Another one of those "aha" moments hit me when I was at a festival last weekend. I was watching some of the best mandolin players in the world, and realized I could do some of the things they were doing. I could recognize which chords they were playing(some of the time). I could see strum patterns, and most of all, I understood that I was making progress. While my skill level will never be like the performers I saw, I continue to practice daily and try to become a better mandolin player. While many of the things that Dave is trying to teach me are difficult for me now, sooner or later I WILL "get it"!!!!