New beginner YouTube channel - Let's see if I can go from dreadful to not bad

[ShawnE]

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

[The Pinky]

On 25/02/2024 at 17:59, Dad3353 said:

Good evening, Shawn...

 

Good to see these videos continuing, and your progress, too. Well done, for both; neither are simple. A couple of remarks, if I may..? ..........................

 

Douglas

A few tips that I may adopt for my playing/practice I think!  It's good to see others progress and to be able to see that I am not alone and am having the same progress and struggles as others.  @ShawnE  thanks for sharing your progress it is inspiring and encouraging.

 

Alan 

[The Pinky]

Hi Shawn,

Thanks for posting on YouTube, I am now following you on there to watch how you progress.  I totally agree with everything you say about painful fingers etc, I have recently returned to playing guitar after far too many years away, so I am in essence a beginner.  I was impressed with the sounds you are making and look forward to seeing your progress.  I will record myself every so often to look back on my progress but unlike you I am not brave enough to put it out in the public domain.  I have learnt a lot since I picked the guitar up February and I realise that when I played all those years ago my technique was dreadful, for example there is more to placing your fingers on strings to make chords and you have to consider the position of your whole hand and even your left arm.

 

IMO there are 3 tips I have been given that have helped no end, firstly practice - keep the guitar out where you can see it and pick it up when you get a chance.  I will often have a quick session while waiting for the kettle to boil or similar, that way before you know it you've done an hours practice over a day without realising.  Little and often is my mantra.

 

Secondly talk to other guitarists and don't be afraid to ask questions - all the teachers and more established and proficient guitarists have slightly different way of seeing things and learning techniques and what may work for one may not work for another.  I am learning using an on line programme and sometimes when I can't grasp something a slight change of perspective will help.

 

Finally and most importantly keep I fun and enjoyable  - nuff said on that final point I think.

 

Good luck and keep it up, I am looking to you for inspiration (no pressure) and seeing your progress.

 

Alan

Edited August 7, 2023 by The Pinky
Fat finger syndrome on little keys!

[ShawnE]

6 hours ago, The Pinky said:

Hi Shawn,

Thanks for posting on YouTube, I am now following you on there to watch how you progress.  I totally agree with everything you say about painful fingers etc, I have recently returned to playing guitar after far too many years away, so I am in essence a beginner.  I was impressed with the sounds you are making and look forward to seeing your progress.  I will record myself every so often to look back on my progress but unlike you I am not brave enough to put it out in the public domain.  I have learnt a lot since I picked the guitar up February and I realise that when I played all those years ago my technique was dreadful, for example there is more to placing your fingers on strings to make chords and you have to consider the position of your whole hand and even your left arm.

 

IMO there are 3 tips I have been given that have helped no end, firstly practice - keep the guitar out where you can see it and pick it up when you get a chance.  I will often have a quick session while waiting for the kettle to boil or similar, that way before you know it you've done an hours practice over a day without realising.  Little and often is my mantra.

 

Secondly talk to other guitarists and don't be afraid to ask questions - all the teachers and more established and proficient guitarists have slightly different way of seeing things and learning techniques and what may work for one may not work for another.  I am learning using an on line programme and sometimes when I can't grasp something a slight change of perspective will help.

 

Finally and most importantly keep I fun and enjoyable  - nuff said on that final point I think.

 

Good luck and keep it up, I am looking to you for inspiration (no pressure) and seeing your progress.

 

Alan

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!!

[Dad3353]

On 06/08/2023 at 14:07, ShawnE said:

...If you fancy offering motivation, encouragement, tips, a chat etc. do feel free to follow along! ...

 

@ShawnE : Firstly : congratulations on taking on this video 'blog'; it's excellent, and well filmed. We can see and hear what you're doing, and some little snippets of advice may help. You're doing fine, though, so take it all as positive, not criticism. We all, every one of us, started out in the same way.

