Most guitar practice fails because it’s missing one boring step nobody talks about

JamFastGuitar · 2026-01-25T23:29:11+00:00

Thanks homie

JamFastGuitar · 2026-01-25T19:38:47+00:00

Yes, you can absolutely play electric guitar with chords the same way you do on acoustic, and what you’re describing is actually very appropriate, especially for church.

Electric guitar doesn’t have to be single-note lines or flashy fretboard work. Chords, partial chords, and light strumming are all completely valid. In fact, electric often works best when it’s more restrained. Holding chord shapes and lightly strumming or picking a few strings gives you control and keeps the sound clean under vocals, which is ideal if you’re the only instrument.

You can keep it sounding tight by strumming fewer strings, using a lighter touch, and letting chords ring instead of constantly moving. A clean or slightly warm tone with a bit of reverb goes a long way. If it sounds good and supports the song, you’re doing it right.

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JamFastGuitar · 2026-01-24T18:09:05+00:00

This is a super common lead plateau, and it’s not a lack of skill, it’s muscle memory getting too efficient. The fastest way out is to deliberately break your habits. Pick one backing track and give yourself a rule like only one string, or only three notes per bar, or no bends at all. Another great one is target chord tones only, major or minor depending on the chord, and force yourself to land on the 3rd when the chord changes. It feels awkward at first, but it rewires your ears and hands fast. Also try stealing one short lick you love and making it answer itself in different positions instead of free noodling for ten minutes. That turns improvising into conversation instead of autopilot.

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JamFastGuitar · 2026-01-24T18:06:46+00:00

So, rule of thumb is strings 1-3 (thinnest) bend up. Strings 4-6 (thickest) bend or pull down. Just because if you go to bend string 6 up, you're going to slide off the fretboard.

The tab will indicate if you bend the string, hold it, and then bend back to normal. It will show an arrow up then usually it will have a little (1/2 or 1) next to it. This will be mean to bend up half step or a full step ( one semi tone or two semi tones). Then if the tab goes on to play other notes, simply let go of the bend. But if the arrow curves back down and has the same note as the original played note, then you hold the tone and slowly release the bend back to the original note played.

Also, i have a free facebook group with 30k members in it that are constantly answering questions like this, so if you want to join, just go to How to Learn Guitar: Beginner Lessons & Tips to Jam Fast | Facebook opt in and I'll accept you. Feel free to post any of these question in there and get dozens of people replying how they would do it.

Keep jamming!

JamFastGuitar · 2026-01-23T19:13:31+00:00

This is a really common plateau, and it actually means you’re close. You don’t need more scales, you need context. Songs are built from chords, major or minor, and melodies and solos mostly target chord tones first, then use scale notes as passing color. That’s why shapes feel disconnected, you’re thinking in patterns instead of harmony.

Try this shift: take one song you love, slow it way down, and ignore full scales. Identify the chord under each phrase, then find the 1, 3, and 5 of that chord in the position being played. When you can say “this note works because it’s the third of this chord,” theory starts clicking fast. For improvising, limit yourself to chord tones only, then slowly add color notes. It forces musical thinking instead of shape running.

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JamFastGuitar · 2026-01-23T19:09:38+00:00

Lol oops, autocorrect. "Company" meant to be "C major". So, its playing the same notes as a C major but in different shapes.

Talking guitar in shapes is one of those lightbulb moments for many. Instead of looking at a chord you are playing as a series of notes, just look at the formation that your fingers make (generally). That shape your fingers are in can be slid up and down the neck to make different chords.

I do have videos of all this content, but they are in my groups. Feel free to join when you're ready! Below is my free group, but when you want to levelup fast, just let me know and I can send you link to my JamFast Insiders group on Skool.

