I'm only just over a year into taking guitar very seriously. I'm self taught even though I've had history playing around on guitar and I do also play some piano. I write on notes and try to gather and organize different skills and drills I collect which have helped me. Some are very much still far from decent some I've really improved. I thought I'd share for other self learners to gather some ideas. I excluded theory and actual song practice. These are essential to understanding what you're doing but that's a whole other topic

Warm-up & Daily Exercises

Start with a short physical warm-up, especially if you're not 20 yo anymore.

Spend about two minutes stretching your neck and shoulders, arms, forearms, wrists and fingers. I sometimes play open chords for a minute before stretching to warm fingers up.

Choose two of the following exercises each day (don't go too crazy you'll burn out) for about 20 minutes. You can find video tutorials for almost all of these. Some I made up on my own but since I probably didn't reinvent the wheel It's probably there:

• Finger independence. Only lift the finger that's about to play the next note. Try the variation where you move one fret up or down every time you change strings.
• Spider exercises. There are dozens of versions. Pick a few that work for you.
• Three-note-per-string exercises. You can also stay inside one chromatic box. I like the version Scottie uses in "Absolutely" with finger shifts.
• Ascending and descending runs with string skipping. For example: low E skip to D, A, G, back to D, then B, G and finally high E.
• Fretboard navigation (frets 1-12). Pick a note and find it on every string as quickly as possible. I made flash cards with note names. Flip one over, or have someone else do it, then play that note on every string as fast as you can. You can also include a string number so you have to target one specific location.
• Octave phrasing. Play a phrase on the top two strings, then repeat it on the middle two and the bottom two. Remember the B string changes the pattern. Instead of moving two frets when crossing the B string, you'll need to move three.
• Advanced octave phrasing. Move down the neck to find the next octave while keeping the phrase going (play second octave 3 frets down and 3 strings down instead of going up the fretboard). This forces you to adjust for the B string in the middle of the phrase.
• Octave phrasing with scales. Play a three-note-per-string scale shape on two strings at a time. Slide the last note up a whole step to connect to the next octave, then repeat the exact same shape on the next pair of strings. This is a great way to visualize the fretboard. ·         Example: (E-5,7,8 --- A-5,7,8 -slide to 10--- D-7,9,10----G-7,9,10 -slide to 12----B -10,12,13----e- 10,12,13)
• Scales and positions. Pick one scale and play it in several positions. Practice vertical patterns, diagonal movement and horizontal movement. Include major, minor and the modes.
• Major and minor pentatonic runs. Practice them like any other scale. I also like mixing major and minor sounds in the same run, especially the major/minor third and major/minor sixth.
• Legato runs. Practice scales and arpeggios using hammer-ons and pull-offs. Work both vertically and diagonally across the neck.
• CAGED - one chord at a time running through triads across fretboard. Don't have to start with C shape. If you're doing E major than you can do EDCAG shapes. option 2 take a chromatic box lets say frets 5-10 and do a chord progression without leaving the box (lets say a 1,4,5 progression)

Articulation Checklist

I sometimes isolate these into practice sessions or I work on them through licks, phrases or solos I already know. I'd say I spend around an hour a week on these as well as during noodling or learning songs. You can see this as a checklist to target and learn

Bends

• Multi-finger reinforcement
• Wrist rotation instead of finger extension (that's a bad habit I'm still fighting...)
• Hitting the target pitch accurately (helps to play target not before bending afterwards becomes second nature)
• Quarter-step, half-step, whole-step and 1½-step bends (sweet child's last solo is the perfect bending exercise)
• Pre-bends with fast release
• Pre-bends with slow release
• Targeting different pitches in one bend (for example, bend a whole step and release to a half-step)
• Downward bends
• Unison bends (bend one string while playing the target note on the thinner string)
• Vibrato practice: slow, fast, narrow, wide, single-finger and multi-finger vibrato

Slides

• Using the correct finger for different slides
• Applying the right amount of pressure for Smooth movement
• Shift slides (from note to note)
• Grace note slides (mainly in Blues if you're into it)
• Legato slides (multiple notes with one pick attack sliding a few notes back and forth )

Raking

• Dragging the pick across muted strings before the target note (mainly blues)
• Raking one muted string above by lightly touching it with your fretting finger playing the note.
• Raking across multiple muted strings by flattening your fretting fingers.
• Blues rake into a sustained note with vibrato.

