Written chekclist : Level 1 - Learn Parts of the guitar - How to hold a guitar - How to hold a pick - How to down/up strum - How to fret notes - How to pick a single note - Learn what is a note and how many are there - Learn what intervals are and what are steps/half-steps - How to tune your guitar Level 2 - Learn what a chord is - Learn 7 chords (E Major, E Minor, A Major, A Minor, G Major, C Major, D Major) = open chords - Learn the basics of rythm, how to count music and different note values and learn how to apply these concepts to strumming - Learn songs, recommended songs are : -- For what it's worth - Buffalo Springfield -- Wagon Wheel - Old Crow Medicine Show -- Smoke on the Water - Deep Purple -- Iron Man - Black Sabbath -- Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes Level 3 - Learn what a scale is - Learn what a key is - Learn the minor pentatonic scale - Learn alternate picking - Learn all the notes on the low E string - Learn songs, recommended songs are : -- Hurt - Johnny Cash -- Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd -- Running down a dream - Tom Petty -- House of the Rising Sun - The Animals -- Highway to Hell - AC/DC Level 4 - Learn the 2nd position pentatonic scale (major pentatonic) - Learn bar chords (major and minor, 5th and 6th string roots) - Learn what triards are - Learn all the notes on the A string - Learn how to identify what key is a song in - Start to improvise some guitar solos (playing over songs or backing tracks) - Learn songs, recommended songs are : -- Sultan of Swing - Dire Straits -- Layla - Derek and the Dominos -- Wish you were here - Pink Floyd -- Whole lotta Love - Led Zeppelin Level 5 - Learn all 5 positions of the pentatonic scale (3 more to learn as minor and major are covered earlier) - Learn Major/Minor diatonic scale - Learn what is a parallel vs relative major/minor scale - Learn the construction of major scale and the construction of the pentatonic scale - Learn hammer-on, pull-offs, bends, vibrato, natural harmonics, pinch harmonics - No more songs recommendations, learn what you desire and learn specific skills according to the songs Level 6 - Learn how to harmonize the major scale - Learn the NAshville number system - Learn functional harmony - Learn to identify chord changes - Learn common chord progressions - Understand compound time signature Level 7 - Add 7th to triads - Learn to play 7th chords (major 7th, minor 7th, dominant 7th, with roots on E and A strings) Level 8 - Learn 7 diatonic modes - Learn all scale intervals - Learn to play solos and melodies by ear Level 9 - Learn the CAGED system - Learn Arpeggios (related to the previous CAGED system) - Learn how to use chord tones in solos and melodies - Add 7th to arpeggios - Learn how to ear different harmonic parts to songs (how other instruments work in a song relative to the guitar) Level 10 - Understand chord progressions beyond the 7th (9ths, 11ths, 13ths) - Learn the harmonic Minor scale (with it's modes and arpeggios) - Learn the melodic Minor scale (with it's modes and arpeggios) - Specialize :) Edit : Level 2 : corrected G Minor for C Major cause I apparently have no English listening comprehension :')

Exactly what I needed I'm convinced this guy knows all my thoughts

You missed Level 1-50: waste inordinate amounts of time watching endless 'perfect' KZfaq videos titled something like...'learn this and you will master the guitar in 5 seconds'.

Great video, thanks so much! Here are the notes I took for my personal journey... Level 1 What are the parts of the guitar? How to hold the guitar How to hold a pick Down and up strums How to fret notes How pick single notes What is a note and how many notes are there? What are intervals (half and whole steps)? How to tune the guitar Level 2 What is a chord? First seven open chords E major E minor A major A minor G major C major D major Basics of rhythm (counting music and different note values) Applying rhythm to strumming Song suggestions: For What It’s Worth (Buffalo Springfield) Wagon Wheel (Old Crow Medicine Show) Smoke on the Water (Deep Purple) Iron Man (Black Sabbath) Seven Nation Army (White Stripes) Level 3 What is a scale? What is a key? Minor Pentatonic Scale Alternate picking Memorize all the notes on the low E string Song recommendations: Hurt (Johnny Cash) Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynyrd) Running Down a Dream (Tom Petty) House of the Rising Sun (The Animals) Highway to Hell (AC/DC) Level 4 Major Pentatonic Scale Barre chords (major and minor with 5th and 6th string roots) What are triads? Memorize all notes on the A string Ear training - identify what key a song is in Start improvising by playing over backing tracks Good channels on KZfaq for backing tracks: Now You Shred Elevated Jam Tracks Song recommendations Sultans of Swing (Dire Straits) Layla (Derek and the Dominos) Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd) Whole Lotta Love (Led Zeppelin) Level 5 All five positions of the Pentatonic Scale Major and Minor Diatonic Scales What is a Parallel vs Relative Major Scale Construction of the Major Scale Construction of the Pentatonic Scale Hammer Ons, Pull Offs, Bends, Vibrato, Natural Harmonics, Pinch Harmonics Start learning whatever songs you want to learn Level 6 How to harmonize the Major Scale (Chord Scale) Nashville Number System What is Functional Harmony? Ear training - identify chord changes Learn common chord progressions Understand compound time signatures Level 7 Expand on triads by adding 7th notes Major, Minor, and Dominant 7th chords with 5th and 6th string roots Level 8 Learn all 7 Diatonic Modes Learn all the scale intervals Use knowledge of scale intervals to play solos and melodies by ear Level 9 CAGED System Arpeggios related to the CAGED System How to use Chord Tones Modify arpeggios by adding the 7th notes Hear different harmonic parts of a song Level 10 Chord extensions beyond the 7th (9th, 11th, and 13th) Harmonic Minor Scale and its modes and arpeggios Melodic Minor Scale and its modes and arpeggios How the Natural, Harmonic, and Melodic Minor Scales serve different purposes Specialize and progress into different guitar styles/genres

