Thank you so much for your support and encouragement!
Tonight I played the same song (last kiss) twice to warm up. Made further notes and I noticed some improvements since yesterday especially with the timing. I did made note of the fact that I do randomly miss some strums but I generally am able to keep in time and continue thanks to Justin’s lessons and strumming sos course!
Then I spiderwalked 5mins some different variations
Did my OM changes for 6 min (Am to F and D to F) I was able to get over 25 per minute now.
For my 10 min strumming practice I decided to strum through the song again twice and then do muted strumming with the same tempo at 112per min.
This time playing I observed why I may be missing the strums… I think I was struggling to keep the guitar good and parallel and when when it tips forward or backward I miss the odd strum… I’ll keep an eye on it.
This song I feel I can confidently play from memory now. So there’s 1/5…
I finished my session with 5 min practicing the F chord shape up and down the neck.
5 min music theory (note placement review with the theory app)
Had a great practice yesterday. Using this same approach of integrating the song. I love it.
I decided to try a different song to keep in fresh and went with Knocking on heavens door. It’s in my grower songs category.
I did 10 min of song practice and worked through t the chords and more so the strumming which kind of makes this song.
5min spider walk variations
5 min om changes with (Am to F and D to F)
10 min strumming. I really focused on the song strumming pattern slowed down at first and then gradually picked up speed to full time
5 min on F barre chord forming up and down the neck
5 music theory note review
Practiced the chord progression of the song again and played through
Total 45min
I’ll practice with same song again for my next session or two to keep improving it
I played through Knocking on heaven’s door a few times.
My observations:
This time I picked up the strumming pattern a bit better. I still miss some strums but I keep going in time as best I can and get back on track.
I’m not as good at changes to Am (just in general) so I think that’s going to get some attention in my upcoming week of sessions.
5 min of spiderwalk. (I like this exercise a lot) Doing two different variations of this. One where I work across from fret 5 to 8 and back each string. Then the other I do 5,8,7,6
So it’s finger 1-4-3-2. Then I go up and down each string. It’s a nice slight increase in difficulty. I stay patient and don’t rush. I work on the pattern slowly and the goal is no buzzing or missed notes. Then I progress in speed once I get it sounding clear and smooth…
5 min OM changes (F to Am and D to F) I’m going to modify this a bit today.
10 min strumming (I basically played through the song again and focused on the strumming pattern and chord transition)
My 5 min barre chord practice (forming the F chord shape up and down the neck) this getting faster
5 min of theory practice
on the app (all note identifying practice)
Played through the song a few more times and it felt a little better!
Later in the day, I got to playing around with the guitar again trying out a few new songs just for fun. I definitely have a song searching / learning addiction now. Probably not the worst thing as long as I don’t forget to improve the ones I am currently working on.
After that, my wife and I went out with our friends to karaoke, and we all sang our hearts out till 1 AM! A fun Saturday
Another good couple of practice sessions. I’m really enjoying the song integration of the sessions.
I stuck with the same song for the last couple of sessions since it’s the strumming pattern I’m trying to nail down especially. I’m seeing improvement in the pattern and the chord switching is getting cleaner. Also I’m making a conscious effort to hit the correct strings only. That’s improving as well. I think I should make that a goal as well.
The last couple of sessions were the same with some emphasis on theory since I did a new theory lesson after practicing my note locations. Enjoying theory! Not finding it boring or tedious at all. In fact it’s helped me make sense of so many things.
Guitar has been an obsession for me the past while. I’m really enjoying it. It’s like my escape from stress and life challenges and something just for me.
I reviewed some videos from Justin as well on practice and the different areas to work on. This has been a helpful guide. I really thrive on structured learning so I love the course layout. But being stuck at the end of beginner one has given me the opportunity to build a song repertoire. Which is an important part of practice. I specifically chose a lot of songs that could be good. “growers “ and build on overtime with various things like more complex, strumming patterns, embellishment, note picking accents, etc. But for now, I just work through them with the strumming pattern and keeping the timing consistent as best I can.
Also, it’s really helped me consolidate the skills that I’ve built. Initially I know that rhythm will be one that I will really just continually hammering out in practice forever. Since my main goal is playing to accompany myself singing (not playing in a band)
Yesterday I split my practice up into two sessions and got a lot more time in.
I was up early this morning and I decided to do some exercise’s that weren’t too loud. Didn’t want to wake up the house.
I did the following without a pick and just did strumming with my thumb and it was pretty quiet.
5 minutes of spiderwalk
5 minutes of chord changes Am to F
5 min of F chord up and down the neck
5 min theory review
Then in the evening I did strumming practice and some song playing
I also recorded myself again. It is very telling indeed… I’ll have to figure out a way to share them soon.
I played through Last Kiss and Perfect.
Then I finally moved on to grade 2 and watched the first video on stuck chords. Wow 5 new chords right away! Awesome
A belated welcome to the community.
Had a read of all your posts, and you’re doing very well mate.
You sound like an organised type of person too, which is a big bonus.
Just keep sticking close to Justin’s lessons, and reach out here anytime.
Well I’ve had quite a weekend so far. Lots of practice Friday and yesterday.
I use the practice assistant on JG site and I was reviewing my hours earlier in the week. My goal was to put in one hour a day of practice, but that does prove difficult. So adding that morning practice does help a lot.
I’d rather practice a few short sessions throughout the day then one long session I believe that’s more effective to commit things to memory anyway. Realistically, I know I have at least one evening per week that’s too busy. That’s just life and it will happen.
Now that I’m learning new modules again I added a practice item called “watch/review” videos. I think I will do some technique practice and the scales in the morning and then do my song practice and strumming/rhythm work in the evenings. (When I can make more noise) I’m an early riser even on weekends so this does give me some time right when I wake up. I’ll give my practice routine another tweak and share it on here.
