"From Trying Harder to Understanding Better."

Three months ago, I tried to play “Fly Me to the Moon.”
I loved the song — but I couldn’t memorize the chords. The rhythm was another challenge altogether. It felt like one of those pieces that just wouldn’t settle in my hands.

But I kept going.

Recently, something changed.

As I progressed and started going through Level 5 for the second time, it suddenly clicked. Not in a vague way — but clearly, deeply, and all at once.

I was on the train when I watched a YouTube video. I sat down afterward, wrote down the chords based on a lead sheet, and within three hours… I was rolling.

That moment felt incredible.

It wasn’t just about memorizing anymore. It was about understanding.

After a lesson with Rex, everything came together even more clearly. His lesson was perfect — and suddenly I got it. I realized how the 4-5-1 concept works together with inversions, and how it integrates into the way we’re actually making music.

Here’s what really stood out to me — my personal takeaways from that lesson:

First, learning the basic concept with simple chords like F, G, and C — what I jokingly call “free-style guitar picking” — made everything feel approachable.

Second, the lesson taught me to:

• Learn inversions until they flow effortlessly

• Stop relying on charts (even though I still love them 😄)

• Clearly see the chord notes and identify them in different variations and inversions

• And once you play the “free style” technique, add notes of the scale to make everything sound more musical

That combination changed everything for me.

What once felt confusing now feels logical.
What once felt heavy now feels light.
And what once felt out of reach now feels possible.

This journey reminded me that progress isn’t always about trying harder — sometimes it’s about understanding better. When the pieces finally connect, learning becomes exciting again.

And that moment — when everything clicks — is a win worth celebrating.

Cheers,
Gerd 🎹✨