Level 10: "It's a work in progress - every time you pick the thing up there's a potential of finding something totally new" ~Keith Richards~

I've been following your original roadmap for the past couple of weeks (Which I'm super grateful for) and I was about to get ready for the next level, so this video arrived at the perfect moment. Thank you so much for these guides, they're truly amazing, incredibly useful, entertaining and concise.

Love your presentation and concise thoughts and roadmap. Let's get started shall we???

I've never seen a guitar expert teaching guitar with a beginner mindset like this guy. He's relatable asf lmao god bless you Kev ❤🎸

Im still around level 2, and now i'm terrified. If i don't get actual guitar lessons, i would die trying to find ALL this stuff. At least i know i need to find it now, so thanks.

Great list! I'd been playing guitar self-taught for about 5 years before I discovered your channel and Justinguitar, in just three months I feel like I've gone from Level 3 to halfway into 5 thanks to these lists and concepts being laid out in a logical order! Keep doing what you do, you've been an inspiration

Dude thank you for this. I’ve been practicing on and off for like a year. Mainly because I find myself overwhelmed with information which takes me down a rabbit hole and I end up lost, so I learn songs. I’ve been watching this video everyday because it actually makes sense. Thank you bro

Thanks for diving into the structured pathway to learn the art and craft of playing the guitar in this short video. Mastering 7 steps will bring good recognition.

Only 10 steps away from mastering guitar, but forever steps away from papa respecting me. Sigh. * riffs away *

I'm at level 4 - 5 right now and I'm in that position where I do really feel like I suck so you got it right haha. I guess there's a reason why I'm watching this video.

I am very happy you made a updated roadmap, for this quality you being below 1m subscribers is crazy.

I recently listened to your video, 0 to 6 levels, before I came across this 1 to 10 levels video. They were both very enlightening, but the 1 to 10 has more detail. I've been hacking around on a guitar for 50 yrs or so, off and on mostly self-taught. I will use your 1 to 10 to fill in the gaps in my playing. Thank you, this is a big help. Now I have a syllabus to learn by. Thank you again.

New subscriber ❤🎸. OMG you nailed it Kevin . 68 year old guitarist since 9 years old. I’m definitely moving out of intermediate guitar prison. I learned to play by ear . Replaying the record over and over. Now the technology is another learning curve which is life changing. Jazz chords keep calling out to me. I’m blessed to have hands that work really well. Thank you Kevin . It’s infinite like computers.. infinite. Bless you

A MASSIVE THANK YOU FOR THIS FILM!!

Wrote down all the levels. This is exactly what I needed, thank you for making this video!!!

going from bass too guitar and already being at level 5 is the affirmation I needed, thank you

Thanks A LOTS... for this video....!!!!! 🙏🏻 Actually i was very confused 🙄 🤯 🥴 😩 in learning what/How/Why to learn about Guitar. I choosed KZfaq as a medium.. where i could learn to play Guitar from Great Music teachers/ Great Guitarists. ( Like you 😊 ) After watching your this video...I found myself to be on 3 LEVEL only...and i laughed out at myself i was trying to learn CAGED SYSTEM, TRIADS etc. 🤣🤭😄 Which is above so high my LEVEL...!!!!! With the help of your step by step LEVELS... Now i felt clear about what's to go for NEXT... next hurdle. And by the way... Here I'm your NEW SUBSCRIBER... NEW STUDENT... From INDIA ( northeast ). 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

This vid is perfect and perfect timing. Its so overwhelming to know what you should be doing next. Using this as my guide now

ありがとう！あなたのおかげで、今ではいくつかの曲を演奏できるようになりました！

I disagree with the not getting girls thing.I got my very first girlfriend by bragging about playing guitar around my friends.

