YouTube is a fantastic resource for guitar lessons. Not only are there dozens of highly-skilled guitar players demonstrating chords, lick, styles and songs. But some of the world’s best, and most well-known guitar players, some of them sadly no longer with us, are right there giving lessons.
So I thought that it would be great to put together a kind of video notebook of some of the best lessons I could find on there and keep it so that when I get some time (ha!) I can watch the videos and learn a few new tricks.
And if I’m building a list of great videos for myself, seems kinda logical that I should share it here. So, here are my five favourite all-star guitar lessons from some of the best players ever to pick-up an axe.
Stevie Ray Vaughan
The late, great Texas bluesman talks in detail about the blue that influenced him and the differences in style between the Chicago blues he grew up listening to and the British blues bands of the Sixties.
Eric Clapton
A long-haired, moustached Slowhand, filmed in the late sixties, talks about how he gets those amazing tones, and how he used the Wah Wah to such great effect. Playing a rather funky SG, too.
Slash
The leery grinned one explains how to play Velvet Revolver’s American Man.
Angus Young
Angus the legend unlocks the secrets of those classic AC/DC riffs.
Andy Summers
Has to be filed under dull, but worthy, this one. A pretty disinterested Andy Summers demonstrates some Police riffs while making it clear that that’s not what he does anymore.
I use You Tube video lessons all the time. You stole a good story from me!
It’s a great idea and it is free. The tv is a cool vibe to practice to. Theme songs and commercials.
I love the article and the way you put it together, but Kenny, you and I both know Jimi Hendrix was the greatest most emotive and effortless player ever. He most definitely should be numero uno.
Thanks for the comments, Danny.
You’re right, YouTube is a great resource. And the TV is a great tip. If I’d been compiling a list of the top five guitar players on YouTube, I would have almost certainly put Hendrix at No. 1.
But the idea was to post videos of great guitarists actually giving lessons, hence the ‘teachers’ in the title. If I had found a video of Jimi giving a lesson on YouTube, I would have posted it at No. 1.
Yeah YouTube is great, Im going to be uploading some videos from there to put on my site.
Man, I’m really disappointed with this list. It’s nothing more than celebrity guitarists playing in front of the camera – there is not one actual LESSON in this lot!
Completely worthless.
I’m sorry you were disappointed in the videos. I guess your definition of lesson and mine differ. I would define lesson as something that teaches the viewer a new skill or provides them with information they didn’t already possess. I certainly learned a lot from Clapton talking about how he achieved that great tone, from Angus Young explaining his style, and from Slash explaining how he plays American Man.
I think the best teacher on YouTube is Andrew Wasson from Creative Guitar Studio. His lessons are the most thorough and he explains stuff way better than any other guitar teacher on YouTube I’ve ever seen.
Thanks for the tip, Clive. I’ll check out his lessons.
look at marty friedman lessons, hes a really good teacher
Neat idea. I really enjoyed seeing SRV. As for the rest of the clips, if you are really looking for the top 5 then you are overlooking the best. I have been playing for over 20 years and I too once thought that Clapton and Hendrix were the greatest Guitar players ever. Although I still love both artists I found I was sadley mistaken. There are dozens of Classical, Flamenco and Gypsy jazz aka swing jazz Guitarists that no one has ever heard of and they are all great. How about Brian Setzer or Mark Knoffler? I will end my comment with 2 more names that belong in the top 5, Les paul and Django.
I agree with Clive. Andrew Wasson is definately the best guitar teacher on YouTube. I have recently found his channel and websites and in several years of watching guitar lessons on YouTube Andrew is simply the very best guy putting up guitar lessons on there. You should add him to your list, because you’ve only included famous players and they really aren’t teachers. Wasson is a G.I.T. grad. and a real life working musician. Not just a famous “Household Name” musician.
I just started doing free Youtube guitar lessons. You can find them on my site or at my youtube channel.
Please visit and let me know how you like them so far
My site : http://www.pedjazz.com
My Youtube channel : http://www.youtube.com/user/Pedjazz