TIPS FOR TODAY
Progress comes from momentum, not mastery.
If today’s challenge feels awkward or slow, that’s exactly how it’s supposed to feel. This isn’t a “nail it in one day” test — it’s your first pass at a new motion. Your hands will keep improving every time you come across a similar skill.
Even 10 focused minutes is enough to count today as a win. Our goal is NOT to perfect it. It’s to get exposure to a new skill.
Just get the motion under your fingers a few times at your own pace, and trust that next time you try a skill like this, it will feel a little smoother.
YOUR SAMPLE WEEK OF TONY'S ACOUSTIC CHALLENGE
5-Day "Stop Dabbling, Start Playing Guitar" Challenge
- MON: Technique
- TUE: Lick
- WED: Improv
- THU: Rhythm
- FRI: Transitions
FREE WHEN YOU JOIN TODAY
30 DAY JUMPSTART
All new members start with our 30-day jumpstart to learn the basics. It comes free with your membership when you join today.
3-Steps to Stop Dabbling and Start Playing
Try the Free 5-Day Challenge
Get a feel for the TAC method and see what 10 minutes a day can do.
Join TAC and Build Your Foundation
Start the 30-Day Jumpstart Challenge (included when you join) to lock in the basics and build a daily habit.
Keep Going with Daily Challenges
After the 30-Day Jumpstart, keep improving—one fun, daily guitar session at a time.
Tony,
I’ve been dabbling for a while and feel stuck. I like the small chunk process is great. I struggle with rhythm and hope this will get me going.
Tony,
I’ve been “fooling around” on guitar for decades, mostly just playing lead by ear. My goal is to become a more complete guitarist by improving rhythm playing and hopefully, some finger-style playing. Thanks!
Hi Tony
I’m an older (64) beginner and I’ve been stuck since my wife bought me my guitar 3 years ago. I told her I’m always watered to learn but never tried. Since y guitar I’ve tried in person lessons and a ton of on line lessons, and still stuck. I was able to slow down the video and see where your fingers are. One of my biggest problems is I can’t remember the strings. I know 6,5,4,3,2,1. lol. And low E and high E. But the others I get mixed up. Also The term “measure” I’ll have to look up. Lol. But I like the way you teach. Slow and concise. I’ll still with it for as long as I can. Thank you
I’m 71 years old and this is my first day after being away from guitar for several years. I really wasn’t very good back then, and I really don’t remember much so I feel like an absolute beginner.
This first day was a challenge for me. I kept having to stop the video to try to figure out where my fingers go and to figure out what you were wanting me to do. After about 20 minutes, I think I’ve figured it out; now on to doing this for 10 minutes, but I’ve got to tell you, I’m sure I’ll be doing it longer because I still have trouble reaching the strings with my small hands. Not giving up though.
Completed first week of 30 Days to Play without missing a day. Had a win by playing the blues bassline without looking at the fretboard.
I’m still plucking strings without using the fretboard. I cannot even tell what you’re doing with the left hand, so this is way far advanced from where I’m at.
73 years old. Picking it up again after 50 years. Muffling a lot of strings. This makes sense.
This is a good start for me but I need a little help with the proper finger/hand position so I don’t muffle the bottom string when I pluck it?
32yo, beginner and professional “dabbler”, feeling stuck after starting with a basic methods book. Im excited to learn in a different way! I know the major scale and a few chords, but the transitions still get me!
72+ years old- starting out beginner with a few basic chords under my belt- that’s about it. I don’t know how to read tab and don’t know the fretboard at all. So, lesson one wasn’t terribly satisfying. I’ll keep going though. I could do it, but slowed down quite a bit and it was sloppy.
Hi. Intermediate-ish 58yo player here. Playing consistently a few years but wildly unfocused so hoping to step back and be a bit more methodical.
I am 72yrs old. Taught myself a few chords 40-50 yrs ago. Tried a couple of online lessons and always failed – stagnated. I want to be able to play songs. Make some pleasant sounds from the guitar
Coming back after a long lay off.
