I bought Rick's bundle a little over a year ago. I learned more about playing guitar in that one year than I have the previous 25 years of playing. Of course, I had no teacher and was doing it all by ear. Rick is an amazing teacher.

15 - 30 minutes every day is better than 6 hrs once a week,sage words of wisdom

I’m watching Rick in half speed right now and it feels like I’m getting a private lesson and having a few drinks with Rick at the same time!

As a 50 year old beginner these lessons are awesome. My instructor has me working G major scales and now it makes sense.

Here's a great Joe Pass tip: play a chord, then the scale, then the chord again. (ex: G chord - G scale - G chord) His idea is that it helps relate the sound of the scale to a chord instead of just simply running scales. It works really well the more complex the chord. When I started to implement that, I found a lot of chord shapes that "look" like a given scale shape and it really helped tie even more of the fingerboard together. And on a really funny note, Joe Pass said in a clinic once, "Don't learn scales. Learn tunes. Scales don't get the girls!". (I think scales are incredibly valuable to master. I think Joe was trying to say in a humorous way that the song is "King" and should always be the ultimate focus and technique only should be in service of that.) As always, this video is such a great glimpse into so much more of what music has to offer. Thank you Rick for all that you do to help all us guys and gals out to learn and grow!

Self taught of 15 years on and off. I've wanted to take lessons locally but thought I'd give this a shot. I've heard nothing but great things so I just purchased the bundle!

That might be the best looking SG that I have ever seen. And your information is top-notch. Thank you, Rick

Practice never ends. That's one thing I've learned not only in music, but a whole host of other skills I wanted to learn and maintain over the years! Great video Rick!

I'm a beginner guitar player who plays drums. The way you're describing the finger patterns with the 1-3-1-3 stuff make sense to me now! I just purchased the bundle...I love both of your channels.

Thanks for adding instructional videos back into the mix!

Paying close attention to just the half steps for about a week really helped me out. ie. the 7-1 and the 3-4. Also my 1 is always that major even if I'm playing it's relative minor the 6. May be backwards if I'm thinking that minor 6 as the 1 if I'm playing it like the root. Love the show man!

That guitar is BEAUTIFUL in looks and sound.

You just gave a Great instructional🎸👍🏽 Everyone should be Grateful for this video ! Thanks for doing this 🎸👍🏽

That distortion is really in the way of appreciating the notes and chord sounds. The arpeggios sound very like many of Bach's arpeggiated studies, eg, Prelude in C.

Steve albini .. One of the most fascinating, clearcut logical minds of why he was doing what he was doing.. there is not enough, Steve Albini’s caring/curating about music and artists individual fingerprint

Thanks Rick for another Lesson. 👍 I've missed your instructional videos. God Bless You!

Thank you Rick! Keep on Rockin!

I heard you mention this before, the 5 positions of the modes. It has changed my playing ever since. I know the pentatonic scale and the 5 positions. So I thought about it and added the 2 notes back to the pentatonic positions, kind of the reverse of what you show here. I actually had to draw the fret board on a piece of paper and draw it out so I could get my head around it. When working it out I focused on the key of C as it doesn't have any sharps or flats. Had to make it as easy on my brain as I could lol. And like you said, I focused on the root note, instead of just running through the patterns, thinking more about where the scale begins. I thought of notes in terms of the scale degrees rather than the actual note. I started with the first 5 notes of the scales, running through the notes 1,2,3,4,5,5,4,3,2,1, then move to a different position on the neck 1,2,3,4,5,,5,4,3,2,1 then move ..etc. then change keys and run through them again. Then it got weird lol. I was running through the scales like this, and had an epiphany. I looked over at the kalimba (thumb piano) I had received as a gift. It came with a small music book which lays out the songs in simple melodies, using the degrees of the scale. for example, Amazing Grace is 14 646 654 21 14 646 568 68 64 654 21 14 646 54. I picked up the book and started playing the songs on the guitar, all over the neck, in any key. I was amazed really. I definitely couldn't do that before. The funny thing is I find these songs really easy to remember. I have a mind for numbers or something. There something about playing these simple melodies that really show the relationship between the different degrees of the scale. What makes these songs work type of thing.. IDK. Then I heard Rick say, play 2 notes per string when playing the scales. Opened up a whole new dimension. Like realizing you can go diagonally on a crossword puzzle. Still working on it.

I love the teaching videos. Thank you for making more.

I have not checked in for a while, this got my attention. Love the Beato book. Time for me to get back to playing.

Thanks Rick for posting this videos my guitar playing has massively improved!

I am from Germany and playing mainly the electric bass for now 30 years, having learned it at local music school and private teacher later. But what Rick and some others (to be fair) is awesome and worth every cent! Great channel and contribution! Thanx❤️

Love you for all you do Rick from Huntsville Alabama

Same thing with you and at least one other teacher out there. everything starts on the low string. I learned both "E" shaped and "A" shaped "bar chords" which means I am quite familiar with where the roots are on the A string too. This means that I can move an A scale shape (of whatever kind) up one string from the E string to the A string and the scale is only messed up a very little (like one note?) and I have a D scale. Going from farther up is less worth while because the G scale is only two frets down on the E string (still worth while over all but not as useful to a beginner). So really, learn all the scales at least with a root on the E string and the A string.... then extend them up and down the neck. Hey, I'm dyslexic maybe I just think wrong :)

Nice!!! I needed this

I'm inspired just by seeing that guitar.

