Sounds like good progress, Nicole.
There is an exercise which may help with flying fingers: https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/minimum-movement-exercise-te-102
Thanks again for the encouragement.
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Thanks, I might just add this to my mandatory routine 
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I’m glad you’re back.
During the last months when life and work became really exhausting i kind of abandoned my guitar and the community. There wasn’t any energy left for that and still isn’t to be honest. But this monday i wondered what i would have missed in the community and especially in JokuMuu’s journey and how you would be. So I’m really happy there are news from you.
Then i thought “not beeing able to practice doesn’t mean you can’t play your old Rocksmith game with your guitar”. So i get back in touch with my “Paula”, just a bit.
Hope your music school soon comes back from vacation, so your trial can start.
(Sorry for any language mistakes. It feels like mashed potatoes in my brain)
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CJ, I am very humbled by your post. Thank you so much 
It’s sad how life in general, work life, or health issues etc. can steal energy and joy from such a wonderful thing as playing guitar and making music. Catching up on the forum, I have seen that we are not alone with this unfortunately.
I’m glad to hear that you picked up your guitar. Nothing is stupid or silly if it gets you back to playing guitar. How did your guitar get her name btw?
I really hope that this time I will stick to playing no matter what. Maybe having an in person instructor in addition will give me just the right amount of external pressure I need.
(… Hmm, that gave me an idea. To be continued in the next post. Let’s see how it goes)
My guitar is a Epiphone LesPaul Standard Plustop Pro, so i named her simply “Paula”. I know, sooo creative 
There must be millions of Paulas out there…
I’m excited what this would be
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Hey Nicole good to see your update and great that you’ve got stuck into practice since returning. Making good progress as well by the looks of things, long may it continue.
Hope you get to hear some more about the course, as you seemed really excited about it, shame if it does not materialise. Will keep my fingers crossed.
The idea was to make a video capturing where I am now. Do you know BAP’s “Wellenreiter”? Somehow it had come to my mind.
Hmm… Somehow recording didn’t didn’t work out unfortunately. Lesson learned: Never record a video with a phone that’s charging → there will be annoying background noise in the recording. Pity. Sound quality is so bad that I can’t share it with anybody. Some other time then, it seems
Hmm… slow progress. Very very slow 
It will surely materialise The question is when. I haven’t been able to reach them yet. New try next week at the latest. And yes, I’m excited about it and truly scared as well
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did you call the school ?
See above… I’ll give it another try tomorrow.
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Not yet. I’m gonna listen to it.
Damn technology. Then some other time 
… a song from 1982 in Kölsch (which of course I don’t speak )
I learned a lot from these failed recordings though:
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My acoustic is too big for me. One fine day in the future I’ll start the hunt for a smaller one.
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Never record anything as long as you still need the lyrics and chords sheet. Automatize first.
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It’s impossible to forcefully try to recreate a moment in time. I know that song. I have seen BAP perform it live several times. I feel at home with that song so to say. So among the first few times I played it (when I hadn’t even recorded yet) there was an attempt, where my version just flew ( despite mistakes and needing the chords and lyrics sheet). I was so in the moment there and then. It was impossible to capture it again. I got close maybe once and it still wasn’t the same (sound quality of recording, see above)
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Recording when starting to get frustrated is not a good idea. Neither is recording when your phone has 8% accu remaining ( the added pressure of “it has to work now” won’t help)
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I have to train my brain that Bm7 is not A. It’s rather fascinating how often I accidentally played the A chord instead of Bm7 while trying to remember lyrics and chords progressions
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Well made practice routines are all good and fine. But… It’s okay if there are sometimes moments for just sailing away with a new song.
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I saw BLIMMERs drawing lines in the sand before BLIM started and I shamelessly decided to adopt that idea for me. I dislike seeing myself in videos a lot, but it will be extremely useful to document a starting point before I start combining Justin’s lessons with an in person instructor. Accordingly I have to add at least one recording to my Learning Log before these in person lessons will start. Those recordings may be full of mistakes and it will actually be good if they reveal mistakes, because this will reveal what I need to work on.
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Same…I still love her much though…yesterday I ristrung it, sometimes I just feel I would do better with a lighter one.
This is a bit too strict for me, as it takes me ages to memorise songs and I record quite a lot for self-assessment, for the Rhythm mainly . But if you want a “final product” that satisfies you enough according to your level and skills it’s a very good idea to record it once you’ve got it into your memory, that also will allow you to play and sing with more feeling.
True.
True…it keeps us inspired and motivated
This is a very good idea Nicole, do record, be an observer of yourself and self-assess. Recording is really a powerful tool we have to detect what we have to work on more. Especially as we’re self-taught.
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Yes. Exactly the same here. That’s why I am not in a rush with searching. It’s enough to be aware of the problem at the moment
Great to read your reflections and thoughts, Nicole. There’s something to take out of this kind of thinking each and every time. So it’s a great way to turn a “failure” into something really good and fruitful! 
It’s not only okay, it’s really important and keeps us going. It helps to keep our creativity alive and turn practice into fun, too. A super structured routine won’t help if you don’t find some motivation to stick to it. For me, this comes out of the moments when we get carried away from the structure and just feel, have fun with a song or noodling away.
That’s 100 % true and will be a good milestone to be looking back at after a while. 
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I have to agree with Silvia on this point Nicole. Use recording as a training exercise while you are learning and memorising the song. The biggest problem we have recording is when that virtual red button goes on and it all falls apart. No harm in using chord and lyric sheets as a guide while getting used to the fact that you are recording. The more you do the less you think about it and this will pay dividends once the song hits automation mode. Just MHO.
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so true … There’s nothing wrong in using sheets when you’re learning !
It’s the beginner stage/ grades , not the rock band giving a gig
There’s no need to put more pressure on oneself
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Hmm, even my husband was saying something to that extent yesterday “no harm letting the camera run, simply forget that it 's on. What does it matter?”
Well, okay then. All of you might have a valid point. Recording it is then
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All good, Deborah, I will try be less strict with myself
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record yourself but dont put pressure on yourself , you re learning , there’s no point trying to reach perfection
be forgiving you re learning
Agreed Deborah.
Just because you are recording, there is no need to share it with anyone apart from yourself. It is reference point. When you get to stage where you think its ready share, that’s when to post.