Hi Tomas!
It’s Michael Witte from Park City. This is my second run through of all the Beginner’s Journey Courses One Through Six. After working through the Journies the first time, I took some time off to concentrate on putting it all into practice with real songs, working on chord progressions and strumming. Now I have come back and started again on the Journies and it is amazing all I am seeing and learning the second time around. I want to compliment you on a very well organized, cohesive site that has the adult learner in mind. Your lessons are well structured and sequenced, and your passion for teaching comes through in each and every lesson. Keep it up.
Best.
Michael Witte
Hi Michael (Witte),
Thanks for taking the time to write a comment and for your kind words. I really appreciate it. I’m really happy to hear you’re doing a second round through the course. Some of my best learning has been but I got back to a course I did previously. I hope to hear more from you as you go through the course again.
I keep hitting and pressing the wrong strings respectively, on both the hands. Any tips on how can I improve it? I’m doing the Speed gainer exercise everyday, and it’s easy to play when we have to hit the simultaneous string, but becomes a problem when the order is a bit disoriented, as in the particular melody.
Hi, I was just practicing and dealing with the same issue. This coaching is coming from direct experience.
It’s not a “problem”. It’s the natural course of learning a skill. You’re learning to coordinate your hands together as well as getting them to do what your mind is telling them to do (And that’s actually a simplification). It takes time and correct repetitions to get it right. So the first tip is to work at seeing it as a natural learning process.
This means letting go of expecting to get it right and thinking of it as a problem. When it doesn’t go the way you would like (i.e. you hit a “wrong” note) try to see it as just feedback. And what is the feedback? Several possibilities… but I’ll talk about that in a minute.
Let me say that this perspective itself usually takes practice. Be patient with yourself. Don’t expect to get this overnight. Just keep working at it. You’re laying a foundation for learning that will serve you well.
When I play something during practice and it doesn’t go the way I’d like (which is often) the feedback is likely one of the following things…
1) I need to play it more slowly
2) I need to break it down into smaller parts and work on the parts.
3) I’m close but I need more repetitions
In some cases, I’ve missed some steps and I need to go back and work on some technique or easier material and build up to it. However, when you’re working step-by-step through a system like The Beginners Journey that’s not likely the case unless you skipped some of the lessons.
If it’s #3 there’s nothing to do but keep at it. Usually, I find it’s # 1 (practice slower) or #2 (break it down).
So let’s go with either #1 or #2… Or both. Then you would take what you’re working on and slow it down until you can play it right. Use a metronome to check your speed. Then play it faster little by little until it’s at the tempo that you want.
What if you still can’t play it right no matter how slow you go? Then it’s time to break it down into smaller pieces. An example would be if you’re playing something that is 4 measures long, start with the first measure, and play it at a slow tempo. Then work on the second measure. Put the two together so you get the transition from one measure to the other.
Continue in this way until you can play the entire 4 measures. Then start picking up the tempo as we discussed earlier.
This can take minutes, days, or weeks. Does it matter how long it takes? No… As long as you can muster up enough patience to stick with it.
This is where you’re at. If you could play it faster and correctly you would. To get to that place (fast and correct) you start slower or break it down. You’re training your mind and your body to work together to get the results you want.
This works best if you have an organized practice routine. It’s easier to muster up patience when you’ve set yourself up to work on it regularly and as part of a holistic program.
Hi Tomas!
It’s Michael Witte from Park City. This is my second run through of all the Beginner’s Journey Courses One Through Six. After working through the Journies the first time, I took some time off to concentrate on putting it all into practice with real songs, working on chord progressions and strumming. Now I have come back and started again on the Journies and it is amazing all I am seeing and learning the second time around. I want to compliment you on a very well organized, cohesive site that has the adult learner in mind. Your lessons are well structured and sequenced, and your passion for teaching comes through in each and every lesson. Keep it up.
Best.
Michael Witte
Ps: I am Michael Witte, not the Michael below.
Hi Michael (Witte),
Thanks for taking the time to write a comment and for your kind words. I really appreciate it. I’m really happy to hear you’re doing a second round through the course. Some of my best learning has been but I got back to a course I did previously. I hope to hear more from you as you go through the course again.
I love the 4th string and Scale F introduction. First time learned to play in F scale. Love it.
I’m glad to hear that Michael.
Hello Tomas,
I keep hitting and pressing the wrong strings respectively, on both the hands. Any tips on how can I improve it? I’m doing the Speed gainer exercise everyday, and it’s easy to play when we have to hit the simultaneous string, but becomes a problem when the order is a bit disoriented, as in the particular melody.
Also, as it okay to rest your pinkie and ring finger on the guitar while I pluck the strings with my right hand?
Thank you very much for your continuous guidance 🙂
Yes, that’s okay.
Hi, I was just practicing and dealing with the same issue. This coaching is coming from direct experience.
It’s not a “problem”. It’s the natural course of learning a skill. You’re learning to coordinate your hands together as well as getting them to do what your mind is telling them to do (And that’s actually a simplification). It takes time and correct repetitions to get it right. So the first tip is to work at seeing it as a natural learning process.
This means letting go of expecting to get it right and thinking of it as a problem. When it doesn’t go the way you would like (i.e. you hit a “wrong” note) try to see it as just feedback. And what is the feedback? Several possibilities… but I’ll talk about that in a minute.
Let me say that this perspective itself usually takes practice. Be patient with yourself. Don’t expect to get this overnight. Just keep working at it. You’re laying a foundation for learning that will serve you well.
When I play something during practice and it doesn’t go the way I’d like (which is often) the feedback is likely one of the following things…
1) I need to play it more slowly
2) I need to break it down into smaller parts and work on the parts.
3) I’m close but I need more repetitions
In some cases, I’ve missed some steps and I need to go back and work on some technique or easier material and build up to it. However, when you’re working step-by-step through a system like The Beginners Journey that’s not likely the case unless you skipped some of the lessons.
If it’s #3 there’s nothing to do but keep at it. Usually, I find it’s # 1 (practice slower) or #2 (break it down).
So let’s go with either #1 or #2… Or both. Then you would take what you’re working on and slow it down until you can play it right. Use a metronome to check your speed. Then play it faster little by little until it’s at the tempo that you want.
What if you still can’t play it right no matter how slow you go? Then it’s time to break it down into smaller pieces. An example would be if you’re playing something that is 4 measures long, start with the first measure, and play it at a slow tempo. Then work on the second measure. Put the two together so you get the transition from one measure to the other.
Continue in this way until you can play the entire 4 measures. Then start picking up the tempo as we discussed earlier.
This can take minutes, days, or weeks. Does it matter how long it takes? No… As long as you can muster up enough patience to stick with it.
This is where you’re at. If you could play it faster and correctly you would. To get to that place (fast and correct) you start slower or break it down. You’re training your mind and your body to work together to get the results you want.
This works best if you have an organized practice routine. It’s easier to muster up patience when you’ve set yourself up to work on it regularly and as part of a holistic program.
Thanks for a great feedback, Tomas. I do have an organized schedule, and I’ll keep on it.
You’re on the right track Shivanshu.
Great lesson…learning a lot.
Thank you
I’m glad to hear that.