Someone asked me the other day, “what makes a guitar player an intermediate guitar player?”
And what he really meant was, “what skills do I need to know to make it from the beginning stages to the intermediate stage?”
Well first, let’s just brain dump many of the skills you may ever want to learn on a guitar:
- Plucking single note melodies
- strumming open position chords (C, A, G, E, D, Aminor, Dminor, etc.)
- basic strumming patterns
- barre chords
- power chords
- alternate picking
- scales
- arpeggios
- improvising
- more advanced rhythms (funk, for example)
- extended chords (7ths, 9ths, 11, etc.)
And there are many others, but that’s a good place to start.
Well notice that many of those skills depend on 1 single skill – the ability to strum and keep time. THAT skill is the single most important one and the obvious tipping point between a beginning and intermediate guitar player.
A beginner learns to play some chords, but cannot string them together in such a way that you can tell where the beat is… an intermediate can play some chords strung together and it will sound musical.
There are a bunch of simple, common songs that all can use what I call “The Most Popular Strum In The World”
- Brown Eyed Girl (skip the intro for now)
- Margaritaville
- Sister Golden Hair
- Maggie Mae
- 8 Days A Week (swing feel)
- Ball And Chain (also a swing feel)
- Tequila Sunrise
- Peaceful Easy Feeling
And I could probably think of 8-10 more pretty quickly without too much trouble. In fact, any song that goes along at a medium tempo and the chord changes don’t happen too fast can work with that strum so the possibilities are fairly endless.
When you add to that the fact that strumming and keeping good time is the backbone of any band it becomes a necessity for soloing and lead playing as well.
In plain and simple terms, if you can keep better time with your strumming, you’ll keep better time when playing a solo and it will just plain sound better.
And if you feel like things aren’t progressing the way you want them to, and you’re not sure where to focus your time and energy, my bet would be that strumming and keeping time is where you need to focus.
Now go play!
Strumming And Rhythm Mastery is all about strumming and keeping good time. I believe it's the most important musical skill you can develop and this keeps it fun by using real chord progressions from real songs you hear every day. It covers many styles including blues, rock, country, and more. Click here to learn more about Strumming And Rhythm Mastery.
89 replies to "What Makes An Intermediate Guitar Player?"
I’ll offer a simple definition:
After the longest time of just “sucking less”, when you graduate into “OK”, you’re Intermediate.
After that comes Good, then Player, then Guitarist.
David
YOU CAN BE A PRO FOR 54+ YEARS, THEN YOUR LEFT ARM , ULNAR NERVE (FUNNY BONE , ELBOW) GOSE BAD AND YOUR FINGERS GO KNUMB. CAN’T PLAY A FULL BAR CORD, FINGERS CAN DO TRIWLS. IT SUCKS GETTING OLD. MY RIGHT ELBOW IN 1991 HAD TO HAVE SURGERY. ALL FROM BEING A TECHNCIAN, AND LIFTING WEIGHTS.
SO NOW, I SUCK ! LOL ! 🙁
If you always end on 4 and then yer right….that is the most important thing that I got from this course….still working on this course….THANK YOU GRIFF
SRM is an EXCELLENT course! It really helped me.
I have wanted this course for years….
I have seen several attempts to define the 3 categories “beginner”, “intermediate” & “advanced”, and even though people usually makes some good points, noone really nails it. Often it is about technical skills, but focusing on that, doesn’t really give the answer – if Robben Ford & Steve Vai are advanced, judging from technical skills, would make BB King intermediate and John Lee Hooker a beginner, and that doesn’t make any sense at all.
I totally agree, that timing is the most importent skill. Without it, knowing a lot of chords, scales , licks and so on, will not result in great music.
Personally, I’m not a beginner, and I’m certainly not advanced, so I must be intermediate, like 95% of all guitarplayers 😉 It seems to me, that “intermediate” is a huge bucket, that you can throw almost anything into, so I prefer to distinguish between “guitar players” and “musicians, who plays guitar”, where the guitar player are focusing on what’s in front of him ( his or her own playing ), and the musician has a 360 degrees awareness and the ability to relate to whatever happens anywhere in the band.
Skills and concept are needed to play any instruments, and when it’s about bluesguitar, I think Griff has it covered, but musicianship is just as importent, but unfortunately much harder, maybe even impossible to teach. Listening a lot and experience seems, to me, to be the way to go.
Larsen,
I heartily agree with your comments as per Steve Vai , BB King etc.
