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Hi @mkjohnsons , I am grateful to read your in depth self analysis. How much skill do I need? Fantastic question and I find it is as much as I can stand. I notice in your personal assessment of Fridays lesson you characterized your result as “(badly)”. I have to ask: as compared to what? If you ended up worse than before you started we need to explore that. Did you improve at all after the 3 or 4, 10 minute sessions? Where those sessions all in one day or over the course of 3 or 4 days? The Idea of “heck with it” would be counter productive for me but perhaps is a motivator for you? The feeling of “lost” happens to me every time begin to compare myself to “X”. Lost happens when I look to far into the future and leave the present moment. I am never lost in the present moment. I can make adjustments in the present moment. I can manage tension in the present moment. I can feel the vibrations of the strings in the present moment. I have joy in the present moment. My future does not create my present but my present creates my future. So getting present, we can address the sound you are producing, adjust, make a change find the sound you want and after adjusting, revel in the bliss of the new sound 1000 or so times, or what ever it takes for it to become intuitive. Bottom line is just keep going.
Remember just because something is eluding you now doesn’t mean it will elude you forever. The more effort you put in (not just physical but metal focus of eyes on the prize), combined with direction, and thoughtful analysis, the faster the progress will be. This make it easier to just keep going
I have been where you are. There are millions who have been where you are. Only thousands find a way to move beyond and continue. Millions hang it up. You are a player Mark you have made it this far. Marshall your determination, have confidence in the process (Tony’s method works but you gotta keep playing for it to work). Sometimes putting your head down and doing the next thing is all that it takes. Even if you loose your map the direction is there. It is okay to table things for now and revisit later. Break those chord shapes into their scales. Learn the individual notes of the triad, etc. The times when I have miraculous breakthroughs is right when I think I can’t stand it anymore and push just a little more and bam! the locked door opens. Just keep going.
As for the bar chords specifically? Do you need it? no. So many ways to skin a cat. How long is your thumb. Thinking what bar chords do: if your thumb can wrap the neck and get to the E and A strings you never have to bar with your index. The longer you play and explore the more you may find yourself wanting the options. There is nothing wrong with letting your necessity be the mother of your invention. You got this, just keep going. Wow that was long sorry. Oh one last thing….just keep going.