I’ve been teaching guitar online for quite some time now.  My YouTube Channel has been the main area where I’ve been able to share my love for teaching guitar with those who:

1. Never picked up the guitar and don’t know how to play guitar at all
2. Have been playing guitar for a while but are stuck and want to learn new things on the guitar
3. Have been trying to figure out that great “lick” or song and need someone to help them figure it out
4. Have been taking lessons whether online or with an instructor but still don’t “get it”
5. Wish to learn a particular style/genre of guitar (Texas Blues Guitar, Bluegrass Guitar, etc.)

While I have found it very rewarding and fulfilling, it takes a lot to make everything come together into a neat, appealing video.  In this article I’m going to show you what I use to make it all come together that way.

Note: All the equipment I discuss below can be seen in the video above.

Through the Years

As you can see from the thumbnails below, through the years there have been some significant changes in the way my videos look.  When you’re first starting out on a limited budget, you shouldn’t worry much about getting all the lighting equipment, special software, microphones, the “perfect” guitar, etc.  I started with a cheap little camcorder I bought off of ebay that suited me perfectly.  You can even use your current webcam.  When it comes to creating your guitar videos, the important thing is that you start somewhere!

Click the thumbnails below to see the videos

On Screen

When you get a few guitar videos uploaded to your favorite video site (YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, etc.), you’ll undoubtedly want to upgrade your equipment.  In my case, after about a year I was ready for a new camcorder.  The one I had was difficult to work with the video format (.AVI) and didn’t have an external mic input, so I opted for a Kodak Zi8, which was pretty expensive at the time, even if refurbished.

Fortunately, you can get a similar camera from Kodak called the Kodak PlayTouch (aka Zi10).  It’s a decent upgrade from the Zi8 with the added functionality of a touch screen, and it comes in several custom colors.  As of this writing, you can get it at the affordable price of just under $90:

It’s Showtime

Next, it was time for me to start researching some lighting techniques and getting the hang of what would look best on camera for my guitar videos.  From my research, I found out that lighting is one of the most important aspects of great quality video, especially if your filming in HD.  I was also able to find some great ordinary lighting clamps for around $6 a piece at my local Wal-Mart and purchased some CFL Daylight Brightness bulbs (again, the exact ones I bought are shown in the topmost video).  These work great and don’t give that overcast yellowish tint to my guitar videos.  They also show colors quite nicely:

As far as a professional background, you don’t really need anything fancy.  I just used a dark blue bed sheet and push pinned it to the wall behind me.  If you’re looking for a little something more, you could opt for some guitar chord or guitar scale posters similar to what I used in my older videos above.  And if you’re interested in going a bit more professional, you can even get a lighting kit that comes with the included lights, soft boxes to diffuse/soften the light, light stands, backdrops in various colors including green-screen, and more.

Can You Hear Me Now?

Believe it or not, most of the time you can get away with cheaper quality video as long as you have excellent quality audio.  Chances are the camcorder you use doesn’t have a very good built-in microphone, so if you want to make great guitar videos, then your best bet would be to upgrade to a better quality microphone.

In my case, I use an old Radio Shack lapel mic I got for around $8 back when I first started recording my own videos.  Recently, though, I’ve still experienced some static with this microphone, so I decided to upgrade to a microphone that I’ve seen great reviews for.

It’s the Audio Technica ATR-3350 and it comes with everything you need to start filming your own guitar videos with great audio.  I haven’t had the chance to try it out yet because I just ordered it (along with some extra windscreens) a couple days ago, but if you keep tabs on my YouTube Channel, you’re sure to see me review it and incorporate it into my guitar instructional videos soon.

Action!

So there you have it, some of the basics of where you can get started creating your very own guitar videos whether you’re looking to upgrade your current equipment or start from scratch.

I hope this article has helped inspire you to create something of your own.  It’s one of the best feelings in the world to know you have created something that uniquely carries your own signature style.  Here’s to your success in guitar and video production!