Just a 'correction', if you will: the high 'E' is usually referred to as the 'top' string, the 1st string. This is because its note is higher than the other strings. Next to it is the 2nd string ('B'...), then the 3rd and so on. The thickest (6th...) string is the bottom string, the low 'E'.

Now for the advice; make of it what you will...

Take your time; the fastest way of getting anyway in this is to go slowly..! When doing the chord shape ('D', for instance...), don't try strumming it yet, just play, with your pick or your fingers, each string individually (for the 'D' chord, this means sounding only the top five strings, as the low 'E' on the 6th string is not, musically speaking, part of this 'D' chord, and should not sound. The idea here is to get the fingers on the fingerboard to hold down each string so that is sounds clearly, without muffling the neighbouring strings.
Sorry, a little aside comes back to my mind. You seem to be having the strings hurt your fingertips. This, up to a point could be considered 'normal', but not after twenty seconds or so..! It appears to me that you are pressing down on the strings with great force, but I suspect that it's because, if you didn't, the guitar would fall to the floor..! Please consider getting a guitar strap, fitted to the guitar such that it holds itself from your shoulder without any need of your left arm and hand. You can then use very little force between thumb (on the back of the neck...) and any finger, to get the fretted note to ring out clearly. All the finger should be doing is just enough to get the note to sound, and not hold the guitar in place.

OK, that being said, and once that's sorted, get each finger, on its own, to hold down each note for the 'D' chord, and get it to sound clearly (just that one note...). Start with the 'A' (3rd string, 2nd fret...), using the Index finger. Once it rings out clearly, with little finger pressure, take the finger off, and place the next finger in position on the 2nd string, 3rd fret ('D', using the 3rd (Ring...) finger. Get it to sound clearly, and remove the fingering Now the 1st string, 2nd fret, with the 2nd (Middle...) finger. If that rings out nice and clear, hold it down and put back the Ring finger on the 2nd string. Play each of these strings, and make sure that each rings out clearly. If there's any deadening of an adjacent string, take the fingers off the fingerboard and start again (3rd string and off, then 2nd string and off, then 1st string, then 2nd string put back. Do this, slowly, meticulously, until the 1st and 2nd string both sound cleanly, then hold them in place and put the 1st finger on the 3rd string. Make sure each string rings out clear. If not (no worries; it's normal at first...), just start again, adjusting the placing of each finger carefully until all three strings can be played individually, cleanly. Then , and only then, reward yourself with a slow 'sweep' of these three strings to hear the 'D' chord ring out. Don't do this exercise for very long; a few minutes at most, then rest your hands. A while later, do the same exercise, but for the 'A' chord, finger by finger at first, then adding a finger until it, too, rings out clear. Another rest. There is no need to time the changes between the chord fingerings until the chords themselves are ringing out clearly. T'will come, later (and all the sooner if you go through the laborious part first.
Don't worry; things get to be far more interesting, very quickly, but only once the 'baby steps' have been gone though. It'll take a couple of days (less than a week...) doing this stuff two or three times a day for 15 minutes, and it lays the foundations for so much more. Patience, diligence and yet more patience, and you'll soon be up and running. Hope this helps. 

 

Douglas 

Edited August 7, 2023 by Dad3353

[ShawnE]

10 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

 

@ShawnE : Firstly : congratulations on taking on this video 'blog'; it's excellent, and well filmed. We can see and hear what you're doing, and some little snippets of advice may help. You're doing fine, though, so take it all as positive, not criticism. We all, every one of us, started out in the same way.

Just a 'correction', if you will: the high 'E' is usually referred to as the 'top' string, the 1st string. This is because its note is higher than the other strings. Next to it is the 2nd string ('B'...), then the 3rd and so on. The thickest (6th...) string is the bottom string, the low 'E'.

Now for the advice; make of it what you will...

