Todd's Learning Log

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12

Hey Todd,

That’s a great idea to do a video learning log. Not only does it give you an opportunity to analyse your own playing but a wonderful way to look back at the progress you have made throughout the course.

You have a great positive attitude which will carry you a long way in the learning process. As you know practicing slowly and accurately will actually speed up the process in learning as you really embed the techniques and muscle memory correctly. Speed will build up over time without having to think to much about it.

13

Hey Todd, welcome (again!), having just seen your first song post I see this intro / LL :slight_smile:
You’re doing great and clearly having alot of fun which is by far and away the most important thing. I meant to say in my other reply, nice looking and sounding guitar you have there :+1:

14

Hi Roger!

Thanks for the warm welcome! :smiley: Glad to be here!

Best Wishes,
Todd

15

Hey James!

Thanks, man! That’s what I was thinking; doing a video relatively early provides a nice baseline for comparison later. In a way, I wish I had done a video even sooner, at least for my own records. It would be fun to see the comparison between my first time switching between A and D, for example, something like 15 changes in a minute, and comparing it to later weeks later doing 70 changes in a minute. But, alas, I did not think to record my very first practice sessions.

And, I think your second paragraph there is totally right. As I think I first heard in the fire service, though I don’t know its ultimate source, “Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.” Just take your time, do things right, and, as you said, the speed will come. It’s always tempting to try to go faster though. :smiley:

Thanks!
Todd

1 Like
16

Hey Notter!

Thank you so much for the warm welcome!

And, thank you regarding the guitar! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: I mean, I’ve always liked the look of it; I picked it out with my Dad at a local guitar shop so long ago… but, it definitely makes me feel good to get a compliment on the guitar. I, like many of us, look at fancier guitars all the time, but, for now, it’s just me and my trusty '97 Strat. :blush:

Also, just thought… any time I see a pink Strat, I think of Justin’s pink, Gray Guitars custom… and I want one. :laughing:

If interested at all, as far as the sound, I was running my guitar through Studio One, and the effects were the Presonus reverb set to… I think “concert hall,” or maybe “cathedral”… and the Klanghelm SDRR2 tube pre-amp on default settings.

Best Wishes,
Todd

1 Like
17

JustinGuitar Learning Progress (Updated 2022-11-08)
Started Practice 2022-09-18

  • Beginner Grade 1 - In Progress…
    • Module 0 - Complete!
    • Module 1 - Complete!
    • Module 2 - Complete!
    • Module 3 - Complete!
    • Module 4 - Complete!
    • Module 5 - In Progress…
    • Module 6 -
    • Module 7 -
  • Music Theory - In Progress…
    • Grade 1 - Complete!
    • Grade 2 - In Progress…
    • Grade 3 -
  • Ear Training - In Progress…
    • Grade 1 - In Progress…
    • Grade 2 -
    • Grade 3 -

Posted Recordings

Repertoire:

  • In Progress
    • “Three Little Birds” - Bob Marley and the Wailers
  • Good to Go
    • Nothing… yet!

Equipment:

  • 1997 Fender Stratocaster
  • Fender Frontman 25R - Two Channels, Foot Switch, Spring Reverb
  • Donner Triple Looper
  • PreSonus AudioBox USB 96 - Two Channel Audio Interface
  • Casio CTK 530 MIDI Keyboard (Want to learn to play eventually!)

Inspired by @Socio’s Learning Log, I updated my original post with the above information, as well as pictures of my equipment. (Well, a picture of my specific guitar, and stock images of my other equipment.)

So, an update!

I’m now in Module 5. I’ve done the practice session for it a couple of times now. The Cmaj Chord (the new chord for this module) is still a bit rough, but I definitely feel like I’m starting to get the hang of it. I can consistently get 30 changes/min on Dmin (the previously learned chord), but it’s still not as smooth as my prior five chords, all of which are pretty solid at this point. Oh, and the Nirvana riff is getting smoother! Fun stuff!

Fingers 1-3 are definitely toughened up at this point, no real issues with pain from playing anymore. Fingers 1 and 3 have smoothed over and moved into the leathery stage. Finger 2 has a bit of a permanent groove in the middle of it still, which can be a bit of an annoyance when playing. I’m hoping it will smooth out like the others soon.

Sometimes, while playing Module 5 songs with the app, I feel like I’m making too many errors. Then, I have to remind myself that these involve new chords, and the whole goal is to learn, and learning takes time. Just chill and keep practicing. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Trust the process; maintain the process and the outcomes will follow.