You nailed it.
Griff, Your comments on this subject and others is always a “Refocus” while using Brevity.
thanks
Mick
Hey Griff,
I always wonder where I’m at in so far as skill level. I can do pretty much all the stuff you listed but by looking at it again I need to work on arpeggios more. I can learn songs quickly but I want to get soloing down and all the theories that goes with it. What ever my skill level is I know I have a lot more to learn. I learn song and jam with jam tracks at the end of my practice sessions.
Thanks Griff. Always informative
Alexander
Hey Griff,
I guess after learning Electric guitar since 2013 with BGU now 5 years of which 2 years in retirement and more time I have reached the Intermediate level as above. However I can play many songs with strumming in time and a bit of soloing etc. Along the way I am now creating songs both from a musical Guitar sound as well as Lyrics.I think my background of being a semi Pro-drummer of nearly 10 years, playing in bands 7 nights per week and rehearsing etc gave me the natural timing element and now the strumming.Now that I am at this level all the BGU Courses are now starting to make sense, whereas in the beginning I was struggling. So I have re-started BGU V 2 and a few others..all good. More importantly I have a great Blues Guitar teacher.. you Griff.
Michael-Sydney-Australia 24th Jan 2018.
Part 1) Well said – a story: knew a guy at a SoCal Uni roughly 40 yrs ago. Piano Performance/Composition major. Last semester of senior yr, walks up and announces “I’m changing my major, giving up music!’ Why? ‘I just realized I can’t keep time.’ After the proverbial 10 thousand hrs practice and all those faculy recitals, etc., etc. he just knew he had missed the boat. We played in a band and noone had noticed a problem but it was his view. And if anyone says no way I’ll be happy to provide names, dates. So as the Master say: COUNT IT OUT!! Which leads me to :
Part 2) I will paraphrase Yoda: ‘Be beginner or advanced, there is no intermediate!’
The intermediate concept is built into the way the education system trains students on an incremental treadmill, or if you prefer stairway, with little hope of finally acquiring the ultimate necessary skills. There is always one more grade, one more test, one more class to pass. Applied to guitar, if you can play a chord or a screaming radio ready solo, you are advanced at that descrete skill. The label ‘intermediate’ is a trap that focuses solely on what you do not know instead of what you do know. It encourages constant comparison to ‘mythical heroes’ instead of the joy of your personal acomplishment and abilities.
You just nailed it with…
“The label ‘intermediate’ is a trap that focuses solely on what you do not know instead of what you do know. It encourages constant comparison to ‘mythical heroes’ instead of the joy of your personal acomplishment and abilities.”
Wise words that can be applied to anything & everything!😀👍
Way back in 1978 I was a singer accompanied by a piano player who also played automatic bass pedals and guitar. I knew a few guitar chords but had trouble keeping time when singing and playing guitar. He taught me a few more chords and to play the automatic bass pedals. In a weeks time I could sing, strum and hit the bass pedals in perfect time. The bass pedals had built in drums with a light that blinked at the start of each measure which kept me in time. In a month, I had a single act that I worked for 15 years. Though I couldn’t play a solo to save my life.
5 years ago I found Griff on the internet, learned the Am blues scale, purchased several of Griff’s blues courses and finally consider myself a guitar player. I no longer play for a living, but occasionally play a gig here and there. Griff’s correct. Get the Rhythm down either by counting, metronome, or a drum machine, learn the blues scales, and you just may have a career.
Way back, after purchasing Griff’s first course BGU, progress was slow that first year because, I fought Griff on counting “out loud”. Disatisfied with my progress, I analysed what was written on a page of sheet music; time signature, bars, measures, etc. Even the notes; whole, half, quarter, etc., communicate time. IMO 95% on the page is about timing. Griff was right, I now count “OL” every (# e & a) when learning a new piece. Thanks Griff
Practice the right things over and over doing it correctly will bring you the results your looking for. Thanks for BGU !!!
I think that the terms “beginner” and “intermediate” are only useful to determine what courses you need to buy, or what skills you need to focus upon. When deciding what to study, one needs to identify his or her weak points. For me, I still am not satisfied with my chord changes. My strings buzz against fingernails or are muted by flesh on adjacent strings, so in some ways I consider myself still a beginner, but I am pretty good now with bar chords, I can pick or fingerpick reasonably well, and I have a good handle on chromatic scales and all five positions of the pentatonic scale, which I consider intermediate skills. I have no problem counting or feeling the rhythm, but my left hand dexterity leaves a lot to be desired and I am not yet good at muting unwanted strings. In short, I think that most of us are of mixed skill levels. I would be happy to someday feel that I am at least intermediate at all skills, excluding advanced topics such as tapping.
