Top 10 Things I Wish I Was Taught When I Started Guitar

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Today I want to talk to you about the top ten things I wished I was taught when I started at guitar.

1. Music theory is not your enemy. There is this misconception that understanding music theory is going to take away the magic feel from your music. If anything, learning music theory is going to enhance your appreciation for music.

2. Trust your inner musician. Frequently you will feel starstruck when you look at all the brilliant players out there. However, we tend to forget that our inner voice is what makes us unique musically. Never overlook the simple ideas.

3. Using your pinky is not that important. As long as the delivery of a piece of music is right you don't have to care so much about the technique.

4. Barre chords are not that important. When we start playing, we struggle so hard with that F major chord shape, but later in life, we find that we don't have to use barre chords that much.

5. Rhythm goes a long way. As a kid, I always wanted to play lead guitar, but my rhythm was awful. What I didn't realize is that there was rhythm in solo playing too, just ask Nuno Bettencourt.

6. Pentatonic scales are not just for blues. When I started I really wanted to be a Steve Vai type of player, although I enjoyed the blues. What I didn't realize is that pentatonic scales are just notes away from seven notes scales that allow you to play modal.

7. There are no levels in music. You don't have to be the best musician, you just have to be you.

8. Accuracy beats speed. Earlier in my guitar career, all I wanted to do was play faster and faster. However, at some point, I always got confused because of the lack of accuracy. Hit the notes with precision and confidence and eventually, the speed will come.

9. Intervals are useful. Intervals will unlock your understanding of music.

10. Contrast goes a long way. There can be contrast in aspects of your playing like volume or speed that can keep the listener interested.

Recommended playlists

►How to Play Melodic
►How to Use Guitar Modes
►How to Play Blues

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[SixStringStudies]

Great video David, I think all 10 points are extremely valid, particularly for newer players. Keep up the great work!

[Francois]

Thank you so much for your videos, I think you are one of the very few teachers who put the self expression in the center of all technical ideas.

[smackgod]

Hey David, I really just want to say Thanks.
Your style of teaching Music Theory & how to actually Apply it. Changed my life.

[richdelb]

#7 KILLS me all the time. I am always looking to "level up" to the next guy. It's REALLY hard to get past that. I always feel everyone on Earth plays much better than me.


#8 Gets me quite a bit as well. I think it goes back to #7. I seem to equate "speed" with getting to that "Next Level", and the guys (and girls) I like to listen to all have that speed thing going. Truth is, they have more accuracy than I do... (see, even with that, it's the "next level" kind of thing....)


It's a constant battle. Really, it is.

[anthoniegonzalez]

Thanks for trying new things and sharing age long knowledge!

[wulfenii]

I started getting into theory about 10 years ago by watching guys like you on youtube. So much I have learned and am still learning. Thanks to you and your insight.

[martynspooner]

You are so right about theory . The little I do know is from guys like yourself and I so wish I had understood it at the beginning decades ago.

[henryrodriguez]

Thank you for reinforcing what I long suspected and believed.

[TimsGuitarWorldwithTimFeskorn]

What a great video.... Thanks a bunch. I also started out as a music major. 45 years ago. unlike your professor mine said "whatever Tim... I don't have the time to work with you. The class is to big". I quit school that day and later studied engineering. all this time I've continued to play. I attached myself to blues guitar. But fusion has always moved me when used in blues in the style of Larry Carlton, Robin Ford, you know the guys. You have helped me a lot but, What should be the most important thing this old blues guy should practice, that would help me get out of the blues rut. Its fun and all, but I know there's more to life than the minor pentatonic scale. Thanks for your great teachings sir. TF

[JackTheRabbitMusic]

This is good information for young musicians, especially the part about following your heart. Thanks, Mr. Wallimann.

My issue with traditional music/theory education was the way it was institutionalized. Youtube puts it in a much easier to digest format, without the use of authority and discrimination. I hated music schools as a kid (I am now 37). I hated the dry, boring lessons. I hated the dry boring teachers. I hated the snobby parents of the spoiled rotten rich kids (which I was definitely not). Thankfully, I simply followed my inner child and just played for the sheer joy it gave me, but I was late to the theory table due to my mistrust and disenchantment with the education system.
Music education shouldn't be that way; It should be light and fun, and in my youth, it was neither of those things whenever the adults got involved.
An "adult" is just a more experienced child, and that doesn't give them automatic authority over anything. Let the children play!!

[Nlmanmusic]

Great video, David! 10x So True. Keep up the good work 👍🏻 Love the setting, by the way!

[DavideBaroni]

Point n° 1 is one of my personal enemies :-D, even if I KNOW it shouldn't. :-) And I know that it wouldn't "kill my creativity", it's not the reason for it being my enemy. ;-)
Point n° 3... It brought to my mind a guy from the past that I'm sure you know: Django Reinhardt. The guy only had 3 fingers, and he does stuff that LOTS of players couldn't do with all 5. :-D
Point n° 5... My FIRST AND BIGGER Enemy, especially in solos. A friend of mine (who is a respected jazz musician) said to me once: "For you rhythm is a sphere, how could you possibly square it up?" :-D
Point n° 9... Yes, you're right. Now please fix my ears... :-(

Thanks for this list. Thanks a LOT. As always. Keep up the good work. :-)

[rogersimms]

This was very helpful and reassuring. I wish I had known these things years ago.

