This is brilliant I have just discovered that I can write a log of progress this is really going to help with motivation. But as I am already ploughing ahead most of this for now is going to be backtracking I hope that’s ok. Reading back through emails I started the first Module on 5th May 2022 and I am now just finishing module 10 at La Bamba.
So what’s happening along the way, looking back to module 1 holding the guitar has been harder than anticipated, certainly it’s contributed to poor strumming and chord changes at times, definitely a tendency to tilt the guitar and loose finger hold, however I found the solution a couple of weeks ago this being a foot rest I realised I being short was not getting a particularly good seating position and this was causing backache but with one foot on the step I can hold the guitar straighter and more comfortably. Ok I do miss looking at my fingers but that was the cause of the problem.
My first song was Ain’t no Sunshine love that song and as the key was the same on JG as original Bill let’s me play along with him on U Tube via Chordify.
Chords so far for the most part have been fairly accurate save for bad F known in guitar circles as the F, but I am going to leave the bad in front. I can play a perfect F in fact I didn’t have a huge problem in finding it but as soon as you say F my fingers just slow down to around 10 bpm, so I am trying to rectify this with daily practice of C major chord progressions, that seems to be helping but I reckon it’s become a bit phycological its F for fear I think.
Strumming was a huge issue in the beginning I didn’t think that had any hope but surprisingly practice with songs has pulled it into line and although I can’t put that many patterns into songs yet I am getting the hang of them with a muted fret board it’s the 8 strum patterns that are still somewhat elusive at the moment but I feel progress is positive.
My second song Wish you were here, now I can’t sing but the first time I played this I was crying my eyes out holds a lot of emotion for me this song and has become a huge inspiration to progress. The intro I can play but I don’t play it to time, I think I could I just I like to play it gently for myself.
Now we come to Harvest Moon playing with old faithful strum pattern this has become a successful daily play I bring in a 4 heavy down strum on the last A chord of each a sequence when he sings On this Harvest Moon I find that really works what do you reckon?
My focus now is trying to polish my playing accuracy in changes still a problem, timing is pretty good, strumming can still let me down. So it’s accuracy now that I must focus on.
My song sheet consists of the following apart from the 3 already mentioned.
Spooky
House of the rising Sun
Candy
Dreams
You don’t love Me
Luka
Although I struggle with dreams due to F but these are all quite tuneful and practiced daily
As I move on I’ll tell you what songs I am going to tackle next
At my current position in the course my issue lies with push chords I have done the lesson 3 times and nope still can’t get that chord half a beat early. I have to think about this and find a way. I hope this is a good start to a log and if it is I will update regularly if that’s ok
These dreams will come true……with practise!
The learnings logs are a great thing to look back at down the road. You’ll marvel at how far you’ve come and how bad you were when you first started! 
I struggled with the F chord when I was learning. Took months before I could play it (full barre) cleanly. So worth the effort.
Sounds like you are doing great, Mark, following the path, making progress, learning through practice and playing songs. Keep doing what you are doing.
A quick update I finished module 10 yesterday, to be fair I haven’t mastered or even comprehended push chords, but I am not going to forget I just incorporate that element into my practice now, so I think it’s fair to move on, otherwise you can get too frustrated with a single element. It was good though with the end of module practice regime I definitely absorbed more than I had anticipated, I felt quietly confident afterward.
I get very excited when a new module looms and last night it was very warm I couldn’t sleep so at about 2.30 am I was (without guitar) watching the first couple of lessons, I often watch the lessons without guitar as I find Justin very easy to watch and listen too.
So this morning I was keen to try the embellishments of sus chords which on the D were pretty successful. I’ll watch the lesson again now with guitar.
An update to my song list
I’m my own Grandpa ( actually I am someone’s great Grandpa)
Guitar Man
Comfortably numb
Hallelujah
Dirty old town
Dance the night away
These are my projects for learning
I also subscribed to the Blues Lick app when I started and I have grasped the TBone Walker lick but not to a great speed yet but it’s been a good practice element.
