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

[Dad3353]

43 minutes ago, ShawnE said:

...

 

Good Stuff again, Shawn; quite some wisdom in there. You''re right, we all learn and progress in different ways, which even for one person, changes over time. It's all good, and Patience is indeed a real boon, most especially when one hits a 'doldrums' period, thinking that progress has stopped (or even regressed..!). Not always easy to combat, but 'little and often' is one way of ensuring that, even when motivation is low, a few minutes can be found to do a little 'something', preferably something easy. What, exactly, matters little; the important thing is to do 'something'.
You are steaming along at a steady pace, following your exercises and routines, which are all to the good, so keep it up. I don't know if you've any interest in other aspects, but I believe that there is much to be gained from looking at some of the notions behind the stuff you're playing. Just simple things such as 'What are chords..?' and 'Why do some chords seem to 'go together..?', and more, make a lot of guitar stuff 'make sense'. Any thoughts..?

 

Douglas

[The Pinky]

Watched the latest video and a lot of what you say is so true!  How do stop reaching that having done so twice before?  I have an answer thar works for me!  Every so often I take a break from the routine of lessons and formal practice and just noodle around for 20 minutes or so and if I find something that I am learning a little difficult then I go back to something that I have already happy with to give me a boost and also remind me of my progress.  Don't forget it needs to be fun and as long as you keep enjoying it then learning is a whole lot easier.

 

Well done with your progress so far and I have to say that I am impressed with how you're doing, keep up the good work.

[ShawnE]

@Dad3353 Some simple theory stuff is coming up in grade 2 of the course I'm following I believe... I'm about to start the final module of grade 1 so will likely start grade 2 in the next month or two... I can't say theory has gripped me with intrigue just yet but I am known to regularly dive down rabbit holes for hours and hours on end when interest grips me so there's still a good chance that could happen hah!

 

@The Pinky Yes agree with that... if the majority of it can be enjoyed then it's definitely easier to continue on! Luckily I've not found even the mundane practice too boring or chore like as of yet... but then it is still early days really haha!

[ShawnE]

 

No comment 

[ShawnE]

 

Month three - now entering a consolidation phase until I feel comfortable enough to move onto... you know... that F thing & the second grade of the course I'm following.

[Dad3353]

[The Pinky]

Just watched 3 month progress and there I definitely progress for all to see, I am finding that practicing chord changes and then moving on to playing songs full on is a quantum leap, both in the terms of difficulty and achievement.  There is a real sense of achievement when somebody listening in another room say that they recognise what you're playing.  Well done and enjoy.

[ShawnE]

@The Pinky Thanks a lot! Haha yeah I also find it a full on quantum leap... especially any song with 2 chords to a bar (& 4 different chords within two bars) or really just anything over 100bpm. I think I've got a good chunk of the fundamentals down now... so just a case of continuing on for (hopefully) ongoing improvement with fluidity & rhythm when playing so it can flow more naturally... I'm fully prepared for it to take a verrrrry long time to fully shake off the signs of robotic-ness, though!

[ShawnE]

 

Took a step backwards this week in hopes of eventually taking several steps forwards by mainly focusing on songs that work the two chords I find most difficult - C & D.. well, save for Dm.. but I'll tackle more of that another time. I think another couple of weeks consolidating this type of stuff & then I'll feel more ready to move onto the next chunk of learning.

 

I'll next be reflecting on my first 100 hours & then after that it'll be December so... I'd may as well start practicing with a few Christmas bangers.

 

Edited November 23, 2023 by ShawnE

[ShawnE]

 

100 hours officially completed... couldn't help but put together a little compilation. Still rubbish but on we march!

[Dad3353]

37 minutes ago, ShawnE said:

... Still rubbish but on we march!

 

Well done, and excellent document that'll be useful for many, I'm sure. I can't agree about the 'rubbish', of course; more progress to come, but you're well past the 'rubbish' stage.

 

Just a little tip, if you're open to ideas for your 'noodling' sessions. Have a look at how to finger the 'Am' chord, and it's similar 'Bm' chord (that's 'A minor' and 'B minor', when written out in full...). They're not difficult. Once you've managed to play them, even slowly, try the chord progression : 'G' - 'Am' - Bm' - 'C'. You might recognise it; it's been used in many, many songs, and for good reason, musically. The chords can be arranged in other orders, such as 'Am' - 'G' - 'Am' - G' - 'Bm' - 'Am' - 'Bm' - 'C' - 'Bm' - 'Am' - 'G'. Just a thought; see if you like it; meanwhile...