Thanks Griff. in love your lessons but the fact is I will never amount to anything more than a rhythm player. I can t improvise and create a nice little solo without hitting bum notes. Even staying right in the scales. I can learn a song on You Tube and memorize it but thats not playing. playing is listening to a tune and figuring it out on my own. I feel like Im trying to swim against the current. Help!
Another Jim in here said “The difference between a beginner and a pro is that the pro knows he’s never good enough, the beginner thinks he can get there.”. Well, I was a “pro” for 10 years about 30 years ago … at least, I was making my living playing rock guitar, so I guess that means I was a “pro”. Truth of the matter is, I was an intermediate player then, I have been an intermediate player for 30 years, and I will continue to be an intermediate player until I can hear Joe Bonamassa and know I’m better than he is (which ain’t likely to ever happen). Griff has said in one of his blogs that the goal of counting is to not have to count any more. If I were to pick one single goal as a prerequisite to calling myself an intermediate player, that would be it! If you can’t just feel the beat, you have a ways to go! You can know all the fancy scales and chords and licks and music theory in the world, but if you can’t keep time without counting you’re going to be a misfit in any group you try to play with and it’s likely going to be a train wreck. Griff hammers on counting very hard, and he does so for a reason; because the only way to develop that internal clock is to count until you know you don’t need to any more. It will happen, and you will know it when it happens. If you don’t believe it can be done, well … you just still have a ways to go, so keep counting.
I could probably Ecko every comment here,! / however my choice is to: THANK YOU, for whats been holding me back the most…thanks man…
Hi
I have waited about 2 1/2 years to buy your CD SET. 3days before it came in the mail I fell off my deck and broke my arm lolololo
I guess I have to wait a little longer to get started lololo
Thanks for all your emails that you send me.
Craiger
been playing for 40 years. played professionaly when time permitedbecause i was a flight engineer and tech. i was the rythum guitar player and did a few solos. i have not oicked up and played my guitar in 6 months. left habd all cramped up. i have lost the desire to even learn neww stuff. i just put your eamil in a folder and hope i get out of this slump i’m in. my health is not good.
just want to thank you for the lesson you send. i watch them and i image playing them in my head.
Paul, hang your Guitar on a hook, I keep several hanging in 4 rooms. Then they’re ready to go! I had a stroke 4 months ago and it took me a month to get playing good again but now I’m better ’cause I’ve learned more. The playing helps heal too! Remember Les Paul used to say the Guitar was his “friend, lover, psychyitrist,” and several other things.
Richard,
You and Les Paul have the right outlook!
Could, but won’t say more ’til another time.(Pro for over 50 yrs.)
Thanks, Jim F.
Paul, I understand your situation completely,I am mid fifties and had a stroke at 47 years old.i played since I was a kid and was an intermediate lol,player.My left side was completely paralyzed for two months before I had any movement.long, short couldn’t play,pick guitar up after year for hand thearpy can almost play as good as before too 3 years to get Dex back but it works, never give up
When I picked up the guitar to seriously study it(58 at the time) I asked a friend, who had 30 years of professional playing under his belt, to teach me, he said he was no “teacher” of guitar, but, he would show me some things. I told him I thought my timing was my problem. He told me to just play and forget the rest. Big Mistake for me. Sure, he grew up playing with bands, but for me it was in my bedroom. The problem for me was that I could never duplicate anything(sure I could learn a song)and it became frustrating for me, because nothing ever sounded the same twice. Then Griff said to count out loud, and explained the nature of the count. Sure has changed everything. I bought Griff’s Strumming Mastery course and am advancing in it. As Griff said recently, learning to count out the time, tap the foot and hit the right notes and the right chords in time is a lot like patting your head and rubbing your belly at the same time. However, when you do get it right, the rhythm becomes natural and in the pocket as they say. And loads of fun.
I couldn’t recommend Griff’s lessons more. Great stuff.
