Two Reader Questions (Moving on and Being a Slow Learner)

 Here are two more interesting emails I have got lately. I hope you find the emails and my thoughts useful…

 

Email #1…

“Hi Dan,

I don’t want to overload myself with work as I am also learning fingerpicking patterns and mastering chord shapes.

I am staying on certain bits to ensure I do it correctly.

Should I do them once or twice or do them correctly before I move on to the next section?

I have been playing and learning for 3.5 years and trying to learn as much as I can, is this the correct approach?

Thank you” 

Mark 

 

As I told Mark, if you are ever in doubt, stick with what you already know and go over it many times to perfect it.

I never hear this from other tutors out there, especially the YouTube gurus, but less is nearly always more.

I much prefer students to fully digest what they have learnt before moving on.

 

We have all been there, enjoying the process of learning, picking things up, and thinking “I will just learn a little more”…

Then swoosh, like Thanos from the Avengers films clicking his fingers…

Everything we have learnt in that session disappears from our minds!

 

It is always important to learn what you are learning, really well.

Of course, every now and then you might want to spice things up a bit and learn something new, but most of the time, stay really focused on just a couple of things.

It nearly always pays off better this way.

 

Anyway, onto Email #2

“Hi, 

I’m doing ok but I’m a very slow learner. Fingerpicking is new to me. I have an instructor who has been teaching me for 4 years so I can do chords etc. Tabs are totally foreign to me so I’m hoping that will change. I enjoy your teaching videos. I can play them over and over.”

Carol

 

Firstly, it is great that Carol is enjoying the course videos and is determined.

Like I told her, do not worry about being a “slow learner”.

Often students of mine who felt like they were slow learners at first caught up with the faster learners later on.

 

I always found that those few who did find it easier in the beginning would often get demotivated at a faster rate later on when they hit plateaus.

Those who had a tough start but didn’t give up would find the later plateaus to be much smoother to glide over.

If you ever think you are a slow learner, that is something to think about.

 

I was a slow learner in the beginning, but I persisted…

Whereas some of my friends quit playing or stuck to the same old boring strumming. A few years later, I overtook them and shocked them at how far I had come. (I think it was the determination side that helped).

I don’t say that to brag or anything, but just to show that being a slower learner in the beginning does not define where you will end up.

 

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed these thoughts and have a great day!

 

Dan Thorpe

Guitar Domination

 

P.S. For more help, the Dan Thorpe Acoustic Academy comes complete with a 30-day plan, the In Focus course (taking you from beginner to intermediate guitarist), and…

You get a free copy of my paperback book, Guitarists Get Theory (worth $47) delivered to your door wherever you are in the world.

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P.P.S. This post was originally taken from Dan Thorpe’s private email list. To get blog posts like this sent to you which are full of great tips to make fingerpicking, strumming, and learning guitar more enjoyable (especially if you are over 40) join Dan’s list. It’s 100% free, HERE.