - This doesn't mean you can't watch RUclips lessons. You can do both at the same time. Say you're watching a video that teaches you a song. When the guy in the video says _"Ok, the first chord in this song is a D,"_ pause the video right there and see if YOU can figure out the second chord on your own. Take a guess, then un-pause the video. This will help you more than I can explain. You can even make a little game out of it.
Do the same thing with solos. When you hear, _"We start by bending the G string at the 14th fret..."_ pause it! Now see if you can figure out the next 3 or 4 notes. Before you know it, you won't even need a lesson video to learn something.
5. *_Understand the existence of "the wall"_* - This is a tough one to explain. But there's something of a "wall" you'll run into in your guitar playing. A guitar journey is not linear. As you play week after week, you'll struggle, you'll think you suck, you'll struggle, you think you suck, you'll struggle, you'll think you suck.... Then one day... BOOM! You break through the wall.
Suddenly, it all makes sense; your chords aren't buzzing anymore; you're muting strings you're not supposed to play without even thinking about it; you're not dropping your pick all the time; you're figuring things out by ear; you're recognizing patterns in all the songs you play... Sure, you'll still want to play faster and cleaner and better. But you'll find that you can suddenly play at least a _passable_ version of almost anything!
When this happens, it happens very quickly. Depending on how much you practice, it might be that after 6 months, 8 months, 1 year, even 2 years of struggling, you'll break through the wall within a couple weeks! So do not give up! If you do, you'll have wasted all the hours you put into struggling, and you'll always know that you could have been only one short week away from breaking through the wall!
Underappreciated comment. Thanks for the words of support to all budding guitarists. What you say is absolutely true!
Agree, never stop playing. At first my fingers were bleeding and it was painful as hell, but I never gave up. And after months my fingers got hard and never hurt again. I am that type of guitarist that does electric guitar techniques on acoustic and it's hard to do some vibrato or mindless bends or shredding out of the guitar ;D
Or 15 years of plodding away, finally feel I'm back to making real progress. An hour or two a day and you'll improve in spite of yourself.
dude you are awesome!
i dont even know barre chord is difficult lmao
I love this guy. It's freakin cool to be humble, people.
This is applicable to just about any skill someone desires to learn to a competent proficiency. This is also why it is the duty of parents to help progress any signs of passion being shown by their children for an art or skill as they are already miles ahead to have the desire.
Exactly! That's why my younger daughter just got an acoustic/electric ukelele and why my older daughter will be getting an acoustic guitar. I have 3 electrics but acoustic is what she wants so acoustic is what she shall have.
I'm so thankful to my grandma for buying my first electric guitar and practice amp when I was 13 years old. Early 90s and the only teachers in my town wanted to force an acoustic and shit like "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on me. No thanks. I taught myself through tablature books and tabs in the back of guitar magazines. I learned music that *I* wanted to learn by practicing 2-8 hours per day, at least 5 days per week. Would I have done that if I'd done that on an acoustic and kids songs? Fuck no! I practiced like that until I hit 19 years old and got pregnant with twins--I blew up so fast and so huge that holding my axe was physically impossible.
I always planned on jumping back into it when the boys were a few months old but tragedy struck--one died at 3 months old and life turned into a nightmare for a very long time. I did try to pick it back up over the years but something always made me put it back down. Without going into detail, my life has been a rollercoaster and I haven't always made the best choices.
I'm proud to say that 2 months ago, at age 39, my love for the guitar came back to me and I began playing again. I have to relearn nearly everything I once knew and THAT'S OK! I'd rather relearn than never play again. As a motivator, I just bought a less expensive version of my dream guitar--the Gibson Les Paul. I grew up on a Les Paul knockoff and currently have one of the cheap Epiphone versions but I wanted the real thing. The standard is way out of my price range but I was able to get a used studio at a good price :) The Epiphone is going to a good friend who wants to learn and my Ibanez is being passed to my roommate, who has also become interested in the instrument.
You know nowadays it's kinda hard to draw the boundary of what a self taught guitarist even is. Back in the day, you'd figure it out with books and by ear and stuff but nowadays it's like, if you're sitting at home watching videos to help you learn, are you really self taught or are you taking lessons?
