Hello there,

I started playing guitar just under a year ago, and I've been playing off and on in that time. I'm still pretty young, and even though I don't really have my future figured out yet, I want to take music seriously. Recently I came across Mr. Brown's videos and YouTube page. I'm not sure what makes a great guitar teacher, but he seems like he is one. Anyways, I was wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of the first few things I should practice and make a video of so that you can assess my skills. It would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Pebber is a great teacher.

I think what you want to practice are a bit of these three categories: 1) the mechanics of playing (right/left hand technique, posture, wrist angles, being relaxed as possible, etc); 2) ear training (which I neglected as a result held myself back); and 3) learning the language and vocabulary of music as it applies to the music you want to play.

1 just makes you able to play what you want to play.

2 connects what you want to play to what you're hearing most efficiently.

3 just matches what you're doing to what you want to do-- if you want to play jazz or 'jazzier' you need to see harmony/melody/phrasing in different way than you might get in college 1st or 2nd semester class looking at 4 part harmony with all the roots doubled. If you want to play like John Lee Hooker, studying Gershwin might not be the most efficient way to get into it. All roads lead to Rome, or maybe all steps rise to Parnasus, and Hal Galper said nothing you practice is wasted; but the end of day you probably want to turn what you're practicing into something you can use with the people you're playing with. I was lucky in that I used to practice some weird sounding stuff compared to the kids I played with when I was learning, but I was able fit it into the classic rock and blues we were playing. Some liked it, some hated it. Some still hate it.

But start taking apart the music you want to play and be sure to work on that in addition to technical stuff. I recently jammed with a guy who I guess had reasonable chops or mechanics but we're improvising and jamming but a single chord played in different inversions stopped him in his tracks. All he could play was The House of the Rising Sun, Stairway to Heaven, and the most cliche BS blues you'd play at the beginning of a Hal Lenard book, and a lot of Bach I think. He came in knowing we're supposed to be playing fully improvised music but he's ready for a cover band 13 year-olds in 1976 would start or a great solo recital for a classical teacher. But at the end of the day we had no use for each other. Just make sure in the midst of all the technical stuff and abstract patterns and solfeggio (if you do it), also prepare for the music you want to play. I think it is best to balance those 3 categories.

you wanna be starting on getting your picking down and strengthening. and loosening that left hand.
pebber is a great teacher but he can only give you the tools you need, gotta work your arse off to get real good.
give it a shot you wont go wrong here...welcome

As deltadiscos mentioned picking and lossening left hand.

For picking you could start with the picking exercises on 1 string (use metronome this will be your best friend)

For loosening your left hand you could start with the ladder exercises those will help a lot.

Good luck

Thank you for all of the replies everyone. I think I'll post something a little later today in video form of me practicing the first few exercises.