I gave up taking lessons and paying a lot of money for learning nothing. I have learnt so much in the short time I have gotten in touch with Griff, I am now having fun. Griff u r an awesome teacher thank u so much Leslie
Ive played on and off for around fifteen years now, and I’ll give ya that Griff, your timing is everything. If you cant “feel it”, you got some work ahead. No matter what style you play, you’ll never play with others if youre out of time all the time. Practice makes perfect, guitar isn’t natural to everyone, but neither is anything else. Just don’t give up, keep at it, know your goals, and it WILL come to you. After all these years, I still work on scales and bending, but there’s no better feeling than doing some improv and hearing someone say “wow, that was awesome”.
It’s funny how in so many activities people gauge themselves with beginner, intermediate, advanced and beyond. I guess with guitar, this is useful in judging who to play with, but I like to gauge based on how much fun you are having. There actually is a correlation between the two. Beginners have to sweat through music theory, reading, the physical technique, and rewards and fun are harder to come by. But thibgs get more fun as you actually can play and enjoy songs, and even better when others want to listen. An intermediate has fun playing, but has some frustrations. A pro is just having a blast all the time. I like to think of it that way.
With that said, I enjoy all of Griff’s lessons. Your teaching style is great.
Griff,
Since you first introduced you “Strumming” lesson and packages, I can not access any link havin to do with them because they are blocked by my company’s security software:
Blocked Website URL: http://strummingmastery.com/
Blocked Application Name: strummingmastery.com
This only occurs with your “strumming” information and packages and nothing else having to do with BGU or its references. I have purchessed a number of your course and I am a BGU member. What is different about the “strumming” links??? JD
I am totally discouraged about ever getting beyond the beginning stage. I have enough problem just holding the guitar let alone playing it.
The difference between a beginner and a pro is that the pro knows he’s never good enough, the beginner thinks he can get there.
Dear Sir you are right
Regards
Dick
Gotta say… Right ON I don’t have a grasp until 45 minutes into the daily practice regime. Miss a practice and all systems freeze up.
well said bro.
I got to the point of tipping over a long time ago . when 14 years old I was playing songs like house of the rising sun. memorized it and play it to this day . I moved on to play stairway to heaven note for note . At that time I was starting playing what some call extended cords . Had a guitar teacher leave the room for a phone call and he said just do whatever till he got back. He heard me playing stairway to heaven in a extended cord fashion and he asked to show him what i was doing and taught him it. this was only my third lesson with him . He really didnt know where i was at . as far as how knowledgable with the guitar. I then had a friend that i had introduced to the guitar teach me because he played so much that he changed his strings every day . He learned very fast some just are born with a sence of melody. He entered a contest to win a custom gibson les paul and won . that may be why he played so much . It wasnt till i waa about 40 when I started playing with a band . The lead guitarist was good with playing cords and figuring out what the cords were for the songs we did .This is when I learned the 12 bar blues and started playing notes . I spent alot of time learning scales but there were too many notes in the scales and didnt know how to seperate the minor and major sounds . Now I get it and am so pleased to say that without your help Griff and the bgu course I would be still trying to make sence of thoes scales with to many notes . That first teacher was a lead guitarist in a band . That same music store produced some of the most amazing guitarist I have ever heard play solo. Mike and Will and Tony . To wrap this all up try to learn the basics without looking at what you are doing . try playing in the dark I did it to forse myself to hear out the notes and cords so you dont have to look at everything your doing . Yes I am sorta of gifted but if you repeat over and over again it will get easier . To thoes reading this and are thinking of getting BGU do it you wont regret it .
Hi Tony,
I had very similar experiences to you. I started out 50 odd years ago listening to records and figuring the chords. Played in a lot bands and have always held my own. I never really bothered counting the beat by breaking it down out loud – I just felt it and have always had a great sense of rhythm. But I couldn’t read or understand theory to save my life. Funny though, now I’m getting it. Slowly. I have found Griff’s lessons great for learning the licks I so badly wanted to play properly. I was always a pretty good rhythm player but always seemed to found myself the lead as well because no-one else could or wanted to. Same thing with singing.
Anyway, now I’m learning a little keyboard which helps to understand all those adult chords and how they are formed. But it’s Griff’s lessons that are giving me the licks that I never quite got the genuine gist of. Thanks for the solos and the intros and the turnarounds and endings. These are what are now giving me the edge. After a long hiatus from playing and writing, I am once again looking for folks to jam with and even starting up a blues band again. Long live BGU!