I think you’re on to something here. For me with the drums I would go to shows or gigs and watch people play or listen to something on the radio and figure it out but with string instruments there had to be some lessons for sure and if I want to progress I need some more but yeah it’s more self disciplined than self taught
Man you just blew my mind.
You're self motivated
There is one thing that videos cannot give you and that is feedback.
Let's say you watch a video about pinch harmonics. You might think you are doing it correctly but still not getting the sound you want. It that's the case, your teacher can fix your minor mistakes to lead you to perfection.
Haha...I've been drooling on my instruments for 25 years.
Do yourself a favor all you 1 to 4 year hotshot players (we've all been there...lol...slow it down) and put your playing under a serious microscope, especially your bends, vibrato, and delivery of each note, along with your muting, dynamics and tone. The only technical difference between a good player and a pro is the quality and timing of their notes...be that guy, make every note count.
For the rookies: Stick with it youngsters, the gear of the future is reason enough to push yourself, let alone how amazing guitar will make you feel inside. Its like a drug.
I always said “ I forgot to practice” but I always played and learned more of what I wanted. Not so much what my teacher wanted
It's kind of disrespectful to your teacher because they expect co-operation from you and the next lesson builds on the previous. If you don't put in the work you're both wasting your time on the lessons, in which case you should just end that relationship. If you don't like the content of the lessons or want to something very specific, then discuss it with your teacher and work together to create new plans with more interesting content.
It's my birthday as well! 🎂
Pomki Happy B-Day
Cheers
Happy birthday!
Pomki happy birthday!!!!
It's very hard when you want to start out knowing cero musical knowleage and also being over 50 very very hard but I'm trying
I'm with you, brother, and we got this!!
One of my family members is turning 75 soon. Last year he started playing the guitar after never having picked one up before. No, hes not as good as mark knopfler but damn that guy has learned a lot in the span of one year. All self taught, with hard dedication.
From a 19 year old who’s also learning... and struggling. I may not be as wise as you but what I do know is that you’re never too old to learn something new. You got this
@@chawk_ some of us we're born with special talent that is been dorment for years but is there just waiting to wake it up for other is going to be harder but if it's what we really want go for it be great
Just keep playing
I didn't really start playing until I was around 37, 50 now and somebody who didn't know better might say I'm ok. If you want to really make a jump on things, get set up with an actual online course, learn the basic music theory first and play for a minimum of 15 minutes a day. That will quickly become an hour or more, and you'll miss it any day you have to skip. The theory will give you a framework to identify what you're hearing and make all music more fun to listen to as well as make it easier to figure out songs or play what you hear in your head.
Though I've been self-teaching guitar for about 4 years now, something I only learned recently has helped me tremendously: Learning to play entire albums! Not only does it give me a specific, realistic, and often challenging goal to work on, but it helps me develop in ways that a lot of solitary guitarists might not be able to otherwise. For example, sitting down and playing along to an album the whole way through will not only supplement the feeling of playing with other people, but it can also help build endurance to play song after song, which is quite handy if/when you start to play gigs. It also gives me a lot of insight into the different techniques my favorite musicians use commonly in their songs, and I often gain a new appreciation for the music itself. (Bonus points if you ditch the tabs and learn by ear, or by watching videos of live performances!)
Brilliant idea!
I'm still very early game. I have been going through these videos, MartyMusic, JustinGuitar, MusicIsWin and other guitar youtube lesson groups. I've been spending about 1-3 hours daily playing the guitar as an older learner, and honestly enjoying the hell out of it. This and other channels have helped a LOT and hearing some progress has been very, very rewarding.
I just started some in person lessons, which I figure I'll use sporadically to course-correct and occasionally make sure I'm not picking up any bad habits.
But seriously, this channel and some of the other resources out there have been invaluable.
Thanks!
