Chord pregressins..

..my hand aches a bit. They take some getting used to. I can change chords more quickly now which is encouraging. I was so painfully slow at it a couple of weeks ago.
Didn't practice as much last week which is BAAAAAD. Must try harder. Too knackered when I get in from work sometimes. W-O-R-K BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
So far lovin' the Dunlop Nylon Standard .53mm pick. I shall order some more.
Bit of a disaster (relatively of course) resulting from my first string change. My 4th string buzzes when played open and fretted at the 1st when unamped. I used Legacy 9s instead of the Encore 9s the guitar came stringed with. The new strings somehow feel lighter. Having spent a few hours researching string buzz on the internet I have decided to leave well alone for now as the buzz doesn't bother me enough to start tweaking the truss rod or adjusting the bridge; oh no. I can't hear it when it's amped anyway.
My calluses are flaky..

Calluses..

..are awesome. I can play for ages now and my fingers don't get sore. It does take a while for the string marks to disappear from my fingertips though.

Restringed my guitar yesterday; nightmare is about right. Took an hour. Felt a bit sick pulling the strings, thought they were going to break. I don't like the strings though, they sound completely different in tone. They are Legacy 9 42. Hate the tone of them. Will buy some Encore strings until I am brave enough to try something new again.

I have 6 new picks on the way. I love the thinner gauge picks but the Dunlop Tortex Teardrop is too small and round, so I am trying these;

• Dunlop Nylon Midi Guitar Picks .53
• Dunlop Riffs Nylon Standard Guitar Picks .46
• Dunlop Tortex Standard Guitar Picks .50
• Dunlop Nylon Standard Guitar Picks .46
• Dunlop Nylon Standard Guitar Picks .38
• Dunlop Delrin 500 Standard Guitar Picks .46

they should arrive Tue/Wed. The quest for the ultimate pick continues.

Progress

I have noticed that when learning a new tune or chord I have difficulty but, when I tray again the next day it's mush easier. I have read about muscle memory. When I first tried to play C and G Major I had to place the fingers on the fretboard with my right hand lol. Now I can play the chords no problem although I,m still a bit slow changing chords haha.
I have some new picks coming, Tortes Tear Drop .50mm and Tortex Fin .50mm.
I am now also leaning towards a humbucker strat. I will have enoigh money saved by December, barring domestic emergencies (on my knees praying the the Guitar Gods on that one).
I am amazed at how quickly I have developed callouses. My finger tips are hard and a bit numb after 11 days. I can play for over an hour but have to stop when my left arm starts aching : )

Eek..

..practised my guitar, amplified and without headphones. OMG it's amaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing haha lol. I can't believe the difference. I love it love it love it.
Learning strumming techniques and other cords now; my poor left hand. Still can't stretch it across the fretboard quite enough, struggled with C Major, ouch. Will have to practice hand exercises more often.
Callouses are really coming on , my finger tips aren't nearly as sore yaaaaaaay.

Ow..

..my fingers are killing; yeah. Got to practice twice today. I love it. I LOVE my guitar soooooooo much. Got to buy some stickers and really make it mine.

OMG..

..I didn't get a chance to practice yesterday. I did receive my Varigrip hand exerciser through the post though. It's great, I love the callous builder. My fingers were really sore at work yesterday but that's a good thing. I noticed today that I am getting callouses already wahey.Today through the post, I received some strings I ordered. I went for Legacy 9 42 as these had received good reviews on stringsdirect.co.uk and I don't have a lot of money. 9 42 is to gauge my guitar is set up with.
I also received the plectrums I ordered; Jim Dunlop Tortex Standard at .60mm, .88mm and 1.14mm. After using them all I have settle on the .60mm. I find this the most comfortable and I prefer the sound it produces. I am amazed that different picks produce different sounds.
Working through Hal Leonard's Guitar Method 1 I am amused to be learning Ode To Joy.
I botched setting up my Fender savings account and sent 2 payments lol. The money is staying there. It's worth suffering for.
Tomorrow am I going to begin copying and learning music and tablature as at the moment I can only follow written notes i.e. B A G etc.

I wish I was at home..

..playing my guitar. My finger tips hurt. I'm left handed and spend most of the day holding a pen. This is what I call a good pain. Only another 8.5 hours until I'm home lol.

My arms, shoulders and hands..

..are aching - yeah. It's great. I am now on the quest for the ultimate pick. I have ordered some Dunlop Tortex Standards in .60mm, .88mm and 1.14mm to see which I like best. I expect to try a lot of picks. I have also set up a savings account to pay for my ultimate guitar; a Fender Standard Stratocaster in arctic white with a rosewood fretboard. Mmn. It will take a couple of years but it will be worth it. It's nice to have a goal ha ha. I have practiced for a couple of hours already today and expect to practice for another hour or so later. Hooray for days off work. Fingers 1, 2 and 3 hate me.

It has arrived

My guitar arrived Saturday around 0830; fantastic. It is so awesome, I am really impressed with the quality. It took an age to tune and I snapped the 1st string. I was a bit dumb trying to restring it; trying to get the string through the hole for the 6th string ha. Once it was tuned and all plugged in I gave it a strum and got a lump in my throat. I am now working my way through Hal Leonard Guitar Method 1 and Play Electric Guitar: From Beginner To Band In 3 Months (yeah right). I am so happy, unlike fingers 1, 2 and 3.

Guitar

Tomorrow I am getting my first guitar. I am so excited. It's a relatively cheap electric by Encore. It comes with an amp and accessories. I'll be able to practice with my headphones in which is great. I can't wait. It's supposed to be delivered before 1300 GMT. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh...