Cory Wong has sparked a debate among his Instagram followers after sharing his tough criteria for what qualifies someone as an “advanced guitarist.”
Wong stresses the importance of being thoroughly familiar with the guitar fretboard, especially knowing the location of different notes across all strings. In a video shared on his Instagram, he challenges aspiring guitarists:
“Gentle call out to the folks who consider themselves advanced guitarists,” he begins. “If you can’t do this exercise, I wouldn’t consider you an advanced guitarist. Why? Because you should know where all the notes are on a guitar.”
He then sets a challenge for his followers, asking, “Can you play me a C on every string?” followed by similar exercises with G and Bb at a rapid pace. While the latter exercise shows his guitar isn’t perfectly in tune, the challenge is clear. Wong emphasizes that being able to effortlessly locate specific notes on the fly demonstrates a deep connection with the instrument, whether it’s acoustic or electric.
Wong’s approach doesn’t focus on a player’s technique, but he insists that knowing your fretboard is essential, claiming, “It’s a hill I’m willing to die on.”
However, not everyone agrees with him. One follower argued that Stevie Ray Vaughan, one of the most iconic blues guitarists, would likely fail Wong’s test. The commenter pointed out that Vaughan was not known for his intricate knowledge of the fretboard and instead valued feel and expression. They also suggested that a solid vibrato was far more critical to a player’s skill.
Wong responded by confidently asserting that Vaughan would have passed the test with ease, explaining, “I think it’s important to know the roads you’re driving on.”
Still, the challenger made a valid point. As Vaughan himself admitted in a 1984 Guitar Player cover story, he was not formally trained in music theory. For him, playing was about listening and feeling rather than intellectualizing. In fact, when recording on David Bowie’s Let’s Dance, Vaughan relied on his ear, not his theory knowledge. “Most of the time, I’d listen to a couple of run-throughs while he was doing his vocals to get an idea of where the song was going,” he explained. “Then I’d just figure out where an Albert King lick would fit.”
Other followers noted that even the most talented musicians have written complex music without knowing the exact names of the chords they were using. This perspective challenges Wong’s “theory-first” stance.
Guitar teacher John Huldt also weighed in, remarking that only guitarists seem to pride themselves on not fully understanding how music works, unlike musicians from other instruments, like violinists, who generally master music theory. This, Huldt suggests, may be to the guitarists’ disadvantage.
One commenter shared tips for players who wanted to improve their knowledge of the fretboard, including ways to find octaves and a trick for identifying duplicate notes on different strings.
Some followers even accused Wong of “gatekeeping,” with one person commenting, “You are better than this.”
Known for his exceptional right-hand technique and tight funk rhythms, Wong’s prowess as an improviser also comes from his ability to navigate the fretboard confidently. This understanding allows him to deliver flawless performances, making his challenge to the guitar community all the more bold.
While mastering the fretboard can open up new possibilities for guitarists, giving them greater freedom to express themselves and avoid playing wrong notes, whether this is the only key to becoming an advanced player remains a hotly debated topic.
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