Still slow with F changes I am guessing one day I won’t even remember this or I’ll only play songs without F hopefully the former 
I cannot believe what I have achieved in 3 months with Justin, it’s almost learning subliminally, I have thoroughly enjoyed it, what I would add is unlike most teaching methods if you do get stuck there is so much more that you can or have achieved you don’t focus on the negative. Just return once you’ve improved.
Any way that’s it for now
Thanks for the update, Mark. Lovely to hear your enthusiasm and that you are making good progress.
You’ll notice I moved this post to add it onto the first Learning Log topic you created. The convention we follow is to have a single topic and just add your subsequent updates as a ‘Reply’.
Hi Mark, good you are enjoying the practice and the songs you are playing. Keep working on it (and enjoying it).
Hi Mark sounds like you are making good progress and having lots of fun along the way. It’s been many years since I heard dirty old town that was one of my favorites sing-a-long songs. I’m going to have to look that up on YouTube now for a listen.
Hi all
So last update was July 31st, and I was doing so well , everything felt good and I was moving along nicely. Well it was a very hot summer and to be fair I had promised to decorate the house this year, but had an accident at Christmas which stopped me walking for 3 months. Thus finally started the decorating and my music slowed for that and the heat, but also I was loosing enthusiasm and struggling particularly with rhythm so my course progress slowed I think I am around module 11, I couldn’t get accuracy, sure the chords were there but the accuracy of change wasn’t, maybe at 60 this is it I thought, started to drift away a little. Then I saw that there was a dedicated rhythm course with Justin! Well that has to help. NoNo it didn’t help well it did but not for good reasons. You see in the first few seconds of the 1st video all my pitfalls were revealed. I am a bit thick I admit life till now has been a struggle but at least I haven’t tried to run the country, however I had up to this point literally been playing the guitar across the wrong leg, so my arm was to far away and the tendency to twist the neck back was huge so nothing was ever going to get better.
Unfortunately this revelation was soul destroying because trying to correct was not easy and it’s taken two or 3 weeks to start getting a couple of songs played and start to feel more at home with the position. Some good points are F is so much easier than it was my foot rhythm is now great, plus although not playing full songs ,my chord changes and accuracy are so much improved the tone is really improving too.
I am sure no one out there will take any tips from this as I doubt there is anyone as daft, the good news is I managed to con decorating my music room and picked up a great LP rack pus a comfy new sofa, so life is good again and my guitar journey continues.
Well Mark as demoralising as it must have been to read the recovery in playing g since your revelation is quite uplifting! It is quite amazing you struggled for so long in what must have been such an awkward position!!
No matter though, what’s important is that the guitars in your hands again, your playing is picking up and that, as you say, life is good again.
Onwards and upwards from a fellow Mark! 
Delighted to read your update, Mark. The past is beyond you and you can continue to progress and build on all the improvements you have been experiencing recently.
The room looks great as well, some fine LPs on the rack and of course guitars and amp!
Hi all it’s been a while but I am still here sticking with it everything back to normal with guitar sitting in the correct position, so I have progressed toward the end of beginner 2 although I feel that waiting for beginner 3 on the app has delayed my desire to leave 2 yet so I do spend a fair bit of time backtracking just to make sure I have understood.
I have delved into other areas and can play 5 or 6 bar chords pretty successfully now plus I have learned scales and major chord patterns up and down the fretboard this has given me a chance to increase my finger hand strength. I enjoyed the 12 bar blues and re worked the piece adding some grace areas of my own which works well. I have just started putting scales to a backing track with a modicum of success. So how do I feel? Well I reckon my timing is pretty good , my ability to strum creatively isn’t bad my strumming itself still needs work and I guess time practice under my belt. Chord accuracy I think is pretty good and challenging myself in the songs my best achievement is McCartneys young boy playing with Chordify my Justin songbook now totals 105 favourites may need to start culling a few but you do learn so much craft from each one I feel. Good news wife bought me a beauty for Christmas, so that progress for now. Thank you for reading
Hi Mark, just read your whole learning log and I am glad you overcame the challenges of being “daft”, everyone is daft about something and recovered from your accident. Sounds like you are doing pretty well now, and that is a lovely looking instrument from your wife.
