Hi there, thanks for the encouragement. I definitely am going through the stairsteps where, for awhile, it will feel like my chords are great, only to realize a few months later theyāre just ok.
Iām not sure if Justin introduces more scales, or if weāre supposed to start doing the exploration of scales on our own. Iām just plucking along (literally), waiting on more. I have been introduced to the triads, and sheesh theyāre not comfortable at all. Hard on my wrist with the type of tension for the positioning in the first triad lesson. But you make a good point, some lessons/exercises steer us away from songs for whatever reason.
I think I probably do need to keep up with one minute changes and perfect changes exercises. My C chord buzzes with either the middle or first finger, its the stretch coupled with weak pressure. I do the finger gym and any other conditioning exercises Justin introduces and I have the same stretch as I did before (keep in mind Iāve played piano many years, so Iām accustomed to stretching across an octave. The pressure strength in the direction required for a fretboard, I am not very good at). Something I could complain about to no end- still think my hand with the fretboard in it feels weird. Sometimes I think āthis just canāt be rightā trying to get a riff or a three note series. For example, in the Lick n Riff lesson, the little walkups on the thick strings between shuffles can be buzzy, even when Iām accurately placing fingers and going slow. I worry it might never get to sound and feeling good.
Yes, my guitars were set up at the time of purchase, and I do have lighter gauge strings already. I have considered going to 8ās on my electrics and 11ās on my acoustics, but I think āthatād require truss rod adjustments, and surely thatās not necessary, if I just keep practicing, keep practicing, my fingers will adjust.ā Butā¦I donāt know. I still canāt develop substantial calluses (I have mild calluses, that seem to go away really easily). Oh and I measure my action with a gauge occasionally, and all the instruments are low to medium. I have super thin necks, small nut widths, 3/4 scale guitar, all the things that are supposed to help! I think Iāve made all the changes I can, and its just coming down to buffing up the hands. And so I keep going! Although posture is atrocious, I admit that freely.
On your point about lowering the thumb. I hear/read that a lot. I look at my thumb all the time, I compare it to Justinās. His sometimes points toward the headstock, depending on the technique. Sometimes it isnāt behind his other fingers at all and its way out to the side. Sometimes itās hidden completely. Sometimes it barely pokes up behind the neck, so I totally get that it is supposed to move around. I wish we could get a really good thread going that talks in good detail about wrist positioning, and what small handed people might have to do in order to achieve the same skills as others. Anyway I digress. I try to bring the thumb down but I worry about that wrist bend that results. Itās never painful, but it will look awful. My natural and comfortable inclination is to point thumb towards the headstock, that way I can get that āpiano octaveā stretch if needed, but thereās still the pressure problem (hurts fingertips) where I get buzzing, especially on thick strings.
I adhere to Justinās idea, I also have very small hands (and especially my my little pinky) and with very inward rotating ring finger and little finger, which hang over each other when at rest) and I also had to work extra hard for that ,still, but it gives me advantages further down the neck 
). I know itās an extra hassle posting a video, but I do think it would be much more helpful.