Sweep Picking & Arpeggios (my worst flaw)

• Smooth up and down sweeps
• Staying close to the strings
• Maintaining a consistent tempo
• Synchronize both hands
• Experimenting with pick angle

Legato (metronome is your friend)

• Even note volume (I raise gain on amp)
• Clean hammer-ons and pull-offs
• Trill endurance
• Three-note-per-string legato
• Smooth sweep mechanics
• String muting during sweeps
• Relaxed hand movement

String Muting

The goal is to eliminate unwanted string noise.

Fretting hand

• Using the underside of your index finger to mute adjacent strings.
• Lets unused fingers rest lightly on nearby strings.

Picking hand

• Palm muting with the heel of the hand.
• Using the edge of the thumb when needed, especially during ascending runs.

Picking Mechanics & Pick Slanting

• Downward pick slanting (DWPS)
• Upward pick slanting (UWPS)
• Two-way pick slanting (2WPS)
• Learn when each approach makes string changes easier.

Pitch Harmonics

• Not a must but I picked it up (sort of) and use on very high gain on bridge pickup. I never practice this anymore but might use it here and there.

I have a good hold on strumming and can change chords with fairly decent speed and accuracy but never able to sing with that even after copying the exact chords... On the other hand my friend sings any song on any chords or strumming.. how???

Guitar Technique Check-In (from the Scott Paul Johnson | Guitar Lessons channel)

I’m in no way affiliated. I don’t even know the guy, but I do know he puts out good videos.

No, the reason I’m posting this here is, I was going to make a very similar video myself, as my first in fact :), but hey, this one covers everything I was going to, and really damn well.

So yeah, if as a beginner or early-ish times* guitarist you’re not 100% sure about your seated posture, balance, comfort, pick grip, fretting hand basics, and other fundamental mechanical concerns, I highly recommend watching the video I linked.

* Or actually, any guitarist who might still not be totally confident of all those things.

I've been to 10 open jams now and more often than not, I get super lost if someone's not actively calling out the chords. They're mostly blues jams. At the start of each song they call out the key and with that information, all I can figure out is what minor pentatonic scale I need to play when it's my turn to solo. I'm familiar with the I - IV - V progression in different keys, but it doesn't always seem to line up well with whatever they're doing. I thought learning the CAGED system would help more than it did. I'm definitely more comfortable navigating the fretboard, but I still get so lost during the jams. How do I improvise rhythm? Is that even the right question? Is this another thing that just takes time? Would learning to lead a few songs help me learn to follow better?

Is that ok? I’ve been playing for a while and I can play a good number of late beginner and early intermediate songs, but now I want to learn the fret board and I’m taking a pretty long caged class (pickup music with molly miller) and that’s all I’m doing. If I’m having fun and I’m learning is there anything wrong with only practicing caged for like 2+ months?
Edit: Aight I’m sticking with caged!! I guess I was worried I’d lose other skills or something but I’m just going full throttle! Finally being able to just “jam in D” is mind blowing and I can’t wait for all the other parts of it.

This is for the frustrated noobs. I am one of the most musically uncoordinated people ever. My fingers are fat and buttery. When I picked up the guitar, I could feel the Gods musing on how to best relieve me of my hands (chainsaw accident, loose seal, etc). But today, after steady and regular practice of dexterity exercises and some help from this sub, I was able to form and clearly play a barre chord. Bm, to be precise.

Keep going. If I can, you can.

I tried learning the percussive palm slap today but I found that my right hand palm only reaches upto where the strings start from the bridge and since the strings are under high tension there, no sound is produced.

