For my first learning project post, I wanted to dive into something that I have a little bit of an understanding of: playing the guitar. While this may seem basic, it’s a skill I’ve been attempting to master on and off for years. I thought that by using this assignment as motivation, I might finally commit to learning how to play. To provide some background, I’ll share my prior experiences with the guitar, which will hopefully convey a good understanding of where I am starting from.

I first picked up a guitar when I was 14 years old. As someone with a strong love for music, I thought it would be amazing to play some of my favorite songs. However, the guitar is not an easy instrument to master, and I struggled a lot with moving through chords and playing different notes, especially with my small hands. Frustrated, I gave up not long after. A few years later, I decided to give it another try. Now older and with slightly larger hands, I found it easier to navigate the fretboard. Although I felt like I was making progress, I still faced significant challenges. One of the biggest was my inability to use a pick effectively, which led me to switch to finger-picking. This technique was much more comfortable for me, and I started learning basic songs and really getting into it. Yet again, I hit a roadblock and eventually put the guitar down.

It has now been a few years since I last played the guitar, and my goal for this class is to learn how to play one song from start to finish. While this may seem like a modest goal, it’s significant enough to be challenging but not so daunting that it feels impossible. I hope this project will push me to finally overcome the hurdles that have stopped me in the past. By documenting my progress, I aim to stay motivated and hold myself accountable. To achieve this goal, I plan to start with the basics, revisiting the chords and techniques I learned previously. I will practice regularly, gradually working up to playing a full song. This time, I am determined to push through any difficulties and not let frustration hold me back. Learning to play the guitar has been a long-time aspiration of mine, and I believe that with consistent effort, I can finally make it a reality. This learning project represents not just an academic assignment but a personal journey toward achieving a goal that has eluded me for years.