I bought my first guitar in 1988 when I was 25. I was a maintenance man for 178 apartments, on call 24-7 never had time to practice, and I was afraid to even change the strings there was no internet then, so I eventually gave up fast-forward I'm 59 now retired, and I'm going to learn I'm no longer afraid to work on it, I bought a Jackson js32 dinky and replaced the saddles with stainless steel ones the guitar feels great, and I practice several times a day it sits next to my recliner, so I can pick it up and practice anytime, and I am really enjoying playing it having RUclips really helps out I really like your videos you do a great job I should know I watch a ton of them.
Playing full songs rather than just riffs really helped me keep my tempo (find my rhythm) and made it easier to jam... Creating riffs/progressions on the fly taught me how to find the 3 major and minor chords of each key (which can later be embellished into odd out of key chords that are super easy to remember (Major in between V and iv is super Nirvana sounding, doing a Major 3 chord rather than the regular minor 3 chord)).
Learning a single song really well (I Heard Love is Blind by Amy Winehouse taught me so much about Jazz embellishments, many other good ones).
Learning to play different genres (especially for other people), nothing wrong with playing poppy sounding music in the usual I, IV, V, iv, but also nothing wrong with going out of that box.
Playing everyday for a few days, and taking a break for a day or two to get life experience outside of your house, crazy how going on a walk can be more inspiring and thought-provoking for your playing than playing sometimes... Really just keeping at it and being openminded to other musicians and styles of music.
That last one I like to call it dogged determination. This is really good what you’ve laid out and if truly followed I believe will be satisfying. I’ve been doing some of this in the two years I’ve been an autodidact at guitar and I’m really grateful to you for helping me in this grand adventure especially at my age which is now 53.
You came up in my recommended about 3 hours ago, and ever since then, I've been binge watching your vids. Absolutely love them, so I finally subbed. Keep up the good work, and keep on rocking, my dude! 🙏♥🎸🤘😝🤘. Btw, I was self-taught, have been playing for 39 years and still very eager and willing to keep learning and practicing.
Hey nice dude I self taught myself too
i would say i'm proud of myself for practicing everyday since November 2019 even when my friends told me to stop because i practice too hard :)
Started learning guitar 4 months ago with RUclips videos first time I picked the guitar and play was with you :) at first I really wanted to play songs that I like but then Guitar changed me a lot I wanted to know more learn some theory understand why things work like that my guitar is in front of me in my bedroom I picked her every day practice every day with RUclips books as well and like to do challenges to myself and sometimes I try hard songs for me I get to learn in Facebook groups and show videos of me and people that plays for years get to help me a lot and see where I should work more and now I decided to get lessons from your website cause I need to have some order in lessons search a lot of teachers in RUclips although there good don’t know why I prefer your lessons o just think we just connect more with some teachers and persons than others 🙂 I really did learn a lot of things to see where o came from even in the theory and it’s really amazing 🤩 even I’m not a master of course I mean I didn’t know absolutely nothing about guitar and I still have a lot to learn it can be overwhelming sometimes all the knowledge we need to learn
4:15 me literally learning thunderstruck and master of puppets before anything else
this is so relatable. I learned the enter sandman solo and monster by skillet before i knew how to play smoke on the water lol
@@lovzygaming3144 I just learned how to play Horizons by TheDooo and I still dont even know how to play Smells Like Teen Spirit.
Stellar thoughts. You have given me much to think about. 4 yrs with the guitar, started at age 50, one year of that with lessons, then my instructor retired. I want to live my life without regrets and one regret I am determined to avoid is wondering if lessons would have helped me enjoy the guitar more. You have convinced me to do the work necessary to clearly answer that question. So I can put that wondering to bed once and for all. Thanks.
ever since i started playing ive picked up the guitar once a day for at least 6hrs still do just learn my favorite songs learn my idols inspirations so i can play more like him but also learning my inspirations and finding new things to learn
#7 is the biggest reason I think formal in person instruction makes you a better player. An instructor can watch you and give you feedback.
Who would bag on self-taught guitarists? Surely there are reams of famous guitarists that have never taken formal lessons.
When I'm feeling the pain, I sit down and watch all my favorite bands on RUclips (and you of course!). That usually gets me in the mood again. Happy Birthday. Thank you for all your great content.
Before watching, I suspect I possess about -2 of the 8 qualities I need.
