Andrea,
Both recordings were enjoyable and I like the finger strumming. I didn’t realize that the finger strumming course was now available. I will have to purchase that soon. I was just reviewing the finger strumming lesson in grade 3 and found the Jolene song arrangement to be challenging, so well done.
Thanks for taking the time to reply, Steve and thanks also for the nice words.
The Finger Strumming Course is definitely recommendable. You’ll have fun with it!
You are right with Jolene - I’ve only scratched the surface so far - a lot can be done with this one. Still haven’t learnt the finger picking Intro…
End of July 2025
Another few weeks have passed since my last log entry and, due to a lot of commitments and other life struggles, my practice was a bit more “on the fly”, still mostly daily and structured but a lot more “random” than usually.
Although I haven’t been overly “straight forward”, I feel progress in lots of areas. Not that kind of “huge steps ahead”, more kind of an “overall progress”.
I’m still following Grade 4’s layout path and I’m thankful for the course’s guidance:
Barre Chords: I’m doing kind of a barre chord workout most of the days, moving them around and changing from/to open chords in selected songs to get smoother and faster (I only really started barre chords as tought at Grade 4)
Scalework: I’m increasing in speed and accuracy, I feel the dumb repetition and it’s a bit boring, but I see the benefits of getting faster with my fingers in other areas
Improvising: did the lesson on Reactive Listening, added that to my schedule, this lesson is a real game changer, I’ve been happy about the fact, that I’m obviously able to identify the “good notes”. Currently working with different one chord vamps, changing chords will give me some challenge for the future
I still have a huge preference on improvising using the Minor Pentatonic over the Major Scale, I just “feel” more for the Pentatonic.
I’m enjoying the fact, that Grade 4 gives some more guidance and techniques for improvising and I can see small steps ahead
Blues Lead: I’ve started the Blues Lead module and really love it!
Bending: my bends are getting technically better and more sensitive , I’m practicing them isolated with a tuner and by ear and additionally using jam tracks
Vibrato: I guess, vibrato is a thing to improve for a whole lifetime, but I’m satisfied with my so far progress
Five Blues Licks: I’ve learnt four of the five licks so far and I’m enjoying the process. Tried to use them over jamtracks and I can see progress step by step
Solo Blues:
Boom Bass with Licks: after hitting a road block a few weeks ago, I paused this one for some time and did well with the decision made, as it went a lot better, when I came back to it. I practice this piece on acoustic and electric and have to say, I really prefer the electric for this one. I prefer the lighter touch on electric. But my goal is to get it reasonably well on both.
Steady Thumb Primer: I started this one too, it works well until bar 10, but I’m still too slow for bar 11 (although I have to say, I didn’t put too much energy in it yet, because the piece wasn’t on my daily schedule)
Finger Strumming Course: I’ve started a new song project on finger strumming, but didn’t move on with the lessons for time reasons. I currently try to work out a suitable way of finger strumming for the song project, putting it into application
Other: due to the finger strumming, I use the metronome a lot more again, as I noticed a slightly increasing kind of sloppyness… that helped me back on track!
I feel, every second invested in rhythm pays off, so I can only say: I love you, my annoying little friend 
!
Repertoire: I feel a certain inability to keep up an immediate callable repertoire. I’ve learnt countless songs within the last years, but I simply don’t have the energy to keep them fresh whilst moving on with the course. This is a point that annoys me a bit. For a certain time, I’ve cut it down to only a handful of songs in constant rotation, but due to my health struggles, I’m at the limit of what I can take at the moment. I’ll keep an eye on it - but I just have to go with the flow .
Hello Andrea
I read your initial and moving post, so pleased your treatment for big C has worked out. It must have been very difficult through Covid, that was a horrible time for all and much worse if you were ill. I remember saying goodbye to my wife at the hospital door, in-between lockdowns, she was going in for a very important operation and I wondered whether I would see here again, it all went fine and I collected her a week later.
I too have experienced life changing health issues, over the last 9 years, it certainly does make you re-evaluate what is important in life and relationships. I have picked up guitar again last year after a 20 year break, and found JustinGuitar, and as you say the way he teaches and structure to the lessons certainly helps greatly. I am now on BLIM3 and enjoying it greatly, I would highly recommend it.
Wishing you well in the future for your health, life and guitar journey.
Adrian
Hi Adrian, thanks a lot for your kind words, it really means a lot!
I hope your wife is well again and all turned out to be just some bad memories.
It has been very hard during that time to leave a loved one behind the hospital doors, without an option to stay at their side.
Sorry to hear you are also suffering from some health discomfort, nine years is quite a lot of time!
Picking up the guitar was one of the best decisions I did in my life and I’m happy to read that you restarted your journey successfully!
I wish you lots of fun with BLIM, I’m hoping to get to a point in the future, where I probably could participate too, but at the moment, I’m happy, when I can just follow the course.
The one thing I ask myself every day is: Why didn’t I start earlier? But then I maybe wouldn’t be as motivated as I am today 
. In the end, I tell myself, that there’s a reason for everything .
All the best for your BLIM ambitions and thanks again!
Hi Andrea, I found your update a very interesting and, as it often happens with things I can relate too. First of all I’m happy to read you’re feeling your progress because it will motivate you even more to keep going.
I love the little annoying friend too, I call him His Majesty The Metronome 
I also can relate to struggling to make songs fresh and you know if it happened to be at a party and someone asked me to play I would be confident with Hallelujah…so I started wondering “what’s so special I’m doing with Hallelujah?” and try to apply that to those few songs that I’d like to commit to memory. I’m proceeding slowly, but in a way which is meaningful to me.
I wish you some more daily guitar fun today 