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How I TAC
1.) How many days per week do you play?
I’ve pledged to play my guitar daily, I’ve kept this commitment for over a year with only maybe 4 days missed. I start with moveable scale patterns, try some improv with a backing track, then tackle Tony’s Daily Challenge, followed by several of my favourite daily challenges from past practices, then play and practice songs I’m learning: Imagine, Freight Train, and Goodnight Irene were my first, trying to sing along with them. Take Five, Buckets of Rain, Homeward Bound and Blackbird are the songs I’m tackling now. Since Dylan’s is in Open D, I’ve added Joni Mitchel’s Both Sides Now in the same tuning. After this routine I sometimes play chords to songs I like, for instance: Guantanamera, House of the Rising Sun, Sony, Can’t Help Falling in Love, Do Ray Me, What a Wonderful World, A Place in the Sun, Scarborough Fair…Can you tell what era I love?
I can’t believe I can fingerpick and love it so much. I would have never tried if it hadn’t been for Tony. I’m a beginner, in my second year now, but just imagine if I keep this up.
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>2.) What time of day do you play?
I play late afternoon / early evening around supper time. I put something on for supper so it’s ready when I’m finished playing my guitar. It’s so relaxing knowing supper is ready and I can just play as long as I want. We’re retired and no kids at home, just Smoky our cat and John and me. No one is visiting these days with covid except our son Dan who comes for dinner about once a week.
3.) Where do you play?
I recently got a beautiful bronze music stand with a wide lip on kijiji and it’s at one end of our living room. I have my guitar stand there too and a couple of small tables for a drink, tuner, picks etc. I printed out all of Tony’s Challenge tabs and put them in alphabetical order in a binder so I can easily find them and make notes on the pages like fingering. And the binder goes really nicely on the music stand.
4.) What was your guitar life like before having a guitar routine & how has implementing a consistent guitar routine helped you? (if possible name 3 ways).
Before I joined TAC I was getting some help from a friend who was introducing me to popular songs with easy chords and a few riffs and tricks. I was happy to be able to play some songs I liked but couldn’t play anything fast or with more difficult chords. This went on for about a year but progress was very slow and I wasn’t learning anything new. I only picked up the guitar a few times a week.
I love the fact that we’re entered into a contest every month to win a fantastic guitar. For me it’s a real incentive to play everyday, even though whether I win or not is not the point, it’s just something to go for. Like winning a game of tennis is fun but the real fun is playing.
Like Tony, my playing time is carved into my day now and I don’t even think about it. I look forward to it each and every day.
The finger picking really helps me make sure I get the chords right so each note sounds good. I’ve had to readjust how I hold my guitar to the classical format so I don’t have to bend my wrist so much, and I’m trying to curl my fingers more, play on the tips and bring my hand closer to the edge of the fretboard. I still have a long way to go but it’s coming along.
Now into my second year with TAC I’m finding I can play the Daily Challenges better and they are more fun. I’m trying to remember them to just play whenever. Like jamming!
5.) Bonus Question: What is one non-guitar item that is a must have in your guitar routine?
A drink is essential during my routine: tea with lots of milk, ice water or my favourite radler: (de-alcoholized) beer with Italian tangerine soda. I love my coffee in the morning.
Guitar Geeks Unite!!!
Cheerio,
Sandy
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1 Reply
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Wow.. I print my tabs and keep them in alphabetical order as well. LOL… Great picture.. love the art work in the background too. (I paint so am always checking out art!)… Great post.
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