Exactly what I did…unfortunately you need to be able those barre chords for lots of songs…bear in mind although it’s described as an F barre chord it’s actually just an E shaped barre chord and where you put your barre on the fret board will be the chord you are playing. So if you place the barre at Fret 3 you’ll be playing a G barre chord (as the the note on Fret 3 on the 6th string is G) if you place the Barre at Fret 5 it’s an A barre chord.
April 2022
It’s about 2 years since I started this journey and would say that I am (mostly) enjoying it. Happy to say that a guitar doesn’t worry me. By that I mean I know that I can/could pick up any guitar and play something. A definite improvement from this time last year.
Can just about form the C chord OK now and change to and from it! This has taken a long time due to arthritic hand/fingers. Still can’t get my 3rd finger behind the fret but it sounds OK most of the time!
Now working my way slowly through Grade 2 modules 9, 10 and 11. Full barre F is a major problem. Can just about form the chord but changing to and from it is a problem. Find my thumb having to move a lot.
Sus chords are also a problem as my pinky finger just wont play ball and sits in front of the fret and not behind the one it is supposed to.
Had a go at finger style and can just about play Everybody Hurts. Do find that Happy Birthday is way too complicated though. Have seen the tab on the lesson but don’t understand why you need C, G and F chords for this as it’s not chords but plucking strings.
Don’t get Re-Active Listening, as all options sound OK to me! Mind you my ears are shot so that probably doesn’t help.
On the positive side I am playing songs and have a number at various stages.
Looking forward to another year of practice and playing.
See you in a year😊
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Thanks for the update, Stuart. So happy to read of progress, more enjoyment and less frustration. You’ve worked hard and persevered, when you might have given up. Inspirational. Keep at the new set of challenges and in time you will conquor those as well.
Good to see you making progress Stuart.
You’ve weathered the storms of frustration and plateauing and are still hanging in there. Good to see a positive outlook, with more can do than can’t do. Its a long old road we are on and there will always be difficult patches. Just pleased you have hung in there and came out the right side on this stage of your journey.
Cheers
Toby
Good learning log and glad to see you are making progress Stuart. I am another that can relate to your struggles, about how long it can take to make the progress we want. I do enjoy playing and know I am improving, but wish it was faster. Playing every day is definitely enjoyable, but lack of progress maybe explains why so many people gave up their efforts when they were younger. It is certainly not a hobby that provides instant gratification, much more of a longer term thing.
April 2023
I started to write this update a few weeks ago but in the last couple of weeks my Dad of 92 years has died. It wasn’t unexpected but was still a shock so things have been a bit raw and busy sorting out the paperwork, etc. He died peacefully due to Alzheimer’s and dementia having been bed bound since Christmas last year. He was happy to go as believes that he is going to a better place. The guitar has taken a bit of a back seat.
It’s about 3 years since I started this journey and would say, as last year, that I am (mostly) enjoying it, although there have been quite a few frustrations along the way.
As @sairfingers has noted in his log “Guitar is a long term learning project and I’ll be saying the same thing this time next year. I’m travelling the long bumpy road.”
Still working through Grade 2 and am about up to Module 13. So two modules in a year!! To be honest this is OK as I have had a major diversion into the blues and the pattern 1 of the Minor Pentatonic scale. Finding this post First Steps in Blues Improvisation using Minor Pentatonic Scale Pattern 1 has really pushed me to explore this more. Probably to the detriment of playing songs which have taken a major back seat at the moment. The 4 in a line, 3 in a line and note skipping exercises are great and can just about do these consistently. Have started to improvise licks and riffs, which I know will never be at the speed of others, but more slow and steady.
Been practicing string bending with the repeat of switching between target note and the one I’m bending exercise and using the wrist not the fingers. Muting the bend at the top is not there yet!
Have also started looking into vibrato & curls using the similar technique of wrist (not just fingers) as bending, and including both into licks.
I also found this lesson https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/using-blues-licks-effectively-bl-406#learn-more which is quite a bit further on from the lessons I am at but nicely links up with the above, and have been learning the “Example Solo” that goes with it. This is great fun.
Also recently founds triads (as a question from one of @Richard_close2u excellent posts, most of which I didn’t understand !!) which look interesting. Not sure where this is going to go at this point.
Can now do the full barre F chord (up & down the neck) which seems to have come (in the middle of last year if I remember correctly) all of a sudden. No idea what I changed to get this.
I am now trying to get the chord changes from F which are giving me some grief at this point. Am at high 20’s which is not really OK for songs!
Started the Music Theory Course and have passed Grades 1 and 2 and now onto the paid lessons. Still working my way slowly through Grade 3 but finding it confusing.
I did try to record myself but not managed to satisfactorily do this as I generally practice with the volume low which then doesn’t’ get picked up. May have to look into a Scarlett interface, or something similar.
Bought myself a second-hand Boss DS-1 distortion pedal which is great fun!!
I still have no desire to perform whether live, for friends/family, OM’s or AVOYP. It’s just not something that I am comfortable with, and just thinking about it brings me out in cold sweats!! Not being able to sing probably doesn’t help.
