Yeah, improving bends does take time.
Iāve been working on them for a while and theyāre not too bad, although I have a tendency to over bend if I try to play too fast!
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Hey! Whatsa goinā on!
Looks like Richard @Richard_close2u has been arranging the log heap into a nice tidy pile, learning log, learning log, learning log, making them all look the same by adding āLearning Logā to every title, learning log, learning log, learning log, theyāve lost their individuality, learning log, learning log, learning logā¦ā¦!
Especially mine where heās dumped āLearning Logā slap bang in the middle of my well thought out title, disrupting my flow and rhythm.
Iām trying to be a musician here and I need all the flow and rhythm I can get! 
Youāve lorrrrrrst the rhythm Richard! 
amended again ā¦ 
let me know if not good
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Thank you kindly Sir. 
In future, The BurnsRhythmās Burning Ambitions Management Team would appreciate a period of consultation before you make any executive decisions. 
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June 2025 Update
How time flies!ā¦.six months since my last update.
Wellā¦ā¦reason being Iāve had little progress to report since then as Iāve been away from guitar quite a bit due to dealing with life stuff.
I never lost interest in it though and would often have a few minutes reading/research during coffee breaks.
With nothing to report on the progress side, that just leaves the future.
Rightly or wrongly, Iāve signed up for Blim Class 3. I say wrongly (maybe) because getting back to a bit of practice this week has shown me just how rusty my playing has become! Iām very definitely at the low end of the required criteria for Blim!
Anywayā¦Iām going for it. Iām working my way through the preparation lessons in Unit 0, one of which is to brush up on your technique in time for Unit 1. Justin must have known I was on my way!!
So thatās about all.
Iām determined to give the course my best shot and I may update here at the end of each Unit.
David
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Hey David!
Feels good to bang the rust off, eh? Donāt ya just hate when life goes & mucks up all your well laid plans? Congrats for aiming high with Blues!
Good luck Blimmer!
Tod
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I look forward to seeing/hearing your progress David. Iāve thought about Blim 1,2 and 3 but although I enjoy listening to and trying to play a bit of Blues, I donāt feel enthusiastic enough to commit to 6 months immersion.
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I understand what you say about the commitment Gordon, @sairfingers
Iām not heavily into the Blues like some are. My interest is in lead playing in general but, of course, it all started with the Blues.
I arenāt planning to delve into the lives of artists or write essays about them. Not my thing. Iām doing the course for the playing.
I believe youāre learning some acoustic Blues while you have your caravan parked in Rogierās garden! 
Haha yes I am. As itās thumb and finger based I can practise quietly and not disturb others.
I find it fun taking a guitar with me in the caravan. It gives you something else to do/think about for half an hour or so a day. Thereās a limit to how many French markets in obscure villages you can visit and trashy novels you can read (my words not my wifeās) 
.
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Iād disagree as your currently working your way through Grade 4. Yes, your probably at the low end of those taking the course. That was the same for me as there are some experienced folk on the course. However, youāve got the benefit of learning from them along the way.
Thatās the attitude, the more you put into it the more you will get out of it. You will also be ticking off a lot of the grade 4 to 6 lessons along the route so itās not like youāve stopped working on the main course.
Thatās only because youāre the scottish gulliver travels and would run out of data to keep up.
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Thanks James, @Socio
I watched the recording of the Class 3 Launch and yeah, I think Iām good to go.
Itās well worth a watch Gordon, @sairfingers if youāre still considering Blim.
I already know the things that Justin says we need to know to get the best out of it.
My improvisation is woeful though. I feel like Iām just stringing random, given licks together and it doesnāt mean anything. I still havenāt got my head round ālicks are wordsā. Iām not good with words. I canāt write lyrics. So itās hard to write music using ālicks are wordsā.
To me, music is sound, itās feeling, itās emotion and what it evokes but I donāt attach words to any of that. Itās deeper than mere words. Itās all in my mind and I bypass any need for āwordsā!
Jeez, folks reading that will think Iāve lost my marbles!
Maybe I have!
ā¦.or maybe I never had anyā¦.
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David @BurnsRhythm
Taken a while to respond but just found time to get around to it.
I wouldnāt get too down on apparent lack of progress, as long as you are doing something reading and research that will be all helpful in the long run.
I have known for a while that you were interested in BLIM and from what I have seen that you have taken the plunge. As you know it is not my direction of travel, and I donāt know that much about what is involved other than the barest outline and of course the BLIM category in the community is closed to us non BLIMers. So, I took the step of watching Justinās recent introductory video this last week to learn more. What I did take from was not much I didnāt already know, perhaps a little surprised on the wide range of abilities which have done the earlier courses. The main thing I thought was that you need to put in a lot of hard work, so the best of luck and hope it works for you, and you get out if it what you were hoping.
Michael
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Thanks Michael @MAT1953
Iām not worried about lack of progress so far this year. I knew what was coming up. Nothing untoward or demanding but a huge distraction that lead to not being able to focus on guitar practice.
Itās all done and dusted now and I can turn my attention to other things, like guitarā¦and Blim.
Yeah, I made my mind up and then enrolled for Blim on the first day of enrolment, 12th June, and promptly received Unit 0. The course starts proper on 7th July (first Monday of the month) when Unit 1 arrives.
Unit 0 is a preparation module - how itās laid out, whatās involved, what to expectā¦etc. Itās helping to put me in the right frame of mind.
While Iām excited to get started, I can certainly use the next couple of weeks to practice!
Thereāll be a lot crammed into the next 6 months and I know I wonāt be able to focus on it all. My focus will mostly be on the playing side and the āimmersionā side Iāll probably limit to listening to the playlists.
I wouldnāt expect Blim to be of any interest to you, butā¦.you never knowā¦.one day you might have a rush of blood and buy an electric.
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Good luck with BLIM. Hope you enjoy it.
Totally agree with this. The words and sentences thing makes no sense to me.
Agreed again!!
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Well Stuart @Stuartw , thereās not much I can tell you yet as the course doesnāt start for another couple of weeks.
From bits and pieces that Iāve picked up from Justinās videos and comments from previous Blimmers - the course teaches us how to build solos and improvisation around a thread. Iām not sure what that means yet.
I may come out the other side understanding the words thing or I may have to adapt what I learn to my own way of thinking. Who knows??
Iām open to whatever!
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David @BurnsRhythm
Glad that whatever it was is behind you.
BLIM looks very intensive and a lot of things to do outside just playing. I think one of them is writing essays! Sounds a bit onerous to me.
You are right I donāt have an electric guitar and donāt see me any time soon doing a Bob Dylan and going electric, but you never know.
Michael
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Know what you mean, Michael @MAT1953
Iām not into essay writing either!
Nothingās compulsory though so itās okay. Thereās a few already been posted in the Blim3 section and theyāre very good.
Have to say though, those producing these essays seem far more into the Blues than I am.
I listen to the music but donāt get too engrossed about the artists and their lives.
Hereās a challenge for you:
If you get an electricā¦.Iāll get an acoustic! 
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Hehehe go for it Michael. Lotās of topics on here about choosing your first electric guitar and amplifier.
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I seem to be getting a bit behind with things in the community lots of guitar related things going on and holidays etc.
David
In a way I can see what the essays are about, when I am learning a song I often do a bit a research about it and it can throw up some interesting information, but not sure I would want to put it down on paper.
I acknowledge and accept your challenge, but it may take some time to come to fruition. Donāt think you need to start saving yet. I checked on Amazon and plenty of acoustic guitars under Ā£75. An experienced player at the guitar bought one for around Ā£50 as he just wanted a guitar that didnāt have to worry about if it got damaged. His view on it was that it was playable, I think he was a bit surprised about that.
James
I have already decided what my first electric guitar would be, but nowhere near getting it. You wonāt be surprised if it was Fender Telecaster. I know the iconic ones are in sort of butterscotch colour but for me it would have to be a red body. As for an amplifier goes, it might come first to go with my acoustic guitar and in the circumstances be capable of using for an electric guitar. We shall see how things develop.
Michael
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