Thanks for Your input Ian and My story continues . This is 11/2019 and the band I am in had got together this past week 4 guitars a bass and drummer .Yeah 4 guitars can You imagine the sort of trouble with that. Well it is a not so bad thing as long as no one strays away too far. One guy started playing a song and without seeing the sheet music or looking at his playing I was able to figure out and play what He was doing . After 45 years or playing guitar I can say that not only that tune but I am able to figure out how most songs are played . Griff has helped in figuring out how to open things up in that area also. I do have a natural talent which is a gift . Yeah go play . Yes I still have more to learn that will not change because no one is perfect.
Griff
I have been following your advice for a few years, your courses are great. I have no idea where I fit in the scale of beginner to advanced. But a few months ago I was asked if I’d like to sit in on a live Jazz band, there was no band practice, just live onstage. I’m a “blues player” but I familiarized myself with the tunes they played and played many sessions. I used your lead patterns for my solos … I sounded great. So, many, many thanks.
As always great advice.. I took a ‘basic’ lick you showed awhile back and can now play several songs with it.. And yes I do save all your emails!! Physical limitations leave too many things as a goal… However, I am comfortable enough to set in with some local bands and play solo on occasion!! Thanks as always!!!
I’m really glad Griff suggested the ABGU because counting is so important when you have to keep you’re own beat while playing solos. Next stop: BGU!
Griff, I could not agree with you more that the ability to keep time while strumming is the most important skill of an intermediate guitar player. After all a guitar player in a band plays rhythm 95% of the time.I took last summer to work on your Strumming course and found it to be most helpful.Reached the point now where I no longer need to count but rather listen to and feel the tempo in a song.
Just received mine this past week. Thanks for offering the massive student discount.
I am only 14 minutes into lesson one but my eyes are wide open and my ears and hands are sooooo very happy. Hopefully by the end you will teach me how to stop counting out loud over every song that i hear
I bought Blues Guitar Unleashed just a few months ago and have not even finished Part One yet. I can honestly say that Griff’s approach and style (and constant e-mails chasing me up to do more!) have transformed my playing. I am doing things that had eluded me for years and the Playing on the Porch exercise was the breakthrough as it is very motivating to just pick something up and play every now and again. With a little bit of past knowledge I can now improvise over P on the P and my wife has stopped wearing ear defenders when I play!
Good on you Griff – but I am running out of places to store all the extra lessons you send through by e-mail!!!!
Hey Griff thanks to your lessons I’ve come to better under stand the techniques of guitar playing .
Since watching you on you tube and buying your DVD’s I’ve become an intermediate player.
Big thanks
George.
Hi Griff, I have been following your emails for some years now and find them very useful. Having picked up the guitar in my early teens I quickly picked up the importance of playing rhythm in time with the drum or percussive beat to a song and all but two of the ones you listed I know very well. I soon got to the point where I began (and continue)to attempt getting across the lead parts as well as rhythm strumming pattern etc. and found this far more challenging and time consuming, particularly if in live situation. Interestingly though I have found it difficult to find other players (eg.lead players) who just cannot provide competent rhythm backing if necessary to these songs. This I find quite strange (and frustrating) but it does highlight the point you make about the importance of pattern strumming. The lack of accuracy in rhythm playing can result in a song failing to “stand up” and/or resonate with the listening audience.
Consequently, I find your remarks re. intermediate level very encouraging as I believe I fit quite comfortably at that level.
I do however, strive nowadays to learn the lead which I find more satisfying to conquer. Thank you for your emails and valuable support to myself and others on this matter.
Thank “U” very,very much for taking me over the top…
wow Grif you really make me understand what I need to do be able to music
I love the few lessons sample you email I really wanted to get in a program please let me know to get your teaching
Hopeful guitar player LESLY
My “tipping” moment came when I got your Blues Guitar Unleashed course. I was so ready for it. Within a week I was playing better and learning so much. My band is giving me more responsibilities. and I love it. I will forever be in debt to you. Thank You!
Hey Griff, how much should 1 on 1 lessons cost… I played when i was younger but life happened, you know how that go’s.. Any way i’ve been playing again for 2 years but i’m kinda stuck. Need help with my leads !!!!
That sure makes it a lot easier and helps with keeping time.
I have strummed tunes for 35 years as a means of relaxation. When I tried to learn and practice it was tedious and no longer fun so I never learned a lot, UNTIL GRIFF! I have bad habits, poor understanding of structure and the math of music, but can strum lots of tunes. Griff’s simple teaching methods work great for me. When he shows you something in a 5 minute clip,you like it,and want to do it, then spend a little time getting it down, you have something for life and it gets easier and easier to play more tunes.
I recommend a small amount of time focused on something you are learning, then relax! Play what you know and let the good times roll!
