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.
Just starting out
It took me a while to get the picking pattern, but once I got it and played over and over I’m feeling pretty confident about the rest of the challenge.
I am a guitar dabbler for years, know a few songs, but only the cords, no leads. Continue to have issues with fingers hitting the open strings below so they will not ring. Additionally, when I look at tabs I really don’t know how my fingers are suppose to be position so they will flow to the next part.
I’ve been playing guitar on and off for over fifty years. I’ve spent thousands of dollars on in-person lessons, online lessons, books and dvds. I’ve spent thousands of hours practicing scales, chord changes and exercises. I still cannot play like I want to. I think this tiny habit idea has some merit so I’m willing to give it a try.
The tabs don’t show if it an up stroke or a down stroke
Thanks antways
Overwhelmed
Sorry I think this is too much… I can’t do hammer ons
I used to play a lot in my 20’s, stopped playing for a good 30+ years, picked it up again 5 years ago but only lasted about 2 months before I gave up again. I found that I wasn’t looking forward to practicing, but found it more like a dreaded chore. I”m 75 and willing to give it another go. I’m having trouble getting my fingers not to “buzz” the A string without taking my fingers off the E string. I’m trying to arch my fingers, but I’m really feeling frustrated with not being able to get a clear sound on the string without the buzz. I worked about 15 minutes this morning, but could not get past the E/A string part.
Hi there, this was my first lesson with you!!! I am a songwriter and want to learn new techniques. Thank you so much! I am always just strumming or finger picking, so I wanted to learn something different. It was very challenging, but really fun!!! I am old school, so I don’t really read tabs, I read chords. It was really great.. so thank you so much!! I look forward to tomorrow!!!
I am 67 years old. So new that I had to Google and YouTube frets. sorry. I was hoping you’d start from how to hold a guitar, where to squeeze the frets and how soft or firmly, sorry. The string names and how to strum them, sorry. As Denzel Washington once said, “talk to me like I’m a two year old” Sorry. I’m glad you started with a free 5 day trial as I can see where I am. Frustrated right now. Sorry.
Age 71, owned a guitar for a year, can play some scales and chords, some theory knowledge from years of piano, no formal training
I couldn’t tell what you were doing from watching you play. I downloaded the Tab/sheet music and got it right away.
I hope to find some practical techniques from TAC
I am like a two year beginner. I can play a dozen or so chords and some simple 3 and 4 chord songs. Having trouble with walk up/down. and other imbelishments . I also can’t play along with others very well at all.
I have quite a few guitar lessons in book form and dvd/online. Most of them start a little high for me. I have been playing for a long time and feel stuck. I have some skills and some nice equipment, but I don’t see a good path forward. Too much information is overwhelming. I have never taken in person guitar lessons due to time and work constraints, but now am retired and want to learn some songs and some improvisation skills. Your first day acoustic challenge looks like it would work for me. By the way, I taught for many years and recognized that your breakdown is well thought out so I will continue the challenge and am considering joining as a holiday present to myself.
My big goal was always to learn to play and sing at the same time. I got two songs down during Hurricane Isabel in 2003 (first one was “Time” by Tom Waits). At my peak, I could do probably 60 songs. None of them great, but I could accompany myself. Never could pick well, apart from a tiny bit of fingerpicking (Townes’s “Lungs” was my big one), pretty much a straight strummer. Left handed, play right handed, so my smart hand should be fretting but it’s clumsy on individual notes. I’ve been out for a year or two with arthritis issues and I’m working on getting back to playing.
Learned basic chords at 18, LOVED playing, life happened, I’ve picked it up here and there but never progressed. I’m 48, kids are out and I can finally carve out time for me.
Thank you.
I learned to play: “ house of the rising sun” 60 years ago and then my future wife moved in next door and I got a little side tracked. I recently started getting some free time so I started playing again and of course I’ve pretty much forgotten all I knew back then. So starting all over again in my 80’s.
