[DennyG]

Greg, I have been there. I started early this year after picking up the guitar for a week or so every now and then for years and never making any progress. This year I said, this is the year I learn guitar. I was disappointed at first because I was having a hard time with the lessons and after a month I hadn’t learned to play a single song which is what I want to be able to do. But, I figured, Tony knew better than I how to teach guitar, so I stuck with it. Today is my 100th session, and my second time going through the Hotel California benchmark week. And wouldn’t you know it, I have been pleasantly surprised at how much I’ve improved since playing this challenge back in March. I had great difficulty with it then, and was very happy when the challenge ended and I could move on to something I might actually be able to play. This time around it is literally like night and day. This week has actually been easy which to be honest, has shocked the heck out of me, and has motivated me even more to keep going.

This is what I would suggest. I get on here everyday (at least most days I do) and go through the daily challenge. Some I really like, and some I don’t care much for. But I do them anyway. The ones I really like, I spend a little more time with, the ones I don’t, I honestly do just the minimum needed to complete the days lesson. In addition to this course, I go on Youtube and search for somebody teaching the songs I like to listen to, in the skill level I am currently at. (Marty Music is a good one) There are a ton of songs that have easy versions. This also keeps me motivated because I am actually learning songs, even if its the easy versions. I also sometimes just sit in front of the TV with my guitar and just play around with forming cords and playing scales with no real agenda. Doing those three things, I’ve found that I have made a great deal of progress over the last six months. There are times when I don’t feel like I’ve gotten better, but weeks like this one confirm that I actually have. And it’s because I’m committed and willing to spend the time practicing.

In the end, it sounds cliche, but to get better at guitar, you have to play it. There no magic bullet to learning a skill. Tony says ten minutes a day, but really you should spend more time if your schedule permits.

Hope this helps, and don’t give up. If you really want to learn guitar, and you put in the effort, it will happen.

[DennyG]

Thanks John. This was exactly what I was looking for.

[DennyG]

Thanks

[DennyG]

Thank you for the advice.

[DennyG]

Thanks for the advice.