Active Melody

We have a very good teacher and the pace is excellent for us beginners. Allow me to make a suggestion that has helped me and a friend who is also taking these lessons. We could use a little more guidance such as ....if the 60 beats per minute is too difficult, then get a metronome on line or at your guitar shop and try 50 bpm. Also, with the metronome at 50bpm, practice just changing from the G chord to the D chord and back to the G chord until you can do it smoothly. Then, practice going from the G chord to the C chord and back to the G chord smoothly. These moves are exactley what you will be doing when you play the accompaniment to When The Saints Go Marching In. It helped us…hope it helps you.

Good point Texas mockingbird.  Eventually I’d like to put up an online metronome as a free resource, but in the meantime, you may want to try using a store bought one or you can use this one - Just remember that in the beginning it’s not about playing things up to speed (this includes switching between chords), it’s about playing them accurately while keeping some sort of rhythm.  So slow things down as much as you need but try and stay on the beat.  Over time you’ll naturally be able to increase the tempo.  It’s a lot like trying to exercise when you’re out of shape - you may be winded after walking to the mailbox in the beginning but as you keep trying, you’ll notice you can walk a little farther each time.

By the way, if you have any questions on any of the videos or materials in the course feel free to ask them here.  I’ll answer all of them and if it’s something I can’t answer via this forum - we can do a quick Skype (webcam) session.