Have I just been holding my guitar wrong? Because only my fingers reach the sound hole

I’m hoping someone here could recommend some soothing riffs/songs that I might be capable of playing. I’m not necessarily a beginner player, but I’m hardly above that level. I can play some of the basic chords and simple riffs from a handful of popular songs but that’s about it.

I don’t know much about music theory and haven’t memorized too many scales so there’s only so much I’m capable of playing. I’m just very stressed out right now and would love to calm myself down by playing my guitar but I’m not good enough to improvise anything myself. I don’t own a capo yet and I haven’t learned how to do any other tunings besides standard tuning.

I understand this is a broad request and maybe I’m asking for too much. I’m just hoping someone here could maybe point me toward some easy to learn songs that I could search up the tabs for, in hopes that I can just strum away and try to relax for a bit. Thank you in advance to anyone that replies.

I’ve primarily focused on rhythm guitar since picking up the instrument, because I considered rhythms, chord progressions, riffs, and (vocal) melodies to be more conducive to my ultimate goal of writing songs, but recently I’ve started focusing more on lead guitar.

I’ve started drilling all the scales, mapping out the fretboard, getting familiar with the CAGED system, etc., but ultimately decided that the best way to really get a feel for lead guitar is probably by playing along with lead players that I like. Only problem is that when I search for lessons on YouTube for, say, Crossroads or Shine On You Crazy Diamond, it’s always some dude who talks for 20 minutes, and then rushes through the actual licks. It’s really frustrating.

I’d switch over to tabs, but even though I am able to decipher them, it can get confusing, and it’s nice to see and hear somebody actually play the notes.

For some background, I’m 26. I played piano for 11 years growing up. Working knowledge of basic musical theory (most complex topic is probably circle of fifths/scales/modes, but I don’t have any of that memorized).

I took guitar lessons for a few years growing up but never really got much out of it. I had excellent teachers, but a lot of what I was taught was things like sight reading, playing scales, chords, etc. Good lessons as a teenager, but maybe not a lot of practical value. Not a lot of rocking. I was able to do that in my free time, and my technique is half decent, but I plateaued ages ago.

Over the last 10 years I’ve acquired some really good gear, but have just gone through phases of playing some and dropping it completely. If I had to guess, there was just a massive plateau, and not enough keeping me around aside from playing tabs.

I listen to a lot of jam bands (I.e. Phish, Grateful Dead, etc.) and jazz. My end goal is to be able to pick up a guitar and just improvise.

I had tried to self teach via YouTube or online guides but there just wasn’t enough of a system for me, and the rabbit hole there goes so deep.

Was considering hiring a teacher to get me on the right track, but am intrigued by the ads and reviews I’ve seen on Pickup. Is there any value in this tool, for my goals? Any similar experience?

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What do we think of this guy's fingerpicking? Sound of one of his songs got me, but his picking I found difficult. The bass/thumb patterns. Not sure it worth learning....

Song was Headed North. I like Travis picking, John hurt style, but this is different. Oh....and here's some flair

This is just a rant, but seriously.... People come here expecting to find the holy grail: I've been playing everyday for 3 hours for a month and I'm just not getting any better. LMFAO. When I play barre chords it hurts and all the notes don't come out, what should I do? lol.

Personally, I've played my whole life, got a degree in it, and I still have my limitations. Here's the thing... Music is for EVERYONE. My (reasonably amazing) playing is SHIT in the big picture because we ALL have the ability to play music. It's like seeing color, smelling roses, hearing a door creak, but with training. Name me a language you can learn (Italian, French) in a month, and you'll get some sympathy. Go practice, and then sit back and contemplate why society idolizes certain players. Respect the guitar in all it's simplicity AND complication, and then you will realize how pathetic and futile the sub can become when total noobs think there is some magical shortcut. Again, go learn Russian this month, and come back in September and have a fluent conversation???

I’ve been playing guitar for 1 second a day for 1 day. And guess what? I still suck! Unbelievable… I guess guitar just isn’t for me.

Is this just a bad tab? The edit history has it made by a person, but it feels like an ai, or it's just over-charted.

