I’m beyond frustrated with the Beginner’s Lesson & Song app. For starters, the app would not recognize the notes I was playing when I first got my guitar and was checking out the apps tuner feature. But, I thought, no big deal as I have a digital tuner and was able to get my new guitar in tune.
And now I’ve been using the app and have been doing the One Minute Chord Change Exercises in Grade 1, Module 1. It was working fine until the latest update and now it’s just an exercise in frustration as it no longer recognizes my playing and/or keep track of how many changes I made switching between A and D.
It’s hard enough learning to play but when I spend more time trying to get an app to work, an app that Justin mentions in practically every one of his videos, then I’m I lose my patience. It’s not my responsibility to get an app that I did pay a subscription fee to work. And honestly, I’ve read through previous post regarding issues with the app and it seems it’s always passed on to Musopia being responsible for it. But in the end, it’s Justin’s name and reputation on the line.
I’m going to explore other options for learning as I want to actually spend my time learning and not trying to get an app to work.
Hi @TuesdaysGone, I know it can be a little frustrating when things don’t work as expected. But honestly, as I see it, the first purpose of the app is the play along feature - and that’s what it’s very good at (and mostly what Justin recommends it for).
The lessons are rather a bonus in the app, not the real point of it. Personally, I don’t use the app for the lessons. I use the website for that, since the website has some more information, like questions and answers specific for that lesson. And chord changes? I just count them myself.
I hope you won’t let your frustration discourage you and you stick around. This adventure we’re on is hard but rewarding, and the path Justin has laid out for us is the best way to get to our destination!
The app was not around when I first did the old Beginner and Intermediate courses and I doubt I would have used it if it had been - personal choice - but can understand your frustrations. BUT before you go waltzing off into the web for alternative teachers, give the website a go and follow the course from there. The app is a nice to have for some and the karaoke feature helps folks play songs in a “band” situation but you can do that with backing tracks anyway. If you can count and write, you can do 1MCs and record your progress.
App or website stick with Justin and build a solid foundation and then explore what is out there. Website worked for me and its way better than it was 10 years ago but your mileage may vary.
We all get frustrated when things don’t work the way we want. However, I honestly don’t think it’s particularly wise to abandon Justin’s courses just because of a few issues with an app he is not personally developing. The reason people “blame” Musopia is because it is their app… they are the owners and developers. The app existed long before Justin put his name to it. While Musopia may consult with Justin on content and direction, he is not in charge of the company and has nothing to do with the development side of things.
I can almost guarantee that you will not find a perfect app which does what you expect it to do without any issues whatsoever. Perfect example, download any phone-based guitar tuner than uses your phone’s mic to detect notes. While some are very decent, unless you’re in a perfectly silent room with zero ambient noise then they will struggle for accuracy. Given the fretting noise that can occur when trying to do one minute chord changes quickly (and the inaccuracy inherent to most true beginners), it’s no wonder the JG app struggles.
Justin’s courses are among the very best out there and many are totally free, so I strongly suggest you stick with them even if it means using the website rather than the app. Counting your own one minute changes isn’t exactly difficult, and you can even record your results on the website and get graphs showing your improvement over time, if that kind of thing inspires you. But giving up on a fantastic and inspiring teacher just because you don’t want to type or use pen and paper is… a little foolhardy, to be honest.
You kind of buried the lede here with all your venting
I sympathize…I get angry too when things that used to work suddenly change or stop working with no warning or explanation. Sadly, this seems to be standard practice for many software developers…Musopia is actually better than average, but they periodically break things after updates too.
You need to get in touch with them directly and report the problem. Make sure you tell them which update broke, and what hardware you are running the app on.
I don’t use the app anymore, but IIRC, you can do a bug report directly from the app.
I get it and I appreciate everyone’s input and feedback. And, looking back to perhaps I shouldn’t have vented my frustrations on the forum.
I realize Justin did not do any coding of the app. That wasn’t my point. It’s his name, his brand that is associated with the app. I’ve been learning through his web based course. He talks about the app on Module 1 and so I checked it out, wanting to use it as a supplement to the web course, to have it as another learning tool in my toolbox. I liked it, the chord exercises worked and allowed me to focus on the lesson at hand. But then it was broken by an update. And yes, I can count, read and write. That’s what I was doing while using the app once it was broken. As you know, it allows you to enter the number of changes manually. But my frustration came from it working one day to being broken the next day.
I chose Justin to learn, not because alot of it is free but because I like his teaching style and methods. It just clicked for me. The free part to me was just an added bonus. So, my final point is I also chose to use the app as part of my learning to support Justin via the monthly subscription.
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But giving up on a fantastic and inspiring teacher just because you don’t want to type or use pen and paper is… a little foolhardy, to be honest.
Really? That’s a crass remark to make and an assumption on your part. I never said that. The point was it worked and then didn’t after a so called update.
How about a best of both worlds solution. You could use the JustinGuitar Practice Assistant on the main website. It’s super easy to add the suggested practice routines and has timer, metronome, video assistant and stats. You can remove and add practice items if you feel there is items you still need to work on or remove if you’ve accomplished the required level for them. And use the app for the song and repertoire section at the end of your sessions.
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How about a best of both worlds solution.
Thanks for your suggestion. I totally agree with this compromise. I really do like the Justin Guitar lessons more than anything else I’ve ever come across. And I also have really enjoyed the community here and I honestly hope I haven’t offended any of you guys with my rantings. Peace?
Hi again Danny, this issue has been raised recently by another app user, see thread below. Its been flagged with @MusopiaApps the developers but don’t think they have replied yet.
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by the current issues you’re encountering with the app’s exercises. Rest assured, our development team is actively investigating this matter with the utmost urgency to provide a swift resolution.
We’ll notify you promptly once we’ve pinpointed the issue and rolled out the necessary updates to address it.
