TIPS FOR TODAY
Don’t worry about perfecting each of these transitions. Just pick one you like and throw it in occasionally to add spice to some of your transitions.
Here’s what matters most: you showed up five times. Your hands know more now than they did a week ago. If this is what five days of showing up looks like, imagine five weeks. Five months.
Smoother changes. Quieter self-doubt. Songs that once felt impossible slowly falling under your fingers because the skills you’re getting consistent exposure to keep stacking in the background.
So if today’s pattern never feels “perfect” in one sitting, don’t use that as proof you’re not cut out for this. Use it as proof you’re working on the real stuff.
You’ve already done the hardest part — you kept coming back.
Keep trusting that process. It’s already working. And keep going!
YOUR SAMPLE WEEK OF TONY'S ACOUSTIC CHALLENGE
5-Day "Stop Dabbling, Start Playing Guitar" Challenge
- 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! Great stuff! Bite-size and consumable. Good solid structure underneath. I’ve played and explored more in the last week than I have in years. I have hope that my guitar-playing can do more than just support my vocals. I’ve dabbled for over 50 years and have already made progress. I was initially put off by the internet pitch and some glitches with each page timing out before it opened but things have settled down and access is easy. I’ve signed up, played at least 80% of the five day challenge successfully, done a few challenges (mostly successfully knowing that I can always do better next time), reviewed the basics in the 30 day challenge, and actually had some success with muting (a previously mysterious technique). Thanks!
Ten minutes turns into an hour! This is great, I’m actually playing this tune, and enjoying it, though still rough. I can’t play any more today. My ring finger and pinky are tortured. More tomorrow!
Is there a life time offer?
I never got day 4 but enjoyed what I’ve done so far
Really enjoyed this week. Do I learn a new song each week? Do all lessons stay available for the length of my subscription?
Playing on a library borrowed guitar (Yamaha F-310)
Good challenge, found day 2 really trough and day 5 super hard, but working on it…hope the email link stays live so I can keep practicing this stuff.
Thanks Tony! This 5 days have been awesome. Best lessons I’ve had so far. Only the daily week pase for me is not possible at the moment due to work. One’s the winter season ends I’ll revisit the idea of signing up. Thanks again…!
Long story short, I agree with Wayne & Wing. 5th day going great and once you moved up the frets I couldn’t keep up. If some how you could include simple fret with dots so I knew exactly what notes you were on. The more I started getting behind the faster your pace became. I’ll try ain today to see if I can get it but it isn’t very intuitive
Too fast for me. Appreciate you just the same. You inspired me to spend time again with my Murphy Henry videos.
I really like the format. This week was much too “beginner” for me though. Plus, I don’t have any money anyway. I did get more comfortable with alternate picking though, so that was my main take away, thank you!
I’ve never had lessons really, mostly self-taught. I have been through a good bit of Justin’s Guitar though. I really like his too but I’d say your way of knowing what to practice each day is simpler. Justin’s requires more work/planning on the student end.
So you asked about how this stacks up against other online courses. Here we go.
Vs TRUEFIRE. Truefire has a much broader lesson list. Might be good in the long term but it is easy,as you mentioned, to get lost within. Also their song selection is pretty weak. Most are too easy and many are just ‘ a song like’ so and so to avoid copyright issues.
BLITZGUITAR. Theory is about the same. 5 small Lessons leading to a song like exercise. Probably more geared to classical and finger style.
GIBSON’S app. Way ahead of Gibson. Which operates like a video game,
FENDER Way ahead as well.
Classical Guitar Corner. Strictly geared to classical music and a formal training program for classical.
RIGHT NOW I’mtrying to decide is I was to practice popular songs which would lead me to your program or go back to classical which is The Guitar Corners Ho e field.
I’ve struggled with walking bass lines for a long time–could never get to Elizabeth Cotton level of playing! But the fifth day challenge really helped spell it out and help me identify problem areas (switch from F# to open D easily gets muddy) to work on. Thanks. I might sign up if you’ve got more walking bass line lessons.
Great introductory session but a little too fast for me (having never played before). Should be a five week challenge instead of a five day challenge (for me).
I really appreciated having this introductory five-day session. I can say this course is not for me, but that’s OK. We don’t all learn the same way. I did well following along until today, but that second way of doing the G step-down lost me completely. I went back on that section a dozen times and I just can’t process what is going on fast enough.
