When is a beginner no longer a beginner?

Larry U

Larry U

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I've been playing for three months now, mostly learning from books, videos, tutorials, etc. I've managed to get pretty comfortable with most of the more common chords, and am fairly adept at strumming and changing in and out of the chords. I still have a few chords that I'm struggling with (the "dim"s and certain barre chords), but I am seeing improvement. I've been doing some basic fingerpicking and chord melodies, and have started working on notes further up (down?) the neck.

Is there a commonly-accepted standard for when someone is no longer considered a beginner? I'm pretty sure I'm still a beginner, but when I look at notation labeled as such, I generally find them too simple and uninteresting. "Intermediate" tunes seem more in line with my skills.
 
Sounds like you're not a beginner any more :) Welcome to the curious no-mans-land that is intermediate level.

FYI: I just got here myself. The real clincher for me was being able to move between an open chord and a barre chord without my head exploding.
 
Last edited:
From what you have just stated you have certainly advanced past the typical beginners stage. Welcome to intermediateville :music:
 
Congrats, Snargle! I need to increase my time spent practicing so I can graduate to intermediate. :)
 
just for fun, please check out the links in this thread: please search for: Uncle Rod's Ukulele Boot Camp expanded and revised

The Self-Examination Test for Ukulele Proficiency (SET UP :) ) is nothing official, just my way of saying that
if anyone can work through those chords at a moderate pace without interrupting their strumming, they should
no longer consider themselves 'Beginners' :)

enjoy, and keep uke'in',
 
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Uncle Rod Higuchi said:
just for fun, please check out the links in this thread: please search for: Uncle Rod's Ukulele Boot Camp expanded and revised

The Self-Examination Test for Ukulele Proficiency (SET UP :) ) is nothing official, just my way of saying that
if anyone can work through those chords at a moderate pace without interrupting their strumming, they should
no longer consider themselves 'Beginners' :)

enjoy, and keep uke'in',
Click to expand...
Thank you, sir. That is quite helpful!
 
It depends on who's calling you a beginner. If it's you, then stop saying it. Forget about "intermediate" too. You're just a Ukist or Uker or Strummer just like the rest of us.

Personally, if you ever write me, you can call me Maestro. :cheers: :eek:ld:
 
Mmm... Failed uncle Rod's test. Oh well.
 
no worries robinboyd, it's just a fun exercise that may be useful as a challenge if you need one :)

when I started I had the hardest time coordinating my left fingers to find the correct position on the
fretboard. And strumming was very difficult because I used to bite my fingernails and it was painful
to strum with my index finger. I had to 'thumb' it for the longest time.

it will come with time... and practice :)

keep uke'in',
 
Uncle Rod Higuchi said:
just for fun, please check out the links in this thread: please search for: Uncle Rod's Ukulele Boot Camp expanded and revised

The Self-Examination Test for Ukulele Proficiency (SET UP :) ) is nothing official, just my way of saying that
if anyone can work through those chords at a moderate pace without interrupting their strumming, they should
no longer consider themselves 'Beginners' :)

enjoy, and keep uke'in',
Click to expand...
Well, I took the test. I actually surprised myself. Except for that %^#@* stubborn Bm chord, I did pretty well. Now I know where I need to focus and do some extra practicing.
 
Uncle Rod Higuchi said:
no worries robinboyd, it's just a fun exercise that may be useful as a challenge if you need one :)
Click to expand...

I'm not stressed about it. And when I say I failed, I mean I had a few mental blanks (I can never remember what F#m is) and couldn't do it on the first attempt. 2 or 3 attempts later, and no problem...
 
Uncle rods test is a great tool for learning where we folks who are obviously beyond beginners need to focus to get ourselves up to intermediate level.
 
I'm glad some of you are finding it 'helpful' :)

remember it's part of the Boot Camp method, so it's not supposed to be 'fun'!
Only kidding, of course. :)

if it helps you become a better player, then my goal has been achieved!

thanks for using it and passing it along to others.

keep uke'in',
 
I don't have much use for labels and boxes, but I saw one at Al's Ukulele Hunt that I really liked:

Improver!

He used it to refer to a stage between beginner and intermediate, but I think that is what we all are, improvers who are in different places of their journey that we each begun from individual starting points. It is a label that includes everyone, excludes no one, and makes everyone feel good without incentive to feel better-than.

I know, this didn't answer the question, but other posts did that already. :)
 
Once you can strum C, Am, F, G, & G7 you are no longer a beginner.
 
For me, it was the first time I led my club's jam session. Now I can't go back.
 
If you can play a song without looking at music sheets and enjoy it you are well past beginner!
 
Usually when you start asking.
 
Snargle asked :
Is there a commonly-accepted standard for when someone is no longer considered a beginner?
Click to expand...

For me, it's when someone asked me to play "that" song again ... they actually wanted to listen to me :)
 
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