APRIL 2025
Another year gone so here’s my round up of last years practice.
So I started Grade 3 in April ’24 and decided to spend a month of each module and then consolidate after that, with the intention to spend 12 months on Grade 3. I’m recording my thoughts/comments to each module as I go along. This is going to be a long read so if you get bored no worries.
APRIL 2024
Grade 3, Module 15 – comments written after the module.
• D chord explorer was fun & used in songs!
• Linking guitar chords using scales not so much. Fingers not quick enough to make this sound OK in any reasonable time.
• Finger Gym (aka hammer-ons) – Use this is warm up a lot.
• Mindful Listening – Don’t have the time to be able to do this. All a bit ‘knit your own yoghurt’ for me. Perhaps I’m just too cynical!!
• Guitar tone – good. Learnt more about settings on the guitar. Some I didn’t know!
• Transcribing - just not for me!
Barre chords practice, incl. changing between chords. E and A shape. I still can’t change between open and barre chords at any speed that really allows me to play songs. So frustrating!
More songs.
MAY 2024
Grade 3, Module 16 – comments written after the module.
• Timeboxing – good and mostly use it.
• Easy shapes up the neck – use this in songs (Hurt)
• Rolling chords – too fat fingers! Never really got this.
• How to play medley - A bit like transcribing I may just have to admit that I’m not going to get this! Tried ‘Let it Be’ but couldn’t figure out what the first note was!
• Amp & Settings – good. Learnt a far bit from the forum discussion.
More barre chords, incl. changing to/from open chords.
Back to the blues!! Back to this one First Steps in Blues Improvisation using Minor Pentatonic Scale Pattern 1 and this one https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/beginner-blues-solo-bg-1304
More songs, incl. those with the F chord.
JUNE 2024
Grade 3, Module 17 – comments written after the module.
• Goals & Destinations – Well my original goal (call it long term) was to learn to play guitar & you could say that I have achieved that in that, yes, I can play guitar. Granted not very well and not as good as a good few on the forums!
I have no ambition (as of 06/24) to perform a gig or for friends or at an OM. Just happy to keep learning.
My short term goal is to complete this module in a month, with each module in a month after that.
My mid term goal is to complete Grade 3 by April ’25.
No idea what my long term goal as never really had one. I’ve found that I like learning techniques but don’t always know what to do with them.
• C shape explorer – No real issues with this one and use a lot of these in songs.
• How to Pick Individual Strings while Strumming – No real issues with this one apart from being slow! I like the idea but not really sure where to use as it changes the songs!
• Thumb & Finger Strums – Kind of got this although could never work out what just was doing with the fleshy part of his thumb on the down strum as it seems to be sat on string 6. I could only do this with my hand off the strings.
• Easy triads – Confused me to start with as the lesson was using finger picking & not strumming. The discussion on the forum helped me out! This is such a large topic that I then investigated triads more with the help of @Richard_close2u Vintage Club #6 and #12 resources. Very helpful.
• Guide to Reverb – Excellent lesson. Just need to experiment more!
• Transcribing Easy Riffs – Wasn’t able to do this on any of the songs, even with the hints. Not having the answers doesn’t help. AS I noted in this thread Transcribing Easy Riffs - #31 by jBreck “Justin notes “In 30 years of teaching, I’ve only met one student who couldn’t hear the pitches and couldn’t transcribe.” Well, I think that I’m number two!”
JULY 2024
Grade 3, Module 18 – comments written after the module.
• Open Tuning Basics – Tuned down my second electric to drop D but didn’t manage to do much with this in the end. Will come back to his.
• Legato Pentatonic – Can just about do this slowly (70bpm) all the way through sounding Ok. Still needs lots of work and is still in my practice routine.
• Solo Blues 1 Lick-in Riff – Didn’t get very far with this in the end. Just about got the Intro and Chorus1 but not to any sort of rhythm. The notes/chords just didn’t really flow together. It doesn’t help having to figure out the new chords and changing between them. OMC’s helped but not much.
• Triad Chips – Have found this to be generally OK with shape 1 and have also been practicing with the other two triad shapes from other lessons. Been trying to play the songs from Vintage Club #12.
• Transcribing Open Chords – Following on from last month I didn’t even watch the video for this!
This months practice also picks up some of the items from modules from previous months.
Not much song practice this month although I have started to use a metronome more. Didn’t really use it before.
Managed to connect up my new amp (which was a very generous gift from a senior member as my old one stopped working) to my pc so now am able to listen to backing tracks/videos through my headphones as well as the guitar. As part of this I have been doing a lot more C major scale improvisation on the thinnest three strings. At times it still feels like playing random notes. I guess that at some point this will make some sort of sense!
AUGUST 2024
Grade 3, Module 19 – comments written after the module.
• 3 Types of Songs you should Practice – Because I don’t really play songs, well I mean I do, but I’ve never really thought of them as different categories. To be honest I would have Wish You Were Here as a ‘dreamer’ song even through Justin seems to think that it is easy.
• G Shape Explorer – Good lesson with a lot of different variations of G.
• Learning to Sing – Err no thanks. Only watched half of the video. I have never really thought of singing because, bottom line, I think that I am tone deaf. I also don’t have anywhere to practice this if I wanted to!
• 4:4 Fingerstyle Pattens – This was a good lesson and managed to learn the 5 patterns OK. On the back of this I then investigated @ Richard_close2u vintage club lessons 7, 10 and 15 and had a go at Dusty Wind which is not a song I have heard of, or heard for that matter! Investigating fingerstyle more now.
• Guitar Pro – Watched the video but as I don’t have GP then didn’t do anything else.
• Transcribing Power Chords - Following on from last month I didn’t even watch the video for this! Very little point.
I finally bought an Audio Interface (Behringer UMC204HD) connected to my amp/guitar and pc. Still need to work out how it all works as it’s not quite set up right yet! The intention was that I could hear a backing track and then improvise over. Not sure how this is going to work yet.
Have been improving more using the A Minor pentatonic scale and BT’s!
Overall this month I have been practicing a lot of the other Grade 3 modules including triads, linking chords with scales, legato, etc but still struggling to see how they all fits with songs. At the moment it just seems to be learning new skills but not knowing how to apply them. I’m guessing that at the end of the grade it will all become clear!
SEPTEMBER 2024
Grade 3, Module 20 – comments written after the module.
• The Spacing Effect – I try to keep to the 5min block for practice but doesn’t always succeed! To be honest I’ve not really tried this with songs as have found that I haven’t been playing songs that much recently, although have been trying to learn licks.
• Lifted Barre Trick – Initially I found this really hard as the angle of my wrist was really bent so was getting pain. I have found that I can’t keep my wrist straight for a full barre chord (even raising the next doesn’t help) so that doing these chords was an issue. I have maintained practice and can play chord progressions for a short period. I do like the sound of these chords though!
• Singing and Playing – I watched the video and that was about it. Not had the courage to start singing!
• Chords In Keys – I understand the “Major - Minor - Minor - Major - Major – Minor” pattern and can play the corresponding chords on the 5th and 6th strings from G but still don’t understand how this fits with improvisation! Looking at the video Justin created a BT using the chords from the key of G and then improvised over that using the G major scale. Is that right? What’s motive development?
If I have got this right you can start anywhere on the 6th string and play the associated M-m-m-M-M-m chords and not really need to know the note names. You can then improv. over that using the root (first note) scale. Again, is that right?
• How to co-write a song - I watched the video and that was about it.
• Record Yourself – Although I have bought an AI I’ve not used it much as it’s not set up right as I have a background hum which I’ve not managed to get rid of. The use of ‘hum destroyer’ didn’t work! I’m using Audacity to record which works OK for me at this time. Thanks to @Majik for his help and assistance with this. Really appreciated.
• Transcribing (Not So Easy) Riffs - Following on from last month I didn’t even watch the video for this!
