5 Things I Wish I Knew As A Beginner Guitarist

In today's fingerstyle / classical guitar lesson I'm sharing 5 things that would've saved me so much time (and pain) as a beginner guitarist!

0:00 Weight
2:32 Define your own "success"
5:54 The "pull-off trick"
7:17 Bass stopping
9:06 Your audience doesn't want a "perfect" performance
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#FingerstyleGuitar #ClassicalGuitar

[johnpryor]

I began playing guitar 25 years ago. Mainly tabs and by ear with no instruction. When I met my wife who was a music major in college she made me learn some music theory and memorize the circle of 5ths. I hated it. I had a love of spanish guitar and so i bought myself a harp guitar. When I started using the weight of the arm instead of the old squeeze the neck method that i just l learned it was soo moving. I was nearly in tears as all my cord changes became fluid and I am not feeling for the strings anymore . Its like letting the hands weight press down the piano keys.

[CosmicMomentumX]

I'm not a beginner. But I always like to watch these to learn more. Bass stopping is huge, I'll be applying that technique immediately

[jaredsebring]

I had the opportunity to go through Nathan’s “Fingerstyle Journey” course and the first lesson was all about weight. I was amazed at how much sweeter my guitar sounded when I wasn’t squeezing the neck so hard. I was more relaxed and that totally transferred into how my guitar sounded. It was nothing short of magical for me. I love that course and am so glad I went through it. Thanks Nathan!

[AdrianUnplugged]

I love the tips that are beyond the technique. We get in our own heads when most people don’t know the difference between 80% perfect and 100% perfect. Just play and share it with the world.

[MatiasNitz]

OMG, I broke my wrist and collarbone two years ago and I couldn't play guitar like before. Nobody taught me the first tip, you just gave me hope of playing again

[deadstiny]

The bass stopping when using a different chord or key was helpful and actually intensified the clarity of the notes. The best things to add in a composition is the mess you subtract, cleansing the sound! Thank you so much!

[Italyic]

I've been playing for three years, and half of these tips I've not even thought about.

As usual amazing work Nathan! Appreciate the free learning content you put out.

[Guitartistx]

Using the weight instead of the thumb has made a huge difference, definitely has helped with my speed, thank you so much! 🙏

[paulmccarty]

The 5th point hit home with me. Thank you for great content and insights.

[imsz]

I playing classical guitar for 2 years and your video learn new things to me, good job Nathan 🤍

[StepanTheOmniplayer]

I am playing guitar and several other instruments as well and although I had great teachers mostly, I always knew from the lessons how to PLAY the music and not how to PRACTICE. I never heard about the game changers Nathan is talking about in this video that make guitar playing waaay much easier. And many of these can be applicable to other instruents as well. Never ever met or heard about anybody who cares about musical instrument practice as Nathan does.

[fluckster]

This was a fantastic video and shows just what a truly great teacher you are! Thanks man!

[AmyLynx]

Every single tip you listed was amazing and very informative! Thanks, and I personally wouldn't mind if you made more videos like this one! :)

[BeyondTheGuitar]

What's something you wish you knew when you first started learning guitar? Leave me a comment!

[rain_strings]

love you and classical guitar, before your video my left hand wrist hurt but now everything better❤

[BorisBakhshan]

the maestro speaks, listens to him and puts his wisdom into action.... you get better! guaranteed!🙂

[murad]

Each tip was helpful, but for me the tips with the weight of the arm and the last one about performing. Now im learning your arrangement "Brothers" from Fullmetal alchemists and i notices with those jump from first fret to barchord on 10 fret, with plenty of those stretching and again barchords in this piece my muscle in the thumb gets very tired and i feel pain halfway through the arrangement. So im gonna focus on that for a while. And also in this arrangement i had problem with the pull of from 12 to 10 fret. And to just place the finger on the string beneath, maaan, that was so simple, intuitive and brilliant. Dont know how i didnt come up with that by myself. And the preforming tip is the most important i think. Cause these technical moments, i think i will achieved them anyways with discipline. But this performance one, it requires changing the way you think about yourself and this is what is really hard to do. To reprogramm your way of thinking.
Thank you a lot for this video, Nathan

[sirnebby]

All amazing pieces of advice! The weight tip is especially important, I really wish I had learned it earlier because it completely changed my playing

[WailingRaven]

Great tips! I definitely find myself get caught up on the 2nd one from time to time, especially being in my 30s, and having not achieved anything major in life. 😂

Oddly enough, I learnt about Tip #1 from Henning Pauly (EytschPi42) recently, in his Strandberg Boden Essential review, of all places. I tried it out immediately and it's easier to play. Also, my thumb pain had subsided ever since. I still go back to the habit of gripping with my thumb at times, but after knowing that nugget of information, I try to be more conscious about it, whenever I tensed up.

Tips I would add would be, don't think of guitar playing as a 100 meters sprint, but instead as a marathon, potentially a lifelong one. So be patient, be kind to yourself, and you'll reap the rewards of the work you put in.

Another would be, don't fawn over gears (especially as an Electric Guitarist), because they'll never make you a better player. A well built guitar that is setup properly, sure 'cause that's important, but having an obsession over new gears (G.A.S = Gear Acquisition Syndrome) will never replace actual times invested on playing and practicing the instrument.

[nihenita]

I can relate to every one of them. You are so right! I am looking forward to continuing to practice keeping all what you said in mind.