Hi Silvia,
Priceless …
Thank you for being here 
Greetings 
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…for anything else there’s Mastercard
I send you a big virtual hug Rogier!
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Loved the playing, loved the joyful slideshow, Silvia.
Wishing you the best of everything in '24!
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I’m late with my monthly update… I’ve got a flu 
so I’m writing from under the blankets which is the only comfortable place to stay in such cases - something tells me I’ll be better soon 
CLASSICAL GUITAR
I completed Vol. 1 of the Method I’m following - I’m skipping the short Blues Section and I felt once more free to ignore the suggested songs for the Fingerstyle Accompainement section and chose something more motivating for me. Working out I Will, following Justin teachings and put my ear at work has been most fulfilling.
I took this picture from the book for self-assessment.
Yes, I think I achieved these goals to a sufficient level - anything will be improved along the journey - but as a beginner I think I should be happy with my level and just move on aiming to do better and better.
And this is this month’s video which you all welcome so warmly in th avoyp section 
STRUMMING
I’m really happy of how my strumming journey is going. I took a picture from my practice routine monthly schedule
I’m working on the Strumming Dynamics Course and I just need to spend a lot of time on each lesson. I’ve been consistent and what I can say is that I feel my progress and when my 5minutes exercise ends I most of the times go like “Oh, I did quite well!” So these items of practice will be mainteined for this month too or until I’ll be able to apply these things to songs that are different from the monkeys jumping on the bed or the elephants dancing on the spiderweb 
I re-introduced the Rhythm Book because I perceive it as necessary as veggies are to a healthy diet.
What else? Oh…I’m enjoying so much sharing music with the children , and not mainly on the guitar but mostly through the tales of Little Do Adventures and his family’s stories…some very good classical listenings related to each tale and really a lot of fun! But it’s too long a story, I’ll tell you another time 
I’ve started this week to prepare the musicsheets for our June’s Party, it needs time 
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Ai …here for you 
Nice reading 
All the best, 
Greetings
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Thank you Rogier. I was thinking of you when while downscrolling here in December I found the link to the Time Boxing Lesson and couldn’t help have a rewatch…just have a look if you haven’t already, not because I reccomend it, but because it’s Justin explaining how and why it can be beneficial…it helped me sooo much with my attention flying away all the time and to manage mental fatigue…and it helped also in different areas of my life. Then you can choose you don’t need it, but it doesn’t depend on how much time you have. Just have a look if you can
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Hi Thanks for the repeated attention
I have seen all of Justin’s videos except for a few jazz and funk lessons…you sometimes forget what he has said, 
so I have seen this one ,but when the neighbors have finished demolishing the bathroom I will definitely look at it again 
Greetings and thanks
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How do you say “una vera rompiscatole” in english?
Oh more than once I suspect…sometimes I draw pictures while listening 
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and it`s hell I literally sit there shaking sometimes for minutes at a time and in between it’s just too much noise to listen to a video… I occasionally stand outside so at least I don’t have those vibrations through those 4 wheels…
And…
It’s always nice to have a laugh in these situations…it will also “automatically” become quiet again and then I can start making noise again 
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Thanks for the update Silvia. I hope you will feel better soon 
.
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How good from you Silvia …
here’s a nice sticker 
Love it
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Delightful Silvia
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Update Time
CLASSICAL GUITAR
MENUET EN RONDEAU: let’s just say it’s quite unlikely this will ever be part of my Repertoire! Now, if one is equipped with an economy car he/she won’t run like a Ferrari, right? 
Nevertheless it’s good to push on one’s boundaries and it’s been a good exercise for me, listening decoding it, trying to play it slowly - tapping my foot helped - but can’t get it better or faster than this. Also I can’t play both sections at once, I can repeat the first section but after it I feel like my neurons get on fire. I’ll keep on playing it, as a good exercise and because it’s actually fun. The video is for documenting’s sake…a bit disturbing to the ears you might consider to skip it the only good thing you can see there is that I started taking more care and trying to improve my posture: the guitar is now lower and the neck higher, I hope that will also help to better develop technique.
MORNING HAS BROKEN: more Melody+Chords Accompainement practice @BurnsRhythm this is something you might enjoy to try out (the video is below). The initial intention was to play the melody only by reading, to look at the musicsheet and find the notes under my fingers; from this attempt I realised how inefficient my fretting hand still is and I decided to drop once more the bpm of my Cmajor Scale and practice it without looking at the fretboard and trying to avoid the flying fingers. I then memorised the melody anyway, willy or nilly 
. I started practicing this tune on the Classical Guitar, then I found out Cat Steven’s version and…
STRUMMING
I’m still putting a lot of focus in the way I hold the pick and the sound it produces, I try to make it glide over nicely and gently on the strings…but the little plastic beast keeps on moving I will persevere! Any input on this much appreciated!
I’m happy with Rhythm at this point, also the backbeat accent pattern is coming out fine. I’ve been strumming quite a lot along with the original of Abba’s “I have a dream” and the strumming is fine, but without the backing track as soon as I start singing …it messes all, longer vowels and very often bars of 6 beats 
it’s been a bit frustrating not to nail a song which is only A E7 all the way through with just a D occasionally! Also I can nail those few rests which are so peculiar to the song…but without singing 
…much food for thought here for myself! But Rhythm is improving, no doubt about it
This past month I also prepared the 2 musicsheets for our school party in June, It took sometime, I transposed in order to use a capo and find a half way between the children’s white voices and my colleague’s and my voice…they are very young, they need a solid guidance; I tapped and counted and worked out some Rhythms too: a good musicsheet one has worked out by him/herself is always an excellent starting point!
