Question about when to move on.

Hello all,

This is my first post here.

I've been working through the Guitar Fundamentals and have seem to have hit a road block in Fundamentals II Chapter 2.

I'm not able to cleanly switch between the chords in the lessons involving C major. Specifically Chapter 2, Sections 3-5. The best I can do is do 6 strums at the chord and then switch to the next chord while skipping the 7th and 8th strums. This is at 80 BPM.

My question is, how long should I be working on this before moving on? Should I be working to 'master' switching between the four chords in the lessons at 120 BPM before moving on? I am getting a little frustrated as my progress seems to have hit a stand still for now.

I've been trying to practice for 1 hour a day lately for 5 days a week but I haven't been as motivated as of late as my lack of progress makes it seem as if I'm not using my time the most efficient way.

Thank you for your help. I appreciate any advice you could give me.

I think slowing down less then 80.. Sound like if you are skipping because your finger are not in place.. After your warm ups, make chord changing a part of warm-ups.. No speed, just get the finger where they belong. Try just going back and forth with the chord changes you have trouble with.. Slowly, then pick up speed.
You didn't mention if you look through the number 6.. "Seamless chord changes"
Maybe skim back through the first few sections 1 & 2 to make sure you didn't miss something.
Nothing wrong with going ahead, just remember to go back where you had trouble.
Sometimes that one step ahead helps you spot what you missed before.

Here is link to Lisa McCormicks lesson on chord changing It may help. http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=484

What you're realizing is what all guitarists have realized early on at some point: you need to do something different to keep progressing at a decent pace. And right now that is chord changing drills. Pick two of any of these chords that you have trouble switching between fast, and start out slow changing from one to the next. Don't even worry about tempo. Go really slow at first so you can see if all your fingers are moving at once. Some of your fingers should in fact be moving in different directions at the same time in order to land on the correct frets simultaneously. When you go really slow, you'll probably realize that you don't have very good finger independence as of now. So this is the time to practice it slowly. Then take some time and try to speed up, and don't even worry about being kind of sloppy. Time yourself for a minute and see how many chord changes you can get between those two chords. Then go back to doing it slow. If you switch between these 2 chords around 2,000 times (however long that takes you), it'll be so much easier and faster. They say it takes 10,000 repetitions to master something. But you'll notice great progress way before then.

~Rusty

Originally Posted by: bbzswa777What you're realizing is what all guitarists have realized early on at some point: you need to do something different to keep progressing at a decent pace. And right now that is chord changing drills. Pick two of any of these chords that you have trouble switching between fast, and start out slow changing from one to the next. Don't even worry about tempo. Go really slow at first so you can see if all your fingers are moving at once. Some of your fingers should in fact be moving in different directions at the same time in order to land on the correct frets simultaneously. When you go really slow, you'll probably realize that you don't have very good finger independence as of now. So this is the time to practice it slowly. Then take some time and try to speed up, and don't even worry about being kind of sloppy. Time yourself for a minute and see how many chord changes you can get between those two chords. Then go back to doing it slow. If you switch between these 2 chords around 2,000 times (however long that takes you), it'll be so much easier and faster. They say it takes 10,000 repetitions to master something. But you'll notice great progress way before then.

~Rusty

I think this advise is perfect. It's also what I do.