So it’s been a while since I updated my log but although I am sure no one reads it as it’s so sparse, it has a therapeutic effect and I can put in one place where I am at.
Firstly I haven’t quit. To be fair apart from one huge error I listed in a previous log I haven’t wanted to quit so I am 18 months down the guitar road with better vision as to how long it’s all going to take, years not months which is good as often when learning something you set a goal but this is a lifetime hobby now.
I have completed Justin one and two I still back track but for the most part it’s done with the exception of power chords as I don’t have a huge enthusiasm but will sort that shortly. I can play all major scales and minor scales up and down the fretboard, that sounds probably much more flashy than the reality but it does mean I have started to improvise over jam tracks in different keys although there appears to be a reluctance for my fingers to venture more than 3 notes from each other, but it’s a start and pleasing progress. Although this wasn’t part of the learning so far actually learning scales stretched the hand dexterity so whereas I could play an F barre and G barre I have moved toward A barre and C now although C still a bit hit and miss,
I am playing songs with barre chords now but still a bit robotic changing from say F barre to C not smooth but as I know it’s not smooth I reckon it’s just time.
I would like to think 12 months from now my scales will produce good smooth improv, at least a plan.
The biggest area I want to improve now is acoustic, I really struggle with it I find it clumsy but there is so much more I want to do with it, therefore I am going to try and tackle Justin 3 using just my acoustic.
So there we are I’ll try not to leave it quite so long next time
A good read Mark, good to hear you’re making such good progress. Some nice guitars up on the wall too!
With the F to C barre cord changes, I practice doing F to G then G to C for a while first. I find my hand/ fingers get used to moving from fret 1 to fret 3 and once on fret 3 the E shape for G to the to A shape for C, I just lift finger 2 a little and lay down my little finger to make the barre across strings 3, 4 and 5. Once that muscle memory sets in, it becomes easier to go from F to C barres.
Good to read you’re still progressing 
it can be tough sometimes so I’m glad you’re still having fun, keep at it 
Hi all it’s been a while but the good news after 2 1/2 years I am still here Now I believe that in it self is an achievement as many give up in the first 12 months so I’ll take that thank you. So hope you are all well I have had a couple of set backs mostly ridiculous health issues, I got sepsis in my index finger ahhh really I have never felt pain like it. No idea how no marks or cuts but boy did it destroy my finger so it’s been a bit slow coming back to play from that. It’s still an odd shape and doesn’t bend quite as easily but I am sure it will be ok soon. I have started part 3 of the beginner course on the app ( I love the app) I am stuck on the muting rhythm I haven’t got the hang of it yet I have watched twice but non the wiser which is a pity as I love to play CCR so really want to get to grips with it. I have put much more effort into playing acoustic over the summer I finally found an acoustic guitar I could handle which sounds great and I love the difference of playing acoustically. Talking of sound I have noticed a sort of negative positive to my progression in that I now know when things are wrong ie tuning playing a wrong chord or even worn strings all is now noticeable. Suggesting I know what I am doing 
i can even detect fret buzz and fix it. I have deviated a little from the learning path in that I have learned all major and minor scales and I can pretty much find a note on the fretboard ish. I try a lot of play along and I mean a lot probably not good but I love to try something new. In fact I was devastated when Justin reported about the Don Henley fiasco as I was in the middle of really going to town on an Eagles repertoire to appease my wife as she has been a life long fan I even bought her the vinyl box set, it was my way of getting my gear in unnoticed. I have even got a goodish Hotel California. I am really excited about the clubs as I don’t see anyone really so for the chance to be involved I can’t wait to learn from others. I popped a new picture up please note there are at least 3 dogs in that picture and even then that’s not all of them. Oh and lastly I can play bar chords now even on the acoustic but come on what idiot though that was a good place to put Bm come on have a heart, ill definitely leave it less time to update again soon so if anyone reads this thank you 