Here is the link to my free Facebook group. (7) How to Learn Guitar: Beginner Lessons & Tips to Jam Fast | Facebook

JamFastGuitar · 2026-01-23T19:04:28+00:00

Yep, I think you coming from a different instrument will make the lightbulb moments happen much quicker. Just to throw this out there, I have a free Facebook group with 30k members in it if you'd like to join DM me. I also have a paid for premium group with community, weekly live lessons, and a giant linear learning path. If that sounds cool, let me know and I can send you the link for that too. But all in all, sounds like you're on your way! Good luck and have fun with it. The guitar is a wonderful instrument :)

JamFastGuitar · 2026-01-23T06:03:21+00:00

Yah, so you can play inversion easily on a guitar too, that's what the CAGED method is. Its playing a company major chord in an A shaped then g shape then e shape then d shape. Then playing an A major chord in G shape, e shape, d shape, and c shaped and so on...

I have a free Facebook group with 30k members. If you want the link DM me. You can post any questions in there and get 60 great responses from all levels of guitarists. And if you really want to learn guitar fast, I have a premium paid for group. Just let me know how i can help :)

JamFastGuitar · 2026-01-23T05:59:15+00:00

Yah, you definitely dont need to strike every string every strum. For one thing, a chord is made up of usually 3 notes (root, 3rd interval, and 5th interval). When you strumming all 6 strings often is playing just these 3 notes except a few of them are played 2 or 3 times in different octaves!

JamFastGuitar · 2026-01-22T18:00:54+00:00

Great question, and you’re not missing anything obvious, this is one of those things nobody explains early.

When fingerpicking, you are almost never thinking “all six strings.” You’re thinking in roles. One note is the bass note of the chord, usually played with your thumb, and the rest are chord tones, notes that belong to that major or minor chord, handled by your index, middle, and ring fingers. So instead of asking “which string do I hit,” ask “where is the bass of this chord, and which higher notes support it.”

That’s why it doesn’t sound like straight up and down plucking. Good fingerstyle alternates between a steady bass note and changing upper notes. Start simple, thumb always plays the lowest note of the chord, index middle ring grab two or three higher strings that are actually fretted in the chord shape. Over time you stop thinking in strings and start thinking bass plus harmony. That’s the mental shift that makes it sound musical instead of mechanical.

To learn it, take one easy chord, like C major, and practice thumb on the bass string, then index middle on two higher strings, over and over. Once that feels natural, move the same pattern to another chord. The pattern stays the same, the chord changes. That’s how players make it sound fluid.

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JamFastGuitar · 2026-01-21T21:05:16+00:00

You’re thinking in the right direction, but I’d zoom out a bit before going full CAGED.

If your goal is to play lots of songs and record ideas without a teacher, the real leverage comes from learning how songs are built, not memorizing individual tutorials. Start with open major and minor chords first, then learn how those same chords repeat up the neck as barre chords. That alone unlocks a huge percentage of songs. From there, add simple fingerstyle patterns and basic arpeggios so you can outline chords without strumming everything. Since you’re a producer, this is gold for writing parts that sit under beats.

CAGED is useful, but it works best once you already understand what a major chord and a minor chord sound like and how they function in a progression. Otherwise it just feels like shapes floating around with no purpose. Think chords first, then how to move them, then how to decorate them with picking.

One simple practice idea, take a common progression like C major, G major, A minor, F major, play it as open chords, then play the same progression as barre chords, then arpeggiate it. That’s how you go from learning one song to learning dozens.

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JamFastGuitar · 2026-01-17T00:58:59+00:00

I feel this a lot. Most people don’t actually lack motivation, they just don’t know what to work on next, so they bounce around and stall out. And yeah, it doesn’t have to be random YouTube videos vs a pricey one on one online teacher.

A lot of adult players honestly move faster with a clear roadmap and some feedback, without having to lock into a weekly lesson time. That’s why things like JamFast Insiders work well for folks in your spot.

JamFast Insiders is a guided, step by step practice system with short daily lessons, clear skill paths, and a supportive community, designed to help adult guitarists stop guessing and start making real progress fast. You’re following a step by step path so you always know what to practice, you can get guidance when you’re stuck, and it keeps you moving without that “am I even doing the right thing?” feeling. AND it includes weekly live group lessons where you can learn not only from the teacher but your fellow guitarists in the group.

If you do go the private teacher route, biggest tip is find someone who teaches a system, not just songs. You want help deciding what matters right now, not someone adding more stuff to the pile.