Take your time; the fastest way of getting anyway in this is to go slowly..! When doing the chord shape ('D', for instance...), don't try strumming it yet, just play, with your pick or your fingers, each string individually (for the 'D' chord, this means sounding only the top five strings, as the low 'E' on the 6th string is not, musically speaking, part of this 'D' chord, and should not sound. The idea here is to get the fingers on the fingerboard to hold down each string so that is sounds clearly, without muffling the neighbouring strings.
Sorry, a little aside comes back to my mind. You seem to be having the strings hurt your fingertips. This, up to a point could be considered 'normal', but not after twenty seconds or so..! It appears to me that you are pressing down on the strings with great force, but I suspect that it's because, if you didn't, the guitar would fall to the floor..! Please consider getting a guitar strap, fitted to the guitar such that it holds itself from your shoulder without any need of your left arm and hand. You can then use very little force between thumb (on the back of the neck...) and any finger, to get the fretted note to ring out clearly. All the finger should be doing is just enough to get the note to sound, and not hold the guitar in place.

OK, that being said, and once that's sorted, get each finger, on its own, to hold down each note for the 'D' chord, and get it to sound clearly (just that one note...). Start with the 'A' (3rd string, 2nd fret...), using the Index finger. Once it rings out clearly, with little finger pressure, take the finger off, and place the next finger in position on the 2nd string, 3rd fret ('D', using the 3rd (Ring...) finger. Get it to sound clearly, and remove the fingering Now the 1st string, 2nd fret, with the 2nd (Middle...) finger. If that rings out nice and clear, hold it down and put back the Ring finger on the 2nd string. Play each of these strings, and make sure that each rings out clearly. If there's any deadening of an adjacent string, take the fingers off the fingerboard and start again (3rd string and off, then 2nd string and off, then 1st string, then 2nd string put back. Do this, slowly, meticulously, until the 1st and 2nd string both sound cleanly, then hold them in place and put the 1st finger on the 3rd string. Make sure each string rings out clear. If not (no worries; it's normal at first...), just start again, adjusting the placing of each finger carefully until all three strings can be played individually, cleanly. Then , and only then, reward yourself with a slow 'sweep' of these three strings to hear the 'D' chord ring out. Don't do this exercise for very long; a few minutes at most, then rest your hands. A while later, do the same exercise, but for the 'A' chord, finger by finger at first, then adding a finger until it, too, rings out clear. Another rest. There is no need to time the changes between the chord fingerings until the chords themselves are ringing out clearly. T'will come, later (and all the sooner if you go through the laborious part first.
Don't worry; things get to be far more interesting, very quickly, but only once the 'baby steps' have been gone though. It'll take a couple of days (less than a week...) doing this stuff two or three times a day for 15 minutes, and it lays the foundations for so much more. Patience, diligence and yet more patience, and you'll soon be up and running. Hope this helps. 

 

Douglas 

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!!

Edited August 8, 2023 by ShawnE

[ibanezImy]

Tiktok is really good for musicians, especially guitarists, the audience there is much more friendly and apreciateable . Even if you are not so good right now at it you can grow with your audiences feedback really good.

[ShawnE]

8 hours ago, ibanezImy said:

Tiktok is really good for musicians, especially guitarists, the audience there is much more friendly and apreciateable . Even if you are not so good right now at it you can grow with your audiences feedback really good.

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!

[Dad3353]

40 minutes ago, ShawnE said:

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!

 

That'll be that much less time spent practising, then. 

[ShawnE]

32 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

 

That'll be that much less time spent practising, then. 

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 

[ShawnE]

 

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

[Dad3353]

Shawn...