Struggled through days 1-4 in five days. Tried day 5 on Saturday and had no idea what was going on. Sorry, it would take me 15 days to successfully complete the 5 day challenge. Frustrated.
This is the best program I’ve tried by far! Love the idea of having lessons already planned for me ahead of time. I am looking forward to joining and learning! Loved being challenged this past week, and looked forward to the next lesson every day.
Good morning,
Do you have any tips(pardon the pun) for expediting the hardening of finger tips? Or is it just practice, practice, practice?
Thank you,
Hay, Tony how often do you have this free 5 day challenge? I’ve been playing guitar for over 50 years. One for my daughter’s started learning guitar for a couple of months. She is the only one that has ever shown any interest in learning to play a instrument. I would teach but she lives in another town. I’ve given her some tips over the phone. She said that she has learned G, C, &D cords. So I thought I would take a look at your 5 day challenge before telling her to check out. I like the way you teach and build upon the last lessons. I will have her take a look at Tony’s Acoustic Challenge. Thanks
The last time I took lessons I was a teen. I’m now 61. I’ve been trying to teach myself ever since by playing chords from a song book or app. This 5 day challenge was the furthest I’ve gotten on one song is 5 days. I learned a lot and for me was a great way to learn. Thank you TONY!
Tony, I’m playing an Alvarez D20 N, been dabbling for years, tried an in person teacher many years ago, I learned very little, and all he wanted to do was show me how good he was. I learned a bunch in the fee 5 day challenge and will be signing up for the full course.
The five day challenge was until day 5. The video freezes. So I gave up just worked off the pdf. Sorry for the complaint.
I thoroughly enjoyed this challenge. It is EXACTLY what I’ve been looking for. I have been taking in person lessons recently after numerous breaks in guitar playing to include basically a 25yr break while I was in the military. Guitars for Vets was recommended to me for music therapy but it was a long drive so I took lessons from my kid’s piano teacher. The challenge is that musically we’re generations apart (I’m in my 50s), and I spend my half hour usually talking about theory (which I enjoy and had no use for as a kid) but when it came to actual playing, we work on a particular part of a song and then I go home and practice but when I’m ready to move on to the next part it’s another week before I get back in. Finally, I like structure. I want what I’m doing today to link to something tomorrow and that there’s a goal and I loved logging on an having a clear plan for the day. Don’t get me wrong, I think my teacher is a great resource but I love this format.
I’m ready to move out but I do have some questions that I’ll hit your support folks up with.
Tony, l’m a 75yo “dabbler” and jumped in and out of playing the guitar for years. Tried several online videos but never maintained them. I found your challenges an interesting reintroduction, which also showed me how l needed to get my finger tips hardened as the first week has certainly hurt them, which slowed down my practice. I will get to the end of the 5 days – probably in 7! Then will decide what happens next. Looking positive so far. Thanks for this opportunity to get back to the guitar. Cheers
I’ve tried in person lessons and went to community college with guitar as my major. I was intimidated by my jazz guitarist teacher. I knew more theory than ability to play. I hated it. But it forced me to understand the fretboard. And shapes of chords including diminished and augmented. I liked that stuff a lot but lost touch with that. I learned hybrid picking with my fingers and pick. It was recommended to practice like 6 hours a day.
With the FOTD walkdown, I went to Angela Petrilli’s lesson on how to play Willin’ which is somewhat more difficult but not much. It’s in G and she teaches the intro to the song up on the 10th fret of the A string and 12th fret of the B string for the G chord, Her riff rundowns are cool.
The tempo of this lesson of FOTD is like how the Dead played it after they went through the bluegrass phase with it. I wish they would have kept it up tempo. But it’s still a classic for sure!
Thanks Tony for your inspiration!
Today totally brought my expectations into check and made the light illuminate in my mind.
I’m still not sure what I was able to take from the soloing and riffing lessons, but outside of that I’m starting to understand what I’ve been doing wrong. You cant expect to learn Eruption until you’ve mastered Dueling Banjos and Beethoven’s 5th.
I’m sure I’m going to annoy my family practicing this lesson all weekend, and eagerly await the next challenge!
I’ve got a compulsive ADD issue that keeps my focus very limited Even over long term I don’t stay focused. This week seems to have worked out well so I’ll probably sign up. . .
