Blowing The Lid on The Biggest Guitar Secret 

Any time that someone tells you "learn this one secret and you won't ever need lessons," you know that you are being lied to. Yes, I did listen through. As I expected, it was more than one thing, none of which was particularly secret, and all of it together won't replace a teacher -- not even close.

I've been coaching as long as this guy. I believe if students learn proper technique with cleaner note placement, they can always dirty it up later. Getting clean notes is the biggest challenge for most people at first. The feel is something you add in once they get the basics down 1st.

I have an extensive background in Classical guitar, degree, etc., and also play electric, adn acoustic guitar. Fretting is very different between them for a variety of reasons. Classical guitar music tends to be polyphonic, with multiple lines of music moving around at the same time. The action on a Classical guitar tends to be about twice the height of an electric guitar. Unless you play on your fingertips, you'll probably be inadvertently muting strings. Music on the electric often involves single lines, where muting unfretted strings is highly beneficial so they don't accidentally ring out, so flattened fingertips are a big benefit. Acoustic guitar music tends to be somewhere in between the two. Of course playing styles and techniques can vary widely, and you'll get the best results by understanding how to use them with the appropriate music and styles.

The claim that guitar teachers keep knowledge from students is ridiculous. Joke or not, this type of claim really plays into the distrust of experts that is rampant on the internet.

As a total beginner I have noticed that when teaching they emphasise the end of the fingers but when you see pros play they don't do it like that. I figured it was just through experience. I do think there must be a reason it is taught this way, probably to stop you hitting other strings by accident.

Hendrix was the main reason I picked up the guitar as little boy in the 70's. I used to hold the guitar exactly like he did, with the entire back of the neck wrapped in the palm of my hand, thumb over the top and fingers on the fleshy part. It looked "cool", and Jimi played that way. When I started to take formal lessons in the 80's the first thing my teacher did was correct my grip and made me play hold it properly. Fingers up on the tips and just the thumb on the back of the neck to brace it. He was correct. This allows for greater reach, dexterity, speed, and cleaner tone. As I've gotten older and wiser, I've come to find that I adjust my grip (and general over all handling of the guitar, for that matter) for what it is I'm playing. But for about 90% of the time, I grip the neck properly, the way I was taught. In retrospect, I think every novice guitarist should be taught that from the very beginning.

Excellent, thank you for pinpointing this aspect, that I was badly ignoring in my beginner-intermediate training 😀

You're right. No one tells you this stuff. I figured it out partially because I have short fingers and struggle to stretch my fingers across the fret board. I noticed that people who can play keep their fingers relatively flat. Also allows you to hold the guitar lower while standing. Thank you for confirming what I thought, and giving so much detail. Reinforcing me to get this down. Its a different muscle dynamic and takes some getting used to. I actually got good at bending strings with the very tips lol.

i'm a pickcer and do lots of straight, picking and a plucking notes but this was Great, it gave me a new way of getting that slide smooth tone to work in and out of songs so it's never boring with a ton of sharp clear notes, having the relaxed smooth slide notes ( flat fingers!) makes it easy , fun and opens a whole new world. Thanks a ton for your free to the point way of teaching!

Very nice. I've played classical guitar for years, but I recently--2 yrs ago--started playing electric. I love this tid-bit of information. This kind of incorporation really helps relative beginners like me. 👍

Awesome. Something new to show my own student. I don't want to teach classical technique when we both just want to play blues and rock

I'm learning to play bass and have been doing this and it has COMPLETELY changed my tone and approach and suddenly I can actually play the instrument with confidence because I know it doesn't sound like crap with every note. This trick is real, guys. You still have to learn all the others stuff, but that subtle shift in tone makes a huuuuuge difference.