I completed Grade 1 of Music Theory this week. It went pretty swimmingly, and I also started working on Grade 1 of Ear Training, trying to play a few basic melodies by ear and then practicing my perfect 4th, perfect 5th, and perfect octave intervals. That’s been pretty fun.

Thank you for attending my TED Talk.

Grace and Peace,
Todd
:guitar: :mountain_biking_man: :ambulance: :books: :stethoscope:

4 Likes
18

Nice going, look forward to hearing n
seeing more… BTW, dont suppose you noticed anincrease in speed with your Am n Dm when you wernt looking at the Guitar. :wink:

R.H
:guitar:

1 Like
19

Hi Todd,

I just watched that video of yours. You come across as such a positive happy dude. Guitar has lots of challenges so don’t let that get you down.

I’ve got a couple of tips for you if you want to listen. :smiley:

First is guitar angle and placement. It will be a lot easier in the long run if your headstock is slightly raised, or at least parallel to the ground. Often it’s dipping. You can hold it in place by holding the body of the guitar with your right forearm. It will make playing a lot easier.

Second, your riffs (which I hope you’re still practicing) - work on timing. You should be able to play these repetitively in time. So keep playing them, cycle through them, play the same riff at least 10x in a row. If you want to work on timing play over a backing track (even playing over Justin’s lessons is good). And try to hold the notes longer if you can, particularly the Peter Gunn theme.

I know it’s still early in your journey, but continued, repeated practice of playing things on time to perfection will pay dividends in the long run. And these riffs are simple enough that it’s within your reach.

2 Likes
20

Hey R.H.!

Thank you so much! :slight_smile:

I’m definitely trying to do more and more without looking at the guitar. It is such a good feeling. I mean, I know it’s also the technical goal… but, as a happy side effect, it’s such a pleasant sensory experience being able to feel your way around without looking at the guitar.

-Todd
:guitar: :mountain_biking_man: :ambulance: :books: :stethoscope:

1 Like
21

Hey JK!

I’m all ears; I appreciate your feedback!

It will be a lot easier in the long run if your headstock is slightly raised, or at least parallel to the ground. Often it’s dipping.

I do try to control the guitar with my right arm, but, you’re right, it’s definitely not in the best position. Do you think it would be better if I practiced while standing? I’ve heard people say that the Stratocaster isn’t really meant to be a seated instrument anyway. Or maybe if I got more of a tall stool to sit on? I feel fairly close to the ground and awkward playing while on this desk chair.

Second, your riffs (which I hope you’re still practicing) - work on timing. You should be able to play these repetitively in time. So keep playing them, cycle through them, play the same riff at least 10x in a row. If you want to work on timing play over a backing track (even playing over Justin’s lessons is good). And try to hold the notes longer if you can, particularly the Peter Gunn theme.

That all sounds good to me. I do practice these riffs, whenever I practice, which is 4-5 days per week. I don’t do them ten times though, maybe just a few times each. So, I could definitely increase that! I’ve tried playing the “Sunshine of Your Love” riff along with the song once. So, sounds like I’m on the right track, I just need to bump those numbers up!

2h42t1
2h42t1970×545 97.2 KB

Thank you!

  • Todd
    :guitar: :mountain_biking_man: :ambulance: :books: :stethoscope:
22

Playing standing adds a whole new level of instability, no harm to try it but do try to get it stable sitting down first. Chairs/posture/etc are all personal, so figure out what works for you. But anchoring the guitar is important. Makes it easier to play!

To show the difference with some timestamped videos: here’s you at 7:56, notice the headstock dive and that your right arm is over the back of the guitar, not anchoring the corner? Todd's Guitar Learning Log - Entry 1 (11/1/2022) - YouTube

Check Justin’s forearm anchoring guitar in this one at 4:23 (a lesson you’ve done already): Sunshine Of Your Love Easy Guitar Lesson | Eric Clapton - YouTube. That’s what you should be aiming for.

1 Like
23

Hi JK!

Thanks for the detailed response!

That all makes sense. It’s definitely something I’ve struggled with, the position of the guitar. I do wonder if sometimes it has to do with being… obese. Like, it would be easier to hold a guitar properly if my belly were not in the way, but, I know there are plenty of chubby guitar players out there. Anyway, sorry for the stream of consciousness, these are just the things I think about sometimes when playing.