Tj
ive been stuck here myself.
After a lifetime of playing, starting with the xylophone from the time I could sit on my grandfather’s lap, then to the mandolin and guitar as I grew into them, the “Blues Guitar Unleashed” also made me feel like a beginner. I’m 62 now, have played in several genres and then for years, made a living building houses and playing in acoustic rock bands. Now retired and having the time to put time in every day with Griff’s course, it just reminds me of how much I DON’T know about an instrument that has been a big part of my life for over 50 years. Great course, and I would recommend it to anyone. And, if I can add my two cents, I would add to the above list ‘Tangled Up in Blue’ and ‘Paperback Writer’ for strumming tests. Both will test your skills in keeping time and correct strumming. Both are simple but, at the same time, will give you a good test.
I’ve always been very critical of my own playing. Though I began playing in the summer of 1958, I’m still most likely an intermediate picker. One of my ‘heros’, Chet Atkins, once said that “every time he practiced on the guitar he always found something new or something he had forgotten that he knew” and that kept playing fresh and exciting for him. Pretty much the same for me.
Griff
I am working through the BGU course and am really enjoying the guitar again after years of not playing.
Your course has taught me that I was only messing about in the past with an acoustic guitar and didn’t understand how chords were made up, the pentatonic scale etc.
I now feel I am making good progress. However I went on holiday last month and didn’t pick up the guitar for 3 weeks. Goodness me when I got back it took me at least a week to pick up where I had left off on the course.
This was a prime example of not constantly practicing, how far you get left behind.
Thankfully I am back on course. Keep up the good work an the emails coming with useful tips.
I think I’m an intermediate.
The way I know is I couldn’t bear to try any of the slow part (the first 5 1/2 minutes of your strumming video) or count out loud, but all I had to do was hear the strumming “at speed” one time and I could instantly duplicate it.
Thanks Griff,
Being a reformed Bass Player of 40+ years, I have been working hard on your course for about four months now, and I DO find myself struggling with the timing in some of your lessons, especially the leads. It’s time to buckle down and count out loud. Thanks for your very informative E-mails!
Griff, I have always been a plectrum guitarist, gifted with (what I have been told) a good sense of rhythm and feel for the music, finger picking etc. have never been my srong point and I do like to make the guitar ring out, especially accoustic to give a full bodied sound.
Your teaching has shown me ways to achieve this using less strings and getting a more proffesional sound.
As far as timing goes for your newer students, Georges’ idea of having the students sing the song is good, I believe counting may be a bit non musical. I have always found that tapping the foot is the best metromone in the world. It makes your whole body feel it.
Suggestion for good rythem track GLORIA by a group called THEM lead singer Van Morrisson. Will not work unless you get the beats on time.
Thank you for your input.
Steve
Amazing Steve, reading your comment I thought I had had a seniors moment and forgotten I had written it. I am 63. Always had a good sense of rhythm, played bass and rhythm in bands with a plectrum, when I was younger. GLORIA was a somg I would have suggested to this forum, goes down very well at a party as does KNOCKING ON HEAVENS DOOR. Gets the girls going if you know what I mean. I think footapping, getting the body involved is the way to go, though having played a lot of bass, counting in my head is ingrained, not so much on beats but more on bars, with good players you get cues from the melody and drummer but it is always good to know where you are at. I also am not a great finger picker, I like the positive ring out sound of plectrum, gives a more UP feel to the music, but makes it harder to add licks if you are playing by youself. Griffs course is helping me intergrate these 2 styles. Hope your playing is going well.
Cheers Steve
Thanks for all the tips and lessons. I’m playing grab the mics with my originals. Too bad you don’t have voice lessons, I might have more groupies;)
Hi Griff and All. When I found your site over a year ago now, I could and still can rock the hell out of rhythm on both electric and acoustic guitar but, when it came to soloing, I was up against a brick wall. I didn’t know where the notes were up the fretboard, I didn’t know the pentatonic scales and as for reading sheet music, less said the better. After a year of studying with you Griff, I am up and down the neck soloing like I always wanted to. I was lucky in that I seem to have natural rhythm ever since I first strummed a guitar, so no problem there. So, thanks for all the theory that I’ve learned from your downloads and your BGU course, I’m enjoying a new learnt skill in playing solo and still using the downloads. Thanks Griff. Ray (UK)
Griff, I have been playing trumpet and harmonica in a band for a long time. A few years ago,I decided to start playing guitar.It is a slow process for me,but thanks to your courses, beginning blues guitar,and acoustic blues guitar,I am starting to get better. I think I am at the brink of intermediate guitar. Thank you so much for the great lessons. Mike
Hey thx guitardogg if your lookin for a guitarist let me know ha ha and thx to all u guys and girls for your stories its nice to know I’m not alone man I love it so much I can’t play enough my arm goes numb I play so much if it hadn’t been for finding blues guitar unleashed who knows where I’d be good luck to all you guy’s I hope your having as much fun as I am thx again Griff your the best!!!!!!!!!!