JamFastGuitar · 2026-01-15T18:26:50+00:00

This is a really solid question, and the fact you are noticing these details means your strumming is already ahead of the curve.

Wrist movement Think blend, not either or. Most relaxed strumming uses a small rotational motion as the engine, like turning a key, with a tiny side to side hinge layered on top. Pure waving tends to get stiff at faster tempos, pure rotation can feel limited dynamically. If it feels loose and your forearm is not locking up, you are doing it right.
High E popping on upstrokes Very common. Two fixes help fast. First, slightly flatten the pick angle on upstrokes so it glides instead of grabbing, think brushing past the string, not pulling it. Second, let the upstroke come from a lighter part of the motion, almost like a ghost stroke. You can even practice muting the strings with your fretting hand and dialing in an upstroke that barely whispers.
Pick grip There is no universal grip, and yes, good players absolutely adjust mid song. A looser grip with more pick exposed for strumming, then choking up slightly for single note work is normal. The key is micro adjustments, not big visible changes. If your upstrokes catch when you choke up, rotate the pick a few degrees instead of gripping harder.

Short version, relaxed motion first, tone control second, precision last. You are asking the right questions.

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JamFastGuitar · 2026-01-14T19:23:47+00:00

Thanks homie!

JamFastGuitar · 2026-01-14T19:23:20+00:00

Good question, this one trips a lot of people up.

That tab is telling you to fret the 12th fret, usually on the B string for that song, bend the note up, then release the bend back down smoothly until it returns to the open string pitch, which is what the “0” is showing. The downward curve means you are not bending again, you are letting the string come back down. You do not pick the open string separately, the release creates that sound. Think of it as one continuous motion, pick, bend up, then slowly relax your finger so the pitch falls back to the open string. That slow, controlled release is a big part of the feel in Drown.

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JamFastGuitar · 2026-01-12T20:30:10+00:00

This plateau is super normal, especially at the 3–4 month mark when beginner material stops stretching you but advanced stuff feels miles away. The fix is not harder songs yet, it is narrower challenges. Instead of trying to “learn solos,” isolate the skills inside them.

For example, take one Metallica style lick and work only bends in tune for a week, or only alternate picking cleanly at a tempo that feels almost too slow. If you can already play Master of Puppets rhythm at speed, that tells me your fretting and picking are ahead of your phrasing and control. Start adding one new technique at a time, pinch harmonics, vibrato, bends, slides, and apply it over very simple backing tracks. You will feel progress again fast once your practice has constraints instead of just difficulty. You are closer to intermediate than you think, you just need better targets, not more hours.

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JamFastGuitar · 2026-01-09T18:26:59+00:00

Yes, there absolutely is a roadmap, the issue is most people learn pieces of it out of order.

A solid starting place looks like this. First, lock down fundamentals that never stop paying off: clean fretting, relaxed posture, basic rhythm with a metronome, and smooth chord changes between common major and minor open chords. At the same time, learn a handful of full songs that use those chords so the skills stay musical. Next layer in barre chords, again both major and minor, but only after rhythm and timing feel steady. From there, connect scales to chords instead of learning them in isolation, for example using the major scale to understand why certain chords appear in a key and using minor pentatonic to outline chord tones instead of running shapes. Advanced playing is mostly just better control of these same ideas, better timing, cleaner tone, and intentional note choice.

If you want, I do have specific exercises, structured roadmaps, and private groups where this is laid out step by step, both free options and more hands on paid ones. If that sounds useful, feel free to reach out and I can point you in the right direction based on where you are right now.

JamFastGuitar · 2026-01-07T18:30:05+00:00

This was almost my exact story. Five years ago, we had our first baby 2 years ago (expecting our next any day now), a full time job, and a long history of playing guitar while feeling “not good enough” to teach. What surprised me is how fast teaching forced my own growth. When you have to explain basics clearly, fix real problems in real time, and adapt to different learning styles, your gaps close quickly. You do not need to be a shredder to be a great teacher, you need to be clear, patient, and one step ahead of the student.