I will check those videos references out, and I will work on keeping that right arm in place better anchoring the guitar!

Thank you for the feedback!

Grace and Peace,
Todd
:guitar: :mountain_biking_man: :ambulance: :books: :stethoscope:

2 Likes
24

Hey Todd, yeah, there are loads of big guitar players out there, don’t let that hold you back! Look up Kyle Gass from Tenacious D or Frank Black from the Pixies.

1 Like
25

Practice Report 2022-11-09:

@jkahn - This evening, during my practice session, I watched the clips you linked, and tried to hold my guitar much like Justin did. I remembered the lesson early on about guitar position, and how the right arm holds it in place, but that clip highlighted it well. Thanks for that! It did help me keep the neck up.

I think I could use a foot rest. My guitar wants to slide down my leg. I noticed Justin’s right knee sits a bit higher while he’s holding the guitar. The closest thing I had was a book (an APA Style Guide for writing research papers), and that helped a little under my foot.

One thing that makes it feel sort of awkward… I don’t know if it’s how I’m holding it or what (I am relatively tall and so have rather long limbs), but, when I really use my arm to hold the guitar like that, I’m strumming pretty high, like starting to be strumming over the highest couple of frets, and that seems weird? I’ll have to post a quick video soon, see what you think.

On a positive note, after going through my regular practice on the app, I then spent some time doing each of the riffs I have so far, many times. I was able to practice them along with the original tracks, except for the Nirvana one which I’m not quite fast enough at yet.

On an even more positive note, and what got me to hop on here, I practice “Three Little Birds” at the end of each practice, as it’s the first song I’m trying to really get into my repertoire. I decided to practice it along with the original track, and that was really helpful. After I shut the computer off, I played it a couple more times through solo. The first time I was able to do the chorus and verse once each, singing and playing, without looking at the songbook. And that was a really good feeling! Then I ran through it a couple more times with the songbook. Definitely feels like I’m improving at it!

:baby_chick::baby_chick::baby_chick:

-Todd

3 Likes
26

All good stuff Todd making steady progress. Playing along with original tracks really does help but sometimes you might have to slow them down until you can get everything in the groove. As to posture I am sure Justin will set you straight on that when you have your 121. Just enjoy your learning for now.

Cheers

Toby

:sunglasses:

1 Like
27

Hi Toby!

Yes! I’m super excited about this lesson with Justin. It truly is a great opportunity, and a total surprise. I want to make sure to absorb as much knowledge as I can!

I just watched the lesson/video on Justin’s 10 steps for singing and playing. I’m going to start with those steps with tomorrow’s practice! I can’t wait to get the song down and post an AVOYP of it.

:vulcan_salute: :slightly_smiling_face:
Live Long and Prosper,
Todd

1 Like
28

It’s great to read that you are already working on memorizing songs that use the chords that you have learned so far in the course.

3 Likes
29

Progress! :wink:. Yep, that lesson on guitar position was super important.

The seating/footrest/strumming position thing. I’m about a year in and I remember it being quite hard to find the “right” spot. Now it’s easier. So that does get easier, but experiment. A footrest might be useful. What I did was have my chair really low, and then prop my right foot on its toes, seemed to have a similar effect. I do something different now.

Some chairs were really hard to play in! And still are. So experiment, see what works for you that allows you to hold the guitar in a fixed position without your fretting hand holding it up. :smiley:

I also used to strum over the neck of my strat when I had just started (although I didn’t realise it). Don’t worry about that one too much for now, you can sort that later - probably during grade 2.

1 Like
30

Hi James!

Thanks, man! I’m trying! :rofl: I was actually going to ask, somewhere on here, if anyone had tips on memorizing the chords of a song. Like, is it helpful at all to try to memorize them by just reading them or doing flash cards or something? I found, with this song, it basically just started to stick because I’ve played it so many times now, and listened to the song many times, and counted off the bars of the song many times while listening, and strummed muted strings while listening… and all of that good stuff. Just lots of interaction with the song.

Grace and Peace,
Todd

31

Hi JK,

Thanks, man! You’ve given me a lot of thorough comments, and I really appreciate it.

Regarding the right leg/foot position, I’m sort of propping my foot up on something right now. The one problem came, when practicing my song just now… I started wanting to swing back and forth to the music. :rofl: Look at me, just getting all wild. Then the position sort of went out the door, but, I tried to consciously bring it back and stop swinging about.

Grace and Peace,
Todd

1 Like