I'm 25, finally picked up a guitar a few months back and now I'm fully obsessed, it's all I think about 24/7. I cant believe I've waited this long to pick it up.
Thanks for your great videos, they're a massive help. Happy birthday to you!
@Zoshyy LOL I picked it up for the second time at 47 years old Sir. You have plenty of time.
Great advice thank you
Always love checking out your videos and learn from you.
When I wrote these down I put "8 qualities needed for a self-taught guitar player... Or WHATEVER". Really, this is good advice for anything you are pursuing on your own. Freaking awesome lesson. DIG IN. Don't give up. YOU'VE GOT THIS! I have a small white board I keep next to my desk. It's not in the wall. I use it to take notes, draw out scale shapes, create chords, whatever. It helps me a lot to get my ideas down, and to remember them. Another one is to just remember... This is supposed to be fun! Go be awesome people. Thanks Mike, you ROCK man!
Happy Birthday!
That's a good, well-balanced, complete video that covers a whole load of information. I couldn't agree more about recording yourself and then listening/watching your performance. It's so important to vary your practice, too - not jut repeat stuff you already know.
Totally self-taught, with the exception of RUclips videos. It wasn't until I was 47 that I developed the drive to really learn how to play. Been maniacal for over a year now, though, and that works well for me. Bought one 7-string and that wasn't enough, so I got a second. Different tunings now, though. One is dropped to A-tuning. I've learned a lot from your videos, as well as many others on RUclips, so thank you for that.
My dad taught me chords when I was a kid and then I learned from tabs throughout my teens and into my early twenties. Last year, at 24 years old and with 12 years of playing by tab and not having had any real training, I was fed up with my playing. So I opened my university trombone teacher’s daily routines and decided to learn them on the guitar. I learned my major and minor scales, started attempting to piece together my knowledge of music theory from my time as a music education student, and just connected as many dots as I could. I’m still not as good of a player as I want to be, but I can see just how much I’ve improved just by doing those few things over the last year.
Seriously....how do scales even help?
I really don't get it...a scale is just a piece of a few notes arranged in some systematic order....but how does it benefit when arranging songs on fingerstyle!!???
@@nigelmascarenhas9907 I know this is an old reply but helpful for someone reading. Scales are more than systematic order. Knowing scales allows you to set the tone of your music creation.
Example would be iron maidens wasted years. That song gives a sort of far off in time Egyptian feel cause they use the mixolydian scale. They take their chord progression from there and use the scale in solo also. But also knowing your scales makes it much easier to learn cover songs. Knowing the mixolydian scale allowed me to learn wasted tears solo in a couple hours, enough that I could play with the song.
Also combing scales together moves you around the neck easier. Another example is in Mr crowely 2nd solo, randy combines the Ionian and Dorian mode to move continuously from 1st fret down to the 7th fret area fluidly.
There's much more to it,I'm fairly limited in my music theory since I only had 4 months of lessons,everything else since 1991 has been self taught for me.
Happy birthday!!!
I have beentrying to teach myself to play for a while now and I sometimes find it hard because of my job. I travel a lot and sometimes I’m away from my guitar for days and that is something that I feel is keeping me from progressing
Great words of encouragement and reality. Thank you.
...and Happy Birthday!🎉
Thanks for being alive.
I just watch live shows of my idols playing, nothing inspires me to play guitar more than those shows.
I've just picked up the guitar as I've always had the longing to learn how to play an instrument. The guitar is something that I've always loved the sound of so here I am... The struggle is real but I am determined. However, the road ahead is thorny and I hope I maintain the perseverance to keep going.
Wow i have the same bday as well and have been self taught since 84’ i did a lot of practicing wrong over my years but developed the ability to self examine and be brutally honest with myself. And I’m eight for eight on your things you need to be able to do. So i guess I’m qualified to keep teaching myself! So keep shreddin’ cuz i am!!
Number 3 was so frustrating! Great vid!