I only had three of the for weeks for practice as away on holiday for the last one but overall this has been a strange module and, as last month, I have been practicing a lot of the other Grade 3 modules. The Lick -in’ Riff has been hard to get under my fingers. Have just about got the notes for the first chorus but no idea about the rhythm!! I’m keeping this in my practice routine.
OCTOBER 2024
Grade 3, Module 21 – comments written after the module.
• The Objective Observer – Never really got this. Now we are being told to make mistakes (to make them go away!) when previous grades lessons say that if you make a mistake you stop and start again. Of course the mistake is going to go away if you do it slow enough as you are concentrating on not making the mistake.
• A Chord Shape Explorer – Good lesson with a lot of different variations of A. Not sure where I am going to use them though!
• Vibrato Techniques – Good lesson. Not sure why option 1 is limited to classical guitar as it works well for me on my electric! Not 100% sure about to practice. Do I just practice the types of vibrato on their own or within a piece of music or lick?
• Framing: Double Strumming – Have managed to get this OK although, again not sure how to practice. On its own or in a song?
• Top 10 Rutbusters – Thought about 1 and 2 but haven’t jumped yet! Have been practicing a lot of fingerstyle recently. Does that count as no. 4?
• Transcribing: Guitar Capo – Well you know the score by now. Following on from last month I didn’t even watch the video for this!
There seems to be a recuring thread of ‘not sure’ where to use a lot of these techniques in Grade 3.
NOVEMBER 2024
Grade 3, Module 22 – comments written after the module.
• Bridging Beginner to Immediate Lessons –
• E Chord Shape Explorer – Another good lesson for the E chord options.
• Easy Barre Chords – Well this has set me off on barre chords now. See forum post titled “The joy of barres”.
• Transcribing Difficult Riffs – Well you know the score by now. Following on from last month I didn’t even watch the video for this!
So that’s it for grade 3. The next 4 months or so are going to be consolidation of the grade 3 lessons and others with concentration on songs with barres and more fingerstyle which I’m liking a lot!
Bring on grade 4!!
As a follow up to grade 3 I’ve come to realise (I may have said this before) that I will never be any good at this guitar playing thing (mediocre at best) which is mightily frustrating. I thought I would be better than I am after the time spent in practicing, and I do practice nearly every day.
Overall, I like the practising bit and not particularly bothered about playing songs. I could if I wanted to I guess but I like practicing techniques. Sounds a bit odd I know.
The Joy of Barres!
I have recently discovered that I can play barre chords relatively well, both E and A shape, (major and minor) which, I have to say, has come a bit of a surprise to me! No way perfect but a lot better than 3 months ago. This may be because I have been doing these for quite sometime now and have built up hand strength. My hand position also seems to have improved.
I started on the F barre back in April 2022 (according to my log) and it took a full year to get this OK, although changing to other (open) chords was still a problem.
My April ’24 log noted:
“As I noted this time last year, I can do the full barre F chord (up & down the neck) but chord changes to and from the barre are still giving me some grief at this point and are not really OK for songs! I’m doing PFC’s at every practice session to help with this and am using songs with the F barre in them also as practice.”
I have also learnt all the notes to strings 5 and 6, which I think is really important, and also string 1!!
Combining all this together means that I have a range of chords available now that weren’t available with just open chords. I have now started re-learning songs using barres which has made me think which version of the barre (E or A shape) to use as chords are available with both shapes, although some are more obvious, and some closer together on the neck. The vintage & motivation clubs by @Richard_close2u and @LievenDV have really helped with this.
I also have started investigating what other types of chords are available with these barre shapes and how they can be used.
On the basis that these chords open up a lot more possibilities I am really surprised that Justin doesn’t really get to these until the last module of Grade 3, with more in the intermediate grades. My view, for what it’s worth, is that these should be taught a lot sooner, although I appreciate that hand strength is required for this.
So overall I’m a lot happier now with my progress for this part of my guitar journey.
At the moment (early Dec. ’24) I’ve been concentrating on Silent Night (fingerstyle) and more barres, including changing between chords that use the root on strings 5 and 6. Not really done much consolidation of grade 3. Probably leave that until the New Year.
