Having a go at that one as well!!
I will, at some point down the line.
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I did look at that but if you have read my comments here you will see that I didnât get on very well - https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/play-what-you-hear-exercise-et-002#discussion, mind you that was nearly 18months ago. May need to have another go.
I am with you on that one Stuart. I need to drop back a ways and pay attention to ear training as well!
Hi Stuart.
I have only just read your original post .
I read, many years ago now, this⌠Desiderata.
It takes just a few moments to read but really puts everything into perspective.
It really helped me all my life.
I,m old now and first read it way back in the 60s as a teen.
Try it and see if you gain from it.
Iâm not sure about posting links in forums ( copyright or whatever? ) but a quick Google search will bring it up. ( other search engines are available 
)
Would be interested in seeing if it helps.
Mike
P.S. Edited for spelling mistakes.
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@oldhippy Thanks for sharing, Mike. Iâve not encountered that before and love the wisdom in such âphilosophy of lifeâ writings.
I donât think thereâs an issue in sharing a link to a site thrown up by a search engine, so ⌠Desiderata
And my usual curiosity led me to:
What is the true meaning of Desiderata?
The word desiderata means âthings that are desired.â Ehrmann said he wrote it for himself, âbecause it counsels those virtues I felt most in need of.â These virtues have been valued by countless others as Desiderata rose in popularity in the late '60s and early '70s.
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âAvoid loud⌠persons; they are vexatious to the spiritâ
Oh dear 
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Thanks and I know what you mean.
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Hi DavidP
Late 60s early 70s⌠many happy memories of them.
Amid all the Teds, Mods, Rockers et all, and the ânonsenseâ that happened when they came together, being a âhippyâ was a life changing event for me.
I met a lot of varied people and ideals in the communes I lived in.
Of course there weâre fall outs and arguments about all sorts of things but only sorted by words, rarely setteled with fists.
Never made it to SF but the ideas stuck.
I read it maybe 2 - 3 times a month reg or whenever life is going bit wobbley.
Glad you enjoyed it
Cheers
Mike
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Lots of agreement with this whole statement, I have to remind myself, (when I get too self critical) that I am playing/noodling on the guitar for my own pleasure. I keep my guitars out, mounted on the wall and whenever I feel the urge I can reach back grab a guitar and have fun. When you are on your own at home no one is judging, and though my progress feels slow to me, it is there and I love it! PS almost 3 years in to my journey, and there is progress however slow! 
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I love your team name. It made me LOL!
Hi Stuart,
I hope by the time this posts, you will have broken through the pain barrier, however, There are likely to be more ahead.
Iâm 71. Iâve been playing for about 5 years and JustinGuitar has been my number one go-to site. At first, I never thought that my stiff, stubby and shriveled fingers, limited attention span, bad vision & hearing- you name it - would get me very far. They didnât- but perseverance did, and soon those fingers, while still stubby, loosened up and toughened. I also got my ears cleaned (something not often thought of) - and I can tell you that alone made a huge improvement in hearing a more dynamic sound range. Iâm posting this because, while perusing Justinâs âFood for Thoughtâ category, I came across a video he did (https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/neuroplasticity-to-learn-guitar-faster-bg-1806 )in which he discussed learning limitations in older people and, how by stimulating the chemicals related to brain neuroplasticity, we can prime our brains to be more receptive to learning capacity and retention. If you think it sounds fringe, I donât blame you, but it is science and after incorporating the exercises (mental & physical) into my practice sessions, I can vouch that it does work. One take away, is to work through the frustration and despondency, however debilitating- and it most certainly can be. Itâs a crucial âpain thresholdâ step in the process that once crossed, releases chemicals in the brain that set the stage for optimum learning. Justin references the Huberman Lab (Using Failures, Movement & Balance to Learn Faster - Huberman Lab ) as his source which discusses the research and results behind it in great length and from a laymanâs perspective. I cannot recommend this highly enough and encourage you to give it a view. Itâs long, but priceless will serve you well in more ways than learning guitar. Learning an instrument is a beautiful gift you give yourself and much of the joy in is in the journey. It cannot be rushed. Keep expectations reasonable. Take baby steps. I truly believe there is not one person on this site who hasnât wanted to pull their hair out at any given moment. You are not alone. Best of luck to you. 
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I have and you are right. Ongoing pain & frustration which is basically OK (it comes and goes) and which I realise is part of this very long journey. A marathon some have called it!
Agreed. I practice something everyday even if it is just for 15mins.
Not seen that yet as thatâs well into grade 3! Iâll have a watch but shouldnât this be in an earlier grade lesson?
Agreed. Just wish I had started 50 years ago.
Thank you.
Hi Donât get down hearted Iâm the same been trying to play for ages and seemingly getting nowhere but if you look back at what you were like when you first started compared to now i`m sure you have made progress i will never make a good player but who cares i can play some campfire songs some easy rock and roll type stuff i am also old 69, the trick is to play music you like start easy and work your way through when i started i could not play power chords or the rock and roll shuffle i can now at the moment i am learning merry xmas everybody by slade and determined to learn it even if its one bar at a time! so keep on plucking
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Stuart learning from memory try Eleanor rigby 2 chords Em and C just practice it or you could try writing it out that helps also.
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I have indeed. I knew nothing when I started but know a bit more now.
Well there you go making progress you could go back to beginners 1 and really consolidate before you move on i am just starting mod 9 beginners 2 and finding it a bit hard but if you donât try the harder stuff improvement will not happen.keep at it donât look at it as a chore.
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That took me awhile but finally he stuck around on the couch. Lol
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This.
I canât help comparingâitâs human. And Iâve been trained to look only up, not downâand thatâs also human. So, I know exactly how it feels, and it feelsâŚdeeply discouraging.
I donât know who said this orginally to me, but it goes something like this:
âYou are what you practice. If you practice feeling bad at your playing the guitar, then thatâs what you get, feeling bad about it, no matter how much progress you make.â
So, I focus on practicing well (not playing the practice well!), and letting the outcome take care of itself. I donât always succeed, and I fall into a hole. What keeps me going are two things.
One is to have a routine, a schedule, and this classâthey tell me what to do, and I simply do it. I know from experience, that no matter how I feel, if I practice something, I will get better at it. If I do the job, the job will get done. This is a choice, not a feeling.
The other, though, is that every so often, I forget about it all, and practice turns into play, and I simply create music, I feel music. Usually, it comes from something very small, very simple. It may last only a minute, for that minute, I simply enjoy without judgment.
I donât feel much better than I did when this course started, but I knowâthis is data, measurable, observable from recordings, not feelingâhow much I have learned in these first four months. I may never post my recordings, but I would encourage you to occasionally record. You may be surprised when you look back.
Another choice I made is that I didnât tell anyone I am taking this class. I think of it as a retreat. Nobody knows, so I donât worry about anyone asking or judging or wanting to hear me play. Itâs just me and the music.
The cat has stopped running out the door the moment I pick up my guitar.
She may just have resigned herself to her surroundings, but I choose to call it progress.
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