AM routine should have:
Spiderwalk
Scales
Perfect Chord changes practice
New chords practice
Barre chord practice
Theory review
PM routine should have:
Song practice
Strumming excercises
New lessons/ video review
If anyone has any suggestions I’m happy to hear them…
I am too, but my family isn’t. At the weekend, I can’t even think about picking up my guitar before 11:00 a.m.
I can highly recommend JG Motivation Club with Lieven’s videos on singing and playing. Sooner or later you will be singing and playing in front of an audience, even if it is only your family and friends at first. Contact with the audience or a running camera requires additional attention, which is something you will have to manage. You could perhaps slow down the progression to more complicated patterns a little now and instead bring the techniques a bit below the level of consciousness. Play simple things that come easily to you, but do something while you’re playing, record yourself, sing from memory, perform for your wife and make eye contact, maybe make a little joke while singing? Playing for a nice audience is a lot of fun and very motivating.
You are making good progress and optimising your exercise routine. I admire your diligence and hope that you will stick with it and very soon become a very good performer. Merry Christmas.
I got a lot of practice in on Saturday and Sunday and I created a new routine. Still it’ll need tweaking a bit.
I’m enjoying module 8 so far. The E minor Pentatonic scale I’m practicing. Also still getting familiar with the new “stuck” chords. Looking for some songs to utilize them still.
Also love the new strumming pattern lesson! There’s at least one song I was learning that uses the pattern and that helps me understand it better. I’ll be doing a lot of this pattern in my strumming practice. So cool.
Muting strings while playing, I can tell that’s going to take a lot of time and focused effort. But all in good time with practice no doubt…
AM practice today:
5 min spiderwalk
5 min E minor pentatonic scale
5 min chord changes
5 min barre chord practice
5 min theory review
PM practice today:
Started with song practice and reviewed Justins lesson on the song “What’s up?” 10min
5 min chord perfect changes
10 min new chords practice
10 min lesson/video review
10 min strumming practice
5 min of the same song
This was a lot tonight and I enjoyed it but I think I still need to change some things. It’s a bit excessive to do regularly.
5min spider walk (trying different variations now)
5 min e minor P scale
5 min chord changes
5 min barre chord practice
5 min theory (note placement review)
All in all I think I with stay with this AM practice routine as it is for now.
Had a great Christmas and Boxing Day with friends and family and I still managed to get a lot of practice in. I took a good amount of time off so I’m sure I’ll be continuing to enjoy lots of guitar practice over the next week.
My AM routine and PM song based routine are loosely blending together or spreading out throughout the day since I don’t have work right now. It’s nice to grab my guitar just whenever i feel like it throughout the day and practice something. Or I will have it in my lap while watching Youtube and just pick away a progression or scale…
Still fighting my “new song searching addiction” lol. I don’t think song repertoire will be a problem for long!
I am still tweaking the PM routine a bit. There’s a lot to practice now with working on the new module. Justin does start the beginner 2 series by saying these modules may take longer to complete and gain proficiency at.
One change I’m making for now is going from one minute changes to practicing full chord progressions instead. Not just generally, but for songs I’m working on. It’s more purposeful and I already do OM changes in my AM routine.
I now understand with this module (8) why just about everyone eventually learns Wonderwall. It really does utilize all the stuck chords in the lessons (except the F variants) I personally don’t hate the song and I’m not sure why everyone else seems to. I liked Oasis a lot in the early 2000’s in my teens and 20’s… Sadly it seems they let their success go to their heads and it really magnified their egos. I remember when they became known for rude public statements and awful stage antics more than their actual music. Sad. Still they wrote some great songs.
This song will be the meat of practice for me with those chords for the next little while. I had already started playing around with 4Finger G chord and Cadd9 for another song and they’re awesome tools.
Lot’s of potential challenges I can see but one especially will be string muting. I know thats going to be another gradual skill to build and a comfort thing over time.
Well, thats enough rambling for now. I’m off to practice!
Yesterday’s PM practice was based around Wonderwall as planned.
10min review lesson
10min review stuck chords (practiced chords for the song)
5min practice chord progressions of the song (just in order, not worried about the timing in this)
10 min worked on the strumming pattern while muting the strings)
Strumming this one was really awkward so tried slowing way down and it was still tricky. I’m still completely new to the 8th strumming rhythm. And this a pattern unique to the song I think. It finally started to click at the but I’ll have to practice again tonight…
5min spider walk in different variations
5min E minor pentatonic scale
15min of one min changes with F barre and Am, and F barre and C
5min theory review (all the low fret notes without flats and sharps)
Observations:
I’ll need to watch some vids on different spiderwalk variations. I’m at a point where I’m making my own…
With the scale I’m getting comfortable with it and I’ll try it a bit more with a metronome and try to stop pausing at the top and bottom, or adding an extra note there accidentally… also, the muting of strings, I suck at it so far, it will take time.
I realize I am still early at the game to be practicing barre chords since it’s not even added until next module. But I’ve been practicing making the shape and chord changes to and from it for quite awhile now.
It’s because I saw so much content about guitarists struggling with barre chords. Or never learning them or even quitting over them! So decided no harm in 5-10 mins per day on just making the F barre chord shape. As well as chord changes.
Usually I make the shape repeatedly up and down the neck. And I do changes for the Am and C to it. Today I was doing well with just the changes and decided to just stick with that and see if I could push a new 1 min record with both.
I got C to F: 42 changes in 1 min
And Am to F : 45 changes in 1 min
It’s really starting to click. But still needs work.
