11/08/2026
🎸 LEARN TO BE A MUSICIAN — NOT JUST A COPYCAT GUITAR PLAYER 🎸
One thing I really try to drive home to students at Stevie McLean Guitar School is the importance of learning to be a musician, not simply someone who can copy what they see on a screen.
Social media is full of guitar players. There are literally millions of impressive clips on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube — and let’s face it, with editing, multiple takes, sp*ed changes and miming, not everything you see online is necessarily what it appears to be.
But even being able to perfectly copy a difficult solo doesn’t automatically make someone a well-rounded musician.
Can you play in time with a drummer?
Can you lock in with a bass player?
Can you learn a song and play it from beginning to end with a band?
Can you improvise when someone gives you a key?
Do you understand what key you’re actually in?
Can you communicate with other musicians using terms they understand?
That’s musicianship.
This is why I put so much emphasis on scales, rhythm, timing, theory, ear training and improvisation, alongside learning the songs and solos that make guitar fun.
Scales aren’t just boring exercises to run up and down. They teach you where the notes are, how music fits together and eventually give you the freedom to create your own music rather than constantly copying someone else.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with learning your favourite solos — we do plenty of that! But the goal should be to understand what you’re playing and develop the skills to take that knowledge somewhere else.
Because ultimately, if you want to play with other musicians, join a band, write music, improvise or walk into a rehearsal and actually know what’s going on…
Learn the instrument. Learn the language. Become a musician. 🎸