I’ve been following your short lessons for about a year now and I’ve learned more from you than any other sourse I’ve ever attempted to learn from .You are very detailed in your teaching not just in basic guitar technics but also explain the music theory with timing to make everything complete .Thank you very much , I ‘m still working on them SRV lessons you ‘ve put out .There is so much yet to learn …Practice ,practice , practice !!! God bless you Griff
Hey Griff, I thought that I was at least an intermediate player, maybe on the low end of intermediate. Then I read your list and determined that I can’t do many of the items. So I’m now very discouraged. I know that I’m not a very good guitar player even after some 18 years of trying. I got and managed to get through your BGU course along with some other blues licks materials but can’t for the life of me figure out how any of these can be used in the process of playing a real song. Needless to say I’m very frustrated but thanks for all your materials.
Bob
Bob don’t feel like you need to have all of those skills to be an intermediate player. If you got through BGU completely then you are far past calling yourself an intermediate player. The point I wanted to make was that the strumming and keeping time is the 1 skill that changes the game for most guitarists.
you’re not the first one to go through this bro. / be advised my friend that this process is what makes the difference,! down the road.. // boring// boring// boring !// and then.?? { Holly Mc-Wow !} were did that come from ?..
Guitar is an ever evolving set of skills. You have to crawl before you can walk! I had to learn the hard way!
I feel your pain, I will be crawling for along time! Very frustrated right now! Wondering if I should take a break! Feel like I will be a beginner for ever!
Griff – I started learning guitar again for the third time, 5 years ago at age 53. I have been through different instructors, books, and of course YouTube. By the way that is where I found you. While I gained some valuable knowledge, I felt that there was something missing.
I went to more instructors trying to find this missing link and to no avail. Then when I was about to give up again, you sent out an email promoting “Strumming And Rythmn Mastery”. After reading the email I hinted to my wife that it would make a nice Christmas gift. She got the hint and I have been following the program since Devember 26th.
This in fact is the answer to my missing link. I have noticed a huge leap in my abilities. I can not believe how counting OUT LOUD has made such a big difference. In my humble opinion this should be the first course any beginner should use. Thanks Griff for such an excellent program.
At age 19, I entered the Air Force at the peak of my playing skills. Thirty years later I bought a Fender and managed to reconnect and refine some of the old magic thanks to your great tutoring videos. I can again jam with some really good blues bands around San Antonio. Thanks
SO MANY YEARS OF PLAYING MUSIC. 40 YEARS GRIFF. I HUNG OUT WITH THE LAUREL CANYON CROWD. MA MA CASS, NIEL YOUNG. IN FACT NIEL YOUNG TOUGHT ME SOME OF HIS STRUM PATTERNS. STEVEN STILLS SAID MY STRUMMING METHOD WAS ON TIME BUT, I CHANGED PATTERNS TO THE TUNE OF THE SONG. ALL THOSE SONGS YOU LISTSED COULD BE PLAYED WITH THE EAGLES SONG STRUM PATTERN. THE INTRO TO PEACEFUL EASY FEELING, CAN BE PLAYED BY THE RYTHM GUITAR AND THE STRUM PATTERN YOU CAN DO SOME HAMMER ON”S WHILE STRUMMING THE SONG. THANKS GRIFF FOR THE ADVICE.
Hey Griff, & all… I put my guitar away when I 18, and went off to play “Coastie” for the u.s. Coast Guard. I worked hard and had a good life until I retired, and then I found out I had way to much time and nothing really to look forward too. So I went back to playing guitar and singing in church.. I love the music, and think it would great to tour someday, soon. But I also think I’m just not that good.! So I started buying these DVD sets from all over the internet, until I found this great link, and good place to learn what I thought I knew, but had forgot.. I feel like a beginner, but I play “OK”, or so I’ve been told.. I think playing, and playing well, is an on going learning process, and each person will advance at a different pace. The trick is not to give up on yourself, and not to get stuck, on the little set backs that will happen. I have learned from the video’s and blog and hope you keep them coming… Thanks
BROTHER PEAT: / youre doing exactly what you should be doing bro. and I love you for it.
