Must we master

Must we master one thing before moving to the next? For example, I'm just stuck at fretting simple chords c and g. Muting while switching between the 2 throws me off and my next strum I fret right but I miss on strumming. I get it right 6 out of 10 times but the other 4 sound like crap. Is it wrong to move on to avoid boredom? Is it wrong to try to learn 2 things at the same time?

Thanks in advance

Chuck

I dont think is wrong at all. Actually I would say it's wrong to practice hours and hours always on the same thing. Try to work on something else, take a break and go back on what you re doing right now.
However the instructor will have a better advice.

I agree with 3donkey about the hours and hours on one thing. You're not trying to be a robot!

If you eventually go back to something you couldn't quite master and it sounds better then you thought it might you might get a pleasant surprise and finish off what you couldn't do before.

Play with feel and don't worry about the times you sounded like crap, this happens to everybody. Move on then come back on yourself now and again and realise how much progress you've made.

Good luck!

You'd be surprised to know that it's actually recommended to move to something else when frustration is overwhelming you. When you eventually get back to practice that thing you're struggling to pick up with a fresh mindset chances are you'll get better.

GREAT QUESTION! Actually, its funny because a lot of guitar teachers try to make you master something before moving on to something else... and that's sort of like learning how to add and subtract before you learn to multiply or divide.

It works for math, but... not guitar playing. That's because math is a science, and guitar playing is an art! You can write songs even before you know any chords, or how to play any other songs. They may not be the greatest hit songs, but you can still do it and have fun with it. :)

Originally Posted by: a98gsxrMust we master one thing before moving to the next? For example, I'm just stuck at fretting simple chords c and g. Muting while switching between the 2 throws me off and my next strum I fret right but I miss on strumming. I get it right 6 out of 10 times but the other 4 sound like crap. Is it wrong to move on to avoid boredom? Is it wrong to try to learn 2 things at the same time?

Thanks in advance

Chuck

No. Keep moving forward. The insight from moving forward and doing new things will help you with the previous stuff. You do NOT need to master something before you move on but you will eventually have to. Give yourself time.

I've moved ahead a little bit and it's getting more difficult, darn a and f major are relentless. I need at least 6 beats to make a major chord change. Everyone I ask just says the skills magically come along after a while. Not seeing any skills getting better I'm a bit frustrated. I'm going to stop chords for a while and work on some scales maybe that will help. Chris, you make this look so damned easy maybe you should put side notes in your lesson warning newbies that it's not.

Hey buddy...

Changing chords fluidly does NOT come magically!!! One can spend hours and hours and hours practicing chord changes, but... if you practice in the WRONG way, with the WRONG approach..... you won't learn. One of my students was very, very frustrated with this, and UNTIL I showed him specific chord changing strategies that targeted his specific challenges using a specific strategy, he didn't improve much. (He did, but... it just was veryyyyy slow and veryyyy frustrating.)

So, what YOU can do is check out this FREE video that's on my website, where you will learn some chord changing strategies that work VERY effectively. They won't be specifically targeting your specific challenges, but they will help a LOT. Much more than if you were just trying to do this stuff on your own.

https://www.guitarlessonsinsandiego.com/ChordChangingStrategies.html

Keep in mind that these strategies work for ALL chord changes. That's why I didn't specify which chords we were practicing in the video. :)

I wouldn't recommend practicing changing two chords for more then say 10 minutes a day. You will just get bored and start to hate playing alltogether.
Also, you should practice different guitar skills not just one and then move to the next. So lets say you are now practicing switching between chords. You can also practice other things like playing scales, Pulloffs/hammerons on 1 string, picking techniques etc. according to your skill level. Practicing only 1 technique every day is not really gonna get you far.

I wouldn't recommend practicing changing two chords for more then say 10 minutes a day. You will just get bored and start to hate playing alltogether.
Also, you should practice different guitar skills not just one and then move to the next. So lets say you are now practicing switching between chords. You can also practice other things like playing scales, Pulloffs/hammerons on 1 string, picking techniques etc. according to your skill level. Practicing only 1 technique every day is not really gonna get you far.