 

Excellent, and real progress. I approve the cadence (several moderately short sessions, rather than longer ones...); I think that that, in itself, is helping. It's fairly easy to fit a strap button to the heel of the guitar; it's a pity that the 'tied to head-stock' method didn't please, as you already have all you need for that. Having the guitar 'hold itself' will bring much better feeling for the left hand, and also allow the right arm to relax a little, bringing the confidence that the guitar isn't going to crash to the floor. It really will help a lot, you'll see.
If I may suggest, as a little 'light relief' from the intensity of chords and strumming..? Could you try to play the strings individually, note by note..? There's two simple exercises that will always stand you in good stead. Try, for instance, starting on the 6th string (the low 'E'...), playing one note at each of the first four frets (so 'F', 'F#', 'G', 'Ab'...), using the four fingers one after the other. That's 1st fret, Index, 2nd fret Middle, 3rd fret Ring, 4th fret Pinky. Then play the same notes, but in reverse order, so 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st, and relax. Same again for the 5th string 'A', one finger per fret, up then down, 4th string etc... This will 'teach' each finger to obey your brain and play the note, and increase dexterity in a useful way. If the stretch for the fingers is too much at first, do the exercise in the same way but from the 7th fret for a while, until the fingers realise that it can be done. Go down, fret by fret, until it works easily from the 1st fret. As a bonus, it would be extremely useful to call out loud the note that's being played, so that the note names and their position on the fingerboard become ingrained. That's optional, but very useful later on.
The second useful 'single note' thing to try would be to play a major scale, note by note. The scale of 'C' major, for instance, can be started on the open low 'E', then 'F' (1st fret...), 'G' (3rd fret...), 5th string open 'A' , 'B' (2nd fret...), 'C' (3rd fret...), open 4th string 'D', 'E' (2nd fret...), 'F' (3rd fret...), open 3rd string 'G', 'A' (2nd fret...), open 2nd string 'B', 'C' (1st fret...), 'D' (3rd fret...), open 1st string 'E', 'F' (1st fret...) 'G' (3rd fret...), 'A' (5th fret...), 'B' (7th fret...), 'C' (8th fret...). This will help in 'hearing' notes, and help the fingers to play at all points of the fingerboard. Just a suggestion; keep on with the 'Justin' modules, too; it's just a way of 'ringing the changes' in a useful way.
'Enough..!' I hear you cry. OK; until the next video...

 

Have a splendid day.

 

Douglas

[The Pinky]

6 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

 

If I may suggest, as a little 'light relief' from the intensity of chords and strumming..? Could you try to play the strings individually, note by note..? There's two simple exercises that will always stand you in good stead. Try, for instance, starting on the 6th string (the low 'E'...), playing one note at each of the first four frets (so 'F', 'F#', 'G', 'Ab'...), using the four fingers one after the other. That's 1st fret, Index, 2nd fret Middle, 3rd fret Ring, 4th fret Pinky. Then play the same notes, but in reverse order, so 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st, and relax. Same again for the 5th string 'A', one finger per fret, up then down, 4th string etc..

 

I am about 6 months in to this most recent escapade of playing the guitar and already I feel that some of my skills have surpassed where I was all those years ago.  I may not be a really accomplished player in any way shape or form but I am progressing, and I am practicing in a similar manner I.e. shorter regular sessions often picking the guitar up for a few minutes while I am waiting for the kettle to boil etc.  For my more "structured" sessions I tend to use scales practice to warm my fingers up and practise strumming with muted strings, before getting on to real practice.  I am now starting to feel that I am playing some music and not just practising.

[The Pinky]

Just watched you most recent video, well done you are doing great - probably better than the progress I had made after 1 week.  Keep up the good work and I am waiting to see what comes next.  Thanks again for sharing.

 

Alan

[ShawnE]

On 13/08/2023 at 14:58, Dad3353 said:

Shawn...

