BC-101 • Common beginners questions answered

[Drubbing]

I wouldn't get hung up on strum patterns. If singing and playing is your goal, focus on simple strumming and getting the playing automatic, and singing becomes easier. Watch YT vids of people covering tunes you're learning and you might see or hear alternatives that work, and are easier.

I think it was well over 2 years before I could add vocals to songs, and I started late on tackling those, I spent most of the BC working on the techniques. I till find some rhythms and vocals hard to put together, others click quickly.

I wouldn't view strum patterns as the template for every song. There are a very few 'staples', but the more songs you learn, the more you realise playing it like the record would require pages of strum instruction. See Justin's Wanted Dead or Alive lesson to hear his take on strumming and trying to verbalise tricky patterns.

The patterns are to get people started in hearing and playing rhythms rather than, "This Bon Jovi song uses pattern 46…"

Some people get to the stage where they play a rhythm that works for a song and the way they vocalise it, whether it's the same as the record or not, yet is still instantly recognisable.

[SFDonovan]

I till find some rhythms and vocals hard to put together, others click quickly.

Important point.  Sometimes I struggle with a Stage 1 or 2 song, while I can can play a passable Stage 8 Wonderwall.  Pearl Jam's Black is Stage 4 and I play that better than most of Stage 1 songs.  I think the key is finding that one or two songs that you really have a passion about, and can sing it in your sleep.

then...Just.Keep.Playing....

I wish Justin would do some Candlebox lessons.  I really would like a lesson on Cover Me.   

[deadeye_ag]

jpuopolo,

I wouldn't worry about the speed of your progress compared to others. I'm 40 and started playing about 2 and a half years ago. I'm just now consolidating the BC so I'm on a similar pace. The fact that you can practice an hour a day is great! I'm like you (and a lot of us on here), we have families, jobs, etc. Free time is a premium if it exists at all. I personally do good to get in 30 minutes 4-5 days a week.

Yes there are people that seem to progress much faster than others. Some are simply more musically gifted. Others are younger and I do think the younger you start the easier it is for the brain to soak it up, Some have way more free time and can practice more (another benefit of starting young). Then there are others who think that the whole goal of playing guitar is to get through the coursework so they just blow through it without really mastering any of it. They claim to be a "player" but struggle to get through a Stage 3 BC song.

Don't fret, just enjoy the ride! I feel pretty good that although I'm just now finishing the BC, I can play close to 20 songs by heart (with differing competency for each) and of those can sing and play over half of them. It's enough to entertain friends and kids at party's and camp outs... so it's all good

[deadeye_ag]

jpuopolo,

I wouldn't worry about the speed of your progress compared to others. I'm 40 and started playing about 2 and a half years ago. I'm just now consolidating the BC so I'm on a similar pace. The fact that you can practice an hour a day is great! I'm like you (and a lot of us on here), we have families, jobs, etc. Free time is a premium if it exists at all. I personally do good to get in 30 minutes 4-5 days a week.

Yes there are people that seem to progress much faster than others. Some are simply more musically gifted. Others are younger and I do think the younger you start the easier it is for the brain to soak it up, Some have way more free time and can practice more (another benefit of starting young). Then there are others who think that the whole goal of playing guitar is to get through the coursework so they just blow through it without really mastering any of it. They claim to be a "player" but struggle to get through a Stage 3 BC song.

Don't fret, just enjoy the ride! I feel pretty good that although I'm just now finishing the BC, I can play close to 20 songs by heart (with differing competency for each) and of those can sing and play over half of them. It's enough to entertain friends and kids at parties and camp outs... so it's all good

[blueguern]

Hi Guys,
I'm 60 and have been playing for just about four months. I am making steady progress although sometimes it's very frustrating. One thing I did from day one was to keep a journal and record each days practice, even if I put in, No Practice Today. It is sometimes good to go back over when you think things are not going well and read stuff like, "How on earth are you supposed to move your fingers from one chord to make another one, almost impossible". I then don't feel so bad. It's amazing to find out that you ARE making progress. I am hoping to complete the beginners course in one year. If I don't then I don't no biggie.
Try not to put too much pressure on yourself, there are some days I feel really guilty because I wasn't able to practice. That's not good. Practice and perseverance that's the way forward. As some other here have said, we all have other things to do with our time, Grandchildren take up a lot of mine. Do as much as you can and enjoy the results.
Good luck to all you people on the journey.

[Tazz3]

When you press down on with your fretting hand  don't press down hard.
I started playing a month ago I got blisters and now there nice and hard.

[Tazz3]

Panda bear you need to use a pick.

[SFDonovan]

Hi Guys,
I'm 60 and have been playing for just about four months. I am making steady progress although sometimes it's very frustrating.

