Hello, about learning 5 easy songs to play at parties : I have been practicing with the paid app and I still feel like playing a chord every x seconds is not at all like playing the song. With the song playing on the phone it’s okayish but myself and my guitar at a party would feel rather silly. Am I getting something wrong ?
Also, are we supposed to try and apply the old faithful strumming pattern while playing song that sometimes have different speed patterns ? Example : Hey Joe.
The early songs in the app are simplified for your early stages. There may be some songs that feel ok that way but some will seem to lack the stuff that makes the song what it is until you add vocals. I found that in many cases, I was dissatisfied and leaned towards songs that felt like I wanted. Hey Joe was one and I recall For What It Worth being another that could stand on their own with simple strumming. The latter did need vocals but it was easy to play more like the real song.
For strumming pattern, Justin is giving you patterns to learn as a basis for later. Old Faithful is appropriate where YOU think it fits, not every song. For Hey Joe, I thought it sounded fine with down strums to match the Hendrix recording. I don’t think I would be happy trying to wedge Old Faithful into that song. It could be done, but I wouldn’t think it sounded like I wanted as I write this imagining it.
As you charge ahead (yes, I get your nickname) you will initially be given stuff to do, but slowly Justin will back off and tell you you have choices. Music is an art, and subject to the performer, so if playing Hey Joe with Old Faithful sounds good to you, do it. If it sounds off, then try something else. There is some benefit to taking a pattern and fitting it into a song that doesn’t use it, figuring out how to make it sound good. That idea isn’t covered through grade 3, not directly, but I do see benefits from a learning exercise if you feel like experimenting a bit outside the lessons.
Finally, welcome to the forums. Get familiar with the search - there is a lot of information here to be discovered.
I don’t have the app anymore, but if I remember correctly it’s possible to choose just the click-track version. Have you seen that there is a song lesson for “Hey Joe” here on the website? Justin recommends two different strumming patterns you can try to spice up the song a bit. You can use either of the two strumming patterns to play along with the click track on the app for example (or you can try them without the app).
Below you can find more song lessons for Grade 1. A range of these songs is on the app as well … Hope this will help you to have more fun with your strumming
Robin, I second what @JokuMuu has said. If you are unsatisfied with the strumming in the app and want ideas to make the song sound more like the original, then I highly recommend that you go to the website and look at some of the song lessons or tutorials. Justin doesn’t usually play through all of the verses of the song as in the app, Justin does show both how to play with a simple beginning strum and then suggests new strums and sometimes new chords to make the song sound more like the original. Some of that information is also found in the Justin Guitar Beginner song books 1 and 2, if you are interested.
Ahhh! I need to play something in front of someone. This spells doom. I never do things in front of anyone, I guess there is no helping me and I just need to pull myself together and do it;)
Georgia, you don’t need to play in front of someone to pass Grade 1, but it you need to for another reason then I would suggest that you pick something easy to play. It should have just 2 or 3 chords with simple strumming. There is no need to put extra pressure on yourself. You can prepare for live playing by recording yourself on your phone or laptop computer.
yeah, but I think I need to get bolder. when I say I never sing in front of people, I mean never. Only horses, and though the are ‘people’ they aren’t really human I’ll live
You could use a trick from public speaking and imagine that the people are horses
I also find recording myself playing and singing using my phone to be just as stressful as singing in front of people. You could try recording yourself and then put some pictures or portraits of people around your phone to see if that provides some practice singing in front of people.
Is the song criteria more about memorisation than playing them spot on? I have memorised 5 simple songs and am OK at playing them. But I feel like perfect is the enemy of good a bit. I’ve played some songs 20-30 times now and can’t seem to get it all spot on. I would say I’m hitting probably 90% of chords at least. And I’m mostly using a simple downstrum on the beat for most songs although I’ve started to try out old faithful in songs. I can do it well with muting though. I’m wondering if it’s good enough to move onto grade 2.
Hi Rick, couldn’t agree with you more! Based on what you write, I’d say you’re ready to move on. And you can always come back and review things if you feel the need. I did that when I got to Grade 2 consolidation - spent some time reviewing and refining the basics before moving on. In the meantime, I’d learned a lot, and had so much fun!
Hey, first time commenting here. Been practicing guitar for a few months and have built myself a songbook with lots of songs I like. I know all the eight beginner chords although do still struggle mastering them as some strings do still get muted and chord changes I struggle with a bit also.
Hi Terry, and welcome to the Community! Sounds like you’re on the right path, following Justin’s lessons, and being aware of skills you’ll need to continue to refine. That’s a big part of the journey! I encourage you to re-post your introduction in the Introduce Yourself topic - more folks will see it over there. Hope to see you around!
Hi all decided to take up guitar again after trying 20 years ago with no help or advice this website is a god send.
So i have gone through the modules 1 - 7 only beed doing it 4 weeks or so with roughly 5 hours practice per week.
Passed the music theory grade 1 can do the old faithful pattern with a metronome at 80-100bpm. Over 30 chord changes between each chords within 1 minute and memorised all the chords.
The part im struggling with is tidying up my chords (playing the correct notes/strings) whilst playing songs using various stumming patterns mainly d/dm as near enough always strike the E (thickest string). Its becomming abit of a bug bear so any advice on how you tackled it would be much appreciated.
I suggest that you keep playing a song/chord progression that includes the D and Dm as part of your practice routine as you move on to Grade 2. The best fix for the problem you describe is time and mindful practice, but you shouldn’t let this issue prevent you from moving forward.
Been playing for a few months now and am wondering if I’ve gone through the courses too quickly as I’m now on Beginner Grade 2. I’m looking for some guidance for what my level should be at this grade. Most chord changes I can manage about 30 per minute but I struggle when practicing songs. I still feel clumsy and my up strum during a chord change often hits too hard and isn’t a good transition. My fingers don’t have ‘eyes’ yet and I can’t automatically shape the chords with my fingers to place them all together on different chord shapes.
Should I keep going in grade 2 and I’ll learn the dexterity and get more proficient or would I be better off going back and sticking with grade 1 for a while?
Way to go, getting so, far so quickly, and welcome to the community too.
It’s all been said above – scan those comments.
Better to build on a solid foundation, reinforcing good practices.
One of Justin’s comments is “practice makes permanent”
Better to have permanent solid/good moves then a pile of half baked ones.
Search out and pick some songs you like that are in your skill level, and practice them.
If you have a means to, record yourself (preferably with video), and review with a critical (and friendly!) eye/ear. What are you doing well, what can use help. Isolate tricky sections and practice those. Sleep, give it a rest and come back to that song in a week or so, see what has happened.
When you get them so you can play the songs passably well, that would be a good indication that grade 2 is ready for you. Memorizing 5 songs is a suggested bar to get over before you progress to grade 2.
Maybe setting a goal of posting a song of you playing to the AVOYP section of JustinCommunity would be a motivator?
(I practiced so much that after I posted my first AVOYP (of Mad World) my wife said it would be ok with her if she didn’t, for a fairly long time, hear Mad World again – - - -)
#2 Memorize and play the 8 essential beginner chords on the guitar.
The goal is to say the chord’s name and play it straight away - without even thinking! These 8 essential beginner chords are A, D, E, Am, Dm, Em, C, G.
Aim to play all 8 chords perfectly. Mute the strings that should be muted, and make sure they all ring out correctly. You should be able to play them from memory, in any order, straight away. Get the right sound from these chords at least 50 % of the time.
you ll struggle in grade 2 if you can t form chords
I’ll live 
I think I may have done that before actually, when I read a few of my published short stories. (maybe I imagined they were goats though)