5 Reasons You're Not An Intermediate Guitar Player Yet

When you're learning how to play the guitar, it can be hard to know when you've graduated from beginner to intermediate. In this video, I'll be sharing the top five reasons you're not an intermediate guitar player yet. These reasons are mostly subjective and there can be more (or less) depending on the genre you play and your personal guitar goals. However, in my years of teaching the guitar, these were the ones I came across the most. If you can successfully do all five of these things, it's safe to say that you're an intermediate.

If you want to start gaining a deeper understanding of your instrument, here are a few helpful guitar lessons:

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Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:42 - Reason 1
2:21 - Reason 2
5:16 - Reason 3
5:42 - Reason 4
6:34 - Reason 5
7:47 - Final thoughts
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Music Credits:
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License

#intermediateguitar #beginnerguitar #guitarlesson

[stdr]

These are great lessons, but you can skip all of this and just buy a bunch of $500 pedals

[Bangaudaala]

more importantly than playing songs flawlessly is that even though you get a note or 2 wrong, you should have the ability to keep playing without letting it bother you. A lot of people that will listen to you play won't even be able to tell that you made a mistake in the first place if you can mask it well enough through continuity

[LetsArion]

I feel called out by the "Play a song flawlessly" one. It's not so much that I CAN'T play or learn it, but that learning and playing simpler songs is sooo tough and boring for me. Maybe it's an ADHD thing. I much rather practice scales and improvising and play around with that, but I should really get my act together and learn a song

[abvolate_]

You helped me realize that I am an intermediate guitar player. Thank you

[bhop]

Your guitar lesson videos are exactly what i was looking for. Especially the relationship between scales and chords is a thing that you can't really get into if you don't take lessons. There is so much to learn that you don't know where to start and with what to start. You really gave me some guidance now. Thanks!

[jonathanspahr]

you picked some great indicators. I would add the ability to bend "in tune". I think if you are able to hear (or I guess at some point feel) how much you need to bend a string to get a nice sound sets apart more intermediate/advanced players from the beginners.

[matthewpaolini]

I have been playing since I was 15. I am now 55. I played in a lot of hard rock bands and studied theory on my own. Your points are right on and very rudimentary. People tend to forget the timing part of music and focus on just melody, harmony and rhythm. I have developed some bad habits over the years and need to correct them. Using a metronome is the absolute first step. Developing your ear is essential as well. YouTube allows people to just bypass ear training and just learn the song. Back in my day, I had a cassette player that slowed the music down but also changed key. So, I had to transpose it after I learned it. Many musicians in the 80's would tune down a half step just to give more room for the vocals and create a thicker sound. I always stayed in A 440. Also, look at the big picture and do not be a copy cat. Focus on developing your own style. It will take years but that should be your long term goal. Most people do not attain their own style. This last point took me 15 years. You can have influences but take certain riffs from many players and make them your own. This will avoid sounding like a copy cat. If anyone comes up to you and says, "You sound like such and such" Well, no problem - unless you keep hearing that. If so, you're doing something wrong. Sure. When I started playing I wanted to play like EVH, George Lynch, etc... But then, I stopped learning their solos and made up my own. Very excellent points. Theory is just guidelines. Don't get trapped playing in specific scales. It will limit your creativity. Also - I would recommend taking breaks from playing. Do not play every day. You need to allow time to reinforce the things you have learned. Space, repetition, timing. Builds muscle memory. I know this sounds contradictive but you need to take breaks after you've accomplished a goal. It also makes you fresh and eager to play again when you come back to it. Playing scales all day is very boring and could be discouraging. IF you play hard rock and use distortion, you need to be careful. 1. Do not practice with distortion on all of the time. It will cover mistakes that you will miss. Believe me. You want to focus on good tone, which comes from your fingers and playing style. Also, do not over saturate your town with distortion. Learn how to control the distortion so you don't get some unwanted sounds. It takes some finesse but learn to muffle what you're not playing with your right hand when playing with distortion is an art in and of itself. This is very important. You can still achieve a really killer metal sound with a lot less distortion. I also practice on an acoustic. It builds up strength because it's harder to play. There is a time for practicing and a time for playing.

[SquirrelDarling]

Started learning guitar a year and a half ago, playing in a band now. I’m taking lesson too, which helps a lot. I’m at the intermediate level, now to see how far I can take it.

[playtwisted]

All five of these reasons apply to me. Thank you for clarifying some of these. Taking lessons now and he is going over the basic theory now, going over fret board.

[vrx]

love these videos even though im a beginner in guitar i still watch these types of videos when im not practicing

[alexjames]

Thanks for another informative video.
I found that being able to use the C Major scale on the piano as another way of visualising scales and chords was very helpful in being able to communicate with other musicians. They can always transpose what we say and vice versa. Playing with brass and wind players is also good for changing our rigid structures. Another really good way of developing extra skills is playing with violin/fiddle players as it's different playing with instruments tuned in fifths vs fourths.( Low to high)

[iandodd]

I am most definitely NOT an intermediate player yet. I picked up the guitar 6 months ago (as a recent retiree) and am taking learning with a wonderful teacher. We're working on many of the same things I've when I discovered your channel, e.g., learning scales and turning them into improv'ing, music theory, rhythm, etc. So the content you're putting out is dovetailing nicely with my IRL lessons and helping to eventually get to being an intermediate (and eventually beyond?) player.

[photoguy]

Some great points and agree 100%. Up until about a year ago, I didn’t know the notes on the fretboard or even basic C, G chords by name.

I always just used to play by ear. Everyone would tell me I was a great player but even then I’d tell them I’m still a beginner. Now, at age 46, I’m finally deciding to learn theory. Even in just 2 months I’ve grown considerably and am a better player. Theory is a must for growth.

[victormatheus]

Great great tips! Been playing guitar for some years and those are surely one of the most relevant aspects for intermediate players

[hazelflag]

Have the first 4 solid. I'm just starting to understand scales and chords. So i'm almost there!

[kylewelsh_krossdesu]

Nice tip about rolling your finger for the barre chords. Thanks!

[andrewgordon]

These are reasons only a seasoned observer could have come up with. Excellent. Now I know exactly what I need to work on.

[craigbernhardt]

Everything you said was fairly accurate in my opinion. I don't exactly know the "relationship between chords and scales" but I've been playing for a little over 10 years now and I'm beginning to see the relationship. It takes practice and just being a little observant If you do it on your own.

[The_gravityman]

Thank you, i am not an intermediate, never expected to be one after two weeks of practice

[AntarikshRajkonwar]

Make more videos like this please and also on music theory and mandatory important exercises and scales 🎸🎶