- Who took my damn keys
. Great stuff overall, I am glad you got your mojo back. Keep 'em coming sir, even the fast one should be achievable eventually. When I try and give it a go, it feels like being in the gym! Really excited to hear more stuff from you. + as always, I enjoy listening the Madman’s thought process a.k.a. ramblings, so thank you for posting it! - Also, your Blues Chapters (opened to the genpop) are also a great testimonial for the course! I can already see Gordon getting ready for Class #2. (@sairfingers - looking forward to your one take Wednesdays, blues edition)
- How hard is it to play with the thumb pick? And do you use it purely to get more sound out of the thick strings or do you find it easier to play than just with your thumb?
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Hi Toby,
These long posts don’t help now that Blim unit 4 has just been released with my time schedule 
Good to see you went for it 
and have fun with unit4
Greetings
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Thanks for sharing your progress Toby, I only can imagine how commiting it must be! But as much as fun seeing the results you’re achieving. I found all the videos good and I’m happy to read you’re much enjoying your journeys with your mates. Loved the squirells as well, I have fond memories of the cook calling me “squirell face” when I was working in Cornwall…ages ago!
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Great stuff. You are doing very well. I’m getting behind. Could not work U3 out completely.
Thanks for sharing your progress, it’s gives courage to all of us blimmers.
Keep up the good work.
Marnix from Flanders Belgium
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Totally bogged down in the latest 20 lessons !! But as this a tech question I’ll respond.
Volume and tone more than anything. Plus in all the early Blues video all the notable player used them, as did some of the master on electric in the 50/60s and hybrid picking has cropped up here and there and the TP works quite well with that.
Taken me a couple on months to get used to it but dogged determination won through
I’ll try and get to the other replies later today folks.
Probably a sign that I’m not getting on top of my engagement with BLIM and its wider community that your intro video is totally over my head. I’ve not had an inkling of the scenario you’ve described and no idea what it’s all about.
I’m very pleased for you that you are totally in control of the situation. I’d expect nothing less. I see you have great support. On to Got My Mojo Working…
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Loved your video clips, Toby. There was a lot of musicality in so much and particularly liked BUABS. I would be very pleased if at this half way stage I’d have learnt as much as you.
Edit: …and well done with the tricky little part in Sweet Home Chicago.
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All sound good to me!
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I’ve maybe missed my chance as my mates did class#1.
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I’ll be doing my revision, so go for it and I’ll revise with you
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@sairfingers @JokuMuu @sclay @stitch @Jenndye429 @adi_mrok @Mari63 @Boris1565 @DavidP @glpguitar
TBC
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@roger_holland @Silvia80 @Marnix @Willsie @Stuartw & The BBP !!
Just wanted to thank everyone for their comments and taking time to listen to the recordings and my usual ramblings !! Hopefully if I get through the next 3 months, the will an end of term report.
Thank you all for your support.
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That was an overall great listen, Toby! Thanks for your Half-BLIM-Update. 
I enjoyed each and every clip you shared, your dedication for the Blues really shines through. So does the time and effort you already put in the past few months, the progress is clearly visible. Can’t wait to hear what you will have achieved at the end of the course.
Also enjoyed listening to your ramblings prior, always something to take home - wise words of The Madman.
What made me smile was the squirrel-reference as I have something alike with a few of my friends. We sometimes use to say “I don’t have issues staying focu… oooh, look, a squirrel!!!”
Thanks a ton for sharing your journey with us - I am also among those Gen Pop who really appreciate it!
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Toby,
Thanks for the update, great to hear your perspective. It still sounds daunting, your recordings were very good for what are clearly some challenging pieces.
I know you get out what you put in, the regulars from here all seem to be getting the most out of it.
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GEN POP RULES!
(Note to mods, it’s a joke, please don’t ban me)
I go my knickers twisted watching your first video and mistakenly ended up writing a comment on your YT channel Best of luck to you and all the #BLIM gang on your journey👍
Oh playing wasn’t bad either👍
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Kudos Toby for letting it all hang out and exposing yourself in public.
Ooo err!
I am especially grateful - and I hope many other BLIMmers and Gen Pops are too - at your willingness to put out your warts-and-all updates on your progress, stating, ‘this is where I am now, I’m working hard at improving and am glad to have got his far whilst still knowing there’s some distance yet to travel’.
The two main things I see are [1] that you have been spending dedicated and determined time trying to learn the blues with good foundations and [2] that you are somewhere in the somewhat frustrating area of the learning path where attention to detail and focus on trying to do things correctly is at the forefront of your mind. The former shows up in the way you seem to know the pieces back to front. The latter shows up in the hesitancy you play certain notes, passages, bends etc.
It puts me in mind of something Justin and Dave Marks discussed about learning. The four states of competence. I like this diagram from a range of those I looked at because it shows how the move from stage 1 to stage 2 actually causes - or at least feels like - a drop in performance and ability.
This is that sinking feeling when you move from playing with happy abandon and little care for much beside the fact that banging away on the guitar is a whole heap of fun to the realisation that there are a gazillion techniques to master and you become a tiny baby attempting to take their first steps, falling over more often than not.
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Thank you for that Richard. Yes I am certainly at the FOMU stage and it creates rigidity and tension in my playing. Naturally all exacerbated when recording, when the condition starts as an affliction and soon becomes life threatening.
I adopted a new approach to recording on Sunday, having only managed to get 50 seconds of “keepable” material on Saturday. I just let OBS recording the background and just kept playing until I squeezed another keeper or an “as good as it is now”. Problem is I am still stopping at fubas rather than playing through them. That just amplifies the issues or thoughts of likely mistakes and chokes the life out of what I am playing. The diagnosis is immediately apparent but the cure as yet allusive.
At this midway point I think I now need to put more focus on “pure” improv once I get the Unit licks under my fingers. Just slap on a 10 minute BT and experiment with a mixture of licks and phrases in between.
No recording just explore. If I am not mistaken that should move me towards Stage 3.
For now the P4 Playground awaits !
Thanks for the feedback and thoughts, always welcome.
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Mornin’ Toby 
I took in the chat, but confess did not go through the etudes. From what you and the others are saying, you are making progress and that’s the main thing Congratulations!
(Good Job I didn’t join the course, as I would have been banging at the door and you’d have had to come up with another moniker )
@Richard_close2u the maths teacher in you should not be providing graphs without labelled axes 
I presume x = time. Is y how you good you feel? 
I arrived at and remain blissfully happy in stage 2
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Hey Toby
Thanks for the half term update I’m really interested to hear how the BLIM course is going, and looking forward to the end of term report, and any other updates.
I enjoyed all your videos, they were a great listen and good inspo 
(I had to come back to finish watching/reading the post as I don’t have as much time to be on the forum atm.)
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