With today’s wave of online tutorials, AI tools, and social media shredders, learning an instrument has never been more accessible—or more superficial. While many celebrate the rise in musical proficiency among young players, legendary rocker Lita Ford believes there’s a crucial element missing in the digital age: real-world experience.
In contrast to Level 42 bassist Mark King, who praised the internet for elevating the overall skill level of young musicians, Ford offers a different perspective. In a recent interview, the former Runaways guitarist stressed that true musicianship can’t be found solely through Googling chords or watching YouTube tabs.
When asked what advice she’d give to aspiring musicians trying to break into the industry, Ford made her stance clear: Forget the screen—play with real people.
“Well, it’s a hard piece of advice, because it’s really more than just a piece,” Ford shared in a chat with Blabbermouth. “Things are so different now in 2025, and the digital world has kind of taken over everything. And I didn’t come from that world.”
For Ford, there’s no substitute for learning the old-fashioned way—by being out in the real world, jamming with others, and learning from live interactions.
“So it’s good to be a little bit of a street gutter rat and get out there and jam with people and go to some nightclubs and listen to your favourite musicians and learn as much as you can from them instead of Googling it or watching it on YouTube or whatever,” she said.
Ford doesn’t deny the convenience of modern technology, but she believes it lacks the emotional depth that comes from physical engagement with music.
“’Oh, I can Google the guitar chords to my favorite song.’ But that doesn’t mean you know how to play it. It comes from the heart and soul, and those kinds of things don’t teach you a lot of that,” she explained.
She continued to emphasize the gritty, grounded path she believes builds genuine artistry.
“So it’s good to just be a street rat and a gutter rat and get out there and get down and dirty and sweat and play guitar and play drums and sing your ass off. It helps.”
According to Ford, what the digital world provides in efficiency, it lacks in authentic growth. She credits her own development to years of live playing, working through mistakes, and cultivating her unique voice in front of real audiences.
“There’s a lot of things that have changed over the world, through the decades, but that’s how I learned,” she said. “And if I had to give anybody a piece of advice—and it’s a hard way, it’s not the easy way—but it is the way, when you learn how to feel and everything, the music in your heart and soul. That’s what does it for me.”
Lita Ford isn’t the only artist who feels this way. Lenny Kravitz has long championed the value of emotion, feel, and dynamics over technical mastery. Likewise, The Who’s Pete Townshend has critiqued Instagram guitarists for missing the fundamental experience of playing alongside real musicians.
In an era where musical skills can be mimicked through software and social media filters, Lita Ford’s advice is a potent reminder: Being a real musician takes more than just clicks—it takes sweat, heart, and a little bit of street grit.
