So I’m curious about where everyone hit their first wall in the course (Billie Jean notwithstanding, we all got stuck there.)
I’d been moving along at a nice clip, the workouts progressing so I could hit full speed to enough of a standard that I felt good about moving on the first time through.
UNTIL.
Module 8, Lesson 5: Pride and Joy (Stevie Ray Vaughan)
Something about the moving shape, string cross, muting, and speed just killed my progress. My brain just is having a hard time keeping it all together.
What tactics have y’all used to break through where you got stuck? Should I just practice it with the backing tracks provided and loop on this one until I feel good about getting through? Or should I steam ahead and come back?
Trying to play through a problem doesn’t always help. Sometimes its good to step away so your brain can process all the info. Moving on might improve other aspects of your playing which could help when you come back. If you are going to persist then change the speed until you are happy with the other elements.
I also hit my first wall in Lesson 8, but with “All Star” by Smash Mouth. I bet many of us got stuck somewhere in L8 since syncopation is really tricky. I somehow managed to get through the Medium Workout of “All Star” (more or less), then I decided to follow Josh’s advice to bookmark the lesson and go forward. In the rearview mirror, I really think this was the right decision. As you’re moving forward, you will gain more practice and also learn many things that will help you nailing it when you go back later. I was having a hard time with that decision since I wanted to have it “perfect”, but it really turned out that it was the best decision to put it aside, bookmark it and go back later. Just don’t forget to pick up the lesson again.
I didn’t really get “stuck”, mostly because I followed Josh advice to move on if you can’t do the fast after a few tries.
But I personally consider is being “stuck” was the scales and diatonic chords. Sure, Josh says you don’t really need to know them, and I did just move along, but I feel I should remember the intervals and the diatonics for the major and minor keys and I can’t get in into my memory bank…
I don’t remember what lesson it was, but the Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag one. I did just follow Josh’s advice and practice the slow one until I mostly got it and moved on. I did just restart the course after finishing last month (after it took me over a year to finish the first time..)
Don’t remember where the difficulty hit but I followed Josh’s advice and kept on going. To me it feels like you have a difficult lesson and then an easy one or two. I have less difficulty with the fretting, it’s the speed I struggle with. I’m into module 13, have learned a tremendous amount and when done will go back to the beginning and do it a second time. Hopefully by then I can get up to speed.
I feel you. James Brown’s “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” is Lesson 11 - and this is where I’m just at. Well, this song is my next wall. It’s so darn tricky, I think it’s the most difficult song in the course so far. Most likely I will move on again without having completed the Full Workout. I already plan to do a 2nd round of the course once I finished the 1st round. I’m looking very much forward to that 2nd round already, this will be awesome.
Exactly. I did the same. I mean Josh The Man knows what he’s talking about. As I mentioned in a former post, the decision to move on was pretty tough for me, but I’m glad that I followed his advice. It was definitely the right thing.
I got stuck in the last module of the regular course (not the bonus module), the one about how to jam with others. I know I need to finish the course, I’m so close; but I can’t seem to force myself to. I still play 1.5-2 hours per day, but all I do is play tunes from Yousician. I’m’m not sure what to do at this point.
I wish it were that easy. I live in an extremely rural area. I do have an acquaintance who used to play guitar; I’ve been trying to jam with him but he’s only marginally interested. I set up a music room in my spare bedroom (drum kit, keyboard, and guitar) for my youngest son to begin to learn on, but he’s only able to really practice when he’s home from college between semesters.
I do think you are correct, playing with other musicians would be hugely beneficial; it just doesn’t seem feasible at the moment.
Bass Buzz’s use of good and transparent education techniques was a big draw for me. Power through, feel good about what you learned, come back and find new pride as you advance. I dig it.
