Best grilling advice for someone just starting out?

Got a Weber kettle grill for my birthday and honestly don't know where to start. I can make hot dogs and burgers on my old gas grill fine but want to actually learn how to smoke stuff. Do I need to buy all the fancy thermometers and accessories or can I keep it simple while I'm learning? Also should I go charcoal or wood or both? My dad used to smoke brisket when I was a kid and I really want to figure out how he did it.