There are millions on guitar lessons on YouTube. Millions. How do you choose which one is best for you? How do you choose the best teacher for what you’re interested in? After all, learning guitar on YouTube is possible, but it can be a really difficult task if you don’t have some guidance.

Luckily, there are ways you can make it easier. Here are my tips on how to learn guitar on YouTube:

Know your skill level

If you know your skill level at guitar, then you know exactly what videos to look for. Not all YouTube guitar teachers are great at saying what level their video lessons are for, but if you can find one that is specifically meant for your skill level, that’s half the battle.

For instance, I like to give my YouTube lessons a rating from 0 to 10. When I rate a lesson at a 0, it’s meant for people who have zero experience, and 10 is for experts.

Know the style of what you want to learn

Many people are sucked into the guitar lessons that are interesting but not exactly what they want to learn. For example, you may want to learn indie-rock, but the guitar teacher on YouTube is showing you a pentatonic scale. Though that scale might be interesting, it’s not exactly what you want to learn, right?

Knowing the style of what you want to learn will make it a lot easier to find good content that’s relevant to your interests, and will keep you engaged for longer with the guitar.

Find teachers that are interesting and funny

Guitarists can be either really funny and a party to hang out with, or they can be a bit of a downer! There’s a little in-between that, but my point is to find a teacher that doesn’t rub you the wrong way.

I’ve always made it a point to make sure that my students are having an excellent time in their lessons with me. It’s important that you have a good time learning, that it doesn’t feel stressful.

If you get frustrated, seek real advice from a human being

The biggest problem with YouTube is that is doesn’t allow you to interact with the teacher in real-time. This means that you are at a disadvantage, especially when it comes to learning something custom. That is why I recommend not being shy about finding a local guitar teacher whom you like and can ask questions.

I will be honest: Many of my students tried to learn how to play guitar on YouTube and failed, so you are probably climbing an uphill battle. Be good to yourself if it doesn’t work out, because chances are that it will be a lot tougher to learn that way than to take lessons (but of course, I’m biased!).

Good luck!