Hello @chiprs
My thoughts … it is time for a little tough love here I am afraid to say.
You are only a few months in to your guitar learning.
In your introduction topic you explain that you played long ago but due to injury have hathe ‘wrong way round’ … a righty learning as a lefty.
First - cut yourself some slack, I think your previous ability to play is placing too high a set of expectations on you.
Second, go steady and learn the basics fully and consolidate.
The fact that you have reached Grade 2 F barre already suggests that you are over-stretching rushing through the course material.
Here is an overview of Grades 1 and 2:
And here are Justin’s recommended practice routines - to be done several times a week for at least a week for the first few modules and longer than a week as the course progresses.
Justin does introduce the full 6-string F barre chord in Module 9. Realistically, and taking an estimated average learning and practice route of 30 minutes per day, several times per week, Grade 1 is likely to be a 6-month or more learning course.
I wrote this recently in this topic.
Beginner Grade 1 has 75 lessons plus essential consolidation. Each lesson requires at least one day of practice time but by the end of Grade 1, in Modules 5, 6 and 7, I would say that to do the learning justice and really get solid in the basics, each lesson should respectfully be given several days or a week or more, each of the seven modules probably starting at one week for module 1 up to several weeks for module 7. I would even (albeit exaggeratedly to make a point) go so far as to suggest treating each module number as a guide to the weeks required.
Modules 1 to 7 = 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 = 28 weeks. That is more than six months just there.
Grade 2 has 68 lessons. And as the learning ramps up the technical challenge and skill, each lesson and each module will require extended time to really get to grips with. I would suggest a similar approach.
Modules 8 to 14 = 8 + 9 + 10 + 11 + 12 + 13 + 14 = 77 weeks. That is more than a year.
Okay - those cumulative totals are on the high side. But I would rather encourage that over the opposite of not taking enough time and hitting a brick wall of frustration. As many have done. As you have done.
My recommendation - forget the F barre and take some backward steps to consolidate.
Oh yes, and learn songs, learn songs, learn songs.
