Lesson Nineteen Tuesday 14th May 2013

For my nineteenth lesson I had been practicing mostly “Half The World Away” by Oasis. I had sort of got through the song but the chorus is proving very difficult moving from some chords to another.

So for the first part of the lesson we went through this song. I am not sure if its stage fright or what but my first go through was a nightmare. As well as the usual duff cords I missed out complete parts of the song and mixed up other parts. I did manage to get myself together and struggle through to the chorus. The chorus has proved to be very difficult with particular trouble coming from when changing to cords that move all my fingers not just a few. When the difficult changes come there is a massive pause between each cord as I rush to get my fingers into the (sort of) correct position. But probably the worst part is that I am going too fast, which even as I practiced at home my wife had commented on. I rush in then try to slow down but am always just ahead of the correct rhythm. As I am speeding through I am making mistakes that if I slowed it down I may not make. This is not guaranteed as I do have a knack of getting my fingers caught in the strings or losing the plectrum from my fingers as I am strumming away.

We practiced getting the rhythm correct and with some success though I am not sure I will have a guy with a drum kit beating out the correct speed for me every time I play the song. We then looked at the difficulties I am having in the chorus going from the cords C to E  and then E to Am and the really hard D7 to G and then to G7. All of these changes have me moving all of my fingers around at the same time and it just seems to overwhelm me. My teacher explained that this was normal and to just practice over and over again changing from one cord to the next. He recommended that I start with D7 to G and G to G7 which frankly are the worse examples. I can see it is just a case of repetition and the body will remember. We did also have a look at the Fm bar cord which I have improved on but string 3 is the problem with nothing ringing out.

We next had a look at my progress on the Green Day song “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams”. 

For me the big problem with this song is the chorus which changes the rhythm. As I have said many times in these blogs, my rhythm is something I need to work hard on. 

My rhythm can go off so quick for example if I am thinking too hard about what is coming next on the song. I have also tried to sing on some of the songs to help maybe with when changes on cords are but this really does kill off my control of the rhythm. I know I need to put some more time in on this song to get it correct or at least bearable to hear.

Next was a look on how I was progressing with the REM song “Everybody Hurts”. 

To be honest there has not been much progress as I have not been playing this much. I can get through the first part until the last G before the chorus which has a change I always struggle on. 

We went through this part a few times but I still have trouble with it.

The last part of my lesson we discussed about adding a couple of songs to practice some different techniques that I have not looked at yet. The teacher wants me to have more practice on lead and most of the songs we have been doing are more rhythm.

I was asked if I had any ideas or preferences. I could not think of any at that time so I was given some choices of songs to look at.

The first two choices where between Mcfly “All about you”

Or Pink Floyds “Wish You Where Here”.

I went for “Wish You Where Here” as I know the song so I am more likely to know when I am going wrong. I later found out that my wife would have liked the Mcfly song as she knows it. Maybe I will try that one later on.

My second two choices where for The Animals “House of the Rising Sun”

Or Radiohead “Street Spirit (Fade Out)”. 


For me this had to be Radiohead as I do like Radiohead and again I would know when (which will be most of the time) I was going wrong.

I will practice away on what I have so far and look forward to murdering the two new songs next week.