I’ve been learning with Justin’s course for almost a year, and I’m somewhere in Grade 3 now, sometimes going back to Grade 2 for things I skipped. Up until now, I felt like I learned a lot, and progressed at a rate that felt good for me. But for a while now, I’ve felt kinda stuck in a weird way.
I know I’m still learning new things like chord melodies and easy Blues and Country stuff, and I’m getting the hang of others like barre chords, and I still enjoy playing and learning all of it. But it doesn’t really feel like I’m accomplishing anything. These are just things every guitar player knows, and learning them is nothing special, after all. It almost feels like I should already know and be able to play these things, anyway, so why is it taking me so long?
I know it’s not logical, and I’ve tried a few things to get out of this mindset, but nothing really helped. So I ask those that came before: have you experienced this as well? How do you get through/around it?
you re rushing things …
Guitar is a lifetime journey , you do not have a train to catch , there s no hurry !
Did you start at grade 1 ?
Grade 1 is 6 months worth of practice and in grade 2 its worth a little more than a year’s worth of practice
If you ve done both in a year , you re already learning fast
your mindset is : I ve joined the track and field club for a year I should already win the nationals !
what is your goal ? why are you learning guitar ?
After the open chords , learning the techniques takes a lot of time
Learning the basics is not so special otherwise , not so many people would fail to stick to learning guitar and everybody would become slash in a couple of years …
Try to look at the goal you want to achieve and not on how much time you re spending to acheive it
I know this, all of it. It’s what everyone is saying here all the time: don’t rush, enjoy the journey, etc. And I am. I love learning all the cool things, I love the feeling of muddling through something for the first time, and then doing it again and again and again until it flows from the fingers like water. I love that process, and I don’t care how long it takes. That’s not the problem here.
I think the problem is I feel a bit directionless. How do you find an overarching goal, and how do you know you’re making progress towards it? How do you know what you wanna work on next, when you have no idea what is possible for a hobbyist because you’re at the start of the journey? It’s difficult to put this into words.
Everyone’s different, but maybe one doesn’t necessarily need one overarching goal but several smaller ones that are easier to focus on.
Personally, I’m not very good at goal-setting because I tend to switch from topic to topic depending on my mood and what I’m interested in. For that reason, I try to focus on songs that I like and would like to be able to play along with the original recording, and I try to organize my practice sessions depending on what techniques are needed for them.
If I can play that particular thing reasonably well, probably even perfectly, then I know I managed to learn something that could be useful later on.
My answer has been to keep learning songs, specifically songs that I really like, not just songs that happen to fit a particular course module. The songs come first, the theory and technique happen along the way for me. It’s why I’m no longer following a course, I’m learning the bits of guitar that I want to learn and not just the next module
You have to be able to enjoy the journey because the road to learning guitar is basically endless, so if you keep looking for the horizon it will become demotivating.
@MacOneill I think I’ve found my answer, after taking some time to figure out why I am annoyed and frustrated that my sister and a friend aren’t as enthusiastic about playing as I am: I want to make music with others. Now that I know, I know what to do (find a local group, band, etc. I can do that with) and can go from there.
@mattswain But have to have a horizon to look at from time to time, to remind you of where you are and what is possible, right?
I’m doing that, too, it’s why I often do Justin’s lessons out of order. I have a good gauge for what is achievable for me in the short- and midterm, so it works out alright.
Thank you, everyone. I think reading about your goals helped me figure out why they don’t really work for me in the same way. It’s incredibly helpful, even if it probably sounds a bit weird^^
@MacOneill It’s gonna take a while because I’m an introvert and ‘ugh, people!’ you know? But now that I know I want it, it’s going to happen sooner or later. Thank you for being patient with me today
These are all good thoughts from reliable community voices. @sevi like you, two years I wanted to learn everything NOW and bounced around some in the JG courses. You have the inspiration, so try to focus on doing one or two aspects of learning guitar at a time until you feel competent at them. I decided last year not to sign up for Justin’s blues immersion course, and rather to focus on learning fingerstyle and playing chord melodies. I also took the Strumming SOS courses. Those things helped me be able to take songs that pop randomly into my nebulous brain and learn to play them, and to start to play little solos. That’s where the fun is. This morning I took a trip back to 1964 and learned to strum and play some of the picked lines the Beatles’ And I Love Her.
What you describe mirrors my comment in the 2024 Top 1 Guitar related Frustrating Aspect topic. I hit a plateau, and feel like I can’t advance. I’ve come to accept that this is part of the journey.
My own story: I had completed Grade 2 in late 2023, was trying to consolidate, and felt stuck - much as you describe. I’ve engaged one of Justin’s teachers to help me through this. It’s been fabulous - the focus is on learning songs, and those songs use techniques that I’ve been stuck on. At the same time, I’m slowly working my way through the Grade 3 lessons, continue to think about theory, and am doing ear training. Now when I hit the inevitable plateau I mentioned above - whether in the songs from the teacher or from Justin’s lessons - I set the thing aside for a while. I’ll return to it, and it’s fresh again. I don’t expect to be an “intermediate” player for at least another year, and perhaps it will be longer. It’s all good - I can play things I never thought possible and I’m still learning, even if I don’t yet play as well as I’d like.
I also found a class through our local community college. I didn’t learn much from class itself, but I did meet a few people to play with. I even participated in a Christmas concert with the group - my first public performance! Be aware, though: each of the folks I’ve met have different personal goals, and most have fairly strong personalities. I’ve chosen to interact as “the new player” and follow their leads even though they go in directions I personally wouldn’t choose. It’s interesting!
I felt like that Eva. The real change for me happened when I started to learn and memorise things using my ear. I’m afraid this will sound weird to many, like “well of course! You’re playing Music, what else are you supposed to use?!” But it’s not something I could give for granted, while I was paying attention to other important aspects like timing or the fretting hand I was not able to actively listen to myself while playing and I was unable to feel really connected with my guitar. I’m not sure I can explain it effectively with words. It’s like feeling the magic of being able to play Music, being in the Music and know what you’re doing note by note, chord by chord…knowing what is to play next because you hear in your mind you should play an A or a G and you just know while you’re doing it, not just because you’ve memorised a chord progression.
Maybe you already are experiencing all this and this not your case then, what I’ve been describing insofar.
I just pause and smile when those occasions happen. Playing songs that I know in my “musical mind” because I’ve been listening to and singing along with them since my teens helps. Knowing the fretboard without having to look too much makes it smooth.
At this point I probably couldn’t play one from memory. To be honest I’m not that bothered as have no intention of playing for anyone but me. It all depends on your goals and motivations.
Hi!
What worked for me was buying the Justin song app after doing his free lessons for 3 months. Playing music that sounds like the song was important to me. I have owned my guitar for 2 years now and also bought justins music theory class when it was 1/2 price. Almost finished theory but for me an in person or online class with an instructor would be preferable. At a certain point it is too complex.
About 8 months ago after watching various other youtube instructors I found a great teacher in the UK for zoom lessons. That has quickly propelled me into learning more difficult songs using advanced chords, timing, finger style techniques that would take forever without personal coaching and feedback.
Find a great instructor who plays music you love. Even one lesson a month ( record them and replay!) is so valuable. Learn basics of music theory but dont get bogged down if not your thing. Just one day at a time. So much to learn so let your heart steer the journey. Many paths to get where you want to go.
