TAC Family Forums

(To all— before I posted this— I proof-read it and realized it is REALLY long……. Please accept my apologies for that. But I hope it makes some sense and maybe helps someone).

BDU–

Since this thread is entitled “Starting TAC”, I had to throw in my two-cents. This entire post is likely my opinion only, but here goes.

The Daily Challenges are all these various tasks, nowadays kind-of lumped together in “week-long chunks”. Sometimes it may feel like they don’t really show you any consistency or direction as far as “learning guitar” goes. One week you’re doing this; the next week you’re doing that; the next week it’s something completely different from either—- it doesn’t seem to make much sense. It’s easy to get lost in all these miscellaneous, small, tasks; so much that that starts to maybe seem to be a never-ending bunch of “why-the-hell-do-I-need-to-learn-that?“‘s. It’s like a constant swim underwater against the current.

So, this may take you to…….“Tony’s not really showing me anything about playing guitar and playing songs– and that’s what I wanna learn, right?……. isn’t that why I’m here?”

The point of this opinion and post is that…….. sometimes maybe we need to “take a few steps backwards– so that we have a bigger, more-broad, view of the whole thing/ the whole process/ the “reason why”……..the real goal.

(Side opinion here– totally my own– TAC does not do a great job of giving you a big “road map” when you start out. There is no “you have to do this, then do that, then this, then that”. This is why the subject of “what do I do next” is always coming up. And I think it’s because we all are at different levels when we start, and also have different overall goals).

Anyway– I think the TAC program is GREAT. But we have to remember that it is a bottom-up process.

When you build a house, the foundation work is tedious, difficult, slow, and messy. There’s nothin’ fun about working in a muddy ditch, and putting-in concrete forms and rebar. Then, there’s a LOT of hard, slow, repetitive work in framing and erecting the structure itself. There’s nothing pretty here….. yet……. But you have to remember…. every one of those tedious, difficult, boring/slow, steps HAS TO happen….. in that order…… at the start…… for that beautiful new home to be finished. It is- (again)- a “bottom-up” process.

Now, take a second and re-read the third paragraph here where it says- we sometimes “need to take a few steps backward- so that we have a bigger, more-broad view of the whole thing…… the “real goal”.

As you/we all get farther along the trail in our journey(s), certain things will start to appear. The “direction” to go- (there are plenty— writing songs, becoming a skilled-excellent guitar in its own right, becoming a “theory junkie”, singing/performing for others, starting a band of your own, being able to play/sing “by ear”, etc, etc…). You will gravitate to the direction you want to go– as your skills develop.

So, it seems I’ve blabbed on and on quite enough for today. Don’t be put off by these Challenges that seem to mostly be “why the h*ll do I need this?”. Just do them/ remember that they are just “challenges”, not life or death/ and always….. ALWAYS….. try to see the fun in this journey– because it IS about the journey….. not the destination.

From the construction-example above– you are “building a beautiful, new, home”……. you just don’t know it (yet), when you’re shoveling mud in a ditch.

Again– sorry this is sooooo long!

theoldcoach

• This reply was modified 1 year, 8 months ago by  the-old-coach.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 8 months ago by  the-old-coach.