Tommy Emmanuel - Advice for musicians

[rickariche]

Awesome advice!!!!

[Isomer85]

what is the 5th step? i understand something like "learn to play frake train" is that what he's saying?

[MsCrazyCuckoo]

@Isomer85 Learn to play "Freight Train"! Look it up here on youtube "frieight train tommy emmanuael"

[wintersnowman]

I'm curious - how long does it take for you guys to get this to point? Playing till you can play while reading the newspapers, so to speak.

[GuitarHeroPhenomSux]

I usually get bored when trying to learn a full song. So, I start on another one before I learned the last one. Now, I've been playing for five years, I know a million riffs but no full songs.

[alejmail]

Espectacular, where are these masterclass??? I wanna go

[guitarconasor]

Number 6 - have huge hands like Tommy and be able to keep a beat. Learn drums first like he did. Maybe that is number 7.

[JohnnyLennon2008]

Cool stuff.

[Chadlynx]

What was number 5?

[paulj312002]

I'll listen to this guys advice. Proofs in the pudding.

[guitardudeguy00]

Do not neglect the rule! another thing i find is if you record yourself, you get better. Record, and listen to what would make yourself better.

[theinck]

advice for musicians- buy a maton. buy a decent guitar. not an epiphone piece of rubbish.

[themadpoet]

I like that you titled it 'Advice for Musicians' - because even though at first I thought, 'this should be advice for *guitarists*,' his point about motor skills is applicable to any performing art. Great advice!

[libertyisbest]

The "LORD" has spoken, and he really really is!

[fridwoow]

whats he saying at 1:34?

[HillbillyJ]

In reference to the importance pf repetition to musicians "we all need it badly, but no one else does."

Family members really aren't too fond of hearing the same song a thousand times a day, LOL.

[fridwoow]

haha nice, thnx

[pasha355]

badly i think

[PattyBoy31]

I know John Mayer may not be in the same class as Tommy Emmanuel, but i was an alright guitarist, and I watched john mayers DVD where the light is, and forced myself much like Tommy describes how to play 'stop this train' and 'heart of life' and motivated myself to begin learning scales and blues improv and in under a year my skiill has dramatically improved.

I know hope, after discovering Tommy Emmanuel a couple days ago the same thing may occur

[markitymark90]

The best advice ever lmao, even though most musicians know it pretty early off.

[JazzIsaac]

I don't think this guy realizes how good he is, not just technically, but musically as well. He makes it sound too easy in this video.

[MrSargenti]

This is the most clearly-stated, simplified "secret of how to become great" as I have ever heard. I went to G.I.T. in hollywood in 1981 and all of the great players I met said this, but never this succinctly. Tommy Knows the secret... and he just gave it to all of us. It can't be said any clearer than that.

[TheBanyanEmperor]

What Tommy said here is good, and I think he is definitely helping put to rest some of the confusion about technique vs. emotion; but see if you can find Steve Vai's 30 hour workout article that appeared in Guitar World a few years back.....it contains TONS of fantastic advice and tries to get you into the right mindset to propel yourself into virtuoso territory. It also contains this same straightforward approach that you said you liked about this video.

[musicisfusion]

Excellent insight!! Great...I do this already but it helps to hear Tommy say that that iswhat has to be done. I get frustrated cause Im not not as good as him...but thats why...you gotta WORK!!

[Tianshou88]

this is really good advice. pick up his melbay book is you wanna learn fingerstyle it helped and continues to help my picking. what he says about the practicing around the family is true too haha when i was learning his song Mr. Guitar my exgirlfriend got so sick of hearing the first 10 measures played over and over again she made me play something else or go somewhere she couldnt hear me hahaha

[LOveTwiNz]

I suck so bad at instruments it's sad, and It is my dream is to play good....I just keep giving up. :(

[SamEEE12]

Just have to ask yourself, how bad do you want it? It doesn't happen over night - just stick at it :)

[fenderbender92]

Live by the rule

If he can do it so can I

[tornermentlololol]

well said motherfucker!!!!!

[fiddlercrab3]

Hell no! One of the most important skills for a musician to develop is the ability to LISTEN. If you're so focused on making yourself sound good that you neglect enjoying other music, you've missed the whole point of playing.

Youtube is a useful learning tool, but you're right it's very easy to waste time here. try to find a balance- track the time you've spent online for the past week. Make it your goal to practice for even half as long. You'll get some great results.

[MultiSteini]

@fiddlercrab3 Thanks this makes alot of sense :P

[Neverdii]

then get off youtube?

[Electrified05]

In the beginning of the clip he talks about kinda like "the 5 steps" (1st get the thumb going, then add the chord etc)

Now, I've allready got the first 3 things down pretty good, but what does he mean by arpeggiate the chord? I know what an arpeggio is, but could someone (maybe the person(s) that was there) explain EXACTLY how to play arpeggiate chords while the thumb is going, since there aren't any listening examples??

Don't be afraid to use musical terms, I'm fairly good at that :):)

[thomas4christ]

I think what he means by that is to play the notes of the chord after each other not at the same time. And maybe even add some note on top of that, like when u play a D chord hit the B string on the 10th fret or something???

not quite sure...

[thetiler]

This might be the best advice I've heard on video!

Great post !

[Chookiman]

I have to agree that practicing one song ad naseum is the key to playing good covers. Although I think it can only take you so far. Will it make you sound like David Gilmour ? or the new Hendrix ? Ther must be someone out there who can do it.

[TrueBeginner]

He's referring to getting your fingerstyle chops down by beating up one song. Once you've got a few under your belt then you can use the arsenal to develop your own thing and be the new whomever. But you have to do that woodshedding on some covers first to get your hands into it. I did it with the tune, "Trambone".