This is by far the best method I have tried in learning guitar. I started out strumming and singing which was fun. But to flat pick seemed beyond my grasp. This course is a great path to doing what seemed impossible…and having fun doing it. Thanks for your hard work in creating this program. It is truly a blessing.
IDK man. That voice in my head keeps telling me I’m not cut out for this. I love this instrument. Ima keep trying, but I think it’s just not going to happen for me.
Good stuff…on with my learning over the weekend and learn the song too
Thanks for a great week of learning.
I’m in Tony. Love the program.
Enjoying learning new things to help me improve
Not going to lie, struggled a bit more with this one – especially around the new chord shape. That said, it still sounded okay (ish) after a few runs through.
Definitely think Tony’s approach works for me.
I don’t want to be a shredder – which is what GMM that I’m using currently seems to aim for.
Think I shall be transferring over to TAC to see if I can keep the progress going
Thanks for an interesting and enjoyable week Tony
I’m an experienced player trying to get the run off at age 71. These specific recipes for there dongs and following the play alongs is helping me play cleanly. And I need to learn some more songs so I am going for it.
I really struggled with the second part, but worked through it using the tab and got there. Thank you for optional ways of learning.
Looks, like a great program. I like the pace and the individual lessons. I’m sitting back a few days thinking. On a limited budget, retired (74 years old), but this is looking good. Wish you had a way to join just the 5 day challenges… but, I’ll see if I can budget this. I think this is one of the best on the internet
As a complete beginner still struggling with day 1 on day 5. although I like the approach.
Might be interested in the 30 day beginner challenge for a one off fee before signing up for the main site.
Tony’s Acoustic Challenge (TAC), created by Tony Polecastro, is an online subscription-based platform designed to help acoustic guitar players of all levels improve their skills through daily, bite-sized lessons.
A great introduction to your TAC Tony. I pretty much agree with everything Kathryn who, clearly, has had a similar experience to me. In addition, however, I’m hoping that your weekly lessons will include the culmination of performing a song rather than the 5 elements that constitute its of songs. It would be a shame to have to go to other sites for this final piece of the jigsaw.
It would also be helpful if you included the answers to Kathryn’s questions on this portal so it’s visible and transparent.
Finally, I am pretty certain that I will join, however, do not want to be rushed in to the timescales given to get 45% off….. on Monday I will be on a 6 week holiday and obviously will not wish to sign up before my return (I know, I’m lucky).
Great site and offering. Well done!
Hi Tony thanks for the break down of the 5 skills needed to play guitar, I have really enjoyed the focus on different skills each day and I think this is what I have been missing, to make playing chords when I learn a song more interesting and not repetitive and ultimately boring. I am 60 years old and have recently picked up the guitar, I bought a new guitar just before the covid lock down period, but I had carpal tunnel syndrome that got worse and I was not able to start playing during the isolation time, and I lost the use of my right hand, it destabilise my epilepsy, so really not fun, because of the pandemic I couldn’t be seen and had to wait just over a year before I got the surgery, they told me there is a higher risk of permanent nerve damage, I thought no way, but a year of physiotherapy and I regained the use of my hand. However I have been struggling with ptsd from my father making sure I could not become a in his words, a drug taking hippy dreaming of making a career in music and never having any talent to do it, so he was determined that I would go to university and get a degree in medicine or law, despite my having been awarded a scholarship to at the time a prestigious school for music, but to stay in the music program have to keep grades up. I was playing classical guitar started at 11 years old and I was so passionate about it, I just loved everything I was taught, even music theory and scales, I was a sponge soaking up everything I was taught. After going to my teacher and told him my fingers really hurt, he asked how long I was practicing and I told him an hour sometimes more, I just lost track of time, so he said no, set an alarm for 20 minutes max and take a break and do your other studies, if you have time come back and do another 10 minutes. But when I told my father I was awarded a full scholarship, he didn’t say well done I’m proud of you, no he had to teach not to disobey him, he had forbidden me to audition, but I didn’t, my teacher had been talking to the head of the school and she was his teacher and wanted to meet me and talk to me and hear me play, even though it wasn’t the audition, she said if you had been at the audition I would have won it. She said excuse me a moment I need to talk the other teachers who were judging, came back 10 minutes later and handed me the certificate. She said they didn’t see anyone that had the spark the thing you can’t teach, passion and expressing your self through the music, she said she has heard so many people playing Air by Bach and Cannon by Pachelbel, but she felt it when I played and she said technically got a lot of work to do, but you have passion and I felt it in your playing, however my father decided to end a career in music before it began and put my hands in metal vices and tightening them until I could feel and hear my hands being crushed, and then dislocated all my fingers, but fortunately my stepmom had slipped some sleeping pills into his hot cocoa and after he was asleep took me to hospital and told the doctor exactly how my hands were in that state, they took x-rays and couldn’t believe that I only had a couple of fractures in my hands. But it was my fingers that were the real concern, some they were able to manipulate and get them back in but 3 fingers on my left hand needed to be operated on to get the joints back in place without damage to the nerves and 2 on my right hand. My stepmom gave my guitar to my girlfriend to keep safe and with a lot of work and physiotherapy and encouragement from mom and my girlfriend I made a full recovery, and my girlfriend encouraged me to try and play again, she was amazing, she inspired me and picking a melody that was in my head for ages suddenly became a song for her. She was battling leukaemia and she was getting weaker, so when we were 16 we had the wedding ceremony we knew was right under the full moon at a magical forest in the North of England and its a nexus where the lay lines of the earth’s energy converged at one point, sadly she lost the fight a few months later and I didn’t touch a guitar again until recently, I still have my classical guitar.
