ShawnE

A little run through update of the "easy" songs I've been going over (& over & over) to drum these 3 chords into my unmusical brain - Of course, I've still been doing all of my slow daily technical practice (probably up to around 45-60 minutes of total practice per day on average) & often practice these songs at a slower tempo, certainly at first. I also introduced Am & Em chords last week & a couple of new "easy" riff practices to get my fingers working in new ways. As of yesterday I've also introduced the Dm chord, a simplified version of the spider finger exercise to ease me into that & a slightly more difficult strumming pattern to work with (the "old faithful" - missing one downstrum for the first time - D-D-U-x-U-D-U). Of course, with these new minor chords I have a few new practice songs added as well - I have a LOT of different things in my routine now so will see how I get on over the next week & will then look to condense the exercises & songs in the routine so as not to overwhelm myself with a ton of different things every day - maybe split things up into alternating daily exercises &/or pause things I'm more comfortable with & focus more on what I feel needs work. I'll reassess & see. Could be a good few weeks before I'm comfortable enough to progress onto a new chord & such - Will put together a video update of all of this in the next week or two. Thanks for watching!

One month update... that's 30 days learning & practicing how to make sounds with this beautifully handcrafted piece of wood with 6 strings.... I take a look at the progress I've made during my first month by comparing clips from day one through to week four.

Yes I agree & during practice sessions the progress even during these 3 weeks has seemed so slow that on the daily it seems unnoticeable... occasionally I'll recognise that something I'm doing suddenly seems a tad easier or quicker than the days previous but it's not until I look back at my day 1 or week 1 video that I truly see the progress even in just this short space of time. Also agree regarding investing just a little time to take reference points & hear other perspectives from things that may not be included within your own specific practice/lessons... I find that particularly true for things I may be struggling with. Quick example would be my struggle with D to E chord changes... reading & watching other people's advice on making the switch (whether from a teacher, experienced guitarist or even another learner) can definitely help with overcoming those kind of hurdles & as you say - producing a lightbulb moment or grasping a concept!

Thanks Douglas... great advice as always! You're right, I've taken the strap to the shortest length it'll go & it sits a lot better now while sitting down. Starting to sound out the strings in a different order is a great idea to start getting used to picking out strings... especially with these 3 chords now that I'm a little more confident with my finger placements.. think I'll first add an easy highest to lowest order to the mix & then after a little while will add slightly more complicated orders to the mix... great tip!! Good point regarding the steam piston strumming as well That was the first thing I noticed when watching that video back. Didn't feel so aggressive at the time but guess that must be natural brute strength that I agree should be toned down a bit

This week I get a lovely new leather guitar strap, learn & start practicing the E chord &.... wait for it.... play my first song!

This week I continue just strumming between D & A chords but also introduce some music to the practice sessions! Makes the D & A chord change practice far less tedious! Looking forward to learning the E chord & adding that to my practice from now onwards.

Cheers!! I'm appreciating these very early days... I know in the future I'll look back with fondness at the things that seem so difficult & alien right now but hopefully become so simple and straight forward by then haha!

Ah yes, I've seen that exercise before - think it's often referred to as the spider walk exercise or something...? Sounds similar & definitely sounds like it'll be beneficial. I've glanced at upcoming lessons I'll have once I feel ready to progress on & can see that finger exercises & the like are soon to be introduced. Those exercises you mention definitely sound very beneficial so I'll look into them for sure - always appreciate the super helpful advice so big thanks!!!

Douglas.... I screwed up my first online reward (a beautiful strum after correct finger placement for the chord).

Yeah that's a fair shout also! Practice is priority. Though at the moment I'm physically restricted to about half hour a day anyway to ensure I evade blisters. Looking forward to being able to put in hours at a time! I wouldn't be on here right now for a start if 3 fingertips weren't ringing

Yeah that's a good shout. I've never bothered with Tiktok before but this could be a good excuse to at least have a go at it to find out. Cheers!

Thanks a bunch for taking the time with all of this help, Douglas!! Massively appreciate it! My fingertips were sore after just 20 seconds in the vid due to the 40-odd minutes I'd been fretting prior to recording... For these first few days/weeks I'm still finding that balance between practicing & giving the fingers enough time to recover a bit (two or three 10 minute sessions spread across the day seems best for now)... it does usually take a lot longer than 20 seconds to feel the soreness though haha! I do have a strap as well so will put that on to ease the burden of holding it in place. The one minute timed chord changes are part of the first lessons I've been following - I think the idea is to just get the hand used to the motion of switching before tidying it up as the hand/finger strength improves (along with reduced soreness) after the first couple of weeks. However, I 100% see merit in taking the time to do exactly as you say by ensuring the fingers get used to the correct placement from the outset. I'll definitely incorporate a lot of that into these early days. Thanks again!!

Thanks so much Alan! Haha I don't blame you at all for keeping recordings to yourself.... I must be mad putting this out there for all to see haha! But I think watching someone go through these first few weeks and months in particular could really help other beginners (or those curious about beginning). Plus it'll be great to look back at it all in 10, 20+ years time! I appreciate those tips! Practicing little and often, for sure! I have the guitar out on a stand and plan to do as you say and pick it up here and there throughout the day alongside the block practice sessions I have. Thanks a lot for connecting!!

Hey all, I'm Shawn, 38 & fresh to the guitar. Yesterday was my very first day at getting stuck in (probably spent a little too long at it - finger tips feel like I burned them on a stove!). I spent my first hour awkwardly & awfully strumming between D & A chords, but hey, I'm excited for the months ahead. I intend to follow the tried, tested & trusted Justin Guitar lessons to see if I can get myself going. Looking back on this first video I can already see the importance of reallyyyyyy slowing every thing right down & it reinforces the need to let things naturally develop in its own time. Oh, and I need to get to grips with holding the pick properly. After just one hour I can highly recommend recording yourself practicing if you don't already! I noticed there's not a great deal of content around showcasing absolute beginners & it's clear to see why - seasoned amateurs & pros tend to sound a lot better! So, I decided to start this channel to not only periodically document my own progress from the very first day, but because I thought it may also be useful & intriguing for other beginners to watch both now & further down the line. A sort of way to truly realise that we're not alone all frustrated & wondering if things could ever possibly get better. Well, I'm going to find out if they do, anyway! If you fancy offering motivation, encouragement, tips, a chat etc. do feel free to follow along! https://youtu.be/zT9ij0RV4M4