When I was young, it took a long time to develop calluses so my fingers didn't hurt, and at the same time I was learning open chords. Having gone though the fundamentals course and fundamentals 2, Lisa is a good instructor. Having said that, I can say this is my experience. Guitar Tricks has a lot of songs that are really good for beginners to work on. Take your time and learn through lisa most of the open chords, for example C, D, G A, E, F, A minor, E minor and D Minor. If you simply have these 9 and can play and switch between them quickly, you can start making it fun, by playing some of the beginner songs that are here on Guitar Tricks. Focus on mastering the open chords, go through fundamentals one lesson at a time, but once you know a few chords, go ahead and try a few songs. Make it a lot more fun to see your own progress when you can play a song. Here's an example of OLD School rock and roll. The song Gloria is a simple three chord tune that uses E D and A. Good Luck. Keep at it, it takes practice!