 

Excellent, and real progress. I approve the cadence (several moderately short sessions, rather than longer ones...); I think that that, in itself, is helping. It's fairly easy to fit a strap button to the heel of the guitar; it's a pity that the 'tied to head-stock' method didn't please, as you already have all you need for that. Having the guitar 'hold itself' will bring much better feeling for the left hand, and also allow the right arm to relax a little, bringing the confidence that the guitar isn't going to crash to the floor. It really will help a lot, you'll see.
If I may suggest, as a little 'light relief' from the intensity of chords and strumming..? Could you try to play the strings individually, note by note..? There's two simple exercises that will always stand you in good stead. Try, for instance, starting on the 6th string (the low 'E'...), playing one note at each of the first four frets (so 'F', 'F#', 'G', 'Ab'...), using the four fingers one after the other. That's 1st fret, Index, 2nd fret Middle, 3rd fret Ring, 4th fret Pinky. Then play the same notes, but in reverse order, so 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st, and relax. Same again for the 5th string 'A', one finger per fret, up then down, 4th string etc... This will 'teach' each finger to obey your brain and play the note, and increase dexterity in a useful way. If the stretch for the fingers is too much at first, do the exercise in the same way but from the 7th fret for a while, until the fingers realise that it can be done. Go down, fret by fret, until it works easily from the 1st fret. As a bonus, it would be extremely useful to call out loud the note that's being played, so that the note names and their position on the fingerboard become ingrained. That's optional, but very useful later on.
The second useful 'single note' thing to try would be to play a major scale, note by note. The scale of 'C' major, for instance, can be started on the open low 'E', then 'F' (1st fret...), 'G' (3rd fret...), 5th string open 'A' , 'B' (2nd fret...), 'C' (3rd fret...), open 4th string 'D', 'E' (2nd fret...), 'F' (3rd fret...), open 3rd string 'G', 'A' (2nd fret...), open 2nd string 'B', 'C' (1st fret...), 'D' (3rd fret...), open 1st string 'E', 'F' (1st fret...) 'G' (3rd fret...), 'A' (5th fret...), 'B' (7th fret...), 'C' (8th fret...). This will help in 'hearing' notes, and help the fingers to play at all points of the fingerboard. Just a suggestion; keep on with the 'Justin' modules, too; it's just a way of 'ringing the changes' in a useful way.
'Enough..!' I hear you cry. OK; until the next video...

 

Have a splendid day.

 

Douglas

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!!!

[ShawnE]

On 13/08/2023 at 22:04, The Pinky said:

Just watched you most recent video, well done you are doing great - probably better than the progress I had made after 1 week.  Keep up the good work and I am waiting to see what comes next.  Thanks again for sharing.

 

Alan

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!

[ShawnE]

 

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.

[ShawnE]

 

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

[Dad3353]

Shawn...

 

It's with great pleasure that I see you progressing so well. Once again, the video itself is excellent, and nicely balanced between your playing and your explanations. I approve, of course, of the new leather strap (although it could be shortened by an inch or so, so that the guitar is always suspended from it, freeing up the body for playing...).
You have your routine of exercises, which are definitely producing results, so continue with the method that's working for you. I don't want to put spanners in the works, or distract you from your method. I would like to add a couple of ideas you may like to think about, and maybe try..? When you're 'sounding out' the chord ('D', 'A', 'E', whatever...) Try 'sounding out' the strings in a different order (highest note to lowest..? Or even alternating the strings, so 4,2,3,1 for the 'D' chord, or 1, 4, 2, 5, 3, 6 for the 'E' chord...). The idea is to get used to playing the strings individually, and not just a a routine 'low to high'. You'll get exactly the same need to finger cleanly, of course, as the notes must still ring out 'true'.

I might also suggest thinking about your 'reward' strum (an excellent invention...), and try to stroke the strings with less tension, more gently, in a sweeping motion, as an alternative to the steam piston with which you're presently bashing out the reward. Just an idea; the end result of all this wonderful effort is, after all, music, and having a variety of strokes will be a part of that as you continue to progress.
The Blues Bros riff is fine; you can play it through four times, then play it exactly the same but on the 'A' string, twice, then back to the 6th string for two more.
Enough from me; you're doing very well indeed. 

