My guitar adventures continue! “If I Could Turn Back Time” by Cher is a good choice for beginning guitarists (like me) who are adding Bm as a new chord to learn. Most of the song features familiar chords that novices learn first (G, C, Em and D), so it should be smooth playing until the dreaded Bm appears in the song a few times (“dreaded” because it’s uncomfortable to learn new things, not because it’s a hard chord to learn). There are different variations for playing Bm, I’m using a simplified version for beginners.
I might need to stick with this version indefinitely because I have small hands and might not be able to do advanced barre versions of chords. I’d probably need to size down to an even smaller guitar and I like the size I currently play (slightly over 3/4, but not quite full). Anyway, Bm is a chord that guitarists can’t do without if they want to expand their play list, so whether using a simplified version or an advanced one, it’s best to strip off that Band-Aid and learn new chords as often as previous ones feel comfortable.
I practice each round of chords as long as needed until the chord shapes are memorized, then I add a few more. I don’t try to learn more than 2-4 chords at a time. My goal for playing guitar is to master enough chords (it doesn’t matter to me if they are the “cheat” easier variations or not), for playing guitar to “stick”, and then playing the guitar will be like riding a bicycle – never forgotten once learned. I want to play and sing regularly, but life happens. I don’t want to fear that I’ll forget how to play if I have a break from playing. So, for me, it’s all about learning the guitar so that I’ll know it “forever”, even if it takes me a long while.
BTW: I plan to start painting on that little ukulele you can see in my art studio in the video I posted (it’s on the table), should have something to show you soon.