Great session mike I do maybe half of what you takes about
I'll work on the other more ofen
Mike. Success! With your help, advice, and videos. It was like college algebra, bam! It clicked! I can now find and hit all the notes on the fretboard, so exciting! Thank you, all. Reading threads helps, from many encouraging folks, really helpful. Excited! It's really cool, learning my way around the fretboard. Use 12 as a way to get back on track, sound out and repeat the notes as I go.
So Cool! Hope I'm thinking on track. Thanks.
Being self taught is 🤪 crazy and not easy. I love the 🎸 guitar .
Honestly, when I first got a guitar, I was 10 too. I also didn’t pick it up until I was 12, but my learning experience didn’t really kick in until I forced myself to learn the intro to welcome home sanitarium. Afterwards, I started learning a bunch of bits and pieces of songs that are played in standard tuning from stuff that everyone knows like don’t fear the reaper to songs like deep six by Marilyn Manson. Eventually I started experimenting with other tunings and getting into other songs like whale and wasp which the acoustic for is played with a finger style method. Watching vids like these and covers and just people explaining the intricacies of guitar playing has always kept my attention on continuing to learn guitar lol some can say I’m obsessed but I’d rather say I’m dedicated
I've been sporadically picking up and dropping guitar for the past few years, with only a few stretches of extended practice. My biggest problem is definitely No. 3, where music theory just seems so vast that I didn't really know where to go. I'd watch a video on some piece of theory, they'd refer to another piece that I didn't know, and I'd feel lost and demotivated.
Oh, and a belated happy birthday to you
I am self taught and extremely dedicated. I practice as much as I can every day
Happy birthday!
I only want to wish you best)) We very like you and your very useful videos!) Just keep working together, and let’s Rock🤘😁🎸
I am self taught and I now enjoy practice more than I have ever done because I have the confidence to know that good practice will yield results. For a beginner it can be hard to see why endless repetition is anything other than mind crushingly dull but once it starts working and real progress becomes visible it can be addictive.
And after years of being a bedroom warrior I finally joined a band and did THAT ever push me to improve still further. The band decides that we are going to do Number of the Beast - I have to learn the solo. Back to the practice room...
Great advise as always and great teacher ❤️
Happy bday sir
I’m 45 years old and I’ve recently picked up the guitar. I’m a month in. I’m very motivated to be able to learn some technical skills and eventually rock out in front of a crowd small or large. I came across your page and I’ve already learned some good practices
I miss Ju Jitsu, I wanted to train all the time. It's so expensive now, that I just can't afford it anymore, and I can't just roll with my phone. Lol ♥
Every now and then I write my own Solos or even complete songs. When I do I try to make them the hardest thing I can pull off, so it gives me certain challenge and I can see my progress based on the difficulty of the solos/songs.
Happy Birthday !!!
Lots of good "stuff" here. I started a year ago, I was 65. I had never even held a guitar before. It was online instructors that helped so much. I believe I am right where the average person is, 1 year in. At first it was "no way this is going to happen" Slowly it turned into "wow this is starting to happen". I would print out chord finger position guides,they were everywhere. Soon it was slowly moving from one chord to the next. Then I started concentrating on strumming (wow it sounds different when I upstrum). I can do the DCG EADA progressions, backwards and forwards. The finger pain will hold you back, work past it in small steps. It will be amazing when you manage to put something together. Avoid the pressure of "you need to learn a song" "play me a song" People (non students/non players) just do not understand how it is not about "playing a song" at first. I look at my music theory lessons along the lines of learning algebra. It is simply an agreed upon system, it takes time to learn the system. Ah time. I have both unlimited time to practice (I get in right at 3 hrs a day) and limited time here on this earth, don't waste time but try not to stress over it. Wondering about having enough time left on this Earth to get to where you want is non productive. Oh, having someone knowledgeable look over the ways life (and your life's work) have bent and formed your hands is important. I am not saying hand and finger issues are totally limiting but you need to develop a way around hand and finger problems. I turned wrenches for 40 years (I was an auto mechanic) Using my hands (and abusing my hands) for so long at work has bent them and made certain moves difficult. My screen name at one site is "Clawhand" (the fingers on my left (fretting hand) are pretty bent. Oh, 'first song" Neil Diamond's "Cherry, Cherry". I did not realize I was picking such a fast chord change song. EADA is pretty easy but you must move those fingers to make it work.