However, I saw a. Shirt the other day that says it all: Yes I’m old and I play the guitar. I’m not good at it but I enjoy it.” That pretty much says it all! Ron
67 yrs old, started playing a million times, never got any good at it, I know some general theory and most open chords
How do I get to second day
Thank you Tony. I was unable to get on Monday. I am new – 7-8 years. Just stuck and everything sounds alike. Boring and boom-chuck
So I don’t read tab or music. I do the counting, but even that is going to take some doing. It’s hard to dance and chew gum at the same time. Still enjoyed the lesson and had fun. 61 years old.
Thanks you, Tony. My challenge is to regain the consistency in practice I once had (between 1972 and 1980). Your style of teaching is very helpful in taking things at a pace and in a way that doesn’t stress my finger tips. ;). I will keep at it and regain and exceed the abilities that I had worked on through my high school and college years, but lost when my work life was prioritized. I am now retired at 69. Glad I kept my guitars. It is nice to relearn with a system that I trust.
Stuck after three years of dabbling.
I’m 59. I started playing about three years ago. I watched a series of fingerpicking for beginners and had lot of fun with that. I’m several chapters in on Guitar All In One For Dummies and that has given me a good handle on most of the basic chords I see used on most of the music I enjoy listening to and playing. I’m really shy about playing in front of anyone and I need to tamp down my obsession with perfection. As noted I was confused and clumsy with the playing tonight, after I looked at the tabs, I was able to “get it” and follow along, a little. That was my little win; I see the pattern and I could do it. Note even close to perfect. I wish I had more time because it was fun and I was starting to make it work. Yay! Tomorrow, I plan on starting in the morning and I hope to come back for another round or two with the next lesson. It’s still intimidating, and I feel like I’m not as advanced as I should be. However, like I said, I’m encouraged because I’m learning the language so to speak. I’m craving more.
Day 1 and my win was that I showed up. I used to have an electric guitar for my power chords. I was going to be the next great rocker 20 years ago. You probably have never heard of me.
Dabbled badly as a kid, came back 40 years later during covid. Guitar kept me going, but aside from learning a few chords, and strumming to tutorials, I didn’t get far. I could mostly play through a few 3 or 4 chord songs, but poorly, and never all the way through.
This is the first time I’ve seen alternate picking in a way that made sense, and after 3 or 4 runs through, I was able to pick down on the beats, even after the hammer where my natural inclination is to come up on the next string, rather than down on the first. 🙂
Hey. I’ve been practicing for over a year and I was taking lessons until three months ago. My practice is mostly C major and B major scales with some chord work. I wanted to try your Five Day to boost my practice. Already so helpful. Thank you.
I’m 65 I tried learning guitar a few years ago by watching lessons on YT, 6 months in I got fed up with trying to find things to practise so I gave up. I come across the Acoustic Challenge on FB so I’m giving it another shot.
Hi Tony, I studied guitar at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music for about 8 years, where I learned a variety of styles from pop to blues to celtic to jazz to Brazilian jazz. I stopped playing about fifteen years ago, with a few failed attempts over the last five years to regain what I learned. My hands have forgotten! Much of what I was playing was fingerstyle. I never really got a good feel for playing with a pick, had trouble picking the right string without missing or doubling. Today’s small win in this first lesson was holding my guitar vertically and playing the exercise without looking. Still missing but getting more comfortable. Enjoying the challenge again!
This is super awesome! I’ve been playing guitar since I was 8 (25 now), but no formal technical training and have only ever played basic chords. Excited to start building my skills!
I know how play my cords some bar cords the picking i can get. Just have to do it 3 or4 times trying to picking and do riffs I’m senior so not to
Fast Roy
played as a teen , picked it up a bit again early In pandemic- recommitting to relearning
61 years old and recently retired. I’m determined. Have ‘dabbled’ for 10 years or so but never had real time to devote until now. So far I like your approach.
I’m 73 and decided I want to learn to play. My problem is, I leveled off my left middle finger on a jointer in high school ( a looong time ago). Being flat, it has a tendency to deaden the neighboring string – especially on the lower E/A. Trying to bend my wrist more to compensate. But it only goes so far. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
I’m self taught and played in the worship band at church but mostly chords and rhthym. Haven’t played since July 21 after breaking my arm! I have always wanted to get into picking and playing licks to develop my playing.
