Keep up the updates and good work, Rachel, you are doing great, right on track in progress and approaches!
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So, Not doing to bad I think at 2 months completed.
I’ve made a few recordings now but I’m surprised at how low the quality was so I may have to re-process them again tomorrow.
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Well, not a good practice today, nothing I did felt right. I finished the set material anyway but oh my, I couldn’t get comfortable, couldn’t hold the pick nicely or hit the strings decently.
Just one of those day I feel where the practice could have a lot better, felt very scrappy, never mind, theres always tomorrow. 
I’ve completed 9 week now and feeling like my 3 month mark to complete Grade 1 might go past a little lol. If it does I know it will be for the best , better foundation and all that.
R.
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Just caught up with the previous update and sampled your sneak peaks, Rachel. Looking and sounding good.
As for today’s update, we all have those days. When you find it is going that way, perhaps change it up and do something that is just fun. Or if life permits, go have a cuppa, and come back later in the day. If you have a regular practice routine happening and happen to miss a day every now and then that is nothing to get upset about.
As for setting time limits on completing courses, I know it is a big deal in goal-setting, the proverbial SMART goal (Specific Measurable Action-oriented Realistic Timed) but for guitar learning, I’m not a fan. Making estimates on how long it will take to learn new things and reach an appropriate level of proficiency is shooting in the dark. I think setting and tracking the process is more important, coupled with being able to trust the process. You can trust Justin’s process, following it will enable you to become a guitar player. How long it may take is neither her nor there, just keep at it and you’ll progress.
Based on the clips, you are making good progress. Stay with that, slow and steady, and you’ll complete grade 1 achieving the expected level of proficiency in due course. Enjoy the process.
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Good advice , Thank you.
R.
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I realise now that even though I know the material for grade 1, the consolidation is so so Important.
Working on my consildation for Grade 1, so far i’ve chosen 3 songs of 5
1). Whats up by 4 non blondes.
Why. Having purchased the strumming SOS, I’m going to put it to the test in this song.
the pattern is as follows for this piece
1e&a2e&a3e&a 4 e&a
D…_.DUD DUDU UDU - Hope the formatting holds here lol.
Chord progression is
G ( Am , C , G , G) - repeat brackets until end, watch for last few bars as tempo drops.
Slowish song at 66bpm but a challenging strumming pattern for ALMOST. ! the entire song.
Currently in the App.
2). Last Christmas by WHAM!
Why. THAT DREADFUL Dm is the bain and has to be mastered…!!!
Strumming is old Faithful :), strumming SOS comming in again
Chord progression is
C C Am Am Dm Dm G G , repeat to end.
nice tempo up’d to 105
Currently on App.
3). Hometown Girl by Josh Turner .
I hope I’m not biting off more than I can chew here.
Why. Push chords( I think I heard Justin call them that), well gotta have challenge , right…right ?
Strumming again Old Faithful but the challenge in the strumming the the chord change played on an (up mid beat) , I think so anyway. !
Chords D Em push and C with a D push, that is a tough one and is very difficullt at grade 1.
Temp mid speed at 79bpm
Something like…
1+2+3+4+
D . Em played between beats 2 and 3 on the first up stroke and
C .D same , very difficult change.
Currently on App.
Another pitfall in the piece is a half measure C snuck in at 1m22s, really tricky and I’ve not managed to get it right yet.
All in all, this is going to take some time with short measures, challenging strumming patterns , Push chords and the akward Dm thrown in for good measure , HAHA boom boom.
What have I got myself into, I can safely say that this is going to take a couple/few months to be at a level that I will be satisfied with for the consildation part of grade 1. I’ll be so chuffed if I do it.
Wish me luck lol…
R.
PS. I’m pondering that the 3 may be enough for grade 1 and not the 5 expected due to the complexity of each piece. Thoughts
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It just gets harder from here. I’d recommend at least sticking with Justin’s guidelines, maybe learning more than 5
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Stick with it Rachel and you will get there!
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Dang it, lol
R.
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Wow, love your breakdown on this! 
Agree with going for 5 (or maybe more?). Why not push the boat all the way out! 
Keep it up, Rachel! Cant wait to hear how these go 
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That makes 2 of us.
R.
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Love the update, Rachel. You are so right on the importance of consolidation and not to rush that stage between grades.
Tip my hat on the attention to detail given to the songs you want to work on for consolidation. A good selection that are representative of what you’ve learned in grade 1.
As for 3 or 5 songs, I think you can be a little flexible. I think what is important is to use all you’ve learned, to ensure you have eveything integrated and can play songs, make music.
If you find yourself feeling that things are getting monotonous or tedious working the 3 then you could add a few more.
And once you have played the songs to the level you are aiming for and move on to Grade 2, I’d encourage you to continue to make time to learn songs that make use of the grade 1 chords.
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Here I am again and 10 weeks done with only 1 missed day, very please.
Practice regime for now is as follows.
Alternate string picking , about 1 minute.
All chord practice 3 mins minimum, A-D-E-Am-Em-Dm-C and various forms of G + occasional Em7
Strumming - End of week 3
Tap my foot to a song
Muted first beat 1 min at approx 60bpm
Mute 4 beats @ 60 , 80 , 100 & 120 bpm
Pattern D DUDUD @ 60 , 80 , 100 & 120 bpm
Pattern D DU UD @ 60 , 80 , 100 & 120 bpm
Chord progressions for song consolidation sellections with pattern
D DUD DUDU UDU @66 bpm
G , Am , C , G ,G
Couple minutes practice
Old Faithful , D DU UD @105 bpm
C Am Dm G
Couple minutes practice
Old Faithful , D DU UD @79 bpm
D , Em , C , D - Em & D are pushed chords in hthis pattern (slow n steady here Rachel. !!)
Not figured how to best practice this yet.
Rachel.
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Thoroughly.
I miss not having an instrument to play and have so often thought about going back to my piano. Worst of all is I no longer have the recording of myself playing from all those years ago and that is a tragedy. Thats is lost and can never be regained, so new instrument time lol…
I’ve read all the past comments about adding more songs, not less lol. So be it
Thanks all.
Rachel.
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12 week, wow, already
Felt like a good day today, completed to songs at full tempo both using old faithful and good enough to record hopefully next week.
Last Christmas by WHAM!
Nobody Leaves A Girl Like That by Jon Pardi
Two proving to be harder each time I try are
Hometown Girl
Whats up
I may concentrate more on these when I have the previos 2 recordered , timings are much more complex for these.
Just in my Meh, SO SO category is
Silent Night , Taylor Swift
Still , feel like things are going ok. Happy with that.
Rachel.
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That’s some amazing time you’re putting in Rachel, good for you… What’s Up is a really good song for improving with, the repeating strumming pattern and the G to Am move is a big one to get right consistently.
Keep it up, you’re doing great
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Thank you.
It is, more so on the accuracy of my chords, I cant quite get my fingers accurate enough to not not mute a string and wonder if im being over critical. I’m pretty sure Justin says get your fingers in the right fret and on the right string. I can sertainly play all of it but not happy with the quality I on the chords rather than the strumming lol.
Rachel
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And another week bites the dust lol.
The last couple of week felt a little rough with a few interruptions to my regular practice time but couldn’t be helped when your partner wasn’t well. I’ve notice a slight backstep because of it, minor thought it be. Today session was a little better.
3 month complete now and thats something to feel very good about.
R.
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3 months is indeed a significant milestone. There are ebbs and flows in playing to so don’t worry or beat yourself up about not being able to play as much as you like.
Sounds like your doing really well!
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