Thank you so much for this Rick!

My musician brain loves to visit your videos Mr. Beato! You always provide inspiration, and that is gold! 😁🌟🌼

Ok Rick. That was such an awesome lesson for where I am at with guitar. The Beato book lessons are going to be the focus from here to end of year. 😊

Love that blue sg!

34:40 Great advice Rick! Consistency. 10, 15 minutes a day. Love it. Now I need to Live it! ❤

Fabulous lesson Rick.

Beautiful guitar.

More of these fretboard workouts please, a great help.

Great way to practice!

great teaching! thank you.

You're a great Rick, I'm a big fan of yours video's

Cheers Rick, awesome SG there. I've always found that the more you play out along with people the better you get and the easier it becomes to jam with other musicians

Hey Rick. If you haven't checked out BBMs only studio album you should. It's the only album by the group consisting of Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce and Gary Moore. The album is called "Around the next dream" and the first song could easily be featured on "What makes this song great". Hope you check it out. It was a great Blues-Rock album that was overlooked when Grunge-Rock emeged in the 90s.

You're my hero Rick!

Thanks for this!

I have purchased Ricks courses about 12 months ago and have to say I’m addicted no joke I can’t stop practicing every day for hrs sometimes from morning to night it’s like crack !!!!! I have become a music learning addict, it's all I think about. Learning has become so much fun and above all super rewarding. Can’t thank Rick enough for everything he is putting into world in regards to music.

Thanks Rick love the guitar stuff the best 😊

Rick is one of the most knowledgeable and experienced guitar teachers and musicians on KZfaq, for sure. I am just an amateur who first played classical guitar and then, later in life, jazz. But I had some good teaching along the way and have taken jazz lessons for years with a talented player and Berkeley College grad named Paul Kinnear. He didn’t teach me any patterns at all, even though my familiarity with upper positions lagged behind the lower positions when we started. He just had me learn the notes, one by one and position by position. Play in one position for a month, if need be. In Rick’s video, he says a couple times that he has ultimately just learned the notes and knows where they are. Maybe doing this directly without patterns takes longer but - combined with some chord and modal theory and years of listening - I can play music more fluently than some of my experienced pattern-heavy rock guitarist friends. For me, when I do play patterns, my solos sound like patterns to me. When I play notes, I think I listen better and thus play more melodically. That said, Rick knows this stuff 100 times better than I ever will!

Rick - you jump all over the place in your lessons instead of just staying on a single, simple concept - then it becomes just like you are entertaining yourself instead of teaching. Love the channel...

I love the Pelham blue SG. What a beautiful guitar.

..Also would love to see 'what makes this song great' video's again Rick. Love your channel👍.

Please could you do a video showing us your guitars. I'd love to know how many you have. The SG looks beautiful.

Hello, wow really nice Guitar, I love your interviews and in General all your video you plublished, thank you so much

My friends, HALF-SPEED especially @5:45 Also, great lesson!

I love the everyday comment, opposed to 5 hours one day (Sports Coach with Education background here). I was a beginner for 23 years until Covid.

Definitely want more guitar lessons!

GOOD, love learning.

This was amazing. I learned and played everything here at 2x speed on the first try no problem.

EUREKA! The light just came on while watching this video. Thank you Rick! I am the same age as you and have played guitar since a teen. Playing in garage and bar bands for a time, for fun and then just for my own pleasure when I could find time. I have always struggled with understanding scales for improvising, trying to memorize endless postitons for endless scales and it was hopeless. Outside i memorising a song's solo note for note, I am trash at coming up with anything because I don't know where to play. BUT THE LIGHT JUST CAME ON AFTER ALL THESE YEARS. Screw patterns etc. the scale..take GMajor..G, A, B, D, E. thats all I need! I know were the notes are after all this time. I can suddenly..improvise. I know where I can play. It's so simple but all this time it seemed so damn hard to get my mind around. When I saw you moving up and down and saying play the notes, that's what I needed to see and hear 40 years ago! Thank you so so so much. Your theory presentations are amazing, you do such a service for all musicians. Never doubt how much you help all of us.

23:51 -- OOOOHHHHHHH!!!! I get it now!!! You're just arpeggiating the triad of each chord in the key!!! G Maj, F# Dim, Em, D Maj, C Maj, Bm, Am, G Maj... Never would've seen that if you hadn't stopped and did that "I'm just playing the same shape..." bit, and showing us the chords going down the neck. It's like something "clicked" in my head when you did that...

Got the Beato Book a couple weeks ago...and wow...there's a lifetime of lessons and material in there. What a great resource.

Thank you for awesome lessons 💚💙

Rick made scales sound good the triad exercise especially

What a beautiful sg. Im not a sg fan, but thats a good looking guitar.

