Hi everyone,
I’m about 3 months into learning electric guitar and currently in the consolidation phase of Grade 1, starting some early Grade 2 stuff (like Wonderwall chords).
One thing I’m struggling with is motivation when it comes to songs. A lot of the beginner songs, even using Justin’s app, all end up sounding very similar, and almost nobody recognizes what I’m playing unless I tell them the song. It often feels like I’m just playing background rhythm parts, not something that really “sounds like the song.”
I’m really looking forward to learning power chords, because it feels like that’s when a lot of recognizable rock songs start to appear. But I noticed power chords only come a little later in Grade 2, and I’m wondering why that is.
Another thing is that I have a hard time learning songs if they’re not in Justin’s app. When I try YouTube or other tabs, I often feel lost and not sure if I’m practicing the right version.
So I wanted to ask:
Is this normal at this stage?
When did you start playing songs that people actually recognize?
Does that usually come later with riffs, intros, or power chords?
I enjoy practicing and I know I’m still very new, but sometimes it’s a bit discouraging.
Any advice or song suggestions would be really appreciated.
Thanks
Hello Victor & Welcome!!!
Yes! It’s quite normal (assuming that guitarists are “normal” people!) at this stage in your Journey!!!
You are currently at a junction where a lot of people walk away… close to making music that sounds good & is recognizable but feeling a bit discouraged that you’re not Better than your current level. Throughout the process of learning - which never really stops - you will have ups, downs & plateaus along with some things that are easier than others… the best advice I have is to keep the “fun factor” very close! Find what brings you the most joy in playing & if you’re feeling down, just go to that “happy place” for a while & let your batteries recharge!!! I remember feeling what you’re feeling several years ago, really ready to give up, and I was playing a Van Morrison song - not singing along, just strumming the chords. I was thinking about how awful it sounded when my daughter poked her head into the room and said, “Brown Eyed Girl, right?” It was the first time anyone knew what I was playing without me telling them & it really inspired me!!! Keep on keeping on, Victor!!!
The other thing, Justin’s been teaching guitar for many years & has a lot of success doing so. He’s teaching us in a manner that allows us to use our current skill set to learn the next level. So if we stick to the lesson plan, we will be ready for the next lessons! That said, it’s ok to take a peek ahead to lessons that are of interest to us!!!
Good luck!!!
Tod
Welcome to the forum Victor.
Like Tod, I think it’s quite normal at this stage. I was a bit discouraged because I could have been playing any song and my wife didnt recognise any of them - including Brown Eyed Girl 
What I found is that there are some relatively simple songs that do sound like the song because of a distinctive strumming pattern. The breakthroughs for me came with One by U2 and Put your lights on by Everlast and Santana (no Justin lesson for that one) and Free Fallin. But they are possibly still a bit difficult for you at this stage. But hang in there and it will come.
The other thing I did is to start singing the songs.
Best, Ian
Basic strumming is best accompanied with singing to make for a recognizable song.
it takes a bit to get into the point where you’re playing recognizable songs without the need to sing along.
Dude, play Wild Thing. It sounds like the song. Another one is Louie, Louie.
The reality of being a guitar player is that even the lead guitarist in a band plays rhythm 90% of the time. There aren’t many songs that can be recognized by simply hearing the rhythm guitar part with no one singing the melody. The only time I can remember my wife recognizing a song I was playing was For Your Love by the Yardbirds. (I play along with YouTube songs with headphones on so she can’t hear the recording.)
yeah. I’ve played them both. neither song really gets me excited to play, though.
A favorite of mine for the past year and a half or so is “It’s Good To Be King” by Tom Petty.
I play it pretty much like this. Unfortunately, Justin doesn’t have a lesson for it. The rhythm has a nice swing to it. A private instructor taught me to play it about a year and a half ago. This one is a pretty good intro to songs that have relatively easy picking parts combined with a couple strumming variations. My private instructor taught me a variation on the intro that’s exclusively on the high E string. Same notes, but more approachable for a beginner. I have switched over to playing it as written here because I like the voicing better.
ITS GOOD TO BE KING CHORDS by Tom Petty @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com
I need to work out the solo after the 2nd chorus so that I can play that when I play this song with my wife. She does the rhythm while I play the intro and the walkup riff after verses 1 and 2. When I finally perform at an open mic, this will be one of the songs.
Thanks for all the comments so far. I will keep practicing and maybe add some power chords for fun too.
FWIW, I think power chords are introduced a little later because doing them well requires good muting, not because the power chords themselves are hard.
As others have said this is quite normal. The issue is driven by the fact that a simple chord progression does not necessarily imply the melody of a song, and unless it has a very distinct strum pattern and chord changes may be easily recognised.
In grade 2 Justin introduces Pink Floyd -‘Wish You Were Here’, an old school classic some might say, but it’s instantly recognisable by many. It has an intro that is a mix of riffs with strumming, followed by a short but challenging solo for a beginner, and the a 4 chord verse and chorus with a tricky strumming pattern, in fact Justin simplifies it for a beginner as the original strum pattern varies between verses and chorus and also verses. It’s what Justin calls a grower, a beginner gets to stretch their skills and start to play an easily recognised song, and can add refinement and detail over time. I am still working on it more than a year later after picking up a guitar after a 20 year break.
Power chords have there own challenges IMO, they require good finger strength, and if at the nut end of the neck the ability to maintain a stretch, doing to much early in can cause tendon pain in my experience, so if you do have a go gradually build up your hand strength to avoid injury. you also need accurate picking skills and develop the ability to dampen the stings with unused fingers. For example if playing D5 power chord at 5th fret you would dampen the 6th string above with the tip of your index finger with it fret D on string 5 fret 5, and lightly resting your 2nd or 4th finger on strings 3-1, your 3rd finger would be fretting str4 at fret 7. The next challenge is to move that up and down the neck maintaining that so all chords sound out cleanly with no other strings ringing out. And to switch between fretting chords on strings 6, 5 & 4 with the index finger. Power chords can be used as an introduction to barre chords, so might be worth trying out if wanted to. But I would also advise sticking with Justin’s course as well.
You could try ‘Schools Out’ by Alice Cooper, it starts using power chords at the 12th fret(I think) and the verse and chorus uses them up and down the neck, there are also some very recognisable fun riffs. It may be a bit of a challenge, just break it down doing on section at a time and start slowly and gradually increase speed.
Have fun:guitar:
Hi @virokbr, your question comes up from time to time and I struggled with it myself in the past. Lots of good comments already made in this thread, but I thought I’d list some of the other threads on the same topic, which might also be helpful:
I never have and never will be “normal”. Whatever that means anyway. 
The rest has already been said. Keep at it. Don’t give up now.
Keep playing and practicing.
This is all very normal. The first full song I remember learning that was recognizable without lyrics was Give a Little Bit by Supertramp, and I didn’t get that song fully flushed out until near the end of Grade 3. You will certainly start playing more recognizable stuff in Grade 2.
As a Grade 4 learner now, I can tell you that following thru Justin’s Grades 1-3 teaches you the right things in the right order to build your finger skills and musical knowledge, no matter what style of music interests you.
Hi Victor
same prob my wife and I like the same sort of music so when playing a song she usually asks what’s that until I tell her she does not normally recognize it,I think this is due to when people listen to music they hear the whole band not just the chords also I know the song others may have never heard it plus I can hear the band and singer in my head when playing, as for power
chords I don’t think it will make much difference, if I played cocaine to my 20yo granddaughter she would not have a clue or you got me ( kinks) Its a difficult one if you play songs to people who have never heard them then they won’t recognize them, just hum the melody most will recognize that.
Honestly, I’m a year and a half in and feel the same way about recognizable songs and singing along. The only saving grace is that there are a bunch of songs and progressions that i just find fun to play whether or not anyone else would know what i’m doing.
As an aside, for recognizable simple songs, you can’t beat yellow submarine and house of the rising sun.