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Please correct me if I am wrong…
Not including the stretches (which are awesome, by the way) am I supposed to complete the full 30-days before I explore any of the other areas of TAC?
I am currently in week 2 (chords). I actually know quite a few chords…I just have trouble forming them due to my crooked left hand ring and pinkie fingers.
During this week I have been working hard on making smooth chord transitions. There is some success…not as much as I would like, though.
It may be cheating, but I don’t have any “live/physical” person to critique my technique with so I have been pulling up “play along” videos on YouTube. I slow them down (sometimes to .5 speed). For me, this is a fun challenge…kinda like a game…and I can see and feel progress. I’ve even advanced to .75 speed on some songs.
As I play both guitar and ukulele, the songs I chose sound good on both instruments: Imagine (J. Lennon), Over The Rainbow/Wonderful World (I. Kamakawi), Hotel California (Eagles), even Someone To Lava (from Pixar). I even played Auld Lang Syne on both the guitar and ukulele this New Years …it was recognizable (yay me!).
Does anyone else do anything like this?
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8 Replies
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I still can’t make the full F chord on the guitar. I use the Fmaj7 instead. I REALLY dislike barre chords!
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Almost everyone dislikes them, they take forever to learn and make your fingers, hands and arms (even your back) hurt from all the contorting it takes. Lots of workarounds like power chords and 2 finger chords. Very famous players have avoided them completely (Andy Summers!).
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Pete, I have trouble with the power chords, but I CAN make the 2-finger chords fairly easily.
I’m interested in playing folk, blues, soft rock, pop, coffee house (is that a thