2024-08-06
I’m now nine months into a combined consolidation of Beginner Guitar Course [Classic] and new Beginner Guitar Course Grades 1 & 2 exploration. Progress is still slow, but I still feel like I‘m learning and improving step by step. I don’t measure my progress against where I ideally would like to be, I measure my progress from where I was before.
I’ve rephrased the second part of my status to be an exploration of new beginner course Grades 1 & 2 rather than a review to acknowledge that the material I selected introduces new skills that I’m getting acquainted with rather than further developing already acquired skills.
For this update I decided to record a full technique practice session with all the frustration faces, distractions, and enjoyment. I edited the video to reduce the overall time as much as possible while still maintaining enough video time to include a bit of the achievements and struggles with each routine element. I also split the video in two parts, one corresponding to melody practice and the other one to rhythm practice.
I can ask myself how is that I can make so many playing errors in two minutes, and I can answer myself that‘s because I’m learning.
It’s worth to mention that this practice was just moments before the Copa America of soccer final between Colombia and Argentina, so part of my mind may have been wandering somewhere else.
I think that part of learning is adjusting the practice to the changing circumstances. As weekends lately have been busier than they used to be, I’m doing my consolidation technique practice now in a single day instead of splitting it in two to increase the chances that if I miss a day I don’t miss half of the technique practice, and end having only two technique practice sessions in a month, split in half sessions across the month, with a negative impact on the pace of progress. For me It’s easier to insert some song practice in weekdays than technique practice.
Part A, Melody
C major scale
Splitting the C major scale practice, the way I wanted to practice it, into three exercises; One for Do, Re, Mi… syllabic note names; other one for A, B, C… alphabetical note names; and other one just for playing it; worked very well for me. I’m now satisfied with my current playing of the C major scale with all down picks that is the actual Justin Guitar lesson. Singing the notes is an addition of my own to make me more conscious about which note I’m playing. After having practiced this item once more after recording the video I marked it as done and moved on to practice alternate picking of the C major scale.
Blues Guitar Solo
The blues guitar solo of Grade 2 has not improved and I even feel has moved backwards. I’ve felt that way before with other exercises and sometimes what’s ahead is unlearning, relearning and finally getting fluent with it. Hopefully is that way this time too. I’ve tried using the Guitar Pro file Justin provides for this lesson, but it’s way too fast for my current playing. I’m planning to make a copy of the file, unlock the copy and slow it down. If I’m not able to unlock it, I’ll enter it manually in a new file.
Come As You Are Riff
The Come As You Are riff keeps getting better. My brain is connecting more dots, the fingers are collaborating, and I’m finding my way to repeat the riff without going back to the anacrusis (pickup or upbeat notes). So far this one has taken me six months that is way more than the 4 to 5 months previous ones has taken me to be ready.
Blues Exercise (Hal Leonard)
Once I can remember how it goes, I can play it decently. Sometimes I struggle to keep the count when repeating the same note four times on bars 9 and 10.
Part B, Rhythm
6/8 Strumming Pattern
Creating a practice track with Guitar Pro has been very helpful for this item. I have a tendency to strumming a bit slower than required and therefore getting behind in the last beats of each bar, so the practice track help me to keep an eye on that (it should be one ear on that, but that will be a future development). I have to incorporate that 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (1,2,3; 1,2,3) feeling.
To make it more interesting for me I’m doing a G-Em-C-D chord progression (I-vi-IV-V or 50’s progression). Surprisingly for me, when doing chord changes is easier for me to skip beats 2 and 4 working towards being able to play the final strumming pattern Justin proposes for this lesson. I need to work on keeping the strumming hand moving during the no-strings-hit beats. I feel closer to be able to try again to add the up strums on the and of beats 2 and 5.
Two Bar Strumming Patterns
This is more an exercise part of learning songs than a consolidation item. I’m currently practicing only one, the one for A Horse With No Name. I can play the pattern, but now is more about playing it synced with a simple rock drum pattern. Same than with the 6/8 strumming pattern I tend to fall behind. More about the song itself in a future post.
12 Bar Blues Variations
Playing the fourth 12 bar blues variation of the beginner course synced on the right beat with a blues drum pattern has been elusive so far. Same than with the 6/8 strumming pattern and the two bar strumming pattern, I tend to go slower and fall behind. I think is more a matter of playing a bit faster than slowing down the drum pattern although I may try the latter if the former doesn’t work.
I’m currently starting the exercise repeating the first four notes of the riff twice per bar to try to get into the groove and then when I start feeling more comfortable I add the other four notes. In the video I can see myself pushing to try to speed up a bit to catch with the drum pattern.
The Rhythm Push
As I used this skill for performing La Bamba in JGC OM 24 I can now mark this one as done.
Next update in three months.
P.S. In the video I can see that checking my glasses prescription could be a good idea.
Consolidation StatusFor Justin Guitar Beginner Guitar Course Grades 1 and 2:
| Selected Lesson: | Module | Status |
|---|---|---|
| A 6:8 Strumming Pattern | 6 | In Progress |
| Dynamic Improvements | 7 | |
| All Down 8th Note Strumming | 8 | |
| Open E Minor Pentatonic Scale | 8 | |
| The Stuck 3&4 Chords | 8 | |
| Ups to the All Downs (16ths) | 9 | |
| C Major Scale | 9 | Done 2024-07-21 |
| 5 Common Chord Progressions | 10 | Done 2023-10-26 |
| Alternate Picking C Major | 10 | In Progress |
| Beginner Hammer-Ons | 10 | |
| Major Scale Improvisation | 10 | |
| The Rhythm Push | 10 | Done 2024-05-25 |
| Introduction to Dice Songwriting | 11 | |
| Beginner Sus Chords | 11 | |
| Re-Active Listening | 11 | |
| Shuffle Grooves and Strumming | 13 | |
| Beginner Blues Solo | 13 | In Progress |
| 12 Bar Blues Progressions | 13 | |
| Backbeat Hit | 14 | |
| Essential Slash Chords | 14 |
| Riff: | Status |
|---|---|
| Peter Gunn Theme | Done 2023-04-09 |
| Seven Nation Army | Done 2023-08-24 |
| Sunshine of Your Love | Done 2024-01-20 |
| Come as You Are | In Progress |
| Wish you were here | |
| Californication | |
| La Bamba (Option 1) | |
| La Bamba (Option 2) | |
| Happy Birthday Finger Style | |
| Enter Sandman | |
| 12 Bar Shuffle |
For The Justin Guitar Easy Guitar Songbook:
| Song: | Status |
|---|---|
| Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way | |
| Blowin' Smoke | |
| Boys 'Round Here | |
| Dance the Night Away | |
| Feelin' Alright | |
| Give Peace a Chance | |
| You Never Can Tell | |
| You Sound Good to Me |
For the Hal Leonard Guitar Method:
| Exercise: | Status |
|---|---|
| Spanish Theme | Done 2023-08-09 |
| World Beat | Done 2023-08-24 |
| Ode To Joy | In Progress |
| Blues | In Progress |
| Rockin’ Robin | |
| Yankee Doodle | |
| Surf Rock | |
| Au Clair De La Lune | |
| Aura Lee | |
| He’s A Jolly Good Fellow |
For the Reader’s Digest The Complete Guitar Course: Learn To Play in 20 Easy-To-Follow Lessons:
| Excercise: | Status |
|---|---|
| A Bad Moon Rising | |
| Stand By Me | |
| Michael Row The Boat Ashore | |
| Jingle Bells | |
| Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star | |
| Edelweiss |
Other:
| Excercise: | Status |
|---|---|
| Two Bar Strumming Pattern for La Bamba | Done 2024-04-26 |
| Two Bar Strumming Pattern for A Horse With No Name | In Progress |