And…oooh I’m so excited about something really sweet I’m working on! I’m putting at work my little theory knowledge in a very practical way and be able to use it as a shortcut as Justin says! it’s a surprise! Hopefully it’ll be this month avoyp share
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Great log update, Silvia. I always enjoy coming here, reading and listen. I never get disappointed.
The classical tune sounded quite nice to my ears, but looks like a good challenge too. It’s always good to have these recordings in place for future reference. If you intend to come back to it in future, you will surely see some progress comparing to the milestone you achieved here.
I also enjoyed “Morning has Broken”. How you played the melody to your own accompaniment sounded sweet and the strumming is also coming along nicely. 
Can’t advice on the struggle with the pick. Too long ago for me to recall how I pushed through this struggle myself. 
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Great update Silvia!
I don’t know the classical piece, MENUET EN RONDEAU, but your playing sounds good to me. However fast it’s supposed to be, you’ll speed it up the more you become familiar with playing it.
Morning Has Broken will be a good one to play chord melody style.
You are being too hard on yourself about your fretting and flying fingers. It looks good. More importantly, it sounds good!
Holding the pick - it’s a bit difficult to see on my small phone screen and pausing it makes the image fuzzy.
It looks like you have too much pick sticking out. You may also be holding it too much on the finger print. Some say it should be on the side of the finger but I find that awkward. I hold it about halfway between the side and the finger print.
Others with a better screen will be able to give better advice.
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Hi Silvia, I enjoyed reading and listening. You look very dedicated and methodical, I really like how you approach, break down and analyse your playing. Only good things can come out of it and they are very visible. I don’t know much about clasical guitar, it looked incredibly difficult to me any time I watched and listened a piece. You are doing it, so that on its own is amazing. Slow pace and a lot of repetition is nothing odd, I am sure. On the pick part, I can only recommend that you get a few and try to get comfortable with different ones. They all produce a bit different tone and you shouldn’t restrict yourself to a single type. I thought your strumming and sound was consistent and solid, I didn’t have impression you were struggling. The key for holding pick to me is to have light touch, that helps no matter what kind of pick you use.
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Hi Silvia, lovely to read your update and the continued solid progress, you are really diversifying your skillset now which can only be a good thing. You are absolutely right with your comments on your rhythm, it’s looking very smooth and solid.
A couple of brief observations, you seem to be holding the pick quite delicately, almost too much so? Making it glide should come more from the attack angle than a loose grip in my experience, this may be why you are finding the pesky plastic beast moving around. Having said that, there is a skill in repositioning it whilst playing when it does go wonky!! The other thing I’m not 100% sure of is the positioning of the pick relative to your thumb, it’s not looking quite at a right angle which is the ideal. I am sure you have seen this already but a refresh is never a bad thing right?
Always interesting to see you music sheets too, I’m like you , very much a pen and paper person And a final, persitent observation, I adore the fact you are always smiling in everything you post, even when you have commented on getting frustrated in ones before!!
I look forward to the next update! 
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Hi Lisa, thank you for checking my log…I like to record something short every month and post anyway…this motivates me to do my best, no matter what the result is, as long as the process is meaningful to me, thinking and writing the updates helps too to investigate and find meanings.
You’re great at making your guitars sound sweet, I well remember your videos…I guess that you come to a point when you strum and just don’t think about how you’re holding your pick…how do you adjust the pick while strumming if it moves? Do you do it instictevely without maybe even realising?
I thought you might know it as on the book it says it’s a Scottish hymn. But more than the tune I was suggesting to make something like this with any melody you like…even with Greensleeves, it’s really a great exercise, I might even call it a precursor of Chord Melody.
Absolutely - I always start holding a bigger portion of it, but after a few strums it moves away and I’m still unable to manipulate it while strumming. Now it’s only a plastic little thing and I am a human being with will…I guess it’s up to me to make it work! Thanks for your input David!
This is a good idea! I have a few to try out!
This is something I’m working on, maybe I just need some more time and practice. Thanks for your advice.
I don’t think Classical Guitar to be more or less difficult…it’s how you approach it that can make it difficult or relatively easy. And we’re also all different.
Yes, I do it intentionally to get a softer and gentle sound… if it just didn’t move all the time!
Yes, that angle I’m looking for…then right behind the corner I should be able to find my guitar 'sweet spot! I’m going to explore more!
I’m afraid I’m not telling anything new to you if I say that frustrations in life are others…sometime I’m just happy because I actually could find time for practicing during a busy day! Now I’m gonna go grab my acoustic and try those picks and see what I can do…and if I smile it’s gonna be easier! Thanks Mark for checking this and all the good advice!
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Excellent question. 
I guess you are right: I don’t think about it anymore, it just happens automatically, at least while strumming. While thinking and tring, I notice I have a weird pick angle pointing slightly to the bridge, not to the nut. Never noticed that before.
In my opinion, a big part of holding the pick and using it is just a matter of time, perseverance and getting used to it. You are well on your way, Silvia. In a few months time, when you maybe look back again, you will see some significant progress again, as I know, you are someone who can push through and stick to your goals.
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