Kevin, I just want to thank you. I have been watching your videos off and on for a while. And I have finally decided to take this passion up. I have recently been diagnosed with autism where I stim alot and after picking up a guitar I realized that I don't stim while I am focused on finger placement and strumming patterns. Between this video and the ones of your teaching your father, you have inspired me. I want to learn the right way. Not just playing tablature. So, thank you. You have given me a sense of peace that you'll probably never understand. 🙏

I've been experiencing the level 5 dunning kruger effect so badly for the last couple of months. thanks for providing this and assuring me there's somewhere i can go from here :)

“The last day you will ever be happy with your guitar playing was yesterday.” Love it.

I was trying figure out what to do yesterday immaculate timing bro

Nice job! Very important levels I think should be added: Know your gear (Guitar maintenance, mods, different types of guitar, Les Paul, Strato, Telecaster, pedals, amps, multi effects programming, recording guitar and the most important.. play in a band. Playing with other people is an entirely different experience that involves much more complexity than playing alone with backing tracks.

Can't thank you enough for this roadmap! I started teaching myself a couple of months ago, and very recently came to a point where I needed some guidance on how to continue, and in what order to learn things. Keep up the great work and content buddy!! Have a good day

Man I've been researching on this topic for a week now. Cudnt find a good exact one. Thanks !!!! With so much info on KZfaq you just get lost and can't improve ttat way

After finishing level 3 on the previous roadmap a few months back, I got lost in the wild world of tones and favorite songs, but now I'm back to continue the real journey! Thanks for the update!

I've been looking for information like this for years! Thank you.

Had been looking to create a trackable route on paper but this Video does just that, really appreciate how you broke it down

Been playing for about 20 years and Ive been stuck on level 5 (maybe 5.5). Time to up my game, this was super helpful!

YOU THE GOAT!!!!

I’m always happy when I see your videos. Idk why KZfaq does send them to me more often… what’s up KZfaq!?

Nice! I'm on level 3 with just 1 month of learning 🎉 (and 6 months of ukulele play around) This is a nice roadmap. Good work!

My learning has been back asswords from this. I am a huge nerd that likes to know the why/hoe of everything, so i delved into intervals, building scales, diatonic harmony and functions before i could ever even play my first song. Still so much i have to learn though, but right now im just catching up learning songs, i agree with you at step 5, dont be afraid to learn any song, if its more difficult and you stick with it, it will improve your playing. In working on the 3rd movement of La Catedral, and the first couple sections have these pretty brutal chords with pinky hammerons that ive never done, but i can feel the practice improving my general fretting speed and strength. Practicing songs above your skill level can help you grow. Lots of classical music, some metallica and RHCP have some really good songs to help you grow, but pick anything you like.

Thanks for this video. Watched a bunch of your videos before, but only bought my first guitar not even 24 hours ago (an Epiphone SG Custom). Getting my Amp delivered in a few days, but started practicing with your "Your First 7 Days of Learning Guitar Should Look like THIS" video already - never too early to learn how to move my fingers. An unplugged electric guitar is actually helping me a lot - even though I'm accidentally touching adjacent strings it doesn't bother me nearly as much as when I tried learning acoustic guitar a couple of years ago, where it would constantly sound just really wrong. I'm sure I'll improve if I keep trying to press just the string I want to press. Looking forward to learning with your videos.

thanks for the video, it gives me more self confidence to learn in my isolated, cramped and dark environment with no outside guidance what so ever your shirt is awesome

Getting past being a beginner (learning basic chords or scales) is like getting thrown into an ocean with many islands (seperate skill sets), that eventually join one by one that you can do in any order depending on your goals. For instance, I was doing ear training before I knew how to play a scale of solo.. but as I have started to learn, those skills are merging.. I am about level 5, but have learned a lot of skills from higher levels early, and skipped others from lower ones. It's so clear to see progress at an early level, but harder to demonstrate at a higher . Improvisation for instance - how can you clearly show that without proving it's rehearsed? .. a lot of progress I think cannot be categorised... And can go in so many orders. It's fun to see how others visualise the journey and to see how I personally fit into it

Thanks for the emphasis on going the distance...Happy Strumming y'all

This is all true. I'd like to add rythm as a key component to learning. A lot of people learn scales and cane even shred them fast up and down, but they never really learned to groove. Even if you only know one pentatonic shape you can already play awesome solos if you can "feel the music" and do interesting progressions. You don't even have to be fast, this works even if you still have to think about the finger positons.

