My Final NLP Update

"My Networked Learning Project (NLP)" by Kyra DeLoach is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.

From not being able to even read notes, to playing the chorus of one of my favorite songs: my Networked Learning Project (NLP) has changed me. My appreciation for music has changed; listening to every strum in songs I hadn’t noticed before. I chose to learn how to play a song on acoustic guitar for my NLP and have been working on it throughout the past few weeks. Throughout this project, I have focused on finding useful resources. Youtube mostly, but I have also used Chordbank and Reddit. Throughout this process I have learned how to play chords, how to strum and even learned how to read TAB. Each time I practiced, I filmed myself and made up a video of my process and what I learned. You can see this at the top of this page or watch on Youtube, NLP Final Update. Starting out, I thought I had to learn every bit about guitar before I could learn a song. This may be attributed to the fact that I am a novice guitar player. In chapter two of How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School, it states "Experts do not have to search through everything they know in order to find what is relevant." (pp. 43). I found this to be increasingly truthful as I watched hours of Youtube videos to find what was relevant. Although I watched a lot, Andy Guitar on Youtube taught me the basics of guitar. What the pieces are called, how to hold your fingers on chords, how to strum, and how to read chord charts. While watching his videos I found out I needed to tune the guitar, and I needed to pick a song so I could learn those specific chords – not every chord. I used a guitar tuning app, and it took me a while but finally I tuned the guitar and got it sounding correct. I picked my song– The Only Exception by Paramore. I started looking up videos and found one by GuitarZero2Hero that was straightforward and explained well. I found out I needed something called a Capo to change the pitch of my guitar. I made one with a pencil and a hair tye, but it didn’t give me the pressure I needed. I realized it’s difficult to practice when it doesn’t sound right. I found that sound was a huge part of knowing if I was getting a chord right or not. Not having the Capo slowed me down, but once I got one I was unstoppable. Unfortunately I found out I was unstoppable too late. Once my guitar sounded right, I jumped back in and then a day later got four wisdom teeth removed. When I finally felt like practicing again I realized that my technical skills were not strong enough to finish my learning goal. I couldn’t play the song; only the chorus, kind of. After going into panic mode, I tried to look up ‘simple’ songs. I found out that these simple songs had chords that I didn’t even know existed and this would not be more simple at all. I decided to stick to what I had been working on, even if it meant not completing my learning goal. Throughout this experience, I have had many pros and cons of this method of learning. A pro would be by using online resources, I’ve been able to learn on my own time and take it into my own hands. A con has been that I didn’t practice as much as I always should have with the time constraints. I didn’t have an outside force reminding me or making me actually participate on a schedule besides the assignment. Although the NLP is over, my journey with acoustic guitar is not. Tracking my progress has helped me learned and understand what I need to continue doing to reach my goal. If I had not recorded and visibly seen my growth it may have been easier to give up and not pick up the guitar again when things proved difficult. I look forward to using what I have learned from this experience in the way I learn and teach in the future. Follow my journey from the beginning by checking out NLP #1 and NLP #2. References: Andy Guitar. (2016, September 2). Guitar Lesson 1 - Absolute Beginner? Start Here! [Free 10 Day Starter Course] [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBz-Jyr23M4 Bransford, J.D., Brown, A.L., & Cocking, R.R. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. National Academy Press. http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?isbn=0309070368. GuitarZero2Hero. (2016, October 13). The Only Exception Guitar Tutorial - Paramore Guitar Lesson |Tabs + Chords + Guitar Cover| [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgLMkZL33HU Paramore. (2010, February 17). Paramore: The Only Exception [OFFICIAL VIDEO]. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J7J_IWUhls

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