1,810,000 – that’s the number of videos that pop up in a YouTube search for “How to Play the Guitar.” That’s a bit overwhelming for most people, myself included. Even though I teach blues guitar I still practice incessantly and study every day. So I feel the pain and confusion coming from the multitude of options on YouTube as much as anybody. I think its absolutely amazing that there are that many videos on the ‘Tube dedicated to our craft, our passion, our obsession. It’s a breeding ground for knowledge and improvment on the instrument. The problem is that this many results can be very overwhelming and you can get caught by the paralysis of analysis. With so many options its hard to know which way to go.
Learn How to Play the Guitar from These 3 Guys
In my search for the best teachers on YouTube, I found a few guys that have built a great internet following and for good reason. These guitarists are excellent players and effective teachers which is a hard-to-find combination. Any guitar player should check out these three internet teachers. They have been helping me improve for years and I bet they could do you some good too!
Anthony Stauffer of Stevie Snacks
If you want to get to know the great Texas Blues legends, Anthony is your guy. His presentation style is extremely thorough. Even if the lick he’s covering is a super-charged SRV run, he breaks it down so that mere mortals can catch on. The best of Anthony’s work on Stevie Snacks, in my opinion, is his series on the 5 Essential Blues Boxes.
Brian from Active Melody
For a real down to earth approach to guitar, check out Brian at Active Melody. In Brian’s videos, he shows off some seriously sweet guitars, but he has the licks to match. My favorite is this video on what you can do with just 3 (well, kinda 4) notes. I dig the guitar philosophy Brian explains in this video. Sometimes we should take a step back, slow down and concentrate on making just a few notes sound phenomenal.
Dave Weiner’s Riff of the Week
What can I say about this guy? Dave’s Riff of the Week series is simply amazing. Each week, Dave Weiner of Steve Vai’s band, posts a quick video of a lick, riff or bit of music theory that will blow your mind. Note: Looks like Riff of the Week is on a bit of a hiatus due to a Vai tour. Aside from being an amazing player (and he is) Dave is an amazing teacher. I have spent hours in front of YouTube just on his channel. If you want to improve your knowledge of theory, your technical prowess or just learn a slammin’ lick, you owe it to your guitar to check out Riff of the Week. Warning: Clicking this link will cost you countless hours in front of YouTube.
Cut Through the Overwhelm
So the next time you are searching through the million plus videos to help you learn how to play guitar or how to improve your playing, focus your efforts and check these guys out. Your guitar will thank you.