3 BIGGEST Mistakes Beginner Guitarists Make

After teaching guitar for over a decade, you see a lot of the same patterns. I have worked with thousands of students at this point and they seem to have common themes when it comes to trying to learn guitar on their own.

As a self taught guitarist, I know you pain. I didn't get help from a guitar teacher until I had been playing for 10 years. In this video, I'm going to go over the 3 biggest mistakes beginner guitarist make when trying to learn to play guitar.

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Lauren :)

#LaurenBateman #LaurenBatemanGuitar

[jiri]

Wow, I've actually started another online course and was given 10 chords in a PDF file in my last lesson. Overwhelmed is a good word to describe it, lost too. Then I watched your video on 4 chords, then this one and I've realized that your way is perfect for me. Congrats on developing your method Lauren and thank you!!

[glennberry]

I looked at a BUNCH of different videos and finally found Lauren and when she said she works mostly with 50+...being 58 myself, I bought in and in just a week the difference is there.

[jamespatrickpope]

Great advice :
1. Don’t try to learn too much at once
2. Use a metronome & measure success
3. Give yourself structure & a plan
(Turn off YouTube after a little bit of a viewing and actually practice. Practice with the the guitar in your hands is better than watching someone teach)
Thanks Lauren you are a treasure

[kenbegley]

69 years old and I'm still not where I want to be I can play some songs except that c chord gives me problems but I think I finally found a guitar teacher that can really help me

[Bungeestrapphil]

I never used a metronome when I first started out. Once I started using one it made a huge difference. My nephew recently asked me to teach him how to play and one of the first things I did was give him a metronome and told him to use it. A couple of weeks ago we performed together at a church Christmas party and listening to him play was one of the best Christmas presents I've ever gotten.

[dwightlilly]

I have watched a few of your beginner videos and at 74 years old think you are on to something. I'll check out the video course.

[Peter-deou]

Just picked up a guitar for the first time aged 67 from 🇬🇧 and then found your 4 chords for beginners. I can now play 4 chords after 2 days at 30 minutes per day. I may not be fast at chord changes but you have definitely got me hooked.
Thanks Lauren

[brianmyers]

This is great. At 52, I am just learning and find myself overwhelmed at times. Thank you.

[frank_]

I’ve been playing for just over a year now. I’m 37 years old and I would say I’m at the intermediate level. Just wanted to say thank you because most of what I have learned has come from your channel. Thank you so much!

[minaw]

I was trying to learn songs and i get too frustrated then i decided to focus on chord and strumming only for sometime and when i saw ur video i felt i made the right decision so thanks for being always helpful i foucus only on ur videos now u r the best teacher out there 👍

[Mooseboy]

Really good advice Lauren. I've been playing pro and semi-pro for 57 years and used to teach students in the early 70's when I was younger. Now that I'm retired, I'm teaching again, and I always like seeing approaches other teachers take. Your capo lesson was the first one I saw, this is the second one. I'll be checking out lots of your other videos, but just wanted to check in here.

[brendachristopher]

Great tutorial Lauren. You're right on with the 3 biggest mistakes and I see from other comments here that I'm not alone. I was all over the place and trying to learn too much at once. I'm starting to stay focused on just a few songs and perfecting a few chords. I started working with the metronome and it's very helpful. I was always feeling tense anticipating chord changes and the metronome seems to relieve that tension and strumming goes on autopilot after a while. Your teaching style is wonderful for us seniors and beginners, especially easier chords to start and it doesn't take long to get your fingers in shape to be able to do harder more difficult versions of those chords. Practice really is the key to learning and improving. Thank you.

[tyronerowe]

Only just starting out playing a guitar at 67. Your video is amazing, so easy to understand and getting to Black belt many years ago in TKD, your advice is brilliant, one step at a time.
Thank you so much Lauren

[dataylor]

Hi Lauren. My guitar journey is a long one. I’m 64 years old and started playing approximately 30 years ago. I’m left handed so at a disadvantage to begin with. Played restrung guitars. For a long time and about 10 years ago treated my self to a Martin D35 left handed. What a difference but life happened and I stopped playing for several years. Ran across your videos by accident and mud say after watching your videos that the fire has rekindled. I pulled it out of the case, dusted it off, tuned it up and now it is sitting back in plain sight. Seems like I’m relearning so much stuff and your videos are awesome. Thanks for all you do.

[peteinozi]

For the past 10 years or so I have been really facinated with just watching guitar playing and wanted to start learning to play when I turn 80 years old . I'm now 78.5 YO and couldn't wait any longer. I've just had my new acoustic for a week and have come across your great channel. Started having some lessons from where I bought the guitar, but when I finish those I think I will join your beginners classes. You are amazing !

[zayneunderwood]

I admit I'm guilty about bouncing from one YouTube instructor to another but I always end up coming back to you Teach...
Perhaps your other students have done the same.
I like your style I like the way you explain things and I like the way you demonstrate your lessons.
I've been following you for almost two years on YouTube and I haven't even scratched the surface of what you have to offer in lieu of your lesson your guitar course your website it's all awesome and when I get back to work and this pandemic is behind us I would like to enroll in your guitar course....

Thanks Teach... 🍎

[TonyInspiresPeople]

I tried learning the guitar in the past, but I gave up due to frustration. I made the mistakes that you mentioned in the video. I am trying a different approach this time. Thank you.

[davidsecord]

When I instruct, I have the student work on three chords, starting with the major chords and then the minor chords. I do this as we are doing several things at once: 1. proper finger position on the strings for the (open to start) chords; 2. working on coordination between the three chords to train your hands to find the positions without thinking about it (eventually); and, having the three major chords in a key to allow you to move to the point of playing a song. If we start with the key of D, the three principle chords are D, G and A7. I like this key as it challenges you make chord changes with very different fingerings in these open voicings. Once you have all of the open voicings in the seven keys, we add the minor fingerings. In the key of D, the relative minor chords are: Bm, Em and F#7. Along with learning the chords, enough theory is learned so that you understand WHY D, G and A7 fit into the key of D and why the relative minor chords work in that key signature. Like it or not, if you eventually want to learn how to solo over a chord progression, you have to have some theory under your belt to understand why certain notes will sound solid within a soloing structure, feel the chord change at the transition and do the turnaround to start over again. It is the case that there are a number of amazing players who will admit to you that they know zero theory. They pull it off because they are guitar geniuses. If you are not a guitar god, you will have to learn some theory. My teaching method contains those three elements: positions; coordination of finger positioning changes between chords and understanding why those chords work within a key. Considering how many songs are based upon three chords, you can get to the point of playing a song. The next challenge is reading the lyrics, singing the lyrics with the correct notes and playing the correct chords in the tempo of the song. Play on!

[anitavirginillo]

I wish you would have been my first guitar teacher - This is exactly what I needed. Thank you ever so much!

[davidbrown]

Hello Lauren, I was lost but, now I'm found, I have been trying to learn guitar for three years by learning various bits and pieces, I came to your site when I wanted to try fingerpicking, then realised I should have started with you from day one. thank you.