What to Learn on Guitar in Order

Here's a curriculum about what to learn on guitar. It's basically a list of concepts in the order that you should learn them all the way from absolute beginner to face melting pro/jazz reptile

Here's some Amazon links to help you out. These are affiliate links so I earn a small commission, but you can still trust my recommendation because I can link any gear I want, I choose to link this stuff. I'm not sponsored by any of the manufacturers listed below.

Thanks for watching!

[gandalf]

Level 0
1. Learn how to hold the guitar & pick
2. Learn the different parts of the guitar
3. Learn basic strumming, such as up and down strums
4. Learn how to pick & fret single notes
5. Learn the names of all six strings
6. Learn basic guitar maintenance, namely how to tune your guitar
7. Learn what a note is, and which notes make up a chord
8. Learn what a key is
9. Learn basic intervals, namely what is a half step versus a whole step

Level 1
1. Play basic open chords: E, Eminor, A, A minor, G, C, D
2. Strum in time, count, play different note values
3. Do some very basic guitar maintenance namely how to change your strings
4. Recommended songs to learn: (basic strumming, or one-string songs)
For What Its Worth: Buffalo Springfield
Wagon Wheel: Darius Rucker
Smoke on the Water: Deep Purple
Seven Nation Army: White Stripes
Iron Man: Black Sabbath

Level 2
1. Learn Right Hand technique of all alternate picking
2. First Position Pentatonic Scale -> Minor Pentatonic Scale
3. Learn all notes of Fretboard up to the 5th Fret
4. Learn what syncopation is, how to count different beat subdivisions
5. Recommended songs to learn:
Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Running Down a Dream - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
House of the Rising Sun - The Animals
Highway to Hell - AC/DC
Hurt - Johnny Cash

Level 3
1. Second Position Pentatonic Scale - Major Pentatonic Scale
2. Barre Chords - F Major, B Minor- Leading to playing barre chords with 5th & 6th String roots
3. Minor and Major versions of those barre chords
4. Know all the notes on the fretboard
5. Start Soloing over backing tracks (good one - “now you shred”)
Samples to solo over:
Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits
Layla - Eric Clapton
Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin

Level 4
1. Learn all 5 positions of the pentatonic scale (Just 3 new ones)
2. Learn Major and Minor Diatonic Scale
3. Learn to play Seventh Chords -> Major, Minor, Dominant & Half-Diminished
4. Play all seventh chords with roots on the fifth & sixth strings
5. Play with Bends, Vibrato, Hammer-ons & pull-offs
6. Natural & Pinch harmonics
7. Music Theory: How to build Scales, Triads
8. Learn how sevenths apply to Triads
9: Recommended: (people often) Get a Guitar Instructor at this level

Level 4.5
1. Learn to Harmonize the minor scale
2. Harmonize the Major Scale - Core Word Scale, order of the Triads
3. Learn the Nashville Number System *Extremely Important*
4. Familiarize yourself with really common chord progressions
5. Learn the functions of different chords

Level 5
1. Learn the Modes
2. Learn all the Intervals
3. Learn the CAGED system
4. Learn the arpeggios within the CAGED system
5. Learn to identify triads within the CAGED arpeggios
6. Learn Major seventh, Minor seventh, Dominant seventh, Half diminished arpeggios with fifth and sixth string roots
7. Add the seventh to your CAGED arpeggios
8. Learn the theory behind the Modes
9. Learn how chord tones can be used in a solo or melody to accentuate chords already in the song
10. Learn about Compound Time Signatures

Level 6
1. Understand Chord Extensions beyond the seventh
2. Focus on learning how to add ninth, eleventh & thirteenth to your chords -> *Heavy Jazz Concept*
3. Learn the Melodic minor scale, as well as its modes and arpeggios
4. Learn the Harmonic minor scale, as well as its modes and arpeggios
5. Learn this one very important mode of the harmonic minor scale: the diminished scale
6. Lessons often stopped at this level

[crunk]

I’ve been playing random songs I liked on guitar for a good couple years, but never felt like I could say I was making any substantial progress. I REALLY like having a checkpoint kind of system I can look at to know what to learn, so this is awesome - and the storyline you threaded through the video is super fun.

