It’s just like starting ooooover....

[MarkDyson]

In fact that’s exactly what it is.

My usual approach to online lessons is start somethi—OH LOOK! A SQUIRREL! I keep skipping around and dashing ahead to the bits that look most interesting. Certainly not the way this stuff was laid out.

Okay, Groundhog Day’s Resolution: started BGU2.0 from the beginning, and will do a little of it each day I can, IN ORDER, not skipping anything, and not moving on until I prove to myself I’ve grokked the current bit.

You know: the stuff a live teacher would impose and that I lack the discipline to impose on myself.

 

[jammoore99]

I too have the habit of skipping around. Just obtained BGU 2.0 and have made the same resolution - take it slow and follow the program, no skipping around. Good luck Mark on your journey! I hope to ride along.

 

[MarkDyson]

First pothole. Lesson 1 and the strumming pattern.

I learned to keep time while strumming by using my hand as the metronome: always moving to the tempo, up and down and so on. Down strumming on the main beats and up strumming on the ands is easier because my hand is already in position.

Not so when I palm mute for this lesson: D - U - Mute - U - Mute - Rest - Rest - Rest.

When I mute my pick is hovering somewhere in the middle of the strings and nowhere near in position for the up stroke. My muscle memory gets confuzzled and often as not I do another down stroke. Oi.

I’m trying to teach myself to mute while also doing a fake down stroke so I end up in position but that’s a powerful lot of muscle memory to overcome.

 

[JPsuff]

There ought to be something that can be fixed to instructional videos that when you try to skip ahead some kind of pop up message appears asking if that's what you really want to do.

Maybe it wouldn't stop anyone from skipping, but it might make them think about it first.

 

[TwoNotesSolo]

Nah...

 

[MarkDyson]

Nah...

 

[Al Holloway]

There ought to be something that can be fixed to instructional videos that when you try to skip ahead some kind of pop up message appears asking if that's what you really want to do.

Maybe it wouldn't stop anyone from skipping, but it might make them think about it first.

Maybe Griff could write a computer game. Only once you played a lesson correctly would the next level/lesson be unlocked

cheers

Al.

 

[JPsuff]

Or maybe have some thing where you type your name in before opening the course so it can reprimand you by name if you try skipping ahead.

Or better yet, have an "18 and over" version where if you try to skip ahead it yells, "Hey A**hole! You wanna pay attention or you wanna do this yourself?"

 

[Al Holloway]

have an "18 and over"

I thought you meant you had to be 18 to play.....that would count most of us out if it was our maturity age

cheers

Al.

 

[BoogieMan]

I too have the habit of skipping around. Just obtained BGU 2.0 and have made the same resolution - take it slow and follow the program, no skipping around. Good luck Mark on your journey! I hope to ride along.

I am using BGU2 as a review and am finding some new stuff that is well worth the price.

 

[MarkDyson]

Great discussion, as always. I'm considering going through BBG as well, because there are certainly huge foundational gaps in my hop-skip-jump approach and I bet I'd find lots of nuggets in there that would help smooth my way.

 

[jammoore99]

I too at times when I'm having difficulty go back and flip through BBG for refresher information. it's a good way to get back on track with some of the basic foundation stuff that seems to be forgotten or skipped through along the journey.

 

[TerryH]

I used the 80% rule with BGU. That is I moved on when I felt I had the lesson about 80% right. In most cases I had reached a plateau and all I was doing was practising mistakes. There is a point where you just have to move on or you would just stay on one lesson for ever. The problem is that you improve and what I thought was 80% in the early days now seems more like 50% - or less! I’m not going to do the whole of BGU again, but there are parts I will go back to at some point.

When I started learning the solos in 5 Easy Solos a few weeks ago it reminded me why I started this journey in the first place i.e. to learn to play well enough to enjoy playing. I’m not saying it’s not good to stretch yourself, but sometimes struggling to play something difficult badly is not much fun. Nor is it very productive in terms of improving. I’m definitely not giving up on BGU, but I have revised my approach. If I can only play a fast solo at a slightly slower tempo, I have decided it doesn’t matter.

 

[D. R. Miller]

Maybe Griff could write a computer game. Only once you played a lesson correctly would the next level/lesson be unlocked

cheers

Al.

Maybe Griff could add code that would not allow you to view any other courses to buy until you've completed the current one you purchased. Too much good stuff!! After two challenges it's time for me to get back to BGU 2.0 and stick with it.