I hear you blue.  I'm 53 and been at it solid, for around 7 months, but very frustrating.  Started over a year ago, but had some hickups along the way.  Lately I've been able to get in a solid 40 minutes to an hour at least 3/4 days a week.  The rest of the days I may just do 5 minutes of chord changes.  I'm still a bit sloppy.  I think I've learned some bad habits that has hindered my progress.  My thumb position on the neck was wrong and I wasn't stretching and ended up muting strings all over the place.  I'm re-learning to drop my arm down more and arch my wrist around so I can get a clear place to press down on the fret.

[Slateminer]

Quite refreshing to read the last few posts, and good to know that there other learners out there taking their time

I'm 51, first picked up a guitar at the beginning of the year, no musical background whatsoever. Just started stage 5 a couple of weeks before tennis elbow has side lined me.

I've tried to practice everyday up until that point, but as you can see it's taken 10 months to 'complete' 4 stages. I'm sure age has a lot to do with the rate of progress (obviously other factors come into it as well) I read somewhere that on average it takes a 50 year old 10 times as long as a 15 year to learn a musical instrument, I suspect there is some truth in that. Anyway it's a good excuse for my snail like progress at times.

One thing that doesn't get mentioned that often is the time it takes to develop calluses and strength in your fingers. Almost a chicken and egg situation, I couldn't practice enough to improve because I had no calluses/strength in my fingers, - I had no calluses/strength in fingers because I couldn't practice enough.

This is not a 'grumble' post just an observation! As I've said before for me it's very much a situation of 2 steps forward, 1 step back, and as long as I'm going in the right direction and enjoying it (which I am) then I'll continue the 'journey' 

[blueguern]

Hey Slateminer,
I know what your saying about hand and finger strength. I am trying to do a few barre chords during some of my practice sessions. After five or six efforts my wrist and hand start to really ache. So I just take a rest do something else and go back. It a sod when you are unable to do stuff just 'cos you're getting on a bit. Arthritis and trigge finger don't help, but we'll get there in the end.
Interessting fact in a previous post regarding the difference in learning time comparing young and old. That makes me feel ancient now LOL.
Anyway, back to that bloody F Chord .............

[Tim Mason]

I read somewhere that on average it takes a 50 year old 10 times as long as a 15 year to learn a musical instrument,

I'd be interested to see where you found that. Most genreal research on learning in adults concludes that they learn as well as youngsters, but in a rather different way and that though there is some decline in capacity after the age of 40, it's very slow. As for musical instruments, older people may suffer some from stiffer limbs and slower movements, but they can gain from their greater ability to analyse. So your sons and daughters may get the scales under their fingers somewhat quicker, but you'll probably score on knowing what to do with them.

As a 68-year-old who started last year, I've got through to the consolidation stage in the BC. Being retired as of September (I was semi-retired for 6 months before that), I have time to practice. I don't expect to get up to anything like professional level but I'm already sufficiently proficient that my friends and family don't tell me to put the guitar down and do something useful. Maybe they're very kind.

[Drubbing]

15 year olds have a lot more time. Many also have a lot less patience if they don't master something in a week.

[FPS]

I'd be interested to see where you found that. Most genreal research on learning in adults concludes that they learn as well as youngsters, but in a rather different way and that though there is some decline in capacity after the age of 40, it's very slow. As for musical instruments, older people may suffer some from stiffer limbs and slower movements, but they can gain from their greater ability to analyse. So your sons and daughters may get the scales under their fingers somewhat quicker, but you'll probably score on knowing what to do with them.

As a 68-year-old who started last year, I've got through to the consolidation stage in the BC. Being retired as of September (I was semi-retired for 6 months before that), I have time to practice. I don't expect to get up to anything like professional level but I'm already sufficiently proficient that my friends and family don't tell me to put the guitar down and do something useful. Maybe they're very kind.

The dıfference in analytical skills between, let's say a sixteen-year old and an adult isn't that big anymore. At least not that big as to compensate for beeing slower motorically. On top of that is that tendency of over analyzing things whereas young people just do stuff with that divine ability to do it right intuitively. All in all a lot of reasons for jealousy;-)

[Slateminer]

Tim ; I'm not sure where I  picked up that piece of useless info  but I read it somewhere in the last year since I started to learn playing the guitar, thought 'that's interesting' and it's stuck with me, perhaps it's complete rubbish, but as I said previously I suspect there may be SOME truth in it. Knowing my 15 year old self I would certainly have been less fearing of failure as a teenager.

[deadeye_ag]

I'd be interested to see where you found that. Most genreal research on learning in adults concludes that they learn as well as youngsters, but in a rather different way and that though there is some decline in capacity after the age of 40, it's very slow.

Tim, I just turned 40 last week so thanks for giving me the great news  Been hearing that on all kinds of fronts lately. My crude understanding of brain biology is that the neuroplasticity of younger folks is higher than older people. I think this is especially true in the very early years (pre-puberty). It's why little kids can easily become bilingual (or more) at a young age or why you see some 7 year old rocking Sweet Child O' Mine on YouTube.

That said, I think people are more health conscious these days and you actually can improve neuroplasticity through brain games, exercise, reading and (aha!) learning an instrument! So we can have a positive effect on the process.