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My guitar sounded better in the corner collecting dust then when i try to play!
To say I am extremally frustrated with my start of the 30 day challenge would be an understatement. Between not getting the strings to ring true to the tempo of my change of the position on the string for the next note, I think a rock could do it better. Do you guys or gals have any suggestion?
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4 Replies
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Hi Rob, I am halfway through the 5-Day challenge but I’ve been an on/off player for 10 years, only started recently after a long layoff. One of my major frustrations/weaknesses has been mis-cueing the pick, then that leads to messing up the fretting hand, and frustration. I’ve worked on it really consistently since I started TAC.
Firstly, I go dead slow to start with, maybe 30bpm, and secondly I cue the pick at the correct string before I fret. So I glance at the strings, place the pick ready to strum, then immediately attend to the fretting hand. I find that this way I’m starting to get a feel for where the pick is.
I’ve also started doing what Tony does, and it helps me; I anchor my pick pinkie just below/close to the high E and focus on stayng loose/no tension in the picking hand. I’m definitely making progress.
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@Rob503 Welcome to the TAC Community! I think it’s great that you’ve dusted off the ol’ guitar that was sitting in the corner collecting cobwebs to give it a go at playing.
I’d like to start by saying, be kind to yourself. You’re only in the first 30 days. If it were “easy” everyone would simply pick up an instrument or foreign language and begin playing or speaking fluently. It would be nice, but that isn’t the case. It takes time, work, practice, and more practice to develop a skill. You will develop the skill if you keep at it. Give it a true go for a minimum of 10 minutes per day. Most people go longer than that, but as long as you commit to 10:minutes each day, you will improve. After the 10 minutes, mark a lesson complete. You can keep working on it, but don’t let perfection hold you up fro progression. We strive for progression over perfection here, and you will get better as time goes on. The guitar is not an easy instrument to learn, but it is so fulfilling once you’ve mastered it. The acoustic guitar, in general, is such a beautiful instrument. Remind yourself often why you wanted to play.
Hang in there, and try and have some fun with it, and you will have so,e aha moments and surprise moments as you continue to move along.
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Roy and Loraine, thank you for the encouragement. Being retired my self the time is not an issue just hope I exercise the demons that want me to do it perfect and make something that sounds like music. I used to teach Electronics years ago and I can say without a doubt Tony is a very good instructor.
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Rob-
Loraine’s answer and suggestions are spot on. Whether you have never played at all– or haven’t played in years)- if you are having some frustration, you are right where you need to be. I know it doesn’t seem to make much sense— but EMBRACE that frustration. EXPECT it- (you can’t stop it anyway). WANT it!
Because…… without it, you will never enjoy the inner satisfaction of the small wins, aha moments, and pure joy of, say, playing right along with your favorite songs as you hear them. Or finally moving thru a tough Daily Challenge mistake-free.
Now– go back and read Loraine’s post……. again.
Just my 2-cents–
theoldcoach
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