[Andrew]

@about2 – I like it a lot! Has a bit of a Spanish vibe, very cool 🙂

[Andrew]

It will be out later today 🙂

[Andrew]

@brabbit – Sounds awesome, Brandon! And def NOT cheating. It’s a very good thing to play to clicks and it’s quite common for studio musicians to do just that when tracking professional recordings. Quincy Jones was a big believer in having his musicians track to the click.

Here’s my feedback for you 🙂

[Andrew]

@andyrose – Correct. My notation program only lets me input one fingering per chord. A slight limitation, but I always cover fingering recommendations in the video lessons 🙂

[Andrew]

@johanna2509 – I thought you played it very well, Johanna! One tip to help with the 12th bar (and 14): Keep your index finger flat across strings 3 to 1. That’ll make it much easier to play outta the barre chord. If you pause your performance at 40 seconds, you’ll see how bent the knuckle of your index is. That’s what we want to correct. Swing by this lesson for a recap on proper left hand form for barre chords.

[Andrew]

@gmflin8 & @shmu88 – Awesome job guys! I left feedback for you 2 in the same video. Sam’s feedback starts at 2:36.

@ukandrea – I use Guitar Pro 7.5. It’s awesome! It doesn’t transcribe for you though. I think higher end programs like Finale do that, but only for keys. Also, not sure how accurate it is.

[Andrew]

@shann0potato – I think it depends on the context. Are you noodling with or without intent. For example, “with intent” could be jamming to a blues backing track to help come up with licks or phrasing ideas. “Without intent” would be playing the same song(s) everyday for months without learning anything new. The latter still develops technique/playing skills, but intent will get you farther in the long run.

[Andrew]

So happy to see you back, Chelle! 🙂

[Andrew]

@juliel – I asked Steven his thoughts on this and this is what he said:

“I’ve had a little play through some of the exercises and pieces and I would say it is definitely possible to complete the course using ID, TU, IU. It won’t sound quite the same but it will work.

However I would definitely recommend trying to persevere with the ID,TD,IU technique. When I first learnt the triplet strum I learnt the ID,TD,IU technique. I later stumbled across a Jake Shimabukuro video where he taught the ID,TU,IU sequence which he used because he could generate more speed this way.

I didn’t think I’d be able to learn it because I already had the TD sequence so ingrained. However, I stuck with it and I can now play both sequences completely interchangeably without getting confused between the two of them. I find the TU pattern better for strumming and the TD pattern is so much better for chord melody.”

[Andrew]

Dr. Matos, do you mind contacting me privately about this. Thanks!

[Andrew]

If I understand you correctly, as we move forward there will be songs with the modules that are aligned with level of the material for the module.

Yes, every course has performance songs that’s related to the material taught in the course.

In addition, the families can explore songs that they are interested in regardless of the levels.

Yes, I’d encourage them to work on songs in addition to course work.

Can you remind me the EDT time and days of your live sessions?

Live lessons are every second Saturday of the month at 12 PM EST. Here is the forum post with more info on it, as well as, this month’s topic 🙂

[Andrew]

Hi Dr. Matos. To be honest, “I’m Yours” should be placed in a higher level. It was one of the first songs I arranged for the site and was placed there before I had a clearer understanding of how the 5 difficulty levels would unfold.

But I do want to stress that the majority of songs in each level are suitable for the suggested level. With that said, the best place to begin with our lessons is by reading through Learning Paths. It’s our step-by-step guide for creating a practice schedule and defining a path to work on.

For linear learning, I’d recommend starting with our Beginner’s Course. It teaches the fundamentals that prepare you for playing songs. You could also compliment this course with our Fingerpicking Course. It has lessons tailored for 3 levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Likewise, the Reading Course is setup the same way.

With fundamentals intact (e.g. understanding of simple rhythms and playing technique), you’ll be better able to navigate the songs list to tackle beginner level and level 1 songs.

I’m always available too if anyone has questions on a lesson. Feel free to post here or email me 🙂

[Andrew]

@lisa-k – That’s def more developed, good job!

[Andrew]

I think you’re overthinking it now. Sections don’t have to be equal. There are no rules 🙂

[Andrew]

I’d record yourself playing into and thru that section at diff speeds. When you listen back, you’ll have multiple options. That’s the way I’d approach figuring out what works best.

[Author]

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