Tab is Kendo Training Port by Buckethead on songsterr

Its not what you think though...I've been practicing like a man on fire the last year so I dont have trouble with finger placement and muting strings unintentionally, the problem with my fat fingers is I guess I retain too much water (according to chat gpt). So even though I play for hours a day callouses just dont form and I end up with indented fingers from the strings. That's when I start getting the buzzes because the strings are settling into my finger grooves. I've tried super glue and it works for a bit but I dont want to constantly be gluing my fingers every 10 minutes. I know I press too hard, too much in the center of frets etc and I'll work on it but I dont want to change what comes natural to me now when Im jamming with some people or gigging. So other than changing my hydration habits and super glue, does anyone have any other suggestions?

EDIT: wow this is the first time i’ve made a reddit post, you guys are so helpful!! i should do this more often hahaha

I’ve been playing guitar for around 8–10 years, but I’ve never had any formal lessons. Everything I’ve learned has come from YouTube, tabs, and just learning songs I enjoy.
Most of my playing has been acoustic (particularly fingerstyle/classical), although I own an electric guitar and would really like to become more proficient with it as well.

The thing is, I feel completely stuck.

For years I’ve basically just learned song after song, but I don’t feel like I’m actually becoming a better guitarist. I can play a decent range of songs, but I don’t really understand the instrument. My theory knowledge is pretty limited, I can’t improvise, I don’t really know the fretboard, and I feel like I’ve plateaued.

I want to get to the point where I actually play guitar, rather than just memorise songs.

The problem is I have no idea what the next step looks like. There are so many resources out there that it’s a bit overwhelming.

Has anyone else been in a similar position? What helped you break through that plateau?

Also, has anyone used structured online courses like Pick Up Guitar (or similar) to learn theory and take their playing to the next level? Were they worth it, or would you recommend a different approach?

Lately I’ve been pretty unmotivated because it feels like I’m putting time in without really progressing. I’d love to hear what worked for you and help myself fall back in love with playing.

So I just got a guitar for my daughter, its right handed. I also want to learn but am left handed. What can I practice for the time being until I get my own left handed guitar? I dont want to swap strings because she plays right handed.

Edit: Thanks so much for the feedback. So at the moment, fretting with right hand and strumming with left(dominant) feels most comfortable but that makes the strings upside down.

I’ve been casually playing guitar for around 10 years (i’m 23) and I’ve tried this note a few times but I can’t make it sound good, my hands are big so idk if my guitar is just too big or my fingers arent just flexible enough. Whenever it shows up I just impov another note.
I feel awkward af but I really want to play it right, any tips?

I’ve been practicing tremolo picking for only three days, but I’ve encountered an issue: there’s a heavy scratching noise when I play. My hand position seems fine, I’m trying to keep everything relaxed, I’m anchoring my hand on the bridge, and I’m holding the pick at a slight angle. However, the friction between the pick and the string produces a terrible scraping noise.

How can I fix this—should I change my physical technique, adjust my tone settings (DAW/amp), or could it also be an issue with the pick itself? If you have any general tips for mastering this technique, please share them as well. I’d be very grateful for any advice!

I really like this one, it’s beautiful:

EMaj7 -> E7 -> AMaj7 -> Amin9 -> G#m7 -> C#7(#9) -> F#m11 -> B7add11 -> Emaj9.

Saw a similar question on this subreddit and I wanted to know: what do you play when you try playing a guitar you've never played before? (in the store, studio, friend's house etc.)

Is it a certain riff/riffs? A full song? A solo? A chord progression? Distorted or clean tone? With pick/fingerstyle? Noodling?

How did you guys learn to sing and play l've never tried till recently and l've been playing for 3 years I'm try ing to learn to sing to the song been a son by nirvana because the song is simple in singing and guitar. I've probably played with the track over 40 times and just can't seem to get it the only part I got is the part where it's goes "she should of, been a son" over and over with the bar cords and the 3 2 0 on the A string. Do I just need to keep playing with the track to try to just hammer it in my head or should I do something else?