Prof Rick! Thx

Im just happy to see rick jammin out.. truely just enjoying playing. Dont forget people's, you're playing for fun... practice serioys, but let yourself noodle after for a bit.. music is in you, you just need to learn how to speak in music. :)

Lovely guitar!

Very helpful 👍

What a georgeous guit-fiddle!!!

Rick I aspire to be even half the guitar player you are. The way u go n down in different positions, then in reverse, was like a revelation to me. Thank u for your teachings

Thanks !!!

Ooo love the guitar

I like the new background look Rick.

You should have grabbed an interview years ago. RIP legend. Best drum recorder of all time…

Great lesson. Thx. I see you took that SG home after your visit to CME!

Clear as mud!

I cannot play any instrument or hold a tune. But I LOVE, need, escape, restore through music. I love to discover & learn. Thankyou Rick you are a health, life invigorating essential supplement.

One big misconception is that you can learn/ master guitar in a few minutes, but the reality is that guitar is HARD, it’s not easy , but it’s very rewarding when you do learn.

Mark E Smith said the one thing a musician should learn to be a good musician is discipline!

Man, you have the nicest guitars😊

Rick, I love your videos! I have to say though, watching this at 0.5 speed, I had to just laugh 😂🤣😂🤣 Your voice was not only at half speed, but sounded like you spent the evening shutting down the local pub with a lot of Single Malt or Black & Tans before coming home to shoot this video. Very amusing 😊 Sláinte!

Thank you! Great lesson

That is a beautiful SG Rick 😮

Over the years I gravitated toward mixolydian mode, when 'West Coast' major scale stuff became prominent. after the predominantly minor scale of the blues and rock. I thought I was playing a major scale but I was flattening the 7th, and only noticed when someone asked me what I was using, and checked. Recently I've zoned in on C! It's the basis of all the written music, keyboard etc. So now it's the C on the 1st fret next to open B, and play a do-ray-me WWHWWWH on that B string, and all the C notes by octave, then you can navigate to all the other notes.. It's also one of the 2 intervals with no sharp or flat, and right above on the E string 1st fret is F, the other interval with no sharp or flat. Then the C major scale off the 5th fret, over the G,B & E strings. There you get a compact version of the C maj scale, and also in string order CD, EFG, ABC, so easier to chunk into CDEFG and ABC and also to reverse chunk into CBA, GFE and BC. I never learnt the alphabet in reverse or, CDEFGABC order so the 5+3 chunk and 2+3+3 chunk works better for me. With the mixolydian mode core fingerings, I can use an additional whole tone at the top, and all the same fingerings work for a minor key.

Best guitar teacher on KZfaq

I learned this back in the day from a book called The Complete Guitarist. It's really the only thing i got out of that book even though there were tons of things in there

Great lesson as usual... but there are no shortcuts friends. Master the fretboard with 30 minutes a day (min.) for 20 years.

The great thing about rick Beato at half speed is that you have an idea of what he sounds like when he’s had to much Bourbon…and feeling sleepy 🥱 The other great thing is the use of the half speed feature in his bundles, especially new Arpeggio program. It’s so useful. Don’t rush to get through the program boys and girls. I had spent a whole month on the first module on triads. Bless you Rick!

Thank you rickkkkkkkkk

Rick, your bundle is selling for $99 on the website. I just purchased but thought you should know. Looking forward to the course. I'm 'starting again' for the 3rd time. Hope it sticks this time! (53 and not getting any younger...)

RICK…..please look into a Nashville based guitarist named Guthrie Trapp. He’s an absolute BEAST and very educated in the fretboard. Would love to see you interview him about his playing and Nashville etc. I caught him with John Oates last September and recently saw him with his trio at the bitter end in NY. Just incredible.

good lesson

Rick, I have never been a fan of SG’s until I see yours! This could be an expensive situation.

Hey Rick can you give some hints on how to develop how to improve ones picking skills to get quicker and cleaner ?

That guitar is really cool

DAMN..... Badass Guitar Player!

Great video and love rhe speed triads Why teach in G major yes the dots and the guitar is tuned as open strings that make a G major pentatonic scale Cheers Dominic

That's a badass guitar.

beautiful sg

I purchased the bundle about a month ago and have found it very difficult. I have begun trying to learn guitar and Rick's beginner guitar course is pretty good. The ear training course is just impossible, I can't hear the difference between a major 2nd and a minor 2nd, so I'm stuck. The Beato Book is clearly for the true musician who needs in depth knowledge of music theory. Maybe one day I'll get it... I always enjoy Rick's content.

My favorite SG color

Appreciate the lesson, diagrams would be very helpful.

Rick you sound like you’ve had a few at 0.5 speed and totally hammered at 0.25.

Wow, this is exactly how my teacher taught me to play guitar - starting with the major scale, over 30 years ago. I started to think more lately whether he'd missed out 2 positions, as he only showed me 5. Ive also learnt through watching KZfaq just how many people have missed out on this approach, and seem to have started by learning just the pentatonic scale, and then really struggle later on, trying to learn how to add in the extra 2 notes of the major scale. Starting to realise now how crucial learning the major scale was to learning musical theory. Just wish I'd learnt more about triads and arpeggios before I stopped having lessons. Having to play catch up now 😢