Learn to play easy songs by ear was the first thing i did and thats the only thing ive done so far in the last 18 years

please continue this, i am learning guitar started this month

I've been playing infrequently for 10 years (more time spent in the earlier years), self taught through a lot of KZfaq, RockSmith, Youcisian and other apps. I still feel I'm an advanced beginner. The biggest gaps in my playing seem to be a good set of practice routines to build up chord changing speed, whether from open to open chord, or from barre chord to open to a CAGED shape chord, etc...and memorizing the fretboard. There are tons of fretboard memorization videos out there (I still need to watch yours), and I feel I am fairly decent at knowing what notes are at what fret...when I'm sitting still looking at the fretboard. The actual memorization to know that going from the 6th string 5 fret to the 4th string 3rd fret while in the middle of playing...not there.

This is great , got me all excited again , love playing hurt 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Thanks Kevin. This helpend me feeling mess anxious about being overwhelmed with everything i should learn. Im at level 3.

I’m in the right place you listed everything I wanna practice step by step in the beginning as a beginner

Exactly what i needed...i was so lost on what to do..thanks brother

Thanks, very nice map! I think I've already learned a good portion of every level, but this helps a lot to fill the gaps. I suppose the order of what you learn depends a lot on what you want to play. Example: I've learned arpeggios quite early as this is a pretty fundamental concept in the world of classical guitar. But of course, you can always go deeper and deeper on every level/topic.

I honestly think scales are components of music expression so being clear about our goal in long-term help i guess since we are aware what we wann learn and stuff

Liked the way you summarised everything in one video so that I can visualise myself the scale of 1-10. Looking like more-more to learn.

This actually made things clearer. The caged system is not for the lower levels like myself.

Thank you for this Brother..I am learning guitar and I was like hel confused what and where to Start...Your video is perfect roadmap ❤❤❤❤

I kind of wish I had these resources when I started playing, years ago, because I've developed both bad technique, and bad habits, and now it's incredibly difficult to unlearn. The internet is flooded with tutorials, that go from "here's how a guitar looks", immediately to "here's how you play scales at 300bpm", with nothing in between

Clearly from what I have learned so far, impressing women & earning the respect of my father are not guaranteed on this journey- but playing music is!

Hey you should make a roadmap for intermediate and advanced players. That would be super helpful.

Thank you! You should try making a theory course based on this video😘

I am a total beginner with some knowledge of harmony and the CAGED system works well for me. I always use it as a warmup and use it to learn the root notes on the guitar.

Great video, really glad you made this. Small note: You have Dunning Kruger effect and imposter syndrome mixed up. Imposter syndrome is when you think you're shit at what you're doing when when you're actually pretty good, while Dunning Kruger is the opposite when you think you're great but you're actually shit.

I was literally thinking about this exact thing this morning, was thinking about what direction I go with the guitar.

Thanks, Kevin ❤

my dude I was happy with my guitar playing when I didn't have one yet, I was happy when I plugged it in for the first time, I was happy when I learned my first chord. And guess what, I still have a mental tail wagging every time I play a little riff or find a particularly satisfying chord progression. If you are playing for fun and you're not happy then why play? Having goals is not the same as being unhappy.

Lol, Ive rewatched level 5 an infinite amount of times. Still not convinced im not the worst guitarist of all time😅 This is spot on!

Psalm 34:14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

for weird self-taught guitarists like me who had a lot of lackings: level 4- major pentatonic scale learn a string notes level 5- all 5 pentatonic positions major minor diatonic scale parallel or relative major minor scale level 6- harmonize major scale nashville number system functional harmony identify chord changes compound time signatures level 7- add 7th to triads major, minor, dominant 7th chords level 8- 7 diatonic modes all intervals level 9- arpeggios of the caged chord shapes chord tones in solo add 7th to arpeggios hear different harmonic parts in songs level 10- chords extensions 9th 11th 13th harmonic minor scale - modes and arpeggios melodic minor scale - modes and arpeggios

Awesome roadmap, thanks a lot! Maybe include fingerpicking somewhere. In know it's kinda style specific, but it's also a great topic to learn.

this roadmap saved my life.