I keep a log book and write down the day and the amount of time I practice. I average about 1 1/2 - 2 hourd per night "on the guitar" ( no phone-no utube )
'Flying in a Blue Dream' is a great album! 💜🎸🎶
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
At least have/find someone or more to "look interested" sometimes for your own good.
My goal was creating melodies (not even good melodies) and it all worked out over time. Everything comes in layers and bubbles where ones own urges are important. Even the piano helped me with guitar and back. Now that I CAN create a bit of melody, it's time for others to be involved both ways; Like exchanging goods.
Maybe some are 9 at my current level and can go to a music school, but I feel it's working fine as it is.
happy birthday dude!
happy birthday man! 🎉🎂
Having to teach myself at the moment. When I have something I’m working on that’s not coming together and I keep making mistakes I slow it right down to the point where I play each note correctly. Doing this makes it sound nothing like the song but it just makes it clear in my mind where my fingers must go, once I have is down literally playing in slow motion each note correctly I start speeding up and then it comes and if it doesn’t I just slow it down again to recheck I’m doing it correctly then bring the speed up. If it’s really tricky and I feel Myself getting tired, frustrated I’ll leave it and go play a piece I’m good at then try again the next day.
Happy Birthday!!!
Regarding #6, it can be frustrating to spend your time "copying" when you have a powerful urge to be creative and original, but "imitation" is a phase that every artist has to go through. Two examples might be helpful:
1. Bob Dylan wrote songs at an extremely young age, but at a certain point (I think, in his late teens) he took two or three years OFF from writing his own music and focused exclusively on learning the songs of others. I thought this might be important info for people who aspire to make their own music.
2. In the words of (extremely creative) Nobel Prize winning novelist Orhan Pamuk: "One of life's great ironies is that we only ever become original by imitating others."
Tnx bro.. I’m in this situation right now
So when you picked up that guitar for the first time after two years how long was it before you changed the strings? :-)
I just have a problem knowing what to learn next, even though I’m a intermediate, I never know what I should learn next
Happy Birthday Mike, oh and btw for us self taught guitarists people like you make a HUGE difference in helping us hone and get our techniques/riffs etc right! Keep up the good work! :D
Great topic, and so useful to people like me!
But no matter what I do play everyday! I need to play for longer and learn full songs. I always focus on learning new technique's. I can finger tap, play harmonics, pinched harmonics...not well yet...but don't know a song. As far as that goes I learn a part or two from a song them another song. I do LOVE trying to be creative though. Coming up with your own material is the best feeling to me
. . . the old saying
the tape recorder doesn't lie
First, happy belated birthday Mike! And being self-taught does have many obstacles but in today’s world, you’re right, if you have the self motivation to pursue this, there is a multitude of options available that many are certain to be ideal for you to learn from. When I started (in 1978) I found a book that showed me first position chords, but the rest was music theory that at the time was like a foreign language! Haha! And I had a brother-in-law who wanted to learn which kinda made us not wanting to fall behind from other, and trying to figure out a song from a record album was a difficult task and I had to get a cassette player which at least had a counter to rewind to! And when we finally got a guy that he knew that knew a few songs and he came over and showed us was like a miracle of fortune to happen to us! Haha! Because this was before MTV or tablature even existed. But all your points hit home and I like the way you present things and your explanations make sense and I at times listen to, even when it’s not something I am working on, I get it on what you’re teaching. And while I no longer drive myself on rigid practice anymore and no longer pursue jamming with anyone, I have finally in the past five years or so decided to learn music theory and so much of the stuff that I would play all connect and makes sense on why and broadens what I want to learn or figure out next! Keep up the good work and rockin’ out!
Going to live gigs and studying the guitarists hands during his/her playing is great for working out stuff.