My wife keeps asking me why I play the same thing alot, it's called practice and it's repeated until I learn it...thank you for your lesson sir. I'm going to do this all weekend 🤪 😌

Really good video David👍 Everything you said is 100 percent accurate. I have been playing guitar since 2016. Now it's 2023. I also started guitar like everyone else by learning chords and then slowly switching to lead guitar. Now I am the official lead guitarist of my batch in my university. So happy about my journey so far. Still to this date I cannot get over the fact that most guitar teachers/ RU-vidrs teach these very strict rules to their students thnking that will improve them but actually all it does is hinder the improvement of the students. (A very good example is the one you explained where the students are taught to fret the notes by the tip of their fingers. The chromatic scale most commonly known as the spider exercise 🙊 is an instance where the above finger technique is pretty common with typical guitar teachers. I personally found out that by flattening my fingers that I am much able to silence the other strings while being able to bend/ vibrato the strings more easily. Doing legato licks feels more easier with the tip of the fingers.). Personally I am happy that I never went to any guitar classes because without them I was able to improve much faster as I didn't have any unnecessary strict rules to follow, which allowed me to experiment with different styles and techniques. In 2020 I got my first electric guitar. I learnt how to adjust the pickups last year(2022) and learnt how to adjust the saddles and truss rod yesterday(2023). All of them I learnt by myself, by watching RU-vid videos and trying on my own. Pretty sure no guitar teacher would have had such courses to offer me if I had gone to a class😂😂 This is the first ever video that I saw through your channel but still I believe that the guitar world needs more teachers like you. Keep it up buddy👍👍👍💯💯💯

Great tip! I have very small hands and find myself all contorted trying to reach the strings needed. I'll definitely be trying this out. Subscribed!

I feel like a true beginner should learn how to play on tips initially and then the flattened fingers after. I've see moments where playing on the tips of my fingers worked better such as if I'm playing a hammered on double stop where the hammered string is on the d and the barred double is on the g. With flattened fingers it mutes the g. Atleast in my playing it seems

I teach this quite a bit. A lot of beginner players tend to play only with the tips of their fingers and very curved. Which is what you need to do when playing open chords. Which is where almost everyone starts out. However, when playing single note riffs or lead lines, playing with the pad of your finger with flatter fingers helps control and mute the adjacent strings. There’s different “grips” or technique that work better for certain things. It’s good to be able to play both ways when needed. Also everyone’s hand size and finger length is different and impacts this as well. I think you’re the first person I’ve seen talk about this though in video.

I've watched probably 20-30 of your videos over the years, this one is a cut above all the others I've seen. Well done, great information.

Thanks I really enjoyed that. I often wondered about players using the flats of their fingers and just thought they were sloppy. Subscribed.

This really helps someone who wants to take good insight and make it part of their expression minus adding opinions and drama. I don't give other than I got something kindly offered. I received and already using it.

Thank you for the tips I’ll keep learning and listening to what I play and how the small differences change the sound and feeling.

I've had the opposite experience of starting playing flat fingers and finding I get a much more expressive sound when I switched to using fingertips. Maybe it's because I played Cello in school orchestra or maybe it's because I have small fingers. I find that when I play with the flats of my fingers I just don't have any leverage to do vibrato or bend notes. I seem to have much more control when using my finger tips.

"Guitar teachers are hiding info that would prevent you from needing lessons." Also, Officials in your area are FURIOUS after an elderly grandmother revealed this one simple trick that gives you a bigger tool and longer life! You won't believe what happened next!

Everything you are saying is ah right on the money; thanks for your candid generous advice. First time viewer here - subscribed! 🎸

Here's another style/way you can add some more expression to the notes and some sound you may want to try. You talked about the placement of the fingers and that is so true but if you try placing the thumb is the hitchhiker position on some of the notes that don't need a neck-hold grip, you will find amore note sustaining sound when the pressure on the neck matches the rod inside the neck, play around with it but don't get mad if it changes some of your playing style.🍺

The best video I’ve seen on the Vintage II 57! Can’t wait to get mine.