My learn path: - Level 1: Learn basics like you said - Level 2: Learn open chords and all transitions between them - Level 3: Learn songs based on level 2 as much as you want + 2-3 basic strumming pattern. (also if you want add metronome, but its better to develop it in your brain by itself. Or counting loudly 1/2/3/4... ) - Level 4: learn barre, while learning new song with F chord - Level 5: learn songs with a lot of barre and power chords, learn different strumming pattern, mix them - Level 6: learn fingerstyle (could be added previously) by doing also your prefered songs. Learn tabs/notations - Level 7: Learn all the techniques like hammer ons, pull offs etc. If you practiced good enought and consistent always by hard-trying - here is the point at 6 months +/- somebody will do it faster, somebody slower, but 1 year should be 100% reachable. Nothing will be perfect, but here is time to keep practicing everything you have learned. Nail it for (unlimited time). Here comes endless amount of levels, theory (if you want) and so on. a lot of different ways and styles. I.e. you liked fingerstyle or you liked more strumming, power chords, rock and so on. What I really don't and cant understand is the part with all that scales practice almost from beginning. If you want to learn exactly specific songs - why do you need that? If you want to play in first place. So many times I read posts on different forums like "I learn 3 years and I cant play anything". Do you want that? Do it only if you want to start giging with others or improvising. To repeat your lovely songs - its not needed. But for giging and improvising - you already should have at least level 5. So there is really NO need to do that before. I also have at least 3 friends who gave up. I asked them, what did they do? - "yeah, i saw YT video, people said I have to practice scales and I did that...". Its so harmful for beginners without teacher/music school. Really

Greta job! I wish I had some direction when I first started.

Question about the CAGED system, I've read/watched how it can be extremely beneficial for a burgeoning guitarist (once they have a grasp of intervals, scales, and fretboard notes). You put it at level 10, can you speak to that? I'd imagine that it would be somewhere in the 3-6 range. Thanks Kevin! Love the updated version sir.

So thankful for this video you're awesome

Super helpful video, love it!

20 minutes ago? This is Perfect thank you man

Hey guys. This is a solid lesson plan and you can do all this without a teacher. If you follow these steps and practice daily you'll be able to play the guitar fairly well in less than 2 years. You will have all the physical parts on playing under control. Just be sure to make time to play for fun after practice, play along with your favorite albums, and learn some melodies etc.

Amazing video. I just started two weeks ago and I was wondering if anyone could tell me about practice routines for each level or a general progression of the routines themselves as I get through them?

Great video, mate. Thaks for sharing (and for the jokes). I've started learning about 3 years ago and given I should have another 40 year ahead of me I might get to level 6 😛

God bless 🙏🏿

This is a huge help.

I’ve been playing for a year. I can play these solos, the final countdown, crazy train ( the legato at the end isn’t the best), master of puppets both solos, Viking Kong, Johnny B Goode, hotel California, winds of change, and parts of many others. What do I need to learn now?

Dylan actually wrote Wagon Wheel. Old Crow covered and popularized it. Rucker wrecked it.

Crazy not mentioning anything about diminished and augmented scales. I find that’s where you really start to understand the notes in between

Thanks, Kevin. Good info and I love your humor and presentation. You mention learning the minor pentatonic in level 3, then in level 4 you mention 2nd position of the major pentatonic, and in level 5 you say all five postions of the pentatonic and note we will have already learned postions 1 and 2. The minor in level 3 and then position 2 of the major in level 4. Just to clarify, is level 4 supposed to be position 2 of the minor, or were we supposed to learn major and minor? Please clarify where each fits. Thanks!

I’ve been playing for 35 years! I can play almost anything by tab but never really learn complete songs. Mainly the intros and main riffs. Never written a song in my life and suck trying to jam with people. I can copy someone else’s solo and sound impressive but when I try to make my own it sounds redundant and just like I’m playing random notes of a scale.

I see you with all the Billy Joel albums in the back

LETS GO UPDATED ROADMAP

Thank you, in a month, it will be one year since i started, I'm actually happy for what I did right now, but I'm really getting frustrated cause i wanna know what I'm doing, I just need to KNOW what I'm playing and how things connect together, also i wanna stop abusing pentatonic scales and improvise in a more "complex" way. THANK YOU

Thank you so much iv been play for one year and now have a gole... find the z not or the & note

Now all I need is a guitar!

This video will turn your roadmaze into a roadmap.

This is a great road map… However can we customize this thing to goto Eleven?

Great video. Question: isn't Sultans of Swing way more difficult than the other songs in its category. The licks are never ending

1:29 nah thats way too real with that father comment

Great! We'll appreciate a PDF roadmap, so that we can gauge ourselves everyday on it..

I’m all over all levels 🎉

Can you please provide us a playlist with the best videos that follow this road map, please?

I see... got a long way to go~

I have a question about memorizing the notes on the fretboard. How do you continue to apply that memorization so you don’t forget it other than just randomly picking a note and playing it at its different positions?