I am on module 9. I am confused with the song choices. Some songs on the app are a slower tempo and some are much faster. The faster songs with quicker chord changes are hard to keep up with at my level. Especially with the new chords added in. I know I can slow the tempo, however, I’m confused about the expectation. Should I be able to play these faster tempo songs at this stage? If I am struggling to keep up, should I not move forward to the next module until I can keep up? It’s confusing that there are some really hard songs and some really easy songs.
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I’d say if you can play it at 50% speed that’s good enough to move on to the next module, when you get to the end of the grade and into consolidation, then you ought to be able to play them faster. That’s my opinion. At the end of each module Justin usually says what he thinks you should be able to do before moving on. I’m in Module 10 and certainly my songs from 8 and 9 are NOT up to speed.
I went on because I didn’t want to bore myself to death doing the same thing over and over. I’m actually still playing those songs, slowly improving on them as I go. I’m holding in the middle of module 10, only halfway through, while I keep trying to get better at those songs and other things that are troubling for me, like certain 3/4 stuck chords.
To me there is so much more new stuff in Module 10 that I may just hang there for a while. You don’t have to play every song listed in each module, either. Pick the ones that help you improve certain skills. It’s why I’m practicing Wonderwall, over and over, and over. I really struggle with Em7 to Dadd11/F#. I’m still not great at it, but I’ve at least gotten up to 80% on a good day. 
Oh, I started module 8 around the end of June this year.
Hopefully, someone with more knowledge will jump in here.
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Peter, I think the only expectation is to play songs. The App is an aid and has a mix of songs that you can pick and choose from, and slow the tempo as you said.
Much wisdom in @LunaRocket’s reply
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I would say no, it’s not expected but more to show what is possible given the months of practice you will put in per GRADE.
I would not expect to play all of the songs shown at the bottom of module 9 given the fact that you’ve basically just started learning barre F chord. I can only manage about 15 good changes now , no where near fast enough to play any song with the Barre F.
Think more along the lines of what is possible by the end of the grade rather than when you start a module.
But…Thats not to say that you cannot do any of them, House of the Rising Sun should be possible again with a plenty of practice though depending of how you attempt to play it. 
For me , I think of Grade 1 & 2 as 1 big module each, Theres such a hugh amount of info to absorb and to achieve that I found it better (for me) to look whats expected at the end of the grade.
For instance, grade 1 60+ changes a min The module lists 8 but furthur reading theres a bigger list of over 20, just do them all. Cram everything in for now, then complete the consolidation when you feel you’re ready for it.
R
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Do what keeps you motivated. If working on staying in the module doesn’t affect your motivation, then that’s cool, but if you are struggling, as all of us do from time to time, move on and keep the motivation going. You can always go back and cover it again.
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If you have absorbed the content of the lessons, learnt the techniques and learnt a few songs using those techniques, even if they are not up to speed yet, I would recommend to move on. Keep the songs on your song practice schedule, speed will increase with time and you will play them better and faster when you progress. Sometimes I think, I’ve spent way to much time on modules as others before moving on. I would keep an eye on Justin’s set standards to move on, keep working on songs of previous modules and plan a adequate time of consolidtion at the end of a grade or at any time you see it as necessary. I think, the app sometimes gives a weird status of what you should be able to play…there are songs or strumming pattern suggestions that are way too easy and others that maybe are too fast for the actual level of playing. The app is a very useful instrument to get into songs, get them up to speed and to work on rhythm aspects or just to have fun. For further “working” on a song, I would go step by step with Justin’s song lessons as they offer lots of helpful advice and information. I understand your confusion very well, I also often have been unsure about that, but further down the line you’ll get a better understanding of where you are!
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Good topic, thanks Peter @bishopsnet for bringing it up.
I have a question about a detail that has been mentioned in this discussion:
Andrea, do you think this had any downsides for your further development of skills? I’m asking because I myself haven’t moved on from module 8 for several months since I’m happily consolidating skills and improving songs. ( I don’t feel stuck with the Stuck 3&4 chords 
)
Good advice here in this thread.
I’ll add, play the songs slowly first. Honestly, any time you learn a new song, on the app or otherwise, start learning it at a slow tempo and then increase the speed slightly when you can play at that tempo. Continue to do that until you can get up to the real tempo.
