Great advice, Justin. Thank you!
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Hi Justin, thank you for all these lessons. I completed the course up until this point around a year ago. Over the past year I played all my favourite songs (to thr best I can) learned a lots of new things like all kinds of bar chords, a little bit of music theory, one or two John mayer songs and lots of other things. Then one fine day listened to John mayer soloing and decided to come back here, did the blues and rock module again and now I think I want to learn blues, mainly because of John mayer but also listening to Eric clapton these days. To all the people I would I higly suggest to go out and explore for a few months, listen to new songs, try learning them, try singing them while playing and see that you can play almost any song out there (at least an easier version) with the skill set you have now. Again, thank you Justin for these lessons.
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Whatās the blues and rock module you refer to?
The introductory modules in the grade 2, module 12 and 13.
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Trying to think about what my practice routine will look like for consolidation. When I think about the question āwhere do you want to go now?ā, the obvious answer for me is fingerstyle and learning new chords. Iād love to see what your routines were if you felt the same by the end of Grade 2.
Cross posted with my learning log.
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Aww man, I wish I had a teacher who would give me such advice when I was learning to play the piano as a child.
Justin saying most people get stuck at this stage is so true 
I have been here from when i was 12 and was given a guitar and a book. Turning 50 this year. Playing on and off at this level all these years.
I have now written down a list of 12 songs which i will try to nail. Will see if i get to the next lesson this time.
I enjoyed every single lesson so far. My elbow is still upset from the powerchords, though.
Awesome course really. Thank you.
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Surf music here I come!
Having a difficult time determining when I should move on to grade 3. The consolidation video at the end of grade 2 indicates that I should spend 3 to 6 months. Recommends that I determine where I wanna go. But like Justin, I like a lot of different music, I can go from country to rock to acoustic folk to pop. My musical taste is all over the place. I touched on everything that was taught in grades 12 and I am reasonably be proficient in 2/3 of the subjects. Where I lack is power cords which seems to always hurt my wrist and finger style. I find difficult. Unfortunately, some of the music I like, requires those skills. Is the consolidation more of get reasonably good at everything that you want to do or is the consolidation determine which direction you wanna go now. Either way I find it difficult because I like rock but my power cords suck. I like some music with finger style, but my finger style is not good.
I guess I can summarize my question to this. Is consolidation be reasonably practiced towards the direction I wanna go or is consolidation just determine the direction I wanna go. Since I like a lot of different kind of music that sort of points me towards I need to be reasonably proficient in just about everything taught. If I need to be reasonably practiced in all my interests, I feel that Iām going to be stuck consolidating for a year if itās just determining what things I can let go for now and focus on other things I feel I can let power chords and finger style go.
Right now, my practice routine is tightening up some different chords and adding a few chords for songs I want to play, the three scales that were taught, alternate, picking, and adding twiddles to songs that I have practiced more. I feel like Iām not learning that much other than getting a little bit better at some of the music I like to play, but I donāt feel like thatās stimulating enough, but Iām afraid if I move onto too quickly, Iām gonna hurt my journey.
Thoughts on all of this?
Hi Brent,
Iām probably not going to help you much with all, but letās take a try 
. 
Grade 3 is also in the beginner course and combining that (starting) and looking back sometimes in grade 2 is also a way.
You clearly say that you want to look furtherā¦avoid boredom and keep it fresh and funā¦I had difficulty playing āhappy birthdayā when I got to some blues arrangements in 3ā¦when I learned that, all the fingerstyle beginnings were easyā¦sometimes going a little further and stimulating the fingers and brain can help.
While I was going to grade 3 I played maybe some days 5 hours a dayā¦ so I guessed it could be shorter than 3 to 6 months ā¦
My interest also flew (and flies) in all directions, there is so much fun to learnā¦ luckily Iām into blues a lot (and fingerstyle helps there a lot). I also like rock, and that started with bluesā¦ itās all somewhat connected. 