As I have noted I have just about stopped playing songs as part of any practice I do, as the blues bit is more fun at this point.
I’m looking to finish Grade 2 and progress Grade 3 this year but happy to go wherever practice takes me.
On a sperate note (!) my grandson decided that he wanted to learn Seven Nation Army for some reason so I leant him one of my guitars and off he went. He can play this really well with one finger and plucking with his thumb. Trying to get him to practice chords & get him more interested but he was given a new mobile phone for his birthday in Feb so this has taken a back seat!
As usual I don’ have enough practice time as the pressure of life (work and my poorly mum) will always impact on this.
As usual thanks to Justin and the team for the excellent lessons and thanks to you lot on the forums. I know that I don’t post very often as feel, at this point, I don’t have enough expertise to comment on peoples technique, etc.
Looking forward to another year of practice and playing.
See you in a year😊
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My condolences on the loss of your Dad, Stuart. I can relate having experienced pretty similar a few years ago. And when you add a poorly Mum, I can empathise with the impact that has on one’s energy, which ripples through the rest of life.
I’m heartened to read of your progress and enjoyment in working on the blues improv. I have followed your progress from the early days, related to the frustrations you’ve shared at times, the challenges, and happy that you keep right on. The rate of progress and the range of abilities developed is not what is important. I think finding joy in the learning and playing, at any level, in whatever way suits you, is what matters most.
So bravo, hoist a glass to celebrate another year, and keep on keeping on!
Hi Stuart, I feel very sorry about the loss of your dad. My condolences.
Interesting read through this update. Even if you didn’t finish Grade 2 this year, you made a lot of progress and got a lot of experience. We all are on this long, long road and everybody does it in his own way due to individual circumstances.
There’s no need to apologize for the one or the other. Nobody should feel the pressure to post anything. If it’s not in your interest to post a video or play for other people, that’s absolutely o.k.
And I think or hope, nobody here is rated for the number of posts he does. The only thing is to enjoy playing and learning, to get some satisfaction out of it and hopefully the community will be a support for this. I wish you a very enjoyable 4th year with your guitar, have fun and enjoy it!
Great update Stuart. Your stickability does you credit as I remember some quite downbeat posts from when you first started learning guitar. Well done on pushing through and getting there.
You say you don’t post much as you feel you don’t have enough expertise. You’re quite wrong on that count. The experience you have in getting where you are now is something that would benefit many of the others who post here on the Community.
As for a reluctance to perform for others, particularly singing, that’s not important as you clearly enjoy doing what you’re doing and that’s the important thing. In fact following the Blues improv route is ideal as you can learn some instrumental stuff and when you get something under your fingers you might have the confidence to play in front of others as no singing is required.
How about showing your grandson some simple licks and explaining to him the principles behind them. Playing in front of him and explaining what/why will give you both a lot of fun.
My condolences too on your loss. Losing parents is unfortunately a fact of life but no less distressing when it happens.
Sorry to hear about your father Stuart. Sending my condolences.
Good to see you hanging in there despite the ups and downs. And good to see that you see you’re in for a long haul. I think Justin said once, “the more I know the more I realize that there is much more I don’t know”. Something like that, so don’t quote me. There will always be something new to learn no matter how far down the road you get. And as longs as you are on the road, that is all that matters.
Stuart @Stuartw
Sorry for your loss,I know too well the feeling even if it is not unexpected it does come as shock.
Michael
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Hi Stuart, sorry to read about your loss.
What you have already posted, your determined battle to conquer the C and F chords and other stuff, may have been already useful for someone here in the community.
You can post as often as it works for you. Nobody here is required to participate beyond what he or she feels compelled to (or has the available time for).
Same for posting AVOYPs or participate as a performer in the OMs. You can play the guitar for your own pleasure and not necessarily have to perform for others.
About the time spent on the modules my own experience is that I’ve been practicing Stage 9 of the Beginner Course for almost a year now and I still could need some more weeks before exhausting what I can get from it. So no rush for me to move to Grade 3. Even I’m planning to stay a while in Grades 1 and 2 as part of the consolidation of the Beginner Course. So as far as you’re enjoying it and helping to develop your playing I can see nothing wrong in staying in a module until you see worthy move to the next.
Indeed and on with another year of challenges and, no doubt, frustrations.
You never know.
Have tried that in a small way but his new phone doesn’t help!
Always happy to have a go at something new to see if it fits with what I am doing at the moment.
Still enjoying things and looking forward to another year.
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Hopefully. Down to perseverance!
The modules have taken a bit of a back seat at the moment. May come back to them later. Time will tell.
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I’ve made peace with my ability to learn, my drive and discipline to practice and so no longer experience any significant frustration. I do sometimes feel a moment of (unfavourable) comparison and envy coming on and squash that as quickly as possible.
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The same. Gave up a while ago worrying about others progression. Doesn’t do your head any good!
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It doesn’t 
No it didn’t, thanks. It just boils down to me spending more time to the lessons. It’ll stick at some point.
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