From my experience, and no I'm not a session player, just many years in many different genera, it's not either or, it's both. There are sometimes, especially chording you need to be on your fingertips to generate clean notes but many times, not always, playing lower on the fingers can make bending, vibrato and especially muting much easier and expressive. Great video as truly there are a lot of individuals who haven't figured this out yet!

I use both methods placing my fingers on the frets depending on style, speed, and sound I need

This Walliman guy is good, phenomenal teacher. Sooooo much value in this lesson... Thanks David 🙏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🎶🎶🎶

Thanks for the upload I love the analogies and nuances. I'll be watching this again.

Hi David. Thanks for this helpful video! I can really feel how it provides a greater expressive range. I wonder, though, how using this fleshy part of the fingers might influence pulls-offs, which I am trying to work on at the moment.

Hi David, c'est toujours un plaisir de suivre vos explications . vous donnez a tous un supplement d'âme a notre objectif d'appreciation de ce magnifique instrument qu'est la guitare. Merci encore. A+jc

This information is, as you say yourself ... kind of stating the obvious, but until fully explained and the way you put it across with it's necessity in either just playing the notes or "PLAYING THE NOTES" ... is so on the money. It's also (after being told by you) something that when listening to other guitarists, you are very much more aware of, fantastic David ... and a big “Thank You”.

hey David Hello all the way from Belize 🇧🇿 . Thank you so much for putting out content like this. Really appreciate it.

Great tips! Thanks!

Everywhere and every tutor instructed me to curl my fingers and use the tip of my finger But it was until later I started to "see" details in playing and zooming in on pros that I saw how their fingers were flattened. Bonus it helps with noise control with high gain... Great video with tons of tips

Really found the fuller connection to the fretboard and saying something was a great way to enhance exression. Fun excercise. Takes you out of thinking about scales by getting a feel for how to make the guitar speak in your voice. Cool and thanks!!!

Thank you for this David. You are a gem in the guitar world!

Love your style dude! Got me to subscribe, looking forward to exploring more videos

Simple stuff? This is like a diamond for professional musicians. Thank You.

Nice lesson. Thanks. 😊

David's teaching resources have really helped me get out of "the box" and achieve and explore new levels of guitar personality. Highly recommended!

When Wallimann flattens his fingers, he also clearly hits the string closer and harder with his pick (which the camera doesn't show).

Simple touch that will enhance the expression. Thank you very much!

Your video seems very honest. Thanks for the concept. Glad you like Sweetwater Sound. I live a couple miles from the store and absolutely love going there. Love you all Bill.

Definitely helps. I kind of picked up on it now I know to use it better

I get what you are saying about a guitar being 'organic' and 'expressive' ,and you mentioned that you have more tonal control over notes than say, a piano. But, since I play both, let me explain to you what a piano has that a guitar does not have, and that are harmonic horizons you can achieve which you can't on a guitar. I can do poly chords, dense clusters that are unreachable on a guitar. There are certain inversions of the dom 7 - 9 - 5 chord which are exciting on piano, but lackluster on guitar, not to mention the dom 13 #11b9 chord, difficult to get the right sound of that chord on guitar. So, I play piano for it's harmonic possibilities my ears hear, but with which the guitar was unable to reach, which is why I started in on the piano at the age of 45 ( started guitar when I was 14 , I'm 71 now ). I got tired of envying piano players regarding harmonic possibilities and I started even at that tender but late age. and I play guitar for it's more expressive possibilities -- but I play nylon string/jazz stuff. In rock, it's not that big a thing and the guitar is THE instrument for that genre, of course.

As a beginner, this video gave me a new perspective. Thank you!

Very helpful! Thanks

Best tutorial I've seen this year!!! And in my young musical career

Thanks. For the insights.