[Electrified05]

I don't know if that was an answer to my question, but if it was, it kinda sucked :D

I was asking for a very concrete answer, how to play the arpeggios.

If it wasn't an answer to my question, I'm sorry if I offended you, and thanks for the good, general, tip!

[TrueBeginner]

I was commenting on an older post from Chookiman, not yours...Youtube doesn't nest the messages in this view so it looked like a response to yours. But about the arpeggios, try listening to Daffy Doug's youtubes. He has all kinds of Chet Atkins tunes. You'll hear clean examples of all Tommy talks about here.

[TrueBeginner]

Electrified05, look for Chet Atkins "Swedish Rhapsody" for a kind of arpeggiated line with thumb action behind it.

[Electrified05]

OK! Will do. Thanx a lot, man!

[riopieboy]

Yeh I agree, I was pretty much with you 'til "godly man". I have absolutely nothing against christians coming from a devout christian family but your comment works under the assumption that either his family is god-fearing or that his Da would appreciate him having what you believe are the attributes of a "good christian".

Good advice but leave religion out of it.

Matt: You have plenty of time to study both guitar and school.If you are doing well in school your dad should not mind the guitar

[zwamman]

What I was pointing out, is the problem of people always determining 'groups' and 'goals' (good husbands, godly men, having a good job that 'makes' your life). When you only wield these fixated values in your life, instead of reason, confrontation ultimately comes of it. That's why zionist and muslims are at war, that's why Mr.Bush gets shoes thrown at him. I'm not saying a kidd should 'run free & wild', but we should teach them ethics in a "vernunftiges"(german) way, not in absolute ways.

[zwamman]

i gotta be honest i didn't crack up until i heard 'godly man' :). It amazes me how people paste christian values right into a 'society of usefulness'. I wonder why the world is filled with confrontations... could it be the never-ending quest of people to fixate everything in static terms thus trying to determine 'ever-lasting values of life'. A good education is important for numerous reasons, but if your dad doesn't respect guitar playing to be a part of you Matt, thats HIS problem. cheers

[ButterfliesAndTigers]

I let people decide for themselves whether is is right to respect your parents and your beloved ones. Tommy Emmanuel has a very loving and gentle spirit if it comes to respecting other peoples need for quietness...if someone believes it´s unnessessary to respect others - how great will his judgement be!

Michael

[MattkNT]

my dad sucks.if i want to practice guitar for hours he will mad at me because he want me to study !!!! damn!!!

[bkyella]

Look at the size of his hands! Zoikes... Hendrix and Stevie Ray had big hands as well.

[Batman001]

Good advice

[lip333]

omg tommy! u just saved my life cuz i allways practice for hours and hours sometimes 8, 9, 10 hours on the living room i front of the pc! lol! i think they are planing to kill me or something like that... xDDD

[SoulCheese77]

I don't quite understand the keeping the thumb going and independant? I'm sure he's talking about the left hand thumb, but .. what? lol

[mfgx5hf2]

He means the thump pic thumb...you play this pattern on the strings A D E D A D E D A D E D etc ( E being the low E) to get the independance from the fingers on the same hand ie: so you can play the bass and melody at the same time

[SoulCheese77]

Oooh lol, nevermind then. =\ That's simple

[58pianos]

Excellent, excellent, excellent advice. Listen to this over and over again until you completely understand what he is saying.

[Peddant]

Ok,ok i understand what he`s saying !

Now what ?

[58pianos]

Now what? Now you pick up your guitar, pick out a new piece of music, go off alone, find a shady tree, sit down and practice the piece until you can play it and read a book at the same time.

[TJZaman]

XD Read book and play at the same time lol.

[Chris778]

Now pick up that guitar man!! and get praticing and rock the fuck o ut dude!! =P

[Invierno86]

And, phew! I'm glad he didn't say it was just God-given talent and we're all stuffed :P

[BlastBoddom]

i can't understand what he says on 0:29...

"Learn....?"

Can somebody tell me please? Thank you!

[Invierno86]

"Learn Freight Train"

Name of a popular country tune, good starting piece for fingerstyle playing.

[Hammy135]

Yeah, he says learn freight train.

[MrMaton01]

Is there a TE CD with Freight Train on it?

[TURTLE0047]

A GOOD LESSON. BRAIN TRAING THAT IS IT !!!!!!!

Thank You Tommy and all.

Ivan

[thebomb321]

A very humble musician.

[taklarat]

so true..

people around me just cant stand it when i play the same songs over and over again..

[jonestimothy15]

Very useful advice - thanks for uploading!

[bigdood]

Absolutely SOOOOOOOOO TRUE! I have been playing for 44 years (not nearly as well as Tommy!) and the ONLY way you can :nail: a song down-pat is to divorce yourself from your hands and make it an "automatic" movement. It's simply brain-training...building synapases which make the finger movements second nature... and Tommy is right, it takes REPITITION until you are literally going to go bananas... and then all of a sudden things smooth out and, "by jove, you think you've got it!" :-)

[johnnyvee]

Thats a hard lesson! but true

[Pkw101]

i was there!

[slovenriff]

Sorry guys, my camera ran out of memory!! That's all I have.

[Powerslider]

no need to apologise!! thanks so much for recording this! tommy explains key aspects of learning to play music spot on!

greets!

[SoulCheese77]

Slacker!!! Why oh why!?!?! :(

[0PT1MU2PR1M3]

@slovenriff next time you see him be sure to bring 24 hours of tape and 30 batteries we need more advice!

[andydunnigan]

do you have anymore?

[bb02417]

thanks this vid is great. do you have any more

[davegrohl101]

from 1:20 onwards

so true!!

[mmsshh777]

thanks for sharing this!! much appreciated!

cheers!