Every aspiring guitarist, when starting out, aims to be like one of the greats. From memorizing Carlos Santana’s blues to mimicking Jimi Hendrix in the shower or when alone, everyone aims for greatness. However, almost every beginner asks us, “how to become a famous guitarist?”

Is the secret to becoming famous investing in expensive gear? Is it to practice as much as some of the professionals? Or is it all just luck? Here, we will give you tricks on how you can be well on your way to becoming a famous guitarist and be playing in front of a large audience soon, assuming you continue playing the instrument!

However, before we jump into the guide, it is important to learn that becoming a professional guitarist isn’t the same as being a famous guitarist. Consider the example of Linkin Park; a legendary band in its time. Not everyone knows the name of the band’s guitarists (Mike Shinoda and Brad Delson, for those interested), but everyone knows the name of Jimmy Hendrix, right?

How to Become a Famous Guitarist

With that out of the way, let’s dive in!

Expensive Gear – Is It a Necessity?

We’ll just get right to it; no, expensive gear isn’t necessary. Yes, it assists you on your road to fame, but it isn’t absolutely necessary. Remember, an expensive and well-calibrated instrument will sound much better and be much more durable than a low-cost instrument, but at the end of the day, it’s all about talent.

Consider this example; what if you gave an expensive camera to an amateur photographer and a cheap camera to a professional photographer? Would that impact the artistic prowess of the professional? Yes, they will have to work harder, but in the end, the professional’s photos will be much better, regardless.

It’s all about you and how you handle the instrument. You can play a whole concert with one of those cheap $25 guitars and no one will even know the difference if you’re doing a good job! But do a bad job with a $25,000 guitar…. you know the rest.

Practice – Even When Lying Down

Okay, you might think that this is a bit unrealistic, carrying your guitar with you everywhere, but that’s not what we mean. Instead, we’re asking you to use your imagination and play with it. It’s like learning a language; you only start becoming fluent at it once you start thinking in that language. So, think guitar thoughts!

Play With Musicians, for Musicians

Okay, you can read all about how to become a professional guitarist in one of our other blogs but when it comes to becoming famous, you need to play not just for yourself or the general public, but for musicians and composers.

You need to tell the world that you don’t just like to play, you know how to play as well. That you have a passion for it.

If you know that there will be other musicians somewhere along with judges and renowned singers, you should try to play there. In other words, try to find any marketing opportunities and play. Playing in front of a camera will help you not only gain confidence, but also spread the word about your guitar-playing skills.

Record Your Practice

This is similar to the camera-point we mentioned above, but different at the same time. Try playing in front of your own camera for starters and make notes of where and when you make any mistakes. This way, you will eradicate your camera-fear as well, killing two birds with one stone.

When you finally manage to make a video with no mistakes, upload it on social media or YouTube. Promote it and let the world see your talents. Remember, not every famous person started out famous; unless you’re someone in the Royal Family.

Attend & Teach Guitar Lessons

“Experience is a great teacher, and the same applies to learning the guitar.”

We don’t mean that you can only learn the guitar if you have prior experience, but that you can learn a lot from other people’s experiences. This is where guitar lessons come into play. You can attend online guitar lessons from Guitar Tricks to further polish your skills and learn how to promote them, or simply to start teaching children.

You’ll be surprised to see how much you learn when teaching!

The answer to ‘how to become a famous guitarist’ is not as easy as learning to play the guitar well. Remember, there are a lot of guitarists out there who play very well, but aren’t famous. You need to market yourself; which can be done either via online marketing, hosting live performances or simply tracking down a good agent.