This is a very interesting video. I’m 37 year old and have been playing for almost five years, in the past four months I’d say I’ve improved my playing and expressiveness substantially. Over the past few years I’ve been anal about trimming my fingernails on my fretting hand almost every time I play which is everyday. Over the past few weeks I’ve noticed that I haven’t been having to trim my fingernails as often, and I was thought about why but I wasn’t sure. Part of it is from playing regularly my yolks get thicker, harder and more pronounced so the nails don’t protrude as easily, but the biggest reason is I started playing less with the tips of my fingers. I think this is because I’ve lowered the action on all of my acoustics snd I got my first electric guitar a couple months back. The electric definitely helped make me more expressive even when on an acoustic. I’ve also been learning diatonic button accordion which I’d say is one of the more expensive instruments, it literally feels alive sometimes the way it breaths and vibrates and moans

Thank you for a great lesson.

Perfect video I learned a lot thank you 🙏

Very useful lesson! Ty

A light bulb moment for this beginner! I've watched so many lessons for acoustic which place great emphasis on the importance of the upright, tip-of-the-finger placement to get clean notes. I've found this awkward. I have an electric guitar as well as an acoustic, and agree that electric offers much more opportunity for expression. Thanks for a great video.

This is cool, I've been playing like that for years now, it's great. But one thing that I did just last week was this: I have been aware that I had my little finger anchored below the high E string. I imagined that it helped my accuracy. I started releasing my little finger from the anchor point, and I was surprised that my accuracy is even better now, because I'm not tying up my hand at that one point. I can much more freely and play longer lines at faster tempos.

Beautifully taught, thank you.

Great stuff thank you!

I’m a newbie and needed this video! Thank you

Chords with open strings need to be played with finger tips, for me any way. But I get where ur coming from and appreciate the lesson!

Great lesson. Will use my chord fingers much more expressively now.

Theres a band of four guys called The Big Push, who busk in Brighton, Sussex, U.K. you can find them on you tube. Three play guitars, and one the drums. They are amazing, they put their heart into their music.A must watch. 👍

Hey David I just came across your video about guitar finger placement, I walked through your methods...thanks

I learned a lot from this video. Well done man, but I'm having a hard time getting my tone right. What are your amp and effects settings for this video? Thx

Aside: OK, the guitar teacher comment was a 'hook' I think to get people in. He is also a teacher! In this video he has taught. Now to the video. Thank you thank you thank you!! I watched an amazing player for years at a club I worked at. He played with such feel and I wanted to sound more like him and other great players. I noticed that a great players fretting hand looked 'different' to how mine looked. I couldn't articulate it. I'd have called it 'more relaxed' or that 'it flowed' whereas mine is 'jumpy'. You've articulated it PERFECTLY! Part of that difference in sound seems to come from a beginner or early intermediate (me) doing things 'to' the guitar, but great players are playing 'with' the guitar. I hope that doesn't sound like BS; it makes sense in my head. Thank you so much for this truly fantastic lesson.

What great insight!

I've been playing for over 30 years and I still don't know very much about scales or a, c, d placements. My friend taught me a couple of Death Metal riffs on guitar and I learned on my own from there.(Pestilence-Out of Body is the first song that I learned). I have multiple albums on RU-vid and everything... Play what you feel and how you feel...🤘

David tysm for giving your valuable tips in this short video 👍👍🙏

Great vid, just subbed. I would consider piano one of the most expressive, you use your feet also and don't underestimate the expressiveness of touch on a great piano!

Like it ! Thanks for advice

I teach my students that the rest of your upper body needs to relax so as to be able to be guided by your fingertips. If your fingertips want your elbow in, it moves. If they want you to tip the guitar neck up an inch, it happens. Very important!

I’ve been looking for a video on this for a awhile. I’m 24 and a huge blues guy, so all of my favorite players use the overhand grip with really flat fingers. I noticed my hands didn’t look like their while playing and it’s been driving me crazy lol

First timmer - geat presentation - thanks!

Your changing your pick attack too... I am a beginner... I find if I hold the pick deep between my thumb and finger and attack the string at an agle with a little bit of twist as I pick I can get a really snappy note with some pinch harmonics.. it sounds really cool

Absolutely brilliant!

