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Where to begin after 30 day challenge
I completed the 30 day challenge. Of course there were days I should revisit regularly to show improvement. I want to begin working through the skill courses, but not sure where to begin. I can’t tell from their titles what the ability levels are for each course. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!
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This discussion was modified 4 years, 2 months ago by
kdmathis.
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This discussion was modified 4 years, 2 months ago by
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20 Replies
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I liked these:
“Your Next Six Chords”
“Strumming Jumpstart”
“Fingerpicking Jumpstart”
“Flatpicking Jumpstart”
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Thanks!
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@kdmathis Congrats on completing the 30 day challenge! I agree with @ted_h with the Next Six Chords, and the Jumpstart skills courses, as they’re a great introduction to fingerpicking, flatpicking and strumming. I’d also recommend doing the daily challenges. Each week is a different theme and focus, and each day builds upon the previous one. Some are easy and some pretty difficult, but I guarantee that if you commit to a minimum of 10 minutes per day just on the daily challenges, your playing will improve.
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Thank you!
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Hi @kdmathis , welcome to TAC. I wish you a fun guitar journey here👍 I agree with everyone’s above suggestions. The path they suggest is a great one, but just so know, you are in control of the path you want to take here. You can take those courses in an order that you want, and you can take other courses in between the suggested ones – it’s up to you – just have fun exploring the possibilities here🤩
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Thank you all for the suggestions I am also almost done with the 30 day challenge and had that same question. I think I will keep working on the power cords and the blues just because its fun and I like the way it sounds and I am getting better. But I also want to learn new skills keeping it positive
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Hello @kdmathis and @Butterfly ;
I just wanted to make it clear that there are no “levels” here. The only level that matters is when you are so advanced that the lessons are boring. Then, they won’t be helpful to you.
Tony’s method is unique. There are other people who are starting to imitate his approach. He didn’t come up with this approach on his own, he simply was the first to adapt it to guitar instruction.
So what is that? At it’s basic, it is about having direction, intentional practice. That’s what TAC provides. Then, commit to a short amount of time on a regular basis. That’s what we provide. From there, it’s all about attitude.
Most important, we must have fun as if we were a kid who paid no attention to how well they did or didn’t do at imitating the instruction, but simply did their best. Then, we take notice of what we do well and congratulate ourselves for that… every single time. Purposely find something to give yourself props for. Finally, we notice what we didn’t do so well on and use that to give guidance to future playing/practicing by focusing on improving those things.
Then there is the specific arrangement of the playing session. First, we warm up. Then we practice some exercise. Then we play around and have fun. Done. However long it is doesn’t matter, as long as we do it consistently 3 times per week, or 5 times per week or whatever, and a minimum of 10 minutes, though it can be an hour if that works for you.
That’s why the daily lessons work for people who are at different levels. Each person will learn what ever they are capable of learning at that time from that lesson. That’s why there’s no beginning or end to Tony’s lessons. Just jump in and go round and round until they are boring. Then go make your fortune, or teach others, or play for family and friends, wherever you guitar journey takes you.
I hope this helps. Feel free to ask additional questions. Also, I will tag @jumpinjeff and @dr_dave . Maybe they can add more to what has been said.
MG 😀
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@MikeGaurnier pretty much laid out how I think about it. I will emphasize one thing: get started on the daily challenges. They are challenges not because we can do them on auto pilot after ten minutes but because we can use these exercises to grow our finger muscles and mind muscle connection on our way to intuitive playing. At first they will seem near impossible if you are just starting out. Take the time to make just a part of it work. Maybe only one note. Maybe two notes together. Maybe making just one chord, maybe two. It is the start and the start is the hardest part. Find the fun happiness and joy in the sound you make and do it again tomorrow. Remember, tomorrow it is just 10 minutes. If today you did 10, 20, or more great but tomorrow begins with 10 min. If your day is over and you have missed your preferred time to play, no worries, 10 minutes before bed is an OSM time to play. The key is play, just play.
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Thanks again for your great advice. I don’t seem to ever get enough of hearing how you describe the process, @jumpinjeff .
MG 😀
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First time here and this was exactly the advice I was looking for. I learned in doing the 30 Days to Play that I actually am further along than I thought. So – have been struggling with what’s next. Daily Challenge? Skills Courses? Other? In particular I wondered if the Daily Challenges were in some sort of order. But as you explained in this thread they are not. So – now I know what I’m going to do. Kick in the Daily Challenges for sure. Thank you!
