Here's a suggested practice routine including everything we've learned in this module!
View the full lesson at Module 15 Practice Routine | JustinGuitar
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My feedback:
I feel the suggested practice routines are one of the most valuable things for me. Keep on doing them and nope, you are not talking too much. Any extra input on practice is super helpful. Keep up the great work!
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For those of us trying to split the 60 minute practice into 2 days, does anyone have any opinions on how to do that?
We could take the 1st then 2nd 3 parts on aleternate days or cut it down to 5 minutes per section and alternate within that.
Anybody have any success stories working within such a timeframe?
Thanks in advance, D
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Regarding technique, barre chords are the area I have to privilege. Particularly with songs that employ them intensively, my left hand can’t still do the work properly…
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Hey Justin - just to say your this grade 3 course and all of your lessons are fabulous - I use your songs app, am doing your music theory course and am bouncing between bits of grade 4, the old grade 3 lessons and the new grade 3 - so much fun and I can’t believe how far I have come over n 18 months (I can actually play and sing along to about 50 songs that I love) and I know I am only scratching at the surface - and I am making donations as I go - thank you for all your work
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Hi Jon and welcome to the Community, looks like you are making good progress.
You could share some of those 50 songs by posting them here. It would give some encouragement to folks just starting out. 
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Let me start by saying what a big fan of Justin’s gutiar course I am and how well it worked for me with the short modules, the songs, the practice sessons and all the supplementary material. I used to stick to the practice sessions through the first two grades of the beginner’s course and they really helped me make progress and practice on a regular basis.
However, with this new practice session, I have the feeling that it does not work for me this way. Justin also mentions that it might be better to transcribe once a week for a longer period than 10 minutes every day. I feel similar about most of the practice items in this module. Finger gym probably works well 5 minutes every day. But for knowledge/theory, transcribing, jamming with someone/capo for two, but also repertoire revision and playing along with songs it makes more sense for me to devote half an hour once a week to it than such short time spans every day. How do others feel about this?
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Hey MarioD - welcome to the community! I’ve been struggling with barre chords too, after 18 months. Well, I haven’t worked on barre chords for 18 months. My entire journey is 18 months old. So whenever they were introduced back in grade 2. I can play them in isolated ways fairly well now, but switching between them and open chords is still ridiculously slow. Slow and steady improvement, though. Keep at it!
Cheers,
Vinnie
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Hey zarrudi - welcome to the community!
You know, you know best about your learning. But I’ve also seen what following Justin’s advice to a T can bring. I’m going to trust him on this. I used to not practice piano when I took lessons. I’d play around and I’d practice longer once or twice a week rather than doing shorter sessions every day. And I play poorly. So in learning guitar, I decided to pratice a little at a time. Sometimes in learning something new it feels like I’m going backwards, and then pushing forwards. But what I’ve realized is that I’m pushing forward all the time, even if sometimes I can’t see it. There will be good and bad days, so I try not to judge every minute. I evaluate every week or two, go back to easier stuff and see if I can do them better, and invariable I can. That helps me to see my overall progress.
There was one lesson that said to practice easy campfire songs, intermediate songs that still require work, and dreamer songs - songs that you’re not quite there yet but will achieve someday. That’s also a good guide as to whether I’m improving overall.
So for me, I plan to establish a routine, try it for a month, and re-evaluate after that, see where I’m at.
But I get your impulse for longer practices for some items. Do what works for you! Justin’s system got us this far. I for one intend to see how far he can take us.
Cheers, and welcome again to the community.
Vinnie
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Hi Vinnie! Thank you for kind reception! I am improving my performance with barre chords by practicing every day. I will get there, but it is like a new Job for me, and quite hard! Thanks again! All the best, Mario
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From this Grade 3 stage… am i right in saying that we should have all completed the Theory Stages 1 and 2 already like I have done and we should be looking now at the Theory Stage 3 (MAJOR SCALE THEORY & KEY SIGNATURES) as well to accompany this level we are on??
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Chris
PMT is not mandatory but learning theory will help you to some degree in the long run. It won’t stop you being able to play but will makes sense of how certain things work the way do. However, treat them as separate entities and plough on with the main courses. PMT can start to get a bit heavy so don’t let it hold your playing development up. No issue if you don’t pursue it or it lags behind.
Hope that helps btw Welcome to the Community.
Cheers
Toby
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Hello and wecome to the community.
This is kind of a tricky one because the Major Scale is tackled in depth from Grade 4 onwards. By all means if you have the time and want to progress with theory now, then go for it. It will prepare you for what’s to come. However it might help more if you hold off a bit until you reach Grade 4 and do it in tandem with the Major Scale Maestro lessons. It’s totally up to you, the information is out there to use as you please and it’s not for me or anyone else to tell you what to do with it.
Grade 3 is chock full of challenges in itself so won’t hurt to have a theory holiday as you work on other things for now. As Toby said they are two separate entities.
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That helps for sure… thanks for getting back to me… I appreciate it.
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Thanks Dave… I will look into PMT Grade 3 and take on what it has to offer… but for sure I will not let it stand in the way of the main lessons and actually playing.
Thanks man!
Chris
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I’ve been playing since late December and am at grade 3. So roughly 5 months. Got through most of grade 2 about 5-6 years ago and then stopped. So not brand new to guitar entirely. Am I moving at a good pace?
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There actually is no pace. Everyone works at their own speed everyone learns at their own speed. Have you played lots of songs applying everything that you’ve learnt in the first couple of grades. If yes does the pace feel good to you. If no learn some songs and evaluate your progress then you can decide whether it is too fast or too slow. Whatever it is best of luck on your journey just have fun and enjoy the ride.
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In which category do finger picking and strumming pattern fall?
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Ha! I genuinely did break my fret arm (ulna bone) and hit the theory hard 
Also, I did not need to do physio because the guitar playing did all the exercises to get my rotation and flexibility back. But I do have an arm about as strong as a kitten’s lick now.
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@MarioD Mario, welcome to the Justin Guitar online community.
I had problems with barre chords in Grade 4 when the songs were played with just barre chords. I realized that I had not practiced enough with power chords introduced in Grade 2. In Grade 3, my plan is to play songs with power chords on both acoustic and electric guitar. Playing songs with just power chords will help with developing strength and endurance in the hands and fingers that will help later with barre chords. I also am playing songs with just power chords to be able to quickly play any chord on the sixth and fifth string for any fret.
Good luck with your continued success and enjoyment of guitar.
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