9:40 That notification sound is perfectly in tune AND in time!

Playing with the flats makes it harder to avoid dampening strings unintentionally when playing chords. At least this is someting I struggle with. Do you have a video on this, by any chance? Thanks.

Great video, David! For so long, I've tried to do the curled fingers thing, thinking it was the "correct" way to fret, even though flatter fingers is waaaay more natural feeling and allows me to move more quickly and accurately. Thank you!!

One of the best guitarist I've ever seen amazes me. Watching him play looks likes he plays flat fingered on the pads of his fingers.

Awesome Guitar Instructor… thanks a lot..

I appreciate this. Thank you my friend. Peace, Love, Namaste

Interesting. My first guitar instruction was classical, just like you showed. Will have to try….thx

I'm not a guitar player, but I appreciate the method you are teaching.😀

Wow. I never heard most of those things. I'm glad I naturally played with flatter fingers though. Insanely great teaching video, and I've seen many!!

Awesome video with Great info, I have a question and that is how does it work while playing chords?

Fretting with your tips makes running through multiple strings a bit easier, but I generally use more of the flesh. Just depends on what I'm playing. But good tips ..... get it?! Tips?!

All 100% True and helpful unless you decide to go down the legato route, then you need to go back to the tips (just when your using legato). I have been on a Tom Quayle bender for a couple of years and he's into using the tips for legato. It's been a weird journey trying to re-learn using the fingertips again after using more of the finger face for such a long time. Thanks for the vid :)

Love the engaging guitar fables David!

Nice breakdown of a complex issue critical for good guitar playing.

Woo Hoo...love it! Just subscribed.

I have often wondered how some other RU-vid guitarists were playing so cleanly. A few of them always seemed to have their fingers so flat against the strings. I always struggle trying to get just the tip of my finger to press on only a single string without touching adjacent strings. That often results in a buzz from adjacent strings, or sympathetic ringing of other unwanted strings. I will have to develop this technique myself. Thank you.

Lol! I remember my first Mel Bay classical guitar beginners books, where they had detailed photographs showing you the “correct” fingering technique and how you needed to aim to have the fingers straight on the strings with no flatness AND you must contact directly on the fingertips. AND the left hand thumb must stay right in the center of the neck and never peek over the top! I even had a classical guitar teacher who kept a ruler handy to WHACK any wayward thumb that dared peek over the top edge of the neck!!

so many guitar teacher overlook this topic. For them is all about learning the modes and harmonizing. Not a lot about how to express yourself and dynamics .... thanks 4 this!

Been trying to contort my poor somewhat abused and twisted fingers into that classical style formation for some time now, they just can’t do it, this video was liberating! And I was just taken back to Mr Pooke, who gave me a few piano lessons as a child. I could never get my hands to look like they were gripping an orange as I played, much to his annoyance. I was a tad annoyed myself when decades later I noticed that many of the top concert pianists were playing flat fingered, as mine wanted to do. But anyway I fell in love with guitars, of all kinds. If I ever get rich by some miracle, I will by a big studio with a grand piano, and space for the necessities of rock and roll of course. Meantime I pluck away in my room and write songs in my head for my cat.

I have to agree. As a classical guitarist, when I switched to rock, I automatically made this adjustment. So true. I hate flat-fingering though, because I have massive digits.

Uncle Ben’s lesson on “Why Your Muting Sucks” covered most of this. It isn’t like anyone is trying to hide anything, the difference is that classical guitar didn’t have to deal with the same issues that modern guitarists have to deal with, specifically modern high gain amps.

I am now learning to play guitar on my own i've been rejected and told by some of the guitar player that i can't do it and its too late coz i am old to learn so i should just stick on my singing ..that why i thank you all guys who are uplaoding this kind of videos🙂😊😉

Great riff at the end.

This works for many styles especially on electric. Personally, I prefer fingertips on most acoustic work in order to keep different strings sounding to allow for simultaneous melodies.