Hello Tony , this first exercise is interesting and somewhat difficult to play exactly LOL. Been playing since 1964 , gave it up , took the Berkley guitar course , in 1974 , stopped playing 1976 then picked up an acoustic in 1996 and been making noise off and off since then . I just don’t have the dedication , and now I am having an issue with my thumb. you know the dreaded guitar thumb. . My father played professional his whole life with his own band .. Anyway here I am.
Retired at 62 and want to learn guitar. Have been dabbling so now need to learn. Sounds like a good concept so will give it a shot.
My more common name is Chuck. I’m 74 and have been attempting to play with no regularity all my life. A lifelong struggle with ADHD has interfered with just about everything I’ve attempted to learn. It continues to frustrate and discourage me on the guitar leading me to putting it down for months and sometimes years at a time, but I want to learn! I’m giving this process a try with hopes it can PUMP ME UP!
So far, it’s more comfortable than anything I’ve tried in the past. I’d like to get there before curtain time. LONG LIVE WILLIE NELSON!
The tab uses 4/5 (ring/pinkie), the video uses 3/4 (middle/ring)???
Been playing for decades. Need a restart. Thank you.
Just looked at day one. I was an advanced beginner to intermediate about 15 years ago, stopped playing Now I’m just starting to get back into it so I do have knowledge of chords, open and Barr I know quite a few pieces of songs. Very light on finger, picking, excited to get back into it.
I’m on the road for a month but want to give the system a try when I get back home. Should also make mention that I’m a. Beginner …
Been playing a while just stuck in basic stuff to sing with, looking to be more technical and improve
I’m a beginner level- I’m almost 73 but I’m still here! I know a few chords and beginning to incorporate bar chords. I can play through some simple songs but I need a system to learn. I can’t find out how much this thing costs- where is the price listed? Lots of promo content but what’s the cost?
I just picked up a guitar for the first time last week when I bought it through Marketplace. I’m 54. I think the frets are spaced to far apart for my hands but I’m not giving up on this challenge!
I’ve picked up my guitar about 3 years ago after not playing for a very long time. I’m stuck
I’m a total noob
I am new to the guitar I tried once and failed now nearing retirement I want to try again
I am brand new to guitar, always wanted to learn, I’m turning 64 next month and it’s time I learned
I am a beginner level player. I enjoy fingerpicking and have very little experience with a pick.
I recieved my guitar 10 years ago for Christmas ( I was 43 ), played about 2 months and gave up. I have picked it up 6 weeks ago and am really enjoying it. I have been using the Hal Leonard beginner method book, as well as YouTube. I was excited to hear that Friend of the Devil was the song for this challenge. I struggle with my fingers so far not being able to stretch across the 4 frets completely, but am not discouraged by it. I was able to slowly play through this technique, while challenging it was fun.
I’ve been playing guitar and bass for about forty years, with some breaks/ hiatus in there due to life things. Probably an intermediate player, accompany myself as a singer-songwriter.
Fun lesson, even if I showed up late… day job starts at 6 AM.
Thanks!
I just bought a used guitar on Saturday, so total noob.
I would describe myself as an intermediate player. I guess I’m “stuck” in that I always gravitate to songs I already know, rather than learning new ones. Holds true for both guitar and banjo. I’m hoping this may break me out of that mold.
Hi there! I’m a singer who plays guitar. I actually play in my church worship team and do solo acoustic gigs. Have been for 30 yrs. My playing is “good enough” but I’m looking to get better. I always fall on comfortable playing. I’m looking forward to trying out this program. Thanks!
i did a 30 day jump start, do I start this when that is finished?
I have tried multiple times to learn the guitar, but end up getting stuck and quit. Hoping your courses keep me going. I’m 66 yrs young.
PS 78!
Off and on for a year and a half. Discipline issue. Also doing voice.
Trouble with pattern reading what strings you are picking.
Been taking lessons 2 years. Doing pretty good but thought id try this just for something different. Im 64 yrs old
Mostly I’ve been stuck as I’m in the “I have to get it perfect before I move on” category. Really appreciate your approach by building on the small wins. Having a bit of a problem with a clean hammer on but everything else went along well. Thanks!