[guitarplayerassassins]

Great I love it just what I need good advice.😀🎸🎶

[APBG]

David I enjoy your videos and teaching, you forgot number 11 in my humble opinion, to use a pick or no pick, keep the good work and thanks for the info.

[randysnewbiebluesrockguita]

I just got a new American Pro HSS Strat, Olive green and it look's fantastic. I am a new player ( going on 3 year's) and have learned a ton of scales and most all of my regular open chord's and I can play pentatonic lead's and dorian lead's and stuff like that, but I can't intonate my guitar's which I now have 8 of, and it has made it to where I am almost ready to say screw it and sell all my stuff. I have people who know how to do this, but no one seem's to want to help me to learn ( I'm retired and everyone I know work's) and the stuff I have been watching on You Tube hasn't really helped. I was able to get all of the string's on my strat intonated except for the high E and I am assuming it need's a neck tweek. I have never messed with the neck's on any of my guitar's out of fear I will just ruin them and it's frustrating that my brand new 1500.oo guitar isn't able to be played. I can go have it set up at the shop, but I need to know how to do this on my own. Anyone have any helpful advice for me before I say screw it and move onto something else? i love playing the guitar, and I am pretty sharp learning thing's, the only problem is the intonation being off at the 12th fret. I have all the tool's to work on guitar's and still can't. I am sure this is not as hard as it seem's, Maybe I should get a used guitar for cheap and experiment on it, only thing is if I mess that up I won't be able to fix it right either.

[curiousgeorge]

Something I hope you touch on sometime: Where is the line between what I am playing is "good" - meaningful, interesting, expressive, effective, etc VS I need to try harder to achieve these results? The tension between "good enough" and "need to try harder" can strangle enjoyment and creativity. Does my question make sense? I really appreciate your unique style of teaching. Thanks!

[rickoleary]

I wish I realized I should not be wasting my time using my pinky way sooner! Especially for bends and on pentatonic soloing. My playing is so much better using it only as truly needed.

[thelastwhiteguy]

When people ask about playing as good as you. .
Think they're notice you style of playing it clean crisp.To me I here classical Jazzy it your sound you have develop example .
. Like Eddie Van Halen, You know it's Eddie playing most likely with in the first 3 notes or you don't know who Eddie van Halen is.. same as SRV, JI,PAGE J, HENDRIX, JEFF BECK . SO ON .
You do have ear catching sound that doesn't sound like someone else .you definitely own that sound and it brought out by your own technique. Hope that makes sence to why someone would ask.

[ianrichardson]

Good video, made a nice change. I think it's a good idea getting other people in and just havin a chat...all sorts can come out of that.
Just a few thoughts on this one...Ya Pinkie...I have short fingers so pinkie don't go where it should often times. That used to frustrate the hell outs me, but then i realised all i need to do is adapt..find a different way to play that chord or lick, if it's near enough then it's fine. I still can't do a whole tone bend with it. There's no point spending hours trying to do what you cannot physically do.
Barre chords. Personally i didn't used to like the damned things, they're a pain to learn and i thought they just made everything sound the same. And me short fingers didn't help which is why i never had a Gibson type guitar.necks are too big. Then i got into chord tones then realised i don't need the full barre chord, so i just used partial chords...often just triads, and it turns out so do many other players.
Rhythm. It took me a long time to realise rhythm is not just for rhythm players, drummers and the bassist. Rhythm is part of your solo, a lick has to have rhythm just the same.
Which is where intervals comes in. People get sick of me saying that word, but music is intervals..chords, licks, solos, scales everything. The best way to learn your fret board is to know your intervals. Everyone says an interval is the distance between any 2 notes. Yes it is, and it never changes. but there's another one...that does change...the time between any 2 notes, or chords as they have root notes. And that is where rhythm comes from.
As to theory itself, There is tons of it, it goes deep if you really dive into it. My question is how much theory do you really need to play the guitar.? The majority of players are probably doing the same things..with some alterations, mostly using the same scales maybe depending on genre, using the same or similar chord progressions..with an odd chord borrowed from another scale now and again. So what theory do the majority of guitarists rely on most of the time.?
I started out in the days of no interweb and scratchy vinyl records, now every recording is done digitally, it's way too clinical for my liking..soul-less sounding at times. I think when many are trying to learn a new solo or whatever this clinical sounding note perfect recording makes people try to play it the same way. But if you listen to that band live..now what does it sound like? Do they always play that solo the same way? Does it sound note perfect the whole time?
And finally, thank god i hear you say....do you have a preference for a particular cable, or brand /type of cable and if so, why? I ask because not many talk about cables. And they can be important.