Intestinal fortitude? LOL it was TESTICULAR FORTITUDE! in other words, have some balls!!!
yes...the creative side!!!! finally someone noticed the prodigy syndrome.....they always seem to be more like quick studies than creative geniuses.....technically amazing but very seldom interesting beyond that.
i have been trying to learn guitar and bass for a few years. i also have been learning to play drums but im further along on those than the rest. i got a very late start on all of them which some say is a mistake. but ive also always been surrounded by people that either told me i was too young or too old to do everything. never just the right age for anything.
just pick it up and play and listen and move around the neck, and if your still going after 25 years congratulations its written in the dna, now write a song it takes time to know it takes time, and maybe 300 songs later, gratitude for the art is success if your gratefull after a long time you are winning imo, good vibes
Lol, as a self taught guitarist for three year I can't help but thinking about guitar 24/7...I mean... Ambition is everything... After just 1 year of guitar I started a band with people who all could play much better than me and pushed me to learn and learn, and now, after 3 years I can say I can play Judas Priest and Gamma Ray songs in a band as the lead guitarist... Maybe I will never be able to become someone, but I think there's nothing more I could do... Even while studying at the university and having to keep my means to have my studies financed and teaching subjects to kids to have some money for me... Guitar is all I can think of
All Kool man. I took lessons as a kid in 1966, half a year and quit. Still have my 1965 fender mustang. Started back at it off and on about twenty years ago, the internet has been a great source for learning. . Just bought a Taylor 416 yesterday. Happy Birthday. Mine is October 6th. Right on.
Just need to pace yourself in all areas and enjoy it... make it So Fun.! Learning or knowledge is powerful! Beautiful thing!
You born to be self Taught! Then maybe ~Polymath just all rounder . Huge lot. Big Blessings you can deliver to the universe . =World 🌍
I'm a weird guy. In either all passion or no passion. Just depends. I definitely need to get more consistent...though there have been times that I had caught myself drooling. Even on the guitar...eww 😂😆. Now I know that I'm not the only one lol. Ty!
Tips and tricks were taught by most musicians for decades. If you wanted to take lessons you basically had to go to school for music itself. Check out the history of many if not all of the old guitarists. They all learned from each other. There were no places to take lessons. Cliff Burton took music in college and he passed his knowledge on to the other members of Metallica. Jerry Garcia used to listen to old bluegrass records and slow them down to where he could play each note until he got it down. And then there are the ton of musicians who are just like Jimi Hendrix. Jimi didn't know anything about music, and never learned to read it. He just picked up a guitar and started playing.
I don't have a lot of talent but I have stuck with it for fifty years just because of love I guess. My daughter started playing violin in grade school and was very good. Her dexterity by the time she was in high school was amazing to me. But she stopped in college and I fear it is gone forever. I think for her it was about acheivement and not a passion for music. As inept as I may be at times I still love learning about technique and theory. I still love to hit a sweet note or phrase or new chord inversion. I had two lessons fifty years ago from two different teachers. One taught me the blues pentatonic scale and the other taught the diatonic scale. I memorized those patterns, taught myself how chords are built. Sometimes I try to learn a new song or technique but mostly it is just undisciplined banging and exploration for the joy of playing. Some people can't stick with it? I can't stop. I watched of few of this guy's videos today and enjoyed.
Easy going manner, excellent advice, what's not to like? In the past I was mesmerized by your video on Beatle licks and embellishments.
I was just told today that people that live close by an have listened to my practice habits. Are amazed that I can sit there for hours an play the same bar or 2 whatever the case an difficulty level. I dont shy away from the very difficult things I encounter. When I picked the guitar up I told myself there is no quit! An I resemble a lot of things you through out there, good an bad. The one thing I am missing is getting out the bedroom an playing with other people. I just dont know anyone who plays.
set your sights high....... Play shine on you crazy diamond after one year of playing. I bit off a bit much but i am chewing through it bar by bar. One bar at a time. I an play up to the 50 second mark now.
