Blues You Can Use timeframes

Thinks like that are very hard to say because there isn't really a clear point where you learned the lesson. Often when you go back to a previous lesson you'll find you're playing it a whole lot better even while you thought you already nailed it. Comparisons don't work, unfortunately, so take it at whatever pace you can and feel like. On itself I'd say that one lesson every two weeks isn't extremely much but if you can keep that up you'll be progressing well.

I've been working on "Texas Rock" for about 6 weeks, and I'm almost up to a speed that I'm happy with...

Currently I'm working on lessons 8 (the study, Bends, Slides and Shifts) and 9 (scales and progressions). I needed more than one month for Bending the Blues and one week for Delta Mood. It depends. I agree with Arjen.

Work on each lesson the time you need. Define a goal for each lesson and try to achieve it.

And I'm not sure the later lessons take less time to master...

Yeah they do build on each other and any good guitar lesson book would do that anyway.

I wouldn't be worried with how long it takes you to get through each lesson as that could be setting yourself up for unrealistic goals, perhaps. Just work on them each, little by little and you'll see faster and faster progress.

Some of the lessons I still struggle with and I've had the book well over a year now, while other lessons I just "GOT IT" real quick.

It all depends on, things like the weather, the tides, my mood, my time and what the dog is doing...."hey bring that back here"......doh.. gotta go. :)

I wouldn't worry about getting each piece up to "full" speed before moving on. Once I've got the "study" in the lesson (there are 3 parts to each lesson - the scales, the chords, and the study) up to a "reasonable" speed I move on. I come back and review each of the older lessons on a regular basis though. If I was spending 30 minutes on BYCU then I'd use 10 minutes for review of a previous lesson - cycling through all the past lessons with a different one each practice session. Every so often you can spend your whole BYCU practice time working a past lesson too.

What's a "reasonable" speed before moving on isn't fixed in stone either. I guess it's that point where I can play it with no mistakes, I've worked at making it faster and it's not getting much if any faster, and I've been at the lessons for "long enough". Still kind of fuzzy.

That being said, I'm not working the book right now. I stopped using it when I went on vacation at the end of May and haven't put it back into the practice schedule. I probably should.

Thanks y'all for the responses. I feel a bit better about it now, I was under the impression that most of the people on this site whipped through the book in like 3-4 months. Back to work.

FYI, I began working through the book in January, so I am a good six months into it. I'm almost through Major Blues, whuch I believe is lesson 14. I hav just started the slow version of the next one, which I believe is Hard Edge Blues. If I extrapolate the current pace it would seem I'd get through it in a little less than a year, since I'm just over halfway through.

Personally.. if I concentrate on it enough. I can fly through a lesson a day. But I've been playing for a long time. And what I've been doing is going ahead, then backtracking to warm up to the next lesson. (without sacrificing learning). But, I've been playing blues on my own for years now... so I feel like I had a headstart.

Mainly I agree with Sleutobos (sp?).

I would say spend as much time as you think you need until you can nail it, then go ahead, but keep backtracking and playing previous lessons and you will really learn the basics of blues inside and out.

My two cents..

Pat.

Geez...I lost memory on how many weeks I'm trying to have this 'lovely' bend in Blues Rock Tune in tempo (the second lesson of BYCU)...I can have the tune ok, but when I bend I get frustrated. I only can do a half bend, and not a full bend. I was doing it with a single finger, now I'm trying weith the help of the middle finger, but now I'm not in tempo again...geezz

i would think it also depends on what level you're at to begin with (sorry - i didn't see that in your post) before you can determine how long it takes to get through a lesson. i got through lesson 1 in 1 week, but lesson 2 has barre chords, which i'm not good at. i'm still working on barre chords as part of my other practice, so this book has to wait for now. so for me, lesson 2 has taken several weeks and isn't even close to being completed!

i'm sure you're much more proficient than me so this may not be relevant.

paul

I had some troubles with barre chords when I studied the lesson 2. When I finished it, I also finished with the problems with the barre and I was able to use it in every chord. Paul, I'm pretty sure you will have a similar experience. Keep practicing!

thanks nuno. i was just a little disappointed after having good success with the first lesson. i know it will come - i've been playing now for 5 months and have seen progress in other areas. just not in this one!

paul

I restarted BYCU last night. Dang I forgot how difficult some of the lessons are. I have been looking for a good way to practice my electric.. after reading this post I had a DUH moment.

Jim

is the book/cd you guys are talking about?

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Hal-Leonard-Blues-You-Can-Use-BookCD?sku=940372