Hello from Stuarts Draft, Va. USA
Just recently joined to see if I can get myself out of discouraged funk!! I’m retired so I have free time on my hands to devote but feel progress is slower than I like. I won’t move on until things are close to perfect and I don’t know if that is a hinderance. Any thoughts or suggestions are more than welcome. Thanks Timmy
7 Likes
Welcome Timmy, you have signed up to the right place for encouragement. There are lots of us seasoned folk trying our hand at this. Follow the lessons as prescribed and you will make progress, the length of time it takes is very personal, there isn’t a right answer. The key is to enjoy the process and you will enjoy the results. There are lots of knowledgeable folks around who can help if you have questions. I myself am just redoing Grade 2 as I pushed through it too quickly the first time.
2 Likes
Thanks for the welcome and reply!!
1 Like
Welcome Timmy.
I thinks Phil sums it up perfectly, work at your own pace and to your own standards but follow Justin’s path and you will make good progress. Shout whenever you need assistance!
Cheers
Toby
2 Likes
Welcome to the community. Good to hear from you. Perfection is an interesting topic. Justin comments that practice makes perfect isn’t correct in that if you keep practicing playing something the wrong way, you get good at playing it badly.
Yet, on a more personal note, I found over the years that perfectionism is a curse. You set yourself up for failure as things just don’t play out perfectly. Mastery to me is a better goal.
Also ask yourself why you are learning? For me, one of the great things about playing guitar is how much fun it is. And that includes when I play a song less than perfectly (much of the time). Yet I can see how well some of my songs progress. Last night I played one of the hardest songs I’ve learned which I haven’t played for a few weeks. I was pleasantly surprised that I played it quite well. Not perfectly, but to someone listening, they would feel I’d mastered the song.
I’m retired as well and the thing I like about retirement is that it’s easier to find more time in the day to play guitar. Keep playing and find the fun.
3 Likes
Welcome Timmy!
You’re in right place here mate if you want to progress on guitar. Justin’s a brilliant teacher, and this community is full of wonderful folk all helping each other out. Stick close to Justins tuition, and reach out here anytime. Guitar is not easy. Be kind to yourself, especially early on.
Re the ‘perfection’ curse. Best cure for that is to post a video here for feedback, and hopefully that’ll help you find the middle ground.
All the best.
Cheers, Shane
2 Likes
Welcome, @TimmyD! Glad you’re here, and I look forward to seeing you around the forum. Blessings!
1 Like
Hello and welcome to the community Timmy. 
Others have covered it so I need say no more.
1 Like
Welcome to the Community, Timmy. I’ve no more suggestions to add , so just encourage you to consider those. Persevere and you’ll get there in time.
1 Like
Hi Timmy and welcome. I’m a beginner too. Like you I picked up the guitar when I retired. Been at it 1-1/2 years now. My advice is you don’t have to be perfect. It will come with time and practice. What is important is to have fun. I don’t plan to be a professional at it, just having fun, plus keeping my mind active and sharp. Pick several easy songs that you like to listen to and work on them to help keep your interest. I will do the lesson, then practice 3 songs. I practice just about every day for 30 to 45 minutes. Sometimes it might even go a little longer.
Hey TimmyD, a wise man once said, “perfection is the enemy of good”. That’s not to say that we should just settle for good, but rather we have to become good on our journey to perfection. I’m just over a year in on my journey and for me, I find a three tiered approach helps keep me progressing as well as interested. Firstly, I follow Justin’s courses and try to only move on when I feel I have that lesson down. Secondly, I revisit earlier lessons as a refresher and thirdly I try my hand at much harder things to keep pushing myself out of my comfort zone. As long as I am realistic about the harder stuff, when I go back to the current lessons, they seem just a bit more manageable and when I revisit the earlier stuff, I wonder why I found them so difficult! Well, sometimes anyway! And as with all journeys, take time to enjoy the view along the way!!
2 Likes
I think perfectionism is definitely a hinderance to progress. There is great synergy in music learning/practice. Things you are practicing now will help you with more advanced stuff later but the reverse is also true - things you will learn months from now will help you play your current songs better. I was amazed the first time I revisited a difficult exercise I had struggled with 4-6 months ago and found that I could play it better on the first try than I ever did before even though I had struggled for a week to perfect it. After this happened a couple times I learned to move on sooner.
Anyway, welcome to the community Timmy.
1 Like
Hello Timmy and welcome to JustinGuitar and this great Community.
Help, support and encouragement is our currency of exchange - we have a fantastic spirit of togetherness and people happy and willing to help out and pay-it-forward. As you have already seen in the many responses so far.
Can I point you towards a topic by my fellow mod and approved teacher @LievenDV : Tip: Plateaus and lack of SMART goals
Cheers
Richard
1 Like