NEWS + An important clarification.

Howdy guitar friend, don't miss out on this newsletter if you lack of motivation to practice the guitar! Plus, exciting news and song lessons! February 2023 News Howdy guitar friend, How are you going? Here, busy as always! I had a bad cold for a bit and wasn't able to work effectively but I managed to come back strong and get a ton done! :) I'm determined to get the Grade 3 remake fully finished, I worked a lot on new song tutorials and cooked up some new courses and products for you all. More about all of that is below! Some nice unexpected news came to my attention yesterday! Guitar World magazine highlighted me in the Guitar World's 50 Greatest Moments in Electric Guitar History article; that was pretty cool and very kind! They mention my early YouTube presence and how that influenced other guitar teachers to do the same. :) Also, thanks to John and my Community friends who brought this up [here](. Now let's get stuck in and see what's on the menu! :) February Highlights - New lesson: My Top 10 Rut Busters - New Song Lessons! - Songs & Lessons App: Love Song Playlist - JustinGuitar.com - Free or Paid? - Community Award goes to... - Happiness = New Guitars? :) - Life Stuff... Stuck in a Rut with Your Guitar Practice? Are you lacking the motivation to practice the guitar? Do you feel that nothing is going right or that you're not progressing? Or are you doubting whether the guitar is worth it at all? Well, you're not alone – we all get stuck in ruts with the guitar. I've been playing guitar for 40 years, and it happens to me too. This lack of motivation occurs whenever we dedicate long periods to work, hobbies, or even relationships! This lesson, part of Grade 3, will give you some tools to help you get out of guitar ruts and rekindle your motivation to practice! We'll explore my 10 Rut Busters, but before doing that, we'll clear up the difference between ruts and plateaus. ;) [Watch My Top 10 Rutbusters]( [Can You Feel The Love Tonight - Elton John]( What a song - another masterpiece from the fantastic duo Elton John and Bernie Taupin! You'll know it from the Lion King soundtrack if you got kids! :) This lesson is my guitar arrangement of a piano/orchestral tune, and the key to performing it well is your [strumming dynamics]( [Wake Me Up When September Ends - Green Day]( To play this Green Day classic, you'll need some barre chords, picking patterns, and strumming dynamics. First, we'll learn how to play the acoustic guitar parts. Then, the electric guitar part, which includes Power Chords and that awesome solo. :) [Something In The Way - Nirvana]( This song is in Drop D tuning, and it can be easy to play: Kurt's version on the original album is easier than I did in the demo. :) My version accentuates the bassline, which sounds wicked when you're playing alone, but you don't have to do that if you're a beginner and want to keep it simple. Free 7-day trial for [JustinGuitarTabs](. Claim yours now, and get verified tabs for my song lessons! :) [View All Songs]( JustinGuitar Lessons & Songs App: [Love Songs Playlist]( is now available! Valentine's Day is approaching, and you can get ready to play love songs for that occasion by practicing with my Lessons & Songs App. You'll find easy classics from artists like John Mayer, Ed Sheeran, Neil Young, and loads more. Enjoy! [Download My App]( Hey, let me clarify a few things about why I recently released new products behind a paywall and how that stands with all the free content I offer at JustinGuitar.com and the donation system. The thing is - running a website the size of JustinGuitar.com is pretty expensive, and I now need a team to help me stay on top of everything and keep growing my content offer to all of you. I recently hired a new Software Development agency working with Ruby On Rails, and they've been great. They have been helping with the website's growth and stability, which also comes with a brand-new (high!) invoice. Less than 1% of active students at JustinGuitar.com donate to support the free content, which makes it impossible not to rely on a few products behind the paywall. The good news is that the "strategy" for this year will not be to start charging for the free content and features available at JustinGuitar.com. Not at all! Instead, I decided to remake the old products (previously available as DVDs!) which were already behind a paywall: Strumming SOS replacing Strumming Techniques 1&2 is the first example, and I also plan to remake the paid old Blues courses too. The things behind a paywall will still be behind a paywall and might suffer pricing changes to adjust to the new reality and improvements. However, the free content, including the [Grade Courses]( will stay free and rely on all of you who choose to donate and support JustinGuitar.com. Your Dashboard, My Practice Assistant, and all tools, including the new Chord Library, are free, and I don't intend to change that. One of the things we'd like to work on in the future is a way of making the website even more paywall-free. I cannot promise anything yet, but the team knows that accessibility to my products is my main business goal, and please rest assured that we all work hard for that. Also - remember that I offer free access to my paid courses if you cannot afford them! Due to contract restrictions and copyrighting, exceptions to that rule are the apps and JustinGuitarTabs. I hope this clarifies things, but please contact my team if you have any questions regarding how we run the website! I cannot personally reply to all emails, but Laryne lets me know about everything, and we truly value your comments and feedback. If you benefit from the free content at JustinGuitar.com and are in a position to donate, please consider doing so or buying from the [JustinGuitar Store](. :) [Make a Donation]( The newest course available is Strumming SOS, which replaces Strumming Techniques 1&2! Feedback about this remake has been awesome. It's actually much more than a remake, as it includes more content, a workbook, and Community support! If you're working on your rhythm, this course really can help you add a pro touch to your strumming. [Check It Out]( The first Community Award of 2023 goes to a member who recently impressed me - and my Guides! He just posted a video to celebrate his 6 years of guitar learning in our AVOYP area, and wow - it's super! He even transcribes and plays all the parts - drums, bass, guitar and voice!! Check it out [here]( Dave, thank you for learning with me and sharing your dedication with our beloved Community. We truly appreciate you and wish you much more fun in your guitar journey. We'll schedule a video lesson soon - the team will contact you to sort that out. Cheers! [Join the Community]( You can't buy happiness. But you can buy a guitar - and it's kinda the same thing! Head to my Merch Store and grab this t-shirt with a 20% discount (no code required) this weekend only! It's also available as a crop tee, hoodie, and long-sleeve shirt. :) Buying a JustinGuitar Merch is another cool way of supporting the website, and you also get to wear a nice guitar-related tee that is sure to start great conversations out there everything you wear it. :) [Shop With Discount]( Be the first to know when new Workshops are available! [Join the Waiting List](. Life Stuff... Well, that was an unexpectedly rough start to the year for me. We had a few website development issues to get sorted with some urgency. Then I had a bad cold for 2 weeks, which is unusual for me; I'm usually a pretty resilient old goat. It has been a short time since the last newsletter because it was later than usual... and with the cold, I don't have many exciting adventures to report! I did get out to see Cirque Du Soleil at the Royal Albert Hall, which was fantastic, an incredible show. The cold also put me out of BJJ training for a couple of weeks. Being my main hobby outside of music, it really sucked to be off the mats for so long, but I managed to study a lot online, training my brain. I find the similarities in the learning pathways of BJJ and guitar fascinating... I'm reaching the kind of 'advancing beginner' stages, and of course, the more I learn, the more I know how much there is to learn! Soon I should settle on a 'game' and really focus on that - much like a musician with limited time would be best off learning one style well than many badly, I will need to start focusing on my strengths and what works best for me. It's exciting and helping me plan the Intermediate guitar lessons! I better get back to the studio, I have a few vids to film today and some admin, and I have to attempt to make a top gun costume for a school quiz night tonight. Rock n roll!!! Wishing you an awesome month ahead - see you soon :) J. 📺 What I'm watching... - [Bank of Dave]( - oh man, I loved this film - and that it's based on a true story. It also reminded me of the rife corruption that's so prevalent everywhere... politics and extreme wealth make the foulest friends, and the film highlights one of the many ways they both protect their interests. 📚 What I'm reading... - [Atomic Habits by James Clear]( - I was SURE I had read this, but I think it's just always been on my Audible recommendations. Now I'm annoyed I waited so long. It's GREAT! The concept is super well explained and had many practical examples to explore - I suspect anyone would be able to find tools that would benefit their life. - [Way Of The Warrior Kid by Jocko Willink]( - so this is one I'm reading for my daughter each night - we just finished it, and she loves it! Really great book that teaches kids (and adults) about the importance of hard work and discipline! The way it's presented is very relatable and feels real. It's supercharged my daughter's interest in BJJ. I'm doing the [Gracie kids program]( with her; so much fun! 🎶 What I'm listening to... - [Stone Temple Pilots]( - The song Plush came up on the request board, and I'd totally forgotten about this band I loved so much in my teens. Great guitar parts in great songs - that's what we want!! Lessons coming soon! [Explore JustinGuitar]( Copyright © 2023 Justin Guitar Ltd, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up on my web site justinguitar.com, hope you enjoy my newsletters! Our mailing address is: Justin Guitar Ltd PO Box 695Farnham, Surrey GU9 1NB United Kingdom [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. [Mailchimp Email Marketing](