I'm self taught and I've just kinda started playing and there's barely any days that i haven't played since i started two years ago
am currently playing in my second band
9th quality of being self taught....don't be self taught. music theory is so important. These an amazing series of books that will help greatly called guitar for dummies are that there several others but start with that. To learn the basics than go to the others. The layout is perfect for beginners who have no idea what they're doing. You may be intimidated by other ways to learn but it's super easy. You maything it's hard but its really is simple. It can get really deep but it's not necessary to learn those till later. But you at least NEED to learn the quick easy basics and go from there. It's not nearly as hard as you may think. And will unlock so much
Lately, i have been making a log of what I practiced, and metronome speeds...and how many hours a day i have been practicing. This has shown me what i need to spend more time on and what is progressing well...
Buy books, they follow a program - then with what the lessons teach you apply it "play songs that use those techniques".
Get inspired from everything, I watch youtubers and try out the things that they are doing.
When you aren't physically playing, contemplate/ponder over what you've learned and what's next 👍
Your awesome dude. Gotta say not a member but the fact that you said "whether you find that out from me here OR SOMEONE ELSE" says your not in it for the money. Yeah everyone needs money, and is in it to some extent, but the sincerity is there. Think I might do your course
Right now, my goal is to get use to playing it and feel comfortable playing I'm on disability due to my back but my hands and fingers are strong I can play for 90 with no problem I'm just playing for fun and getting my fingers use to playing and picking, and it's easier every time I pick it up my goals are to learn how to play and how to work on it, I love a good challenge and my back limits me, so I have a lot of free time to learn I am no longer afraid to work on it.
Regarding number 5 - The main reason I started on guitar was so I wouldn't have to deal with other musicians & their egos.
I'm gonna have to think about this...
Great list.
I think you've got to develop a bit of stick-at-it-ness. Or actually a high degree. It's like his no. 8.
I think the best way to do this is to try and get yourself into a virtuous circle that raises you.
Rather than a vicious circle that normally brings you down.
Do not try to move too fast and that way your enthusiasm will lead you to work and that should lead you to successes and that should maintain your enthusiasm and so the circle starts again.
And try to make it as fun for yourself as you can. That may be by learning songs at your level.
We're taught countless myths from birth. One myth I have the biggest beef with is that a person can be a "self taught"... ANYTHING.
Jimmy Hendrix was gifted a guitar by an uncle who showed him roughly 12 chords. After that it was off to the races. If you only learn from guitar tabs then guess what? Another human had to produce that tab in some fashion. If all you do is watch concert footage, in slo-mo, watching a player's hands then you're still learning from another person.
Although this is one of my top 3 resources for learning guitar and I feel I owe this guy my life, the fact the he says "data resource" and "self taught" in the same sentence kinda pisses me off.
Some chords and techniques are so utterly complicated that I would argue you could live to be 300 years old and you'd never just figure it out with nothing but you and a guitar on a desert island. Aside from maybe those savants with brain injuries.
This myth is downright dangerous because how many millions of kids get frustrated, discouraged and ultimately give up because they couldn't just sit down with a guitar and create the next great rock song? "The Beatles Did It". No...they fucking... didn't!!!
Same is true of 'self made'... nobody becomes successful in isolation. Independence is a lie!
That's a great perspective, BUT maybe the "self-taught" in this video refers to not having a formal instructor or classes. If you can consider that point then you will realize you typed a bunch for nothing. No one said anything about using ZERO RESOURCES, but everything was said about getting to them yourself and walking the path to success without the various feedback mechanisms of an instructor/class.
pro tip: actually watch the video next time, THEN type.
"Self taught" just means you don't have lessons. You learn from videos/books, whatever. That's what it means, and those are your "data resources"
Great vid!
I'm autodidact too. However, I've never practiced a day in my life, per se. It was always fun -- a hobby 🎸😈🤘
P.S. Happy Birthday, mate!
lolll me practicing something every day, also delvs ito a lot of just playing and noodling.... but i got wayyy to good at fur elise and my couple of favorite songs.. one day i realized how bored id gotten with my level of playing
I am self taught and have struggled to find friends to jam with. I have several riffs written but kinda don’t know how to resolve them into a song. You are awesome and wish I could have been one of your students
I really like playing my own music more than other peoples because im actually proud that i wrote something i can actually jam to
I really do wanna know more about music theory and the notes and chords im playing 😢
Hey Happy Birthday my man! another year old, are we another year wiser? hahahaha