Below is a sample guide so that you can analyze which level of a guitar player you are.
Beginner (Grades 1–3): The first obvious case is if you are first starting to play guitar. After some years, you are classified as a beginner if you feel comfortable with the basic posture and hand position. You're learning to read simple notes on music sheets. You feel somewhat comfortable with the right hand technique of rest stroking and free stroking. You are comfortable to play the basic scales at a slow pace but playing faster or playing more complex melodies feels out of reach. Playing an entire piece clearly without cutting sound is difficult.
Intermediate (Grades 4–5): You have improved your left hand technique and can change notes or chords much faster without cutting sound. You are able to play most scales and you can now focus on hammer-ons and pull-offs. You are getting used to arpeggios and rhythm control. You can play through a piece cleanly but are still refining musical expression.
Advanced (Grades 6–8): You've mastered your left hand technique to the point where you can do barre chords. You are practicing pieces involving tremolo, harmonics, and palm muting. You are also developing your musical ear and playing in an improvised way full with expression instead of simply focusing on the given rhythm. You are playing accurately with the correct sound quality control.
Beginner (Grades 1–3): The first obvious case is if you are first starting to play guitar. After some years, you are classified as a beginner if you feel comfortable with the basic posture and hand position. You know your open chords and basic strumming patterns, and you can follow a chord chart or simple tab. Rhythm still feels complex and chord changes take continuous effort.
Intermediate (Grades 4–5): You're comfortable with barre chords, and you're starting to explore strumming variations and syncopation. You are just getting used to fingerstyle playing, but you are not very comfortable with it yet. A pick is great for chords, but for playing melodies it is feeling hard as you are hitting some wrong chords at the wrong times. Playing feels more natural, but faster or more complex songs are still a stretch. You are still learning weird chords like suspended ones.
Advanced (Grades 6–8): You've mastered almost all kinds of chords and switching between them is effortless. Rhythm is no longer a problem to you and you can easily play most fingerstyle patterns. You are working on improvisation and arranging songs your own way — technique is no longer the bottleneck, and your focus is more on style and expression.
Still not sure? Don't hesitate to find the right level by contacting me directly.
✉️ Email: sam.morgan.au@gmail.com
📱 Message/Call: +61 459 794 137