If you guys go back in time...

[wrench]

Temo,

I can't speak for the others, but I have NOT mastered the five Beginner Lessons.

Many of us had old habits to break, and some had a really hard time doing that. At your age, hopefully you haven't become very skilled at doing many things wrong.

The material is easy enough to learn, but the physical skills take more time, patience, and effort to develop. One thing that did help me with fingering chords was hand exercises to break the attachment of my fingers to each other. I did this by pressing each finger one at a time firmly into a soft rubber ball until I could press with the intended finger only. I did this for about 10 minutes a day, and unfamiliar chords became easier to finger in about a week.

Good timing is really tough to get, and even harder to keep. Use your metronome often at practice to develop good timing, and protect that timing by using the metronome often. It only takes a lot of work on one song where you ignore the timing, and it's wrecked. When Neil says in one of those lessons to keep your left and right hands working independently, mark that one in your head as very important. Ignoring that particular instruction burned me.

I have been playing 9 months now, and I still run through the Beginner Lessons every couple of weeks because every time I do, I hear something that I missed before. I guess you could say you mastered the lessons when you watch them and learn nothing new.

wrench

[pigpenz]

its been hard to break the habit of not using my first finger when playing a G chord

[wadestar]

I use my first finger, I am trying to switch, as for A I use my 123 fingers so I can still use my pinky for a switch to like A7

[Chasplaya]

pigpenz wrote:

its been hard to break the habit of not using my first finger when playing a G chord

Man do I know what your saying, the A chord Neils way no problem , the G Neils way takes some getting used to. Having said that I really see the benefits and persevere.

[beaker]

Temo, as others have said, it is tough for everyone to learn new things, or re learn things in new ways. ..... The bottom line.... don't worry it will come in time. Guitar is a long term project.... Have fun with it, take it easy, Beaker.

[leeson]

This is what keeps us all coming back to the guitar. what seems nearly impossible today is suddenly, and nearly imperceptibly, second nature. Then, there in front of you, is yet another wall to climb. I imagine I will die saying "oh, if I only could have mastered the...."

I am one who hates to practice but loves to play. So when I have a task to master, like learning the A chord, I will find a simple song with an A in it and play until my wife is climbing the walls. I used Neil Young's "Helpless" because it is DAG over and over and over and over.

Good Luck.

Bill

[dennisg]

AndyT wrote:

I tried and still try to finger the A chord the way Neil teaches it but I have no end of trouble with it. I use a 2 finger A because my phlanges are so large. But I still keep working on it.

You really should do something about those swollen phlanges. Isn't there a specialist for that condition?

- Dennis