Cannot access day 2 and 3!!!
i cannot access days 2 and 3… there is no video link… only the side panel with no clickable link
Hey Toni, thank you for what you do. My name is Ron Lehman. I’m a lawyer in Tucson, Arizona 75 years old. I’ve been dabbling in Guitar for many years and think your technique is going to work for me. I’ve had the honor of representing musicians in my Legal career, including Toots, Hibbert from Toots and the Maytals. I wanted to share with you how I got to you. I recently got diagnosed with high risk prostate cancer. Among other therapies, next week I’ll be starting nine weeks five days a week of radiation therapy. I decided this was a good time to step up my guitar playing and started a Google search. I was inundated with dozens of offers from different people your vibe and pitch stuck with me. I mentioned to a buddy that I was going to focus on improving my guitar technique. My wife and I went off for a couple weeks in Alaska to celebrate our 42nd anniversary and when I came home, there was a brand new Martin D 17 at the house. You gotta love your friends!
So I tried to start less than one right now, but every time I hit the start lesson one it goes to your overview when you teach the friend of the devil riff. Probably because I’m a digital immigrant. I may be doing something wrong, but I was hoping you could steer me in the right direction. My intention is to buy the program after I finish the five day course. Thanks again for what you do for the universe. I am also fortunate and that I am general counsel for The Sun Company, a renewable energy company that’s will accelerate and democratized the mass adoption of renewable energy so we both love what we do!
I’m coming from years of “having” guitars but don’t know how to play them very well. Know basic chords but never seem to be able to learn and get through full songs. It’s probably a combination of poor mechanics and getting overwhelmed or frustrated which leads to putting the guitar down for months at a time. I made it through today’s challenge. Couple notes for me; I need to build my calluses back up, I didn’t realize that my finger pain would be there for this exercise, this will come I know. Secondly, I think I had more trouble with the higher strings than the lower ones, especially moving from G-B to B-E. I listened and played through it probably 15-20 times before I got through it error-free on all strings. See you tomorrow, thank you.
I’ve been stuck. Afraid to keep making mistakes so I get frustrated. Today, while attempting the challenge, like usual, I wasn’t getting ‘clean’ notes – my fingers kept getting in the way.
I’ve started into lessons a few dozen times before. At one point I was actually making good progress for several months until my wife had a meltdown one day about how tired she was of listening to me play the same notes over and over again, at which point I didn’t pick up the guitar again for two years. Sadly, my wife in now deceased so that will no longer be a problem. My biggest problem right now is my fat a$$ fingers, particularly my ring finger. Either I am not fretting the hammer on cleanly and it sounds like CRAP. Or I hit the hammer on clean and the next string over is muted. If I had a joint halfway between my elbow and my wrist I might be able to turn my palm over far enough get it right 50% of the time.
60 year old who has tried using internet videos and gets stuck and bored. I can play most chords, but transitions and strumming patterns are not there. The tablature was actually below the video on an iPhone
I was able to do lesson one after slowing it down to .5. I have some difficulties with strumming direction, and I need to build calluses. Also, my index finger (on the fret hand) wants to stick straight out and I’m focusing on pulling it in to a more relaxed position. I am picking up guitar after 36 years of taking lessons for about 9 months and then putting it down. I was unable back then to build momentum to keep going.
Hello Sir, my problem is I watched too much u-tube I am stuck and cannot get the chords to match up with the words. I have this guitar for many years. I could never play it. I am determined this time I’m going to. I’ve been practicing for about four months. Fingers are sore as hell still can’t get the callous, but again I am 71 years old and determined you have an awesome day. We’ll keep watching and practicing. Thanks for your time and patience. Bob
Good morning. I have picked up the guitar many times over the years but I would quickly get bored and put it away for a long time. I think this is because I have never found a good instructional way to learn the guitar. I have been watching many of your videos and really like what I see. Can’t wait to get going with TAC. I especially appreciate the way you combine techniques with real live songs. I can see that progress is constantly being made, and this keeps one motivated and excited about learning the guitar. Thanks very much.