I want to sign up and have a few questions to ask to help me make my final decision. First is, do you, Tony teach all of the daily challenges? Secondly, If I “favorite daily challenges do they stay as a part of my profile for an indefinite period of time? Third, I’m wondering why the monthly guitar routines disappear at the end of the month? What if you still need more practice on something you’re really enjoying learning? If I’m traveling do I just miss the the challenges that have been released whil I’m gone? Thanks! Kathryn
Great questions, Kathryn. 1) Yes, Tony teaches every daily challenge himself. 2) Yes, if you favorite a daily challenge, they stay a part of your profile. 3) We actually have a new feature that lets you easily go back up to 45 days to revisit a challenge you missed or want to work on more! Cheers!
Hi Kathryn, Please go ahead and reach out to our TAC Support Dept. They will be happy to assist you with your questions about TAC. Email: support@tonypolecastro.com
Well I have thoroughly. enjoyed the 5 day challenge! It has given me a lot of hope for continued progress and fun learning things that I’ve waited a long time to learn. I’ve never officially signed up for an online guitar course before. But I have researched a number of different online courses but never found anything that seemed like it would work for me. TAC is different. I’ve been impressed with the entire process. Great job, Tony! I plan on signing up tonight and look forward to the the TAC challenges ahead. Thanks!
I liked the 5-day challenge & the learning process it highlights. Will probably join in the next few days.
I had a great week learning this song. I do agree with another comment below that 10 minutes was not enough time to learn and practice, especially this last lesson with the bass lines coming down from the 5th fret. I’m pretty slow at first to gain knowledge, and will get better, just takes me more time.
Tony,
I am 66 years old. I have a Taylor 910 and played in church bands as a rhythm guitarist for 21 years. i felt I was playing half of my guitar by just playing chords and needed to challenge myself musically. After doing your 5 day challenge I have decided to give you a try.
Thank You, Christopher
I’ve enjoyed this, it’s been really easy to follow but we haven’t learned the song… Also, I am curious about what other songs are in the program as I’m kind of interested in learning some things that are a bit more modern so I’m interested to hear what other songs are included and if we will be able to play them from start to finish before I sign up
So cool!
Learning this bass run was fun. I am a bit confused, however, arriving at this point after five days: I can’t play “Friend of the Devil” yet. I think we have learned the chord structure (1, 4, 5 song in the key of G), and we have learned the bass run to connect some chords. But would a normal TAC challenge actually teach us the song? Would we get tabs for the song, with lyrics, so that we could sing and play it through? I think that I just learned a bunch of pieces of the song (which was fun, btw).
Hi Tony. Thank you of providing access to this series of videos. Whilst I have enjoyed working through them and believe that your method would improve my playing substantially, I find that 10 minutes a day for each lesson is nowhere near long enough for me. To be comfortable, I would need a week on each lesson so, taking into account my holiday time, I would only get through about 10 songs a year – not a good return for the cost. So, sorry, but I cannot take your offer forward.
So here is where I stumbled. I didn’t get it easily, so it wasn’t as fun as previous days. I wanted to stop. So I did.
Now should I try to go back to it later? Or say that was my comfort zone and move on and try next week? (Yes, I think I’ll sign up)