Why Beginners Have Bad Tone And How To Fix It!

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[LysanderLH]

Beginners have bad tone because they haven’t yet invested the gdp of a small country on gear!

[JP-vyok]

I think another huge one is muting techniques. All beginner guitarists I’ve seen don’t have any muting techniques and there’s a lot of unwanted open notes ringing out. Which causes some muddy tone. It’s sometimes very minor so it’s not that noticeable to beginner players. But more experienced players can pick it out instantly.

[jonnatanpena]

I once got this tip from a more experienced friend…”play CLEAN, no pedals, if it sounds good clean then it will sound good with any pedal”. another one: if you can whistle it (a solo part or a song) then you can play it”. Those tips hold true to this day. Cheers.

[xryxix]

Honestly time and practice makes awesome! You don't need the most expensive gear to have a good tone but you do need practice to understand how to find it and keep it in your sound! Hope y'all have good days 🍀

[jimihendrix]

You always sit with such good posture. I find myself completely hunched over after only a few minutes playing. I have GOT to try to improve my posture!

[trevpeeps]

Thank you for explaining what “tone is in the fingers” actually means. I wish someone had explained those very subtle concepts to me 20 years ago

[alxk]

I never realized what amps or pedals I really liked, because its not easy to have access to everything to compare side by side.. untill I got the Axe fx . Then I was able to compare everything and I really like the Marshall/brit patches. After studying some of my favorite patches I got a better understanding on how they chain things to get a good sound. Its very helpful and consistent on delivering the exact same tone every time.

[gavinmonson]

Hi Robert, I really appreciate your positive, high energy, can-do approach to guitar. Always inspiring!

[henryjakob]

Hey Robert,
thxamillion for all! your informative
and always inspiring content.
Here are my two cents:
It all starts with how you attack
the string(s).
What kind of pick, which angle, slanting, how tight you hold
it and where you attack the string(s).
And that’s related to how loud you dial in your amp.
It’s good to leave some headroom say at least 20%.
And of course what kind of vibrato
you put on a note(slow, middle or fast which again relates to the tempo of the song, letting the note ring for a moment and starting to "massage" afterwards sounds better to my ears as well), when and how to end a phrase(The solo of Hotel California is
a very good blueprint for it)
It’s the same with bending the strings, you have to land on your target note in time.
So again:slow, middle or fast, with fast being used most of the time, and therefore landing on the desired pitch.

Best regards

[ZSS]

Great tips Robert! I just wanted to throw in my thoughts here. I found it easier for Myself to play along with backing tracks and and find the tone that fits the particular backing track that I am playing along to. Everyone is different!

[adelaidealfieri]

“Just do all the things, all the times, everyday, 25/7…. and end bluesy.” 😂 This resonates because I’ve always been crazy obsessive with my hobbies, and I’ve always wanted to specialize in one area. It’s comforting to know I’m actually on the right track 😂😂 with doing all the things, all the time 🤣🤣 Hey man, thanks for taking the time to share your advice on tone and I look forward to your next video! -Addie

[TheDilligan]

My tips:
– A lot of tone is in your fingers. You just need to control your inflections on the strings. Play evenly. Don't let strings ring if they shouldn't be. Don't try to be your own drummer on the strings – particularly on distorted electric guitar.
– Take time to learn how to use your volume, tone and pickup selectors that are on the guitar.
– Change your strings often. Figure out what brand and gauge works best for you.
– Have your guitar properly set up and learn how to set it up yourself.
– On electric guitar, figure out what pickup height works best for you.
– Learn how to use the EQ on your amp.
– Don't waste money on pedals until you know how to use them. By that I mean that your first pedal should be a digital mult-fx that allows you to try out every effect there is. Or an amp like a Boss Katana that has it all built in. You can dissect the factory presets to learn how tones are built and you can explore all of the effects to figure out what you like best without spending thousands of dollars on individual stompboxes that aren't even right for you.

[chrisr]

Robert - I’m loving these little “5 Minute Ideas” series thingy your doing. Thx bro!

[nightly]

Having a nice PRS certainly helps with tone!

[leftyzappa]

When I was a beginner, I was just happy to be in tune (first priority) and have the gain all the way up 😊

[MoStBlEsSeD]

Dude your tips are always great short to the point .. love it

[jmangi]

This guy always has the best advice. Thank you Robert.🎸🤘😉

[michaelw]

I’m a beginner and I already have great tone after a week. Sounds like bees and I love it.

[cdarius]

Your insight and info is going to make me practice more. Thanks

[martincloutier]

Hello Robert, thank you for these tips, they are relevant to both a beginner and an intermediary. I have a question, did the Gibson draw take place? I feel like I haven't seen it pass. Thanks