[Kaloffee]

Dude, this is EXACTLY what I’ve been looking for. There’s so much information online it’s overwhelming. I don’t know where I should be, what I should be learning, what I should know and might still have yet to learn. Having a comprehensive checklist like this helps so much and gives me actual, tangible tasks and goals to focus on so I can really get started on my journey learning this instrument. Thank you!

[aforabe]

After years of trying to learn guitar, you've shown me I was jumping around all over the place with what I was learning. No wonder I felt like I was hitting walls. I'm hopeful again man, thank you for this

[FrankCosbyNo-Relation]

Step 1: Buy a guitar
Step 2: Give up because it's too hard
Step 3: Get a bass
Step 4: Pretend that bass is as cool as guitar

[philipbaker]

I nearly fell out of my chair after realizing this is a new and small channel. The depth of explanation and production quality is insane. Keep it up and your channel will grow tremendously!

[makethingshappen]

So basically you’re telling me I’ve been at level 0 for the past decade…thanks for summing up in a concise video the level of progression.

[palimo_skalya]

Nah bro, would've never believed you have just 500 subs💀 that storytelling, that editing, that amount of work in this video is really something different. Good job, mate! You've honestly earned yourself a new sub and definitely, not even close to the last. Thank you for your service!

[FrankCosbyNo-Relation]

Drinking game: take a drink every time he raises one eyebrow

[hubt_]

You know you've been consuming guitar content wrong when you've learned something mentioned from every level :'') Thanks for such a guide!! This is super helpful :))

[mohamedadam]

Being a guitarist for almost 15 years now, I gonna use your convincing approach as a check list to fill the knowledge gaps I’ve always been living with.
Good job 👏
Your effort is highly appreciated.

[phlobotonum]

being a self taught guitarist, this is exactly the kind of information i was looking for: an order to know what to learn or to know where you'd place techniques in a categorization of levels and skill mastery. Now i know where to start. Thank you so much and i wish you all the best for the growth of this channel

[Weirdo_on_YT]

Pls like this comment remind me to practice

[StiStixx]

As an instructor myself this video is so incredible! I’ll definitely be sharing it with prospective students and people just generally interested in learning ⚡️

[gintokihandholder]

as a beginner w severe anxiety who worries about missing things and knows shit about music, id like to THANK YOU for this. its insane how this knowledge is rare to see freely online

[TofuDuffington]

THANK YOU! I’ve always been told to just play guitar more and I’ll “figure it out” but I finally feel like the questions I’ve always had are being answered. Your videos are EXACTLY what I didn’t know I needed and it’s unlocking the magic of music for me. I’m so grateful! You’re making a difference man!

[jermyc]

I have been looking everywhere to see if I could find a clear roadmap of things I could learn since I've reached a plateau in my playing, but still feel as if I'm not quite where I want to be yet. This video has come in just at the right time, as I started playing guitar less and less due to my frustrations. Thank you dude, I think you might have saved my guitar journey :)

[frankieg]

This is probably the best guitar learning video I’ve ever seen, I’m self taught, but had no idea what to learn next. This video is going to help me so much in my journey. Like, I had never thought to learn the notes up to the fifth fret.

[starshineandmoonlight]

i have been playing guitar for almost 5-6 years now and im at level 4 now. i was very confused about what to do next as i can play a lot of things at this point and most videos here have been aimed at a level that doesnt challenge me anymore. thank you so much for providing me a checklist!!! it has renewed my passion to learn more!! YOU ARE DOING AN AMAZING JOB!!

[antantantant]

this is genuinely the most helpful video on the steps of guitar. everything else is too broad. i really love how you did this thank you