New Song, Thoughts on YouTube Guitarists?

DeanoL

Hi All,

Just trying to get a few opinions on my new track that I wrote and filmed for YouTube? Please check it out and let me know what you think!

Also, what do we think of the YouTube guitar craze. I've been thinking about doing a few gear reviews and demos as well as vlogs for band stuff and making music. What makes a successful YouTube guitar channel/video? What are your thought on this?

Thanks guys!

Dean \m/

axisus

I liked your track/video, some nice melodic stuff going on, and technically much better than my playing. I have to admit though that I rather like a video shot so that you can actually see the person who is playing, it gives it more character and personality. Most successful YouTube players seem to 'feature' themselves from what I can tell.

Success is very hard, I have found very good players with virtually no views. There is so much stuff out there now that we are all grains of sand in the desert. I have got quite a lot of views on some of my videos as I went for a 'niche' and that can pick up a bit of a following. My thing is Christian music instrumentals so not for everyone!

DeanoL

axisus said:

I liked your track/video, some nice melodic stuff going on, and technically much better than my playing. I have to admit though that I rather like a video shot so that you can actually see the person who is playing, it gives it more character and personality. Most successful YouTube players seem to 'feature' themselves from what I can tell.

Success is very hard, I have found very good players with virtually no views. There is so much stuff out there now that we are all grains of sand in the desert. I have got quite a lot of views on some of my videos as I went for a 'niche' and that can pick up a bit of a following. My thing is Christian music instrumentals so not for everyone!

Thank you, I will bear that in mind next time! Though I was certainly having a bad hair day I think a niche is certainly the way to go, and having good video quality and just being a nice dude is important! I will check some of your stuff out :-) 

Thanks dude!

spark240

Im afraid I found the timing a bit off here & there, maybe got a bit too tech ?

Personally Im not a fan of that guitar freestyle...its ok for practicing at home, but I could only listen to about a minute then its off.

I like to see someone who tell us a few lines about the guitar they are using, sounds, amps etc   

Sorry...but you did ask for feedback..;-)

richardhomer

If I'm honest, I thought the vibrato was a tad fast - and some of the slower passages could have been 'phrased' more.

On the fast/tappy bits, you wipe the floor with what I'm capable of!

DeanoL

Thank you for the feedback, I appreciate it all, constructive as well as positive so I can improve my playing as much as possible :-) 

Aidanspaghetti

Well done, good stuff..... Btw love that colour on the Lester, class..

jazzlemming

Hey! Nice one! I would just say that that "slide down after almost every phrase" thing is possibly a bad habit you hadn't noticed

I had a friend who did that and it drove me crazy!

frankus

A few years back Billy Cobham was taking the drum course at WOMAD on the same campus as IGF and he lamented that so many kids were posting amazing paradiddles and licks on youtube and his class was packed with kids who could play amazing paraddidles and licks but out of the class there were only a few who could keep time playing a basic 4/4 rhythm for 3 minutes.

JudasVigilante

Loved it, but for the fretboard tapping. Though that's my personal taste and what do I know. Even when the likes of Satriani do that stuff, I turn off. Other than that, the lead work was really nice. Love the colour of that LP as someone else said. Have a Wow my friend @DeanoL

DeanoL

JudasVigilante said:

Loved it, but for the fretboard tapping. Though that's my personal taste and what do I know. Even when the likes of Satriani do that stuff, I turn off. Other than that, the lead work was really nice. Love the colour of that LP as someone else said. Have a Wow my friend @DeanoL

Thank you very much kind Sir! Tapping is not my forte, but I tried to incorporate some into the track as something new to learn, everyone's taste is different and I respect that :-) Rock on! @JudasVigilante

beed84

I liked it. There was a very sweet run at 1:36 - 1:42 - more of that please!

If I were to give you constructive criticism, I'd say everything needs tightening up - timing, watch out for over bending, vibrato, make sure you're fretting notes properly (some were a bit off), slides and not doing them all the time. Also, I didn't really see the point of the clips of you playing bass, keyboards and rhythm guitar as it didn't seem like much was going on.

Other than that, a nice tune, and not a bad vid. There's potential so stick at it lad!

DeanoL

@beed84 Thanks bud, I appreciate it :-) 

mellowsun

Happy to share my experiences. I have a YouTube channel that I occasionally upload guitar videos to. Fairly small scale success: over time the videos have had about 150,000 views in total and about 140 subscribers. The ones that have had the most views have been either:

1) covers or arrangements

2) 'how to' videos where I speak to camera and demo a piece of kit or technique

If you look at the guitar channels or individual videos that are very successful, then it's a similar pattern (but on a much larger scale):

1) a cover version, particularly a really big hit arranged for solo guitar, e.g. 'Happy'

2) innovating some new technique or taking an existing technique to a new level, e.g. Andy McKee's Drifting

3) a well presented video on how to play a particular song or technique

4) reviewing new kit in an informative, charismatic and good-humoured way

Unless you get lucky with a one-off hit that goes viral, maintaining a successful channel is probably a lot of work, probably a full time job.