One day when I was in military pilot training an instructor tried to put me at ease by saying: “In flight school the ground academics are the easy part—the flying is where it gets difficult.”

“Heck,” he added with a knowing smile, “for ground school we could even teach a music major what he needs to know!”

Yes, I know…that really is as bad as it sounds. Sadly, such is the arrogance of youth that I laughed along with this—as if I actually knew something about life.

I now realize that had there been music majors in my flight school class that I would have immediately befriended them. Why? Because I now know that good musicians have mastered an incredibly complex and difficult subject. Not only are skilled musicians masters of more than one instrument, but they have also delved into theory, composition, arrangement, and have often done so in more than one genre—whether it be classical, jazz, rock, etc. Even if one is blessed with abundant natural gifts, being a musician takes intelligence and dollops of hard work.

Fast forward to today where my recent efforts to read through a couple of elementary music theory books have been humbling to say the least. I am awed by the difficulty of it all and worse, my laughter at my flight instructor’s joke thirty years ago rings in my ears as a tormenting reminder that things are not as easy as they might seem.

Yet not is all lost. Encouragement and explanation for those interested in music is readily at hand on YouTube. Here we find skilled musicians and gifted communicators who turn their passion for music into our enjoyment and understanding. They know that most of us will never attend a musical conservatory but instead are simply looking for explanations, interpretations, and to learn. 

Even those with just a passing interest in music often wonder just how “it is all done.” Just how do musicians conjure up, as if they were snake charmers, these outer-worldly and wonderful sounds from their instruments? 

Fortunately, the musical scene in one where information is freely shared and surprisingly, given the level of venom on so many internet sites, it is done in a most friendly way. While I am sure that the experts can get into heated debate over various technicalities, for the rest of us—whether beginner or serious aficionado—there are teachers and explainers on YouTube who are willing to help.   

Over the past year I have watched the most popular of these explainers and I admire them both for their expertise and the positive manner in which they make music accessible. Admittedly, my viewing has been centered on rock, jazz, and drumming, but I bet this approach is found across variations of music. 

Allow me to mention five who stand out as prime examples of teaching and explaining. Two are accomplished rock guitarists, one moves within the world of jazz, and two are drummers. Each of them offers rich learning experiences even for the non-musician. I present these in no specific order–I simply rolled a die as to see who I would mention first as I find them all compelling viewing and very much worth the time.

The first I would mention is Fil Henly. Fil, who plies his trade under his band name Wings of Pegasus, is a young multi-instrumentalist from London whose guitar work is evocative of 1980’s rock. With a work ethic that I envy, every evening Fil analyses a performance that may spring from any and all eras of popular music.

Don’t be misled into thinking that what he does are those annoying “reaction videos.” His analyses are easy-going yet serious explanations of the how and why of a performance—whether it be Led Zeppelin to the Beatles to Karen Carpenter and Patsy Kline to Mike Oldfield and everything in between.

 Delivered in digestible segments of 15 to 20 minutes, Fil balances just enough technical details for musical novices while adding in a morsel or two for the experts. Here he is at work: Wings of Pegasus 

Rick Beato of Atlanta, now in his mid-fifties, is an eminence grise of sorts in the field of music commentary. Rick was once a professor of music at Ithaca College in New York before turning to independent music production. With over 1 million subscribers to his YouTube channel, he is often to be found doing his explaining with his guitar, keyboard or other musical instrument at the ready. While Rick deals mainly with rock guitar work, he does much more than that and explores the structure and theory behind the music. Although his descriptions are often a bit deep for my understanding, it is pure enjoyment to watch a master at work. Get hooked on his segments here: Rick Beato    

Adam Neely is another brilliant young musician who does serious, yet entertaining and quirky, work in the explanation, composing, and performance field. Based in New York city he has an impressive educational pedigree and the didactic chops to tackle even the most complex areas of music. Although I struggle to understand the technical language he frequently employs, there is something genuinely rewarding in watching how he answers questions and unpacks music. He, like Rick Beato and Fil Henly, adheres to a high standard of never denigrating other musicians, but that does not mean he can’t level criticism where it is deserved. Here is his blue-ribbon defense of musical freedom with the Katy Perry versus Flame lawsuit as a backdrop—a must watch for anyone with an interest in the state of modern music: Adam Neely 

When it comes to drumming, we often think that a drummer is just at the back of the band laying down a beat. Ah, but so wrong we are! We often overlook just how musical and smooth some drummers are and Rob “Beatdown” Brown from Canada is as lyrical as musician as there is on the scene today. His passion for playing is equaled only by his commitment to teaching and he stands in the first rank of percussionists who work extremely hard on our behalf to unlock the secrets of creating a beat. He also happens to be one of the coolest dudes in the music world: If more teachers had his knack of explaining things then more people would study music. See him in action here: Rob Brown  

Nate Smith, also of New York, is another drummer who is building a wide audience. I find his videos to be equal parts philosophy, drumming instruction, and sharp insight into what it is to be a musician. As a beginner, I marvel at his smoothness and deftness behind the drum kit and think of the years that he must have dedicated to his craft and love of jazz to be able to do what he does. His thinking man’s approach to instruction is a wonderful change of pace and marks him out as being well worth the time. Enjoy his approach here: Nate Smith

These are just a few examples to show you what gems are to be found out on YouTube. Again, while I admit my samples are focused on rock or jazz, they reflect how enjoyable modern explaining/teaching can be when it is mixed with a positive attitude, expertise, and musicality.  

In the old days being a patron of the arts was rather restricted to the wealthy—we think of the rich old couple, she in pearls and he in black tie with a cigar in hand, who donated a million dollars for a new music auditorium. These types of wealthy donors are still around (perhaps sans cigar however), but today’s technology allows all of us to play a part in encouraging and funding musicians, artists, and explainers. 

Donation vehicles such as Patreon give us a way to directly support the artists of our choice—even if the amount we give does not match the grandeur of a new music hall with our name at the top. I encourage you to be a modern patron of the arts and foster the current, and future, generation of explainers and teachers as they work on our behalf.  

Speaking of music videos…have you ever noticed in the comment sections that there is inevitably some listener who chimes in with the ultra-annoying comment that his/her favorite musician is “underrated?” 

To me, this word is now meaningless. A musician might have sold a million albums and had a series of great concert tours, but in someone’s mind he or she is underrated. I knew these inane comments had jumped the shark when I read someone’s comment that Ringo Starr of the Beatles was “underrated.” Seriously? The drummer of the world-changing Beatles is underrated?  

In the meantime, happy listening.