Keep it fun and always look a little further over the wallā¦especially a lot if you feel like youāre not making progress or youāre boredā¦
Have fun ( yes yes ) 
Edit:
Nice question and it took some time to drop in my dutch brain 
if you only dream of 1 style, the basics are still the most important ā¦ Grade 1 to grade 3 to learn I mean (there are of course exceptions, as Justin also says somewhere to learn some things for very specific directions)ā¦ but even with a clear preference, for example for only wanting finger style blues someone will not spend months toiling on power chords ā¦ so I think it is very normal that you āconsolidate in one directionā ā¦ but do not underestimate the added value of some lessons that certainly donāt seem fun. for someone like you with a broad interestā¦ still ā¦keep it fresh and fun
And to be honest I went through everything too quickly, but I know where I can look back
Now I am done I hope ā¦and hopes that it helps a little
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The way I understood it was to focus on the items covered (chords, scales, strumming & techniques) considering your musical preferences to keep it fun and exciting. For example if youāre not into fingerstyle then thereās no point working on it. If you love rock music then learn a few rock songs that you really like to consolidate chords, strumming and techniques etc.
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Both can be true at the same time. In the context of the course consolidation means to solidify the things you have learned.
Play the music you want to play. In that process you will find there will be certain skills you need to do more work on and other areas that donāt come up as often.
Moving on wonāt hurt your journey. You can always return to the beginners course if you find you need to relearn a skill. The journey will always be up down and all around, it never goes in a straight line.
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@OldGreyBeard Hello Brent!
I am learning guitar almost 3 years and now I am in consolidation stage Grade 2 too. I would like to offer you little point of view from someone who is going through thatā¦
When I started I focused to Grade 1, after that I abandoned Justins learning system and focused on fingerstyle for longer time, because I did not like playing with pick too much. I learned some techniques, chords, rhythm and patterns mainly from Paul Davids, some Joe Robinson and few smaller ābarksā over the YouTube. After some time I started to feel I am missing some basics, because I could play some advanced beginner fingerstyle but nothing much with beginner pick.
In the beginning of 2026 I abandoned fingerstyle and focused on Grade 2, so I am here around 3 months. I did some lessons here after Grade 1, but not much.
And it feels much easier then before now. I could learn bar chords, power chords, some theory, techniqueā¦ much faster, because I learned it on my fingerstyle vacation I had. I was learning it hard way - watching all episodes of Columbo while drilling over and over one phrase in fingerstyle. Great times. More to come.
I take Grade 2 as mix flavoured taste of techniques and genres that I should try and even I know my focus will be for fingerstyle in close future, I tried everything here and made little final exam list of what I should do. There is lot of technique and topics covered from Grade 2 here, but you can make it simple. Just take what you enjoy and work on that.
Most important thing for you right now is to sit down, take sip of coffee or tea and think about what Grade 2 gave you, what you enjoy and work on that, because you wanna keep that.
I picked following and with this I would like to do my final exams:
Edit: On my journey I found everything is connected and it is magic. So I know while I am working on scale or power chord slideā¦ it will make me better even in playing fingerstyle, because these skills are connected in musician way. Could start talk about the rhythmā¦ if it makes sense, but there is much more in that.
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A good goal for this grade would be to really nail down several songs that you enjoy plaing the most, recording them and putting them out somewhere.
Since Iāve been trying to get the Grade 2 Modules practice items and songs really really well AND enjoying it all, I think I might do this for consolidation. Also, checking out other Grade 2 song lessons that I missed. So, couple weeks for me and move on, Iām too eager to learn whatās next.
Itās been amazing 3.5 months. Looking back at the first lessons of the Grade 2 itās hard to believe that I learned and pretty much nailed down so much so quick. I canāt recommend Justin Guitar enough and structured learning as a whole
I had great fun with everything, but the most with incorporating simple barre chords and weak finger G, improvising, songwriting, power chords with fuzz, blues and fingerstyle