Even though I’ve been playing for over 50 years, I didn’t know what classification I fell into. I mean, I can pick and sing lots of stuff by Beatles, John Denver, James Taylor, Wailin’ Jennys, CSN, etc., with pretty good rhythm and all. It wasn’t until I started following Griff’s videos that I got at least a better understanding of the blues. That’s where I’d like to excel – I’ve been a piano player longer, but my teachers never taught me about improvisation, I had to work that out myself. Thanks, Griff, for all your help. Maybe when I grow up I can be a real Blues Man
I have taken lessons for two years now I don’t seem to be making any progress I think what I want to do is start from the very beginning
This is really good advise . I have been playing guitar for years and the one thing I have always struggled with is timing . Blues guitar unleashed has helped me with this . I think it’s a matter of breaking things down into smaller pieces✌
Hi Griff I want to comment on your “Little Wing’ DVD course. Fantastic!
Although I originally bought the course because of the song I found that the lead up to playing the song was even more interesting. For those that don’t know about this great course, Griff spends a lot of course going over the cords for the song and the licks that can be played with each cord. So not only do you learn a killer song but learning which penatonic pattern work with major and minor cords the application goes well beyond just learning the ‘Little Wing’ song. My goal, once I get the song down, is to play these licks (and there are a lot of them) over different cord progressions and keys.
Love your blogs and videos! Keep them coming! Learning to play guitar is a continuum, and I guess it is useful for some to have markers along the way to measure progress. I’m in 2 bands (one with a standing gig), but I still consider my self an intermediate player (I have a day job so I don’t starve). Love to hear your take on what defines the next level, advanced?
Thanks for another interesting post. I’ve found many of your posts and videos helpful even though I’m not a guitar player – just finished up my first year with the banjo. This is another one of those good ones. From your article and George’s comments, I have a ways to go before hitting intermediate, but at least there’s a benchmark to look for.
Thank you. I appreciate all your comments. Could you post the Brown Eyed Girl strum pattern that you posted awhile back, please?
Hey griff thx u for taking me to a.place in guitar playing where i ALMOST want to be i played guitar as a kid but stopped along the way but i always.loved.it.i lost the ability to read music but i picked the guitar back up some 40yrs later i cant put it down my goal is to be on stage by 63yrs old im gonna do it and ill have u to thx for your detailed patient vidios thx u again do much for helping my dream come true God bless u and all your staff play them blues baby
Hang in there Billy! Most of my band is over 60, and we still rock the stage. I too had a long gap between my guitar playing as a young man, and picking it back up later in life. My only regret was not doing it sooner!
Grif, love your stuff and have been with you about a year now. I would like to add to the list of beginner to intermediate…..I would include the ability to know when to play, when not to play, when to play hard, when to play softly. I see (and I have been there) new guitarists who play in a band for the first time and there is a tendency to over-play, that is play too hard, on both strumming and lead/solo work. The guys and gals who are really good, have that sense of beat and timing for sure, but they only play as hard as necessary so that the sound is musical and not gut busting to try to impress people. Thus the expression, if you can’t play well, then just play loud. Lay back and find your place in the musical sound…and it may be much easier, too!
David
I so agree David. When I was playing bass in a band with a very competant drummer he said to me, sometimes the notes you don’t play are as good as the ones you do. Same as my rythm guitar, in another band ‘your timing and feel is good, but you are playing too many strings’. 30 years ago we did not have someone like Griff to set us on the right track.
Lay back and feel the music, thats why they call ERIC slowhand.
Are you “channeling” me Steve. I was told exactly the same things myself 30 years ago.
Amen!!!
I can see why you would draw the line where you do, but when I teach I always have my students sing the song while strumming the chord changes over the singing. When they do this in time then I say they have evolved from beginner to intermediate. Just my 2 cents
~george
Hey George,
Here’s my 2 cents. I found that by singing the chords, not the lyrics, to the melody of the song really helps. It reinforces the chord memorization that can easily be applied to other songs. But then again, what do I know? I’ve been playing for a long time. Been in all kinds of bands, classic rock, blues, classical (yes, classical), and jazz. I still consider myself a beginner. Unlike most other instruments, the guitar gives us an endless musical experience. I’m always learning.
SLP