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Hi there @kdmathis and @butterfly and I echo everyone’s welcome to TAC but I think you are entering the danger zone just now. Make it through the second 30 days and you will be walking on air. I only started in April, thoroughly enjoyed the 30 day challenge, did the 6 extra chords course (really struggled with the last one) then started floundering around a bit. Dipped into a few courses but didn’t feel ‘good enough’ to do the daily challenges. So wrong! You don’t have to be good enough, in fact that’s the whole point. So take on board the excellent advice above and aim for consistency and that 10 mins a day (whatever days you can).
After 9 months I now can’t walk past my guitar without picking it up and playing. I do the challenges during the week (manage about 40-50% of them at x1 speed, but give them all a try) then at weekends I just play for pleasure, write a tune or learn a song I like by searching for a YouTube tutorial and this helps me put the techniques Tony teaches into practice. That works for me, may be different for you. I post 1 or 2 tunes each month on the Play for Us forum, more to track my own progress than anything. I quite literally have made more progress in 9 months than the last 40 years of playing the same old 5 or 6 chords (and then gaps of years without playing anything). In fact I have felt so confident I will now become a guitarist that I have bought 2 new guitars this year! Check out what everyone posts on Play for Us and you’ll see many of us making ‘mistakes’ but pushing forward anyway because going outside your comfort zone is what brings progress. Good luck and you’ve already made the most important step… You’re here! Keep on rockin’ 🤟😎🎸
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See, now that was a great and very encouraging comment @Moonhare . Sometimes the most powerful comment comes from the person who is not very far ahead of us. I love the part where you mentioned your transition from the 30 day course and a few skills courses to the Daily Challenge. I’m gonna have to remember what you said there so I can repeat it to other new members in the future.
So, you floundered until you started the Daily Challenge. Isn’t that the WHOLE POINT of Tony’s program? He gives us daily direction that we can use for a practice session each day that can help train our guitar skills and musical knowledge. That’s exactly what is unique with Tony’s program. Everyone tries to teach specific skills. But we flounder after the course if finished until we understand how to self direct daily practice. Even now, I couldn’t direct my daily practice and hit such a broad range of guitar skills each and every week. I am so glad I signed up for lifetime membership. I may never reach the point where I don’t benefit from doing Tony’s daily challenge.
MG 😀
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I know @MikeGaurnier – sounds so daft now to think I couldn’t do the daily challenges for fear of not being good enough but that is genuinely how I felt at the time. Still I’m way past all that self doubt now and loving it!
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You are certainly not alone, @Moonhare . Since I first joined and shortly after that started being one of the ones who frequently encouraged others, this is one of the single most common issues when someone joins. It’s just not the way anyone else sets up their guitar instruction. We are encouraged all the time to “master” something before moving on. Who knew there were so many accomplished guitar instructors giving bad advice? Still are.
MG 😀
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Thank you all for that great advice… I need to just relax keep practicing and enjoy the journey and hopefully be able to show case my new guitar skills as I improve
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That’s right, @Butterfly . And you will reach the point that you can showcase your guitar skills. Everyone who follows Tony’s program and sticks it out for 3 or 4 years ends up reaching levels they didn’t think possible. You will too.
MG 😀
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Well all of this is great advice!! Thank you to everyone. I too just finished my 30 day and had the same question. Nice to know you can log in and just read all these great people help us along. Off to the Jumpstarts… Good picking….
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I am so glad that others are getting the advice they need to move forward after the 30 Day Challenge, @EJay . Please don’t hesitate to ask any questions you need to so you can keep having fun and making progress. That’s what this is all about.
MG 😀
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So much good advice here. I am heading toward 70; have arthritis in the hands; only started TAC 21 months ago; and only started playing at all a few months before that. So, how far could I get at my age? I am farther than I thought; playing things now I never thought I could. I learned not to compare to others, and just do what I could do. The consistency of a little time each day builds up. Combining the daily challenge, some skill courses; eventually looking at some songs from other sources as I had time; and just messing around; I have come to where I am. LOL Sounds kind of obvious (maybe even a little loony); but where I am is a lot different from where I started, even with my limits. As some of us old folk may say; “keep on truckin'”. You will surprise yourself! Enjoy the ride!
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Thank you so much @Philb for adding your experience to this thread. The more the someone hears about the steady and even sure improvement, the more they can believe it will happen and just have fun. And the more they have fun the faster they will improve. It’s the wonderful spiral upward.
MG😀
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