Hey,
I know you probably read this question a lot.
I am a self taught guitarist. I am learning for about 1 1/2 year now exclusively on electric.
I started out using Justin guitars website. And quickly picked up open chords, some very basic strumming, power chords, pentatonic scale positions 1 & 2 barre chords. But progress started slowing down and I really wanted to play a song I like till it sounds like the recording (which I still can’t do). So I dropped justin Guitar entirely thinking I could use what learned and push through to learn the songs I wanted.
A few months later I am realising that I just can’t. I can pick the notes but can’t get it up to proper speed and still do a lot of mistakes.
Something is still missing.
I am lacking the ability to pick individual notes while changeing chords with my other hand. And I can’t even pick fast enough with just concentrating on my right hand. I recognised early that I can’t strumm fast enough to certain songs. I hit a pretty hard speed barrier and thought it will get better with time. But it obviously won’t.
I am missing direction on how to improve and I don’t know how to continue from there.
I know a good guitar teacher would be great for improving, but it is no option at the moment.
Thank you guys in advance.
Struggling with Guitar Progression - Need Help!
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GrapeCrusher
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Mon Mar 30, 2026 1:16 pm
Re: Struggling with Guitar Progression - Need Help!
Some of the problems with playing the guitar or any musical instrument is that you can actually train and reinfoce bad habits by doing things wrong. This is where a teacher will spot this and correct things right away.
If you are playing the chords slightly wrong each time then you are reinforcing this each time you play it. So you need to do something different. The usual and most successful way is to go back and slow it down to the point that you can change without any mistakes.
I know this can be frustrating to do as it becomes less musical. I have been in the same boat before also. But once you can do it really slow correctly, then you can start reinforcing this behaviour and then start to speed it up.
Do use a metronome (download one on your phone if you don't already have one) as this is a really good way to work on timing and also easily increase speed at a slow increment whilst maintaining maximum accuracy.
If you are playing the chords slightly wrong each time then you are reinforcing this each time you play it. So you need to do something different. The usual and most successful way is to go back and slow it down to the point that you can change without any mistakes.
I know this can be frustrating to do as it becomes less musical. I have been in the same boat before also. But once you can do it really slow correctly, then you can start reinforcing this behaviour and then start to speed it up.
Do use a metronome (download one on your phone if you don't already have one) as this is a really good way to work on timing and also easily increase speed at a slow increment whilst maintaining maximum accuracy.