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Continuing my current routine—mostly
Think I’ll just keep doing what I’ve been doing, but will add Fingerpicking 101 and boot camp, and try to learn two or three songs.
My routine for the last month is a Word table with my daily exercises, where I record the date and start/stop times, check off the boxes as I complete each exercise, and record notes (most of which lately consist simply of a scrawled “arm pain!”) Like others here I’m ADD and need structure to stay on track. Of course one of the exercises is the daily TAC, but the others include some stretching and coordination exercises, Tony’s version of the “spider walk”, bending and barre exercises, a G-D-F-C chord progression (actually Eurythmics “I Need You”, one of the songs I want to learn), and a smattering of short exercises from YouTube. Lately I’ve added two TAC lessons, the Em key chords and the “Seventh Heaven” crosspicking lesson. I am also studying FBW and the seven major chord positions. Attached are Visio diagrams I’ve made for the chord matrix and the seven patterns. (NOTE I haven’t double-checked the patterns, so if you try them, let me know if you find any mistakes!! The page format is 11×17 but it should print fine on letter or A4.)
Needless to say this is too much to do every day. At the very least, I put in 10 to 15 minutes of TAC, and do two or three other exercises from the list. Today I’m on my second day of muscle relaxants (arms) and trying mightily not to pick up the guitar.
Looking forward to the 90 day planning thing, to see if I should make adjustments.
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7 Replies
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@derrick I know I bothered you a lot on the old forums, but if you wouldn’t mind checking my “major scale patterns” pdf, I’d certainly appreciate it.
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There isn’t a button for editing the original post in a thread. So where I wrote “major chord positions”, it should read “major scale patterns.”
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You, sir, are way more organized than me for your daily routine!
I need to start a practice journal at least, and it seems, get a timer.
I will be starting FBW when the new session starts up so maybe some of that organization will sink in as I tackle that.
Your daily routine seems pretty solid. I hope you heal up soundly so that you can enjoy your routine and life without pain!
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Hi @Alfred it’s always a battle between me and organization, everywhere in life! The spreadsheet has “evolved” quite a bit and will continue to do so as I get the hang of this.
I tried using a timer but now I just write down the finish time for each exercise. Might bring it back in if I try exercises with definite time targets.
Also want to start using the metronome a lot more. I’ve tried backing tracks but I’m not really there yet.
I have this idea that when an experienced guitarist says “beginner”, that guitarist is thinking of someone with several months of work already in the bag, who is beginning to progress musically as well as mechanically. Experienced guitarists can’t remember what it’s really like to fumble around as a complete noob (or perpetual noob, in my case). It’s not their fault they can’t remember—it’s just that those memories have been overwritten in both the brain and the muscles. They literally can no longer imagine not being able to play!
Tony and some others seem to have a better handle on the beginner’s situation, thank goodness.
That’s my dumb theory anyway. The point is, right now I am focusing on mechanics primarily, along with some practical theory, at the expense of playing songs. Of course songs can help with both the mechanics and the theory, which is why I’m including a limited selection.
Ha, rereading this, it might sound like I think I know what I’m doing… HAHAHA.
Good luck to us all. 🤟
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Well the spreadsheets and visio diagrams are way more than I have put into organizing myself. I just print some tabs or memorize a scale shape and go on with my routine. I thinks some of your method, if I adopt it will make me more mindful of what I am doing and perhaps translate into greater understanding.
As far as what makes a new/intermediate/advanced player. I can see where you are coming from and some of the detachment from their early learning that some of the more virtuostic types have. I think those that teach are constantly reminded, and that helps keep them grounded in some ways.
In the old forum @Mike-Gaurnier had an interesting take on that whole beginner – intermediate – advanced idea, that I found refreshing. There are some things I am intermediate at, and some things that I am a beginner at, but his take is that this labeling has a detrimental effect on how one sees themselves as a player. I have taken to using “more practiced” and “less practiced” to describe where I am at. I think that type of thinking is healthy, and leads to knowing that you CAN do a thing if you put in the practice, rather than the thought that you can’t do a thing.
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An excellent way to look at it, yes!
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I think something’s wrong with the scale patterns, starting with #4. I’ll check, fix and upload a new pdf when I can. Will also add some clarifications.
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