 

Douglas

[The Pinky]

11 hours ago, ShawnE said:

 

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

Not had a chance to check this out yet, but thanks again for sharing.  Sometimes I think that I am not making much progress, however when I consider that a few months ago I was having the sa,e struggles as you, I can see that I have made progress.  However I think you maybe progressing at a faster rate the I did (and still am).

 

I was thinking about what you aboutall the youtube videos and also the claims that others make about YouTube being too overwhelming. As discussed previously like you I have found one channel that I feel is the best method for me to learn using a structured format and the services of one tutor, however I am now finding other youtube videos an excellent reference.  Sometimes with me things just don't sink in or I can't grasp a concept, however by looking at how others approach it can produce a light bulb moment that I can take back to my learnings/lessons.  I always go back to the structured course that I am following.  

 

I guess this illustrates that there are variations in the way that we are taught and learn and it is all about different methods, although of course I am sure there are some teachers and thier methods that are not correct.  For me personally I need some structure and to understand at least some of the principles and theory.

 

Thanks again

 

Alan

[ShawnE]

14 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

Shawn...

 

It's with great pleasure that I see you progressing so well. Once again, the video itself is excellent, and nicely balanced between your playing and your explanations. I approve, of course, of the new leather strap (although it could be shortened by an inch or so, so that the guitar is always suspended from it, freeing up the body for playing...).
You have your routine of exercises, which are definitely producing results, so continue with the method that's working for you. I don't want to put spanners in the works, or distract you from your method. I would like to add a couple of ideas you may like to think about, and maybe try..? When you're 'sounding out' the chord ('D', 'A', 'E', whatever...) Try 'sounding out' the strings in a different order (highest note to lowest..? Or even alternating the strings, so 4,2,3,1 for the 'D' chord, or 1, 4, 2, 5, 3, 6 for the 'E' chord...). The idea is to get used to playing the strings individually, and not just a a routine 'low to high'. You'll get exactly the same need to finger cleanly, of course, as the notes must still ring out 'true'.

I might also suggest thinking about your 'reward' strum (an excellent invention...), and try to stroke the strings with less tension, more gently, in a sweeping motion, as an alternative to the steam piston with which you're presently bashing out the reward. Just an idea; the end result of all this wonderful effort is, after all, music, and having a variety of strokes will be a part of that as you continue to progress.
The Blues Bros riff is fine; you can play it through four times, then play it exactly the same but on the 'A' string, twice, then back to the 6th string for two more.
Enough from me; you're doing very well indeed. 

 

Douglas

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 

[ShawnE]

3 hours ago, The Pinky said:

Not had a chance to check this out yet, but thanks again for sharing.  Sometimes I think that I am not making much progress, however when I consider that a few months ago I was having the sa,e struggles as you, I can see that I have made progress.  However I think you maybe progressing at a faster rate the I did (and still am).

 

I was thinking about what you aboutall the youtube videos and also the claims that others make about YouTube being too overwhelming. As discussed previously like you I have found one channel that I feel is the best method for me to learn using a structured format and the services of one tutor, however I am now finding other youtube videos an excellent reference.  Sometimes with me things just don't sink in or I can't grasp a concept, however by looking at how others approach it can produce a light bulb moment that I can take back to my learnings/lessons.  I always go back to the structured course that I am following.  

 

I guess this illustrates that there are variations in the way that we are taught and learn and it is all about different methods, although of course I am sure there are some teachers and thier methods that are not correct.  For me personally I need some structure and to understand at least some of the principles and theory.

 

Thanks again

 

Alan

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!

[ShawnE]

 

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.

[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!

[Crusoe]

With those three chords you could have a go at Peggy Sue, by Buddy Holly - First song I ever learned on guitar, over 30 years ago.

[ShawnE]

On 11/09/2023 at 14:17, Crusoe said:

With those three chords you could have a go at Peggy Sue, by Buddy Holly - First song I ever learned on guitar, over 30 years ago.

I like it... I'll have a little dabble... my song repertoire is understandably a bit thin at the moment!