what's the next level after beginners guitar?

Many people trying to learn guitar have remained stagnant - marooned and trapped, in beginners level guitar but why? For some reason they were never able to escape the basic level they started out on and it’s hardly ever due to lack of talent! Obviously it could be due to lack of practice, dedication or simply through being taught incorrectly.

Well assuming you do eventually break out of beginners guitar, how do we define the next level? This is often something which is left pretty vague by many guitar tutorials but not Guitar in a Nutshell.

I define the next level with two distinct elements. It’s being able to separate your bass notes from your chords and the inclusion of ornaments within your chords.

Let me explain…

1. Separate Your Bass Notes

When you listen to good acoustic guitar players such as James Taylor you can clearly hear how the bass line is a separate entity away from the actual chords. This is all being done with the thumb on either the 4th, 5th or 6th strings. So even though you still have the one guitar and 2 hands, musically you can hear that there’s two parts - bass and harmony throughout the chords.

With this technique your playing sounds a step above beginners guitar where typically the entire chord is always being played and there isn’t any separation.

2. Ornaments With Chords

Ornaments are the little licks or melodic lines that occur within the chord shapes. These add a completely new and fresh dimension to how your guitar playing sounds. They don’t have to be fast or technically difficult, not even many notes, but they must be used intelligently and with taste.

The Result

When you combine both those elements successfully you’ll have successfully escaped beginners guitar forever, never to return again and furthermore, it will be obvious to everyone that hears you.