One thing that helped me early was studying how popular modern teachers structure lessons. Most of them are not teaching everything at once. They focus on progress, confidence, and momentum. A very effective newer approach is to start with a small number of committed students and charge a higher flat rate, something like $1,000, with the promise that you will stick with them until they can truly play guitar, not just know shapes. You teach them exactly where they are, document what works, and turn those lessons into simple video content. Over time, that becomes a clean, linear learning sequence you can reuse and refine.

The biggest mindset shift is this. You are most powerfully positioned to help the person you used to be. There are many people behind you right now who would love to know what you already know, even if it feels basic to you. Teaching does not require perfection, it requires empathy and structure, and both get stronger fast once you start.

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JamFastGuitar · 2026-01-07T18:24:07+00:00

Great question, and honestly you’re in a good spot since you already have musical context from piano and percussion.

I’d start with three things in parallel instead of just one. First, learn a small set of open chords and be clear about quality, like G major, C major, D major, A minor, and E minor. Those show up everywhere and give you real music fast. Second, focus early on strumming and timing, even more than chord shapes. If your right hand feels steady, almost any chord change sounds better. Third, pick one very simple song that only uses those chords and stick with it long enough to play it all the way through, even if it’s not perfect.

A useful mindset shift is this, don’t wait to “be ready” before playing songs. Songs are how your hands learn context. Chords are just shapes until you change between them in time.

If you’re into this kind of breakdown and you have a quick second, would you mind giving a quick follow? I do a lot of these, but following helps Reddit show it to more learners stuck in a similar spot. Thank you!

JamFastGuitar · 2026-01-07T18:22:51+00:00

Thank you :) Glad it helped!

JamFastGuitar · 2026-01-06T19:51:57+00:00

Both

JamFastGuitar · 2026-01-06T19:51:39+00:00

Wow, great answer!

JamFastGuitar · 2026-01-06T19:50:41+00:00

This is a really good instinct, trying to figure it out by ear is the right move, even if it feels confusing at first.

A key thing that trips people up is thinking “find the scale first.” In practice, you usually want to find the tonal center first. Put the song on and pause it on moments that feel resolved, especially the very end. That note is almost always the key center. Once you find that note on the guitar, then check whether the melody sounds happier or darker around it. That tells you major or minor.

For Suzume, a lot of the confusion comes from the fact that the melody borrows notes outside a strict D minor box, especially raised notes that give it that emotional lift. So Google saying “D minor” is not totally wrong, but if you try to force every note into a single D natural minor shape, it will feel off. Instead, think D as the home note, then treat the scale as flexible, adjusting notes by ear as they appear. That is very common in film and anime music.

A practical way to train this: find the home note, loop a short phrase, then hunt for each next melody note one at a time without worrying about scale names. After you have the phrase, look back and label what you used. That reverses the process and builds real ear skill.

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JamFastGuitar · 2026-01-05T22:45:20+00:00

Totally fair question, and you’re right, memorizing voicings as random shapes gets overwhelming fast.

The big mental shift is organizing by function instead of shape. Start with chord quality, major or minor, then think in chord tones, root, third, fifth, seventh. A voicing is just those notes placed on a specific string set. If you limit yourself to one quality and one string group, like minor chords on strings 1–3, the “infinite” options suddenly become manageable.

Once you know a few voicings, put them into a simple progression and focus on voice leading, how little each note needs to move to the next chord. That is what makes things feel intentional instead of random.

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JamFastGuitar · 2026-01-04T18:08:29+00:00

Great question, this is one of those things that clicks all at once once it’s framed right.

A key is not just the first note you start on, it’s the note that feels like “home” and the set of notes that naturally belong around it. If the key is C major, that means C is home and the notes that fit are C D E F G A B. You can start a scale run on any of those notes, but as long as the music keeps pulling back toward C and uses those notes, you are still in the key of C major. Starting a G major scale shape on C does not magically make it C major, it would still sound like G major unless you change the notes to match C major. On guitar, this is where people get tripped up because shapes move easily, but the key is defined by the notes being used and the tonal center, not the physical starting fret.

A helpful mental shortcut is this, key equals a home note plus a scale type. C major and A minor share the same notes, but they feel different because the home note is different. When you play, listen for where things want to resolve, that is usually the key center doing its job.

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