Hi to @Paul Blundell and @Cathy Sue Carpenter Thank you for joining and I hope you find it all useful in your day to day playing. Feel free to take part and share your views and knowlege See you out there.

What Sparks Your Creativity? For me it can come from something someone says to me, A view or a moment of reflection if it's from there I will write it down and then read again once it's all released. In most cases I keep it as it is or I will add or take parts off until it flows with a relatable message. Writing music on the other hand can come from reading back what I have written and I start to hear beats and then chords from many different instruments Then I visualise doing the parts on the fretboard. How does it work for you?

The offending F chord this one is a common chord used in multiple songs and for most beginners the hardest to learn and play. There are a few ways to play this chord and the one you choose will depend on the sound you are after so it is best to learn all of them at some point. However to start with I see two or three options to experiment with once you have the fundamentals with posture. The F shape most start with is similar to the C shape and uses all four fingers. The shape First, index finger on the C note first fret B string Second, middle finger on the A note second fret G string Third, ring finger on the C note third fret A string Fourth, pinky finger on the F note third fret, D string This may feel uncomfortable to begin with, if you practice it with a C chord and a G chord you have the shapes to play a few classic songs. When you play this version of the F chord only hit the fingered strings. Once you can play a full F chord it is a moveable position. Good luck with this one Let me know how you get on

Ok guys where are you all with your playing? Are you learning how to play covers or are you building a set of originals? I personally have always enjoyed creating more than playing covers. Covers can be fun and they can also teach you how to structure a song in the early days when you learn the basic three or four chord numbers to get you started. When you get to the more challenging numbers it feels like you have hit a wall and you are going from scratch as you are learning to play something beyond where you are and it starts to take longer. Then you get back to the easier songs and you play them better than you did and it's the same with each new challenge until you develop further. With this instrument you will never stop learning or discovering new ways to play Once the muscle memory is there it does get easier. Just stick with it and it will give you so much pleasure.