For a laugh (!) I re-watched https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/4-easy-steps-to-transcribing-songs-for-beginners-bg-1508#learn-more as I had a bit of spare time one Sunday morning. What I don’t understand from the lesson is why Justin is concentrating of songs from bands that make such a racket, using power chords. Surely there must be easier songs to use as examples and where are the extra one he says in the video that he is going to add? Anyway I watched Polly’s Lips on YT and yes I could work out what was being ‘played’ but only by watching. No way could I have got this from listening to the record, even with the hint.
So I’ve completed Grade 3 but it’s a strange grade isn’t it. My overall impression is that it shows you lots of technique, which I like, but kind of leaves it up to you to work out where to use them, which I don’t particularly like! The other grades suggested songs to use to practice.
January 2025 and Happy new Year!
My goal for this year is to carry on consolidation of Grade 3 and then start Grade 4 in 2-3months. Saying that my practice now also includes finger stye and blues licks, incl. bending & vibrato and a lot of both E & A shape barres.
I have just bought my self (early 01/25) a TC Polytune 3 tuner and a TC Ditto looper. So that makes three things on my pedal board. Use the tuner every time I practice but not had chance to use the looper yet!
February 2025
More consolidation of Grade 3 and a dabble into Grade 4. I’m going to carry on consolidation of grade 3 up until April. I’ll then move to Grade 4!
Still not got round to using the looper.
Had a watch of “Vintage Club #21 with Richard” on strumming & rhythm. Although I was OK with the majority of the video the 6min strumming session was strangely good!! Didn’t dance though.
Been trying to use the 5 licks from pattern 1 of the A minor pentatonic scale over a 60bpm backing track. It just sounds like noise over noise at the moment. Very frustrating! I can’t work out where beat 1 is supposed to be most of the time so that licks just seems to be in random places.
Also been trying the riffs/solos for Wish You Were Here and Wonderful Tonight, as well as WT fingerstyle.
Have watched the BLIM2 “Blues with Justin invites Matt Scofield” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C3FRmagARU&t=3563s which is available to non Blimmers! He is obviously a very accomplished guitarist and has probably forgotten more that I will very know. He also knows his way around the fretboard and lots of scales and how to use them. One thing that confused me is that he doesn’t use licks but just groups of notes that sound good over a chord, which is his blues vocabulary. This is at odds with what Justin (and others on the forums) teach in that he uses lick for words to form sentences!
Have also been speaking to one of the forums regulars about the ‘blues’, who provided “An Introduction to Acoustic Blues Soloing with David Hamburger” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hATEbd9Ego0&t=583s Have been working my way through this. The riffs/notes are OK but can’t get the rhythm! Have to keep going back to the video to hear how it is supposed to sound!
I had an online session with @LievenDV this month to have a chat about stage fright and as it turned quite a few other topics incl. finger mobility, or not as the case may be! The session gave me a lot to think about, although hasn’t solved my issue of standing up in front of people, which will always be a problem.
March 2025
Well started the month of with more practice of the 12 bar shuffle riff and the Vari shuffle Climb, as well as “An Introduction to Acoustic Blues Soloing with David Hamburger”.
So at the end of the month I have been doing more of the above plus more E and A shape barre practice. Playing the various chords using barres is OK but changing from E to A shape is still slow! Been using songs for the practice! Also been going back through the modules and finding that a number of the exercises, etc are now easier.
Have also been sorting out my Grade 4 practice schedule, which hasn’t been that easy! Taken some time to put together.
So overall the last year has been a strange one with lots of new techniques, which as noted, I’ve not really found use for…yet!
As last year 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 I still feel that, at this point, I don’t have enough expertise to comment on people’s technique, etc.
Aspirations for 2025 –
• Start Grade 4 and work my way through the various lessons. Looking forward to the blues part of this!
• I will also we trying to progress Music Theory Grade 4. Said that last year.
• Learn more songs, with and without barres.
Looking forward to another year of practice and playing with Grade 4, which means that I am an intermediate player!! Not sure that is accurate.
See you in a year😊