Playing with a pick â perhaps the list was skewed to what I want to play which consists of songs where you are strumming. Pick or Fingers and songs which are finder style. Agreed some of the greatest guitarists donât use a pick but they can make it work with the style of playing. I be surprised if they couldnât play with a pick, they just donât choose to do it.
I think we all know when we are not absolute beginners struggling to form chords and play any sort of pattern. But there must be point if you keep practicing and developing when you move to another level whatever it might be called.
The point I have made before that playing with others has forced me to improve and at least participate. It is disappointing to hear from you that some people have forgotten they were once beginners, but I am fortunate that at the Guitar Club I have not found this and they are all very supportive.
I appreciate what you mean about generally following along with others with campfire songs. Obviously, some people have a better ear for this than others but like a lot of things this skill can be developed with dedicated practice.
David, with reference to what type of Engineer I am, I donât think is appropriate to respond in this post but will reply separately, but my business card would indicate it.
An interesting list but not sure if this meant to be for a beginner or intermediate player. I would have thought an intermediate player would know far more than just 3 patterns.
Yes, Justinâs grade are about learning essentially but if you have no interest in blues or jazz I donât this that precludes you from being an intermediate player.
There are times when labeling can be useful and other times when it isnât.
As has been described already, itâs better to focus on skill proficiency. That focuses on your ability to do a thing. âPlay guitarâ is honestly too general of a thing to be useful. There are too many different components to it and a WHOLE LOT that arenât mandatory.
Organizations that offer instruction absolutely want to keep track of what youâve learned. Itâs built into the system. They know within their own program that if youâve reached a given âlevelâ that you have learned x, y, and z skills. Whatâs important isnât the level. Itâs the skills. When they decide to assign levels, theyâve also attached certain skill proficiencies to those levels. Justin has done the same and it works within his system, but you canât just transfer it exactly over to TrueFire or Fender Play or anywhere else. Go work with a private instructor and unless that instructor is intimately aware of Justinâs system, telling them that youâve completed Grade 4 or Grade 10 in Justinâs lessons wonât mean squat.
Iâve been in group scenarios where even trying to keep track of all that requires a pretty high level of competency and others where you can start working on that as soon as you know those few chords. I definitely agree though and being in a group where you can start trying to wrap your brain around those things is pretty awesome for someone whoâs new. And itâs incredibly frustrating as someone whoâs new to be in a situation where you canât because itâs all too overwhelming and the group isnât accommodating.
Oh for sure we grow and we learn. But is attaining the level the point of learning? Iâm just here to play my guitar. Sure, there are specific things I want to learn to do. And many of those things depend on other skills. The pathway I see before myself involves those skills (as well as skills Iâm not even aware of at the moment), not arbitrary levels. The closest I see to that for myself would be developing the skills to play a given song, with the song being the analog to the âlevelâ.
For playing guitar, do we really need to be able to say more than âI want to learn this skill but havenât started on itâ, âI just started learning this skill and I need a lot more workâ, âIâve been working on this one for awhile and I can play with it some, but still have a lot of room to growâ and so on? It IS important when learning to have an honest assessment of yourself and outline of sorts that tells you what to work on next, but that does not require leveling.
Since it has come up elsewhere in this discussion that youâre an engineer, it puts this entire discussion into context for me. Iâve noticed that engineers have a very particular way of thinking that tends to be very literal, favors categories and putting things into boxes, and is less accommodating of improvisation and gray areas. I think to a degree, people who tend to think that way are drawn to engineering, but I also think that the profession builds upon and focuses on that particular way of thinking. Itâs a way of thinking that works great for engineering, but IMO less so for other things. Music and engineering are quite different from each other.
Unfortunately, with everything you get people who forget what it was like to have just started learning that thing. Iâve done it. Iâm certain I still do it with some things. I think it happens when people separate themselves from others who are only just starting that learning process. In the guitar club Iâm in, some folks have been playing guitar for as long as Iâve been alive. Me, Iâm a glutton for learning and keep putting myself either into the position of learning something new or teaching others to learn something new so itâs something Iâm more aware of. Is it disappointing when you run into it as a learner? Sure, it is, but those folks are always out there. If youâve found an environment where you havenât run into them, then youâve found a great place. The group Iâve joined, they werenât too far off. I gently made them aware of the gap and they were understanding and made some adjustments to do better. The real troublesome ones are the ones who donât see their own faults and donât make adjustments with themselves to reach newbies where they actually are, even when itâs pointed out to them.
