Building Blocks

First off let me say that I am really enjoying the lessons from Anders. Quite a few of the other websites that I've visited begins with the teachers playing a 2-minute riff and telling me that I can do this in minutes. I am a 30+ year beginner and one regret that I have is never asking an instructor how certain lessons will apply to playing songs. I learned the 12-bar blues but never really understood how to apply them to my playing. I assume that these small lessons are building blocks to actually playing real songs. Perhaps Anders or another instructor could elaborate a bit more on this? Thank you, Tom

Hey & welcome.  Glad you are enjoying GT.

I'm assuming you are working through the Guitar Fundamentals course.  Yes, you have the right idea.  The course contains the basic ideas & skills, all the elements, you will need to start learning songs.  At any point in your learning you should look for songs to learn and play that are at your current skill level.

That's what the Made Easy collection is for.

https://www.guitartricks.com/songs/beginner

And you can also ask Anders directly in his instructor forum.

https://www.guitartricks.com/forum/c/51

Hope that helps!

I'm just a student, but to take what Christopher said just a tad further, In the Level 1 and Level 2 Fundamental courses, the table of contents now includes recommended songs at the module level. I think these are the same songs Christopher called out in the Made Easy collection but it's a nice feature to have them identified at the module. 

Hi Tug and welcome,

If I might add a bit more to what Christopher and Tod have already said, music is about structure and your 12 bar blues is a perfect example. Countless songs use the structure of a 12 bar setup. It is very common that a song will follow a 1 - 4 - 5 progression for those 12 bars. 

An example:

Key of C Major is made up of the following chords: 
C major - Dminor - Eminor - Fmajor - Gmajor - Aminor - Bdiminished

The 1st - 4th and 5th chords in this key are: C major - F major and G major. 

You could make up your own little song using these 3 chords and it would sound pretty good. You can mix and match them as you please remembering that at the 12th bar you repeat. And not to get too far into the weeds just yet, after a few repeats of your 12 bar structure you might want to put in a "bridge". Then get back to your 12 bar pattern. 

The courses and lessons here are to help each of us understand the structure of music. Once you have some basic concepts down you will be begin to understand how chords and scales fit together and why the term "key" is so important. 

Hi Tom! I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying Anders’ lessons. It’s great that you’re looking for practical applications of what you’re learning. Understanding how techniques like the 12-bar blues fit into actual songs is crucial. I suggest asking Anders directly in your next lesson; instructors often appreciate when students want deeper insights. They can show you how these building blocks connect to real music, making your practice more relevant and rewarding. Keep up the good work! With a lot of homework piling up, I turned to https://www.topessaywriting.org/do-my-homework for help. The process of ordering was straightforward, and the results exceeded my expectations. The writer not only completed the homework on time but also ensured it was accurate and comprehensive. What stood out the most was their attention to detail and how well they followed my guidelines. This service was a real lifesaver, and I would highly recommend it to other students.