Guitarists can be some of the most entertaining content creators to watch on YouTube.
Whether you don’t own a single guitar or are looking for some musicians to inspire your own playing, below are ten guitarists who you should absolutely subscribe to on YouTube (in no particular order).
1. Ichika Nito
Ichika Nito is an incredible guitarist known for his virtuosic combination of fingerstyle and tapping. He has gained a lot of momentum on the platform over the last year in particular, thanks to his catchy mini-songs that often blend math rock and neo soul influences (such as the popular “i miss you”). A few of them are written in some really eccentric and fun tunings, such as CABBAGE, EDAMAME, and EEEEEE.
2. Sarah Longfield
Another musician leaning towards the technical side, Sarah Longfield is a guitarist / vocalist best known for her two-handed tapping playstyle. She’s been on the platform for over a decade, and has also recently started uploading lessons, product demos, and more to her channel in addition to her mind-blowing original music.
3. Sungha Jung
If you watch any amount of guitar content on YouTube, you’ve probably already come across Sungha Jung. His channel – which has thirteen years worth of videos and counting – boasts over six million subscribers and a staggering one billion views. He’s best known for his acoustic fingerstyle renditions of popular songs; whether it’s Ed Sheeran or a Naruto opening, Sungha Jung will likely have an awesome cover of your favorite track.
4. Tosin Abasi
Few people may be aware of the fact that Tosin Abasi, the founder and lead guitarist of the instrumental progressive metal band Animals As Leaders, has started regularly uploading videos to YouTube. While it goes without saying that he’s one of the most skilled guitarists out there, what stands out in particular is his ‘thumping,’ a technique he innovated that combines slapping with classical finger picking.
5. Tim Henson
Like Tosin Abasi, Tim Henson is a lead guitarist from an instrumental rock unit (Polyphia) who also maintains a strong presence on YouTube. His work, which blends influences including progressive rock, trap, and pop, is immediately recognizable, and has inspired a wave of other bands that attempt to emulate Polyphia’s sound. On his YouTube channel, he largely posts short song ideas, which at times later find their way onto Polyphia albums. He has recently started also doing walkthroughs of these riffs, which is both incredibly helpful and utterly useless because they’re anything but easy.
6. Helen Ibe
While she might not play a million notes a second, Helen Ibe is an amazing guitarist who needs to be heard by anyone and everyone. She has a great tone and feel, and is one of those musicians who knows how to tell a story through their phrasing. Her passion for music radiates from her performances, and she’s overall a refreshing and infectious presence in the YouTube guitarist community.
7. Mateus Asato
Mateus Asato is one of those guitarists who can seemingly do everything – his work spans everything from soulful slow jams to blazing-fast solos. That said, no matter what he’s playing, he never forgets to insert his emotion and distinctive character to his work, and is a great musician to study for that reason.
8. Yvette Young
Yvette Young’s playing is a perfect blend between technique and emotion. Her heavy use of tapping and meter changes are sure to mesmerize those who enjoy complexity, while her colorful chord voicings and melodies are likely to resonate with almost any listener. She’s also the front-woman for the math rock band Covet, which is definitely worth checking out as well.
9. Rob Scallon
Rob Scallon is a unique entry on this list because the breadth of what he creates for his channel is quite expansive – in addition to standard guitar performances, he also uploads creative challenges, vlogs, educational pieces, instrument deep dives, comedic music content, and more. If you’re looking for a talented guitarist who you can also really get to know as a person, Rob Scallon is a great person to follow.
10. Li-sa-X
Last but not least is Li-sa-X, a metal guitarist who’s known for her impeccable covers and equally powerful originals. While she’s currently most known for performing at an incredibly high level for such a young age, she’s truly a professional musician who should be taken seriously regardless of how old she is. Although her upload frequency can vary, Li-sa-X is a guitarist who you should definitely keep tabs on, since it’s only a matter of time before she really blows up.
Who’s your favorite guitarist on YouTube? Did we miss any of your favorite guitarists? Let us know in the comments below.
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August 5, 2020
