[Mike-F]

Thanks for the response. I do a little stretching and have one of the finger spreader things and it does help. The problem is my movement between chords is slow to land on all the strings for the next chord accurately. I’ve done the hand on the leg exercise over and over trying to train my fingers to hold the chord shape but it’s still one finger at a time when I’m strumming. There has been significant progress since day 1 but I really want to smooth it out more. Like most things, practice seems to be the only secret to getting better.

[Mike-F]

Yep!

[Mike-F]

https://tonypolecastro.com/topic/learn-to-play-the-blues-boogie/

You can go back into 30 Days 2 Play and redo any lessons at any time. Same goes for the skills lessons.

I was playing the Blues Boogey today. The faster you get with it the better it sounds.

[Mike-F]

That’s a lot of guitar!

Sounds good to me. Certainly better than anything I can play.

I tend to be very direct and honest so I’ve learned to keep my mouth shut. But…

I think your tempo is a little fast and if you slowed it down just a little you might find what you’re looking for. You’re AWESOME and I really want to play that guitar someday.😉

[Mike-F]

Heck yeah!🎸

[Mike-F]

Yeah, it’s not easy. I’m definitely struggling with it on many levels too and feel like there are some things I’ll never be able to play, the F chord. The weekly challenges seem too advanced for beginner lessons sometimes too. I’ve given up on perfection or even getting through some of the lessons. I do what I can with them and save them to my favorites so I can go back and work at them later. I’ve been saving the tabs and backing tracks from Wednesdays and practicing the scales vigorously. That’s the one thing I seem to be getting significantly better at. I like to strum chords transitions repeatedly and add new chords occasionally, I’m playing 9 chords now which is 9 more than I was. My transitions are still terrible but seem to be very slowly getting better with repetition. I’m finding the strings better and faster but the transitions are still sloppy but not as bad as they were. I expect it will take me several years to get not terrible and I’m going to have to be patient, persistent and committed. I’ve been blowing glass for 28 years and am still learning and improving all the time. Playing guitar isn’t any different, you’ll never finish learning and getting better as log as you don’t quit.

Don’t give up!

[Mike-F]

Thanks for all the positive feedback!

[Mike-F]

Great song!

[Mike-F]

I’ve definitely been considering in person lesson and I’m sure I will at some point. I started looking into some other online courses and videos specifically for chord transitions. I found a classical guitar video that suggested that if you’re putting your fingers on the strings one or two at a time to try changing the order, putting the fingers you would normally put down last first. I played with that as well as trying to form the chord shape before I put it on the strings all at once for about an hour and a half last night. It sort of helped.

If I do it 50 times a day for a year and I don’t get better at it I might just buy a bass. lol

Thanks for the reply and good advice!

[Mike-F]

I’m not the one posting about quitting but you’re right. I don’t take anything too seriously and my expectations are always flexible. At 6 months in to this guitar adventure I feel pretty good about where I am. I’m not a far as I wanted to be but I knew going in it was going to be frustrating, difficult and time consuming. I committed to it anyway. I tend to get obsessives when learning new thing and usually have the drive and patience to see it through. Right now, I’m obsessing on learning to play guitar, something I should have done a long time ago but found myself committed to other time consuming endeavors. Something this complicated, not just technically but also physically and soulfully is obviously not going to be easy or happen fast but persistence pays off in the long run. If nothing else, I’m persistent. And let’s be honest, this is fun and chicks dig it! lol

[Mike-F]

Mits sounds much nicer than what my old friend called my hands, meat hooks. Lol.

[Mike-F]

I can see for miles.

[Mike-F]

Thanks!

[Mike-F]

Lol. I can’t strum any songs yet. My chord transitions are train wrecks. I can pick Billy in the Lowground okay. I seem to do best with scales and picking so far. I had no expectations based on time but I’m happy with the progress I’ve made so far. We’ll see where I am in another 90 days and go from there. I expect as my skills build and improve my progress will accelerate significantly. There are some wall I just can’t seem to get around. The F chord and dead strings from my middle finger. I have very large hands and big knuckles that are making barre chords and some open chords challenging. I’m not at all discouraged. I’m sure my obsessive nature and persistence will get me where I want to be.

I’m just having fun and scratching one off the bucket list.

[Mike-F]

I’ve been there several times. It’s a National historic site and park. I know all the stories and history of Andersonville. If you’re interested in Civil War history, Andersonville holds a dark place in that history. Starvation, disease and cruelty were the norm there. As with all good stories there is a tale of triumph too.

I’m just getting started with my guitar journey but I’ve decided I need to learn that song. Hopefully I can give it the same touch you have and express the emotion of it as well as you have. Someday I will go to Andersonville and play it for the ghosts.