Really enjoyed session 1!
Started playing at 16 – have played off and on for 50+ years – mostly folky campfire songs. Ready to learn new things
I started guitar in high school, I should say I struggled guitar in high school. I’m left hand the majority of the time due to a childhood injury. I have trouble keeping my head and fingers on the same page most of the time! I will probably re-watch the videos a lot before moving on. I’ll keep you posted, and I’m glad to be here!
i am brand new to guitar & this a way too confusing as a starting point
Hi Tony, I’ve watched you quite a bit on youtube and am excited for the challenge! I’m approaching 60 and never played instruments growing up but always enjoyed music. A couple years ago I started noodling with a ukulele cause it was easy to play anywhere. The whole time learning it I felt like I was learning half a guitar so I decided to try the other half…ha Anyway, I don’t plan on playing anywhere but home but I’m looking forward to being able to learn how to make music anyway.
I’m 78. Got a guitar around age 61 and messed around with various lessons for about 9 years. Life interrupted and now I’m trying one last time.
im coming back from a long time, but even back then i couldnt play a song
Like you, I started playing in my late teens. But I have never learned licks or scales, never tried soloing, as I was satisfied, early on, with chords and a few strumming/picking patterns … to accompany singing. I’ve gotten a bit better at what I do, but it’s so limited, so “beginner.” For what I do, I’m OK, but lesson one is new territory for me. I’m looking forward to it!
I’m an advanced self taught player who’s been playing on and off for 40 years. Being more of a strummer and a singer, I haven’t always focussed on the fundamentals. Just last week I learned Friend of the Devil again, and I was surprised to see it show up as the song we are exercising! It’s never to late to get back to the fundamentals and I look forward to working through the exercises.
HI Tony, Several years ago I did the TAC program and I enjoyed it. But I never wrote the song we were supposed to at the end and you kind of lost me there. And from there I didn’t really know where to go. Then my life faced many challenges and changes, the last, facing down cancer and finding out last week I’m now cancer free.
This seems to be perhaps what was missing back then. I like the way you break this into small bites. I think it could work for me. I’m anxious to get a new start..So I’m doing this week long challenge as a first step towards that start.
Have learned enough to play first position while I sing. Can play along with a group if not to advanced. Want to leave first position and learn some new things. Start some new habits.
Lifetime beginner has to sum me up totally. I always loved trying to play music, my mother played piano and I had ago at that, must’ve been around 8, just not for me. Teens years, girls and football (played with the feet) and stuff stopped all the music ideas. Got my first own home and decided I loved the guitar and wanted to start so headed home to mother to beg endlessly for a guitar, not a lot of bargain brands around then so it wasn’t cheap, I’ve still got that 1993 Strat. So got some learning, got some skills and bits of songs but then moved me around the country and that dried up. Sometime after that I got more settled, another 10 years passed and I got going again. Got a teacher and making some good progress, another job move and repeat. I’m now more settled than ever and playing more and more and ready to stop dabbling.
Total newbie (after maybe playing a little 50+years ago!) Trying not to get discouraged with my short fat fingers!
I’ve been playing for about a year and a half. I’ve always been drawn to guitar ever since I was a kid, but since my parents weren’t wealthy, I never felt like a guitar was something I could ask for. Years later, in my 40’s, we inherited my father in law’s guitar after he passed away. I started learning on it and have really been enjoying it.
I got a guitar as Christmas gift 20 years ago
(I was 50) I took lessons and after awhile was playing covers and originals at local open mics. A dream come true I lived it. A lot of life happened. Was so happy to get divorced. Got sick, got better, closed my buisness sold my house moved. Started over at 67. Had to give up alcohol cause of meds. Started playing again did some open mics. Was tough starting new not knowing anyone. Have to own I missed the wine to calm the stage nerves. Stopped. It’s been at least 2 years. I want music back. That’s why Im here.