I took several days off from practicing the songs in the app. I kept practicing the exercises, working on chord changes, and playing a handful of other songs outside the app. I’m going back now to the earlier modules and picking 1-3 songs that interest me from each and playing them.
I was thrilled today. Early on, when I was in the module that For What It’s Worth appears, I couldn’t really play it at all at the slowest tempo. Not when it gets to the quick E - D - A parts.
Today, going back through the modules, I was able to play it at tempo.
As you learn more and keep practicing, you’ll find that the songs you struggled with get easier. I don’t expect to play any song well the first time it appears in a module. (Especially now that I’m in module 9. Yikes!) But slow down when trying them. Continue your exercises and learning. Regularly revisit them. And you’ll be surprised at how good you get.
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Hi Franz! No, not at all! I’m in no hurry and don’t stress (any more 
) about the fact how fast I do certain modules. In the beginning, I was a bit concered, as Justin mentioned several times in Grade one, that it should take you a week to get through a module and I needed longer or wanted to take some more time for a module. I sometimes really felt bad about my “slow” progress. I think it’s very important to get a strong basis of fundamental skills, so I maybe tend to spend too much time on things I can’t improve at that specific moment, but they sometimes improve by themselves, while moving on and learning new techniques. Fingerstyle maybe is a good example…you learn the technique, nail it, can use it in a song, but maybe you are still not on auto-pilot. Moving on or not? Looking backwards, I would say: yes! I sometimes didn’t move on, because I raised the bar too high for that stage and that was the point I should have moved on and lost time.
On the other side, I conciously took a lot of time for some Modules, like the Blues Module. I had so much fun there and wasn’t very happy to leave it . I never regretted. I think it’s about finding out the right option for oneself.
The only downside I see, is that sometimes I consider myself as slow. On the other hand, I think I’ll place a good investment for the future.
That’s the right way to go! You have fun and satisfaction with what you are doing, you aren’t bored, so no need to speed up!
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Hi Andrea! Thank you so much for your detailed answer and for confirming my thoughts. Understood. I will then continue to take as much time for every module as long as it interests me. I feel satisfied when I can apply new skills to songs that I have learned half-way in the past. For example at the moment I try strumming patterns that are closer to the original song. And also I’m trying to improve details that I feel I could have learned better, like the D minor chord , which I now want to apply to a new song. Sure, I’m curious and look forward to learning new skills in the next module. Practice time during the week is a bit limited, but on the other hand I’m not in a hurry at all. Since I see little progress here and there, I’m happy and motivated 
Thanks once again for taking the time to reply, I appreciate it!
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@franzek To be more precise, I always took my time for the modules, but worked in an overlapping way. I didn’t watch every lesson of the module in one session, but added them gradually step by step to my routine. So I was still consolidating some things of the previous module but adding some new stuff to progress. And I use to do some “inner module consolidation”, whenever I feel the need. That might not be the fastest way to progress, but works for me .
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Yeah, that’s what I did as well.
Although I think this is contrary to what Justin suggests. I have the (quite possibly wrong) impression that he suggests watching all the lessons in a module first. But I found that to be way too much at once.
Perhaps it’s a matter of learning styles, which varies from person to person?
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Very interesting to see how you Andrea @Helen0609 and Tom @Tbushell are organizing your learning. I see advantages for both learning styles. Practicing all lessons in a module at the same time has the advantage that we learn a new technique (e.g. a new chord) in several ways: PFC / scale / a new riff / new song.
But I also see the advantage how you both do it - you personalize your practice according to your own needs. 
If I’m honest I’m also having a sneak peak at the F-chord already, to become somewhat better prepared for module 9, but don’t tell anyone 
Thanks for all the support. Moving through this leeson
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Tom, you are right, I think that’s how we are supposed to work on the modules. I had to go the step by step route out of practical constraints. I hardly ever have time and possibility to watch all the lessons at a time at the beginning of a module (there is some life outside my guitar bubble and some other restraints ), so from the beginning I had to take it step by step and I would have done it anyway, as it is, how you say, maybe a little too much at a time.
That doesn’t mean, that I’m learning skills out of context. I usually see all lessons of a module within maybe two weeks, so my practice routine consists of multiple items that work together, but I’m adding them step by step. That’s how it works for me and honestly said there is no choice.
The sneak peaks are quite inspiring, aren’t they? Good on you to add the F-Chord early, it takes some time to get used to. And we all have our little secrets!
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