Hereâs a quick and easy exercise to help you along with figuring out songs without knowing them.
Take a few songs you know in the key of G or C. Write down the notes of that scale but in Chords. G would be G Am Bm C D Em F#dim. then number these chord 1-7 starting with G
Now write the chords down to the songs you know in the key of G.
You will notice 90% of those songs will contain only these chords
The song that are G C D are 1 4 5 chord progressions, All Major chords.
If there is another chord in the song it will most often be and Em the 6.
So now that you know this next time some in your group play a song in G try and figure out what the next chord is without looking at your chord sheet or tabs.
You can cheat by looking at his/her fingers to see what chord they are playing. this will help associate the sound of chord progressions with the Chords being played.
This is a skill that ever very new beginners can start to develop and eventually become second nature.
But like all skills if you never start you will never master it but as soon as you start the faster it become part of your playing.
You will also find that in these song circles or causal jams most songs will be in the keys of C, A, G, E, or D.
Nate @Mustela
Yes I am very much an Engineer, I think you are right it generally attracts a certain type of person who are generally problem solvers and donât take things for granted and want to know why, things need to ordered and clarified, it fits me to a tee. To certain extent for me it comes down to the education system that I experienced, you were either science or art based and never the twain should meet. I never had a music lesson at school, but did have an interest outside school in the guitar but never got far then before real life took over.
Micheal
Molly @MollyT
I think not.
When I saw what came up when I asked the question I wondered if it had read my list as there was a lot of similarities.
Michael
Did someone mention AI? Hereâs what ChatGPT returns as an answer:
Calling yourself an intermediate acoustic rhythm guitarist typically means youâve moved beyond beginner-level skills and have developed a solid foundation in rhythm, chord vocabulary, and musical expression. While thereâs no official certification, hereâs a practical list of criteria that commonly define the intermediate level:
1. Chord Knowledge
Fluent with open chords (A, C, D, E, G, Am, Em, Dm, etc.)
Comfortable with barre chords (especially E- and A-shape barre chords across the neck)
Knows 7th chords, suspended chords, add9, maj7, minor 7, etc.
Can change chords smoothly and in time.
2. Rhythm & Strumming Proficiency
Mastery of common strumming patterns in 4/4, 3/4, and 6/8 time.
Ability to keep steady time and play along with a metronome or backing track.
Understanding of syncopation and dynamics in rhythm playing.
Can incorporate percussive elements like palm muting and chucking.
3. Timing & Groove
Good sense of timingârarely drifts off-beat.
Can play with feelâknows how to lock in with a groove, even if subtly.
Has experience playing with others (e.g., in jam sessions or bands).
4. Repertoire
Able to play complete songs from memory using rhythm guitar techniques.
Comfortable switching between verse, chorus, bridge parts smoothly.
Familiar with song structures and common progressions (e.g., IâVâviâIV, blues progressions).
5. Capo and Transposition
Can use a capo effectively to change key or match vocal ranges.
Understands how to transpose chord shapes and retain the original voicing.
6. Musical Understanding
Basic grasp of key signatures, chord function, and progressions.
Can identify chords by ear and follow chord charts or lead sheets.
Some familiarity with music theory relevant to rhythm guitar (e.g., circle of fifths, diatonic chords).
7. Technique
Clean chord transitions, with minimal buzz or muted strings.
Ability to control tone, both with strumming hand and chord voicings.
Introduction to fingerpicking or hybrid picking (optional but a bonus).
Bonus: Accompanying a Singer
Can accompany yourself or someone else singing.
Adjusts dynamics and rhythm to support the vocal performance.
If you tick most or all of the above, youâre well within the intermediate range. If youâre still working on a few, youâre likely in the upper beginner to early intermediate rangeâwhich is a great place to be!
Would you like a checklist or self-assessment worksheet to track your progress?
Ah but only for rhythm guitar ? And acoustic to boot !! Why such a restricted ask, not that Iâd bother asking IA for what constitutes an Intermediate Guitarist period. Happy to be an AB.
1. Chord Knowledge
2. Rhythm & Strumming Proficiency
3. Timing & Groove
4. Repertoire
5. Capo and Transposition
6. Musical Understanding
7. Technique
Bonus: Accompanying a Singer