 

Have a splendid day.

 

Douglas

[Crusoe]

I watched your latest video last night and, as Fatboy Slim said, "you've come a long way, baby".

[ShawnE]

@Dad3353 Cheers Douglas, definitely open to noodling ideas. I've learned the Am chord... but I haven't learned the Bm chord. That one will be to come. Though I'm sure there can't be no harm in me taking a little gander at it in advance during these last couple of weeks freely messing around.

 

@Crusoe Haha thank you! It does feel very distant when I think back to day one. Crazy to think it wasn't even 4 months ago. Gearing up for plenty more, though!

[ShawnE]

 

I couldn't help but get a little festive. Been practicing stuff that should well & truly annoy my family when performed in mum's living room in a couple weeks time.

[ShawnE]

 

Short snappy update as I come to the end of a consolidation phase... bigger & newer things to come in the next week or so.

[Dad3353]

[ShawnE]

 

This is just a video of my general review on the online course I'm following now I've completed grade one... might be a useful little watch for anyone considering learning guitar or looking for opinions of an online course who may stumble across this thread (now or in the future).

[ShawnE]

 

Apologies for the two months absence - super busy with life stuff! I hope anyone who's still around from last year are keeping well & have had a good start to this year!

 

On my front.. bad news is I didn't have time to record updates or really progress much through modules...

However.. good news is I still managed to put in circa' one hour practice pretty much every day which has just helped me further cement the early foundational stuff as well as the new things learned in the first module of grade two, which I've now completed between the start of Jan & now... in the next module I'm about to start I (finally) start taking a first look at the F.

[Dad3353]

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..? I see you naming the notes as you play them; try to sing the note at its proper pitch as you name them, so that you're singing 'E', 'F', 'G' etc at the same time as playing the note. It will help train you ear to hear notes in pitch for years to come. No great singing voice needed, just get the pitch right, corresponding to the note you're naming and playing. It will become easy and instinctive very quickly, although the first sessions may not feel comfortable. Try it for a couple of weeks, maybe, to see..?

Next remark : when strumming the 'big G' chord then the 'D' chord, try not to play the lower 'E' string with the 'D' chord. That note ('E'...) does not belong in the 'D' chord. An option is to try to 'mute' the lower 'E' string, but it's best if you can train your right hand to only play relevant strings. Just a thought, something to have a look at and be aware of, that's all.
Lastly : with those oddly-named 'stuck' chords, it's less important to memorise the names (although that's useful, too...) than to listen to, and understand, what's actually happening. You're playing the 'G' on the lower 'E' string, then a 'C' on the 'A' string, followed by a 'B', then the open 'A'. The overall effect is a descending sequence of notes; if each resulting chord has to be named, it's always possible with all of these '#', 'sus', '11' etc, but the musical reason, and the important bit, is the descending line, not the chord names. Just sayin'; don't get hung up on the names, just listen to what the notes you're playing sound like as you play them. Again, you're doing fine, but be sure to hear the music you're playing as well as the technique.
Oh, yes, there is another thing... Listen to the Pink Floyd track a few times played by the maestro, and play along to it, you'll find that your timing is slightly 'off'. The single notes are fine, followed by a little shorter 'strum' than you're playing. Just a detail that listening to the original will sort out.

There, that's enough abject criticism from me; now go an make a good pot of tea. You've earned it. Good Stuff, keep on keeping one; meanwhile...

 

Have a wonderful day.

 

Douglas

[Crusoe]

Good to have you back Shawn and I'm glad to see you are sticking with it!

[ShawnE]

@Dad3353 Cheers Douglas... plenty of great advice & suggestions there as always! Will take all of that onboard going forward... all very simple things for me to implement &/or keep in mind...! Since the turn of the year I substituted a lot of "song practice" time for straight up strum practice.. extra time noodling between chords I guess but with a goal of naturally easing up the wrist/hand during strumming (& further improving chord changes as an added bonus of that) & think it's paying off... still a long way to go with it of course but it at least definitely feels more free-flowing than it did back in December. Hopefully that'll start transferring into new song practices.

 

@Crusoe Thanks a lot! Sticking with it for sure... I sense I'm at the stage now where things begin to kick up a gear!