Go back to what you struggled with (Newbies).

Rush - Limelight. The chorus.

I still can't play the chorus at speed, but my fingers are at least starting to learn the correct positioning.

8)

I keep playing all those songs which I wanted to play as a newbie.

They are most fun to play. Eg. Country Roads by JD.

Good advice MTC. I tried Sultans Of Swing early on. Darned near lost an eye. As soon as I figured out barre chords, went straight back to it. Other things too, like the rhythm for Down By The River and Ballad Of Curtis Loew got me early on. Always went back and can do them both pretty well now.

Great advice! Several times I've realized I haven't tried to play a particular song for a long time, and I worry that I've forgotten how to play it. I try it and, surprise, it's way better than before... because I've been practicing other stuff since then. It's a great feeling.

Hear Hear!

One of the first songs I attempted was Nothing Ever Happens, by Del Amitri- the strumming pattern, while not exactly complicated, was just too darn fast for me, and I couldn't change chords that quickly. Went back to it a couple of weeks ago- it's actually a really easy song! (Well, now at least. MAny things get easy with a few hundred hours of practice!)

Best,
Ande

My 2p's worth . . . learning the guitar has to be a very unusual skill. I don't think you will necessarily realise your progress unless you force your mind back weeks or months and see how you were, then you really realise!

Far be it for me to be the main speaker on this subject as I'm only 13 months into my playing, but even now I see improvements I didn't realise. Case in point, a solo I hadn't touched for a few months I played again the other day for the first time. Even though I hadn't practiced it as such, I played it so much more fluently, showing that although I wasn't aware of it, my technique was improving.

My suggestion, as this is something I've done, is to video or audio record (video is better as you can see your frustrations!) your playing on a song you find tricky. Practice that song and come back and record yourself again after a few weeks. Compare the two. Then try it with 6 months etc. - it's really quite amazing the differences you pick up!

I think the obvious steps, like learning the chord changes and which notes to play etc., comes relatively easily and is the most visible improvement - the smoothness, what turns a choppy sequence of chords into a smooth progression is what time will lend to your playing, but is less evident to yourself as you become used to the improvement. As I said above, I suggest recording your efforts then comparing and contrasting!

All the best. :-)

Far be it for me to be the main speaker on this subject as I'm only 13 months into my playing, but even now I see improvements I didn't realise. Case in point, a solo I hadn't touched for a few months I played again the other day for the first time. Even though I hadn't practiced it as such, I played it so much more fluently, showing that although I wasn't aware of it, my technique was improving.

Yashi :shock: you've only been playing 13 months? :shock: Think I'll just go crawl under a rock now in shame :oops: .... hang my head and weep :cry: OMG listen to yourself: " a solo I hadn't touched for a few months " :cry:
I must have missed them because I don't remember seeing any of those "Before" videos showing us how much worse you used to be :evil: