Hi now 62, from Scotland although currently travelling around Spain accompanied by a travel guitar. I got my first guitar perhaps 10 years ago. Took various lessons but never really got over the wall that took me beyond beginner. Like so many I never really understood the time, commitment or frustration that is entailed in learning an instrument.
Any way fast forward to 3 months ago, a promise to take this thing seriously & a chance encounter with this site & I finally got over that beginner wall & Iāve been taking pleasure in feeling like Iām playing & not just learning, for the very first time! Itās transformational! Thanks in large part to the Grade 1 lessons & the music theory course.
But nobody told me thereād be more walls
Iāve Just started the Grade 2 course yesterday & felt overwhelmed all over again! An exponential increase in the number of chord changes & the added complexity of the lessons is frying my brain & left my fingers trying hard to catch up!
Iāve got time on my hands for the climb & the motivation, but if anyone has any tips to on making the transformation more comfortable Iād love to hear.
Nice to meet you Kev, im not that far from your home, depending but Iām on the north side of the wall, Newcastle nice place to be travelling mate so enjoy cheers Hec
Welcome to the community. Get used to the walls, they never stop coming. But Justinās team and the folks in this community will show you the ladders, catapults and motivation to scale them!
Thanks for your response Elixir. What has made the difference this time around is making the time to practice often & including lots of song practice. This approach embeds the learning & increases the enjoyment.
The North East is a part of the world of which I am very fond. My Grandmother was a Byker lass & my wife has relatives in Whitley Bay, whichāll be very close to home for you!
It was said a little tongue in cheek! Funnily enough I had a second practice session today which, only 24 hours on seemed much more positive. If I can crack Wish You Were Here Iāll be over the moon!
If you look at the community discussions for module 8 you will see that a lot of beginners feel overwhelmed starting grade 8, so you are not alone
For the stuck 3,4 chords Justin gives you more chords than you need to learn at first
If you learn the G C stuck 3,4 chords you can play a song by using with the plain D chord like in Good Riddance (Tine of Your Life)
Then learn the D A and E stuck 3,4 chords to play Wonderwall
You can learn chords as you need them to play songs and just be familiar with the rest of the chords
Welcome Kevin! Iām in Grade 3, and guess what - I often feel overwhelmed. Iāve decided thatās just part of the journey! As for tips on managing that feeling: I try not to get too focused on a single skill or song, realizing that practicing in 10-15 minute blocks is much more effective than repeatedly spending 30-60 minutes on a single thing. (Yes, I know Justin teaches this, butā¦. ) I also set things aside when I hit a plateau in improvement, and come back to them later - for example when a new song requires that technique. If youāre interested, thereās a great book called Learn Faster, Perform Better by Dr. Molly Gebrian that discusses the neuroscience of learning. Sheās a professional viola player (as well as a professor). Hereās a great summary from our own @ziggysden.
Welcome Kevin I am on BC2 mod 11 seems like I have been stuck there for ages determined to be able to play something finger style before I move on, it does improve slightly with practice but I find it quite challenging so good luck and no matter how hard it gets or how big the wall is don`t give up
Welcome aboard Kevin
When you decided to learn guitar you became a guitar player.
The learning never gets easier or harder and the enjoyment is purely your state of mind, no matter what your level.
Donāt think in terms of climbing over wallsā¦ Itās more like walking along one great one, with all itās ups and downs.
now 62, from Scotland although currently travelling around Spain accompanied by a travel guitar. I got my first guitar perhaps 10 years ago. Took various lessons but never really got over the wall that took me beyond beginner. Like so many I never really understood the time, commitment or frustration that is entailed in learning an instrument.
) I also set things aside when I hit a plateau in improvement, and come back to them later - for example when a new song requires that technique. If youāre interested, thereās a great book called Learn Faster, Perform Better by Dr. Molly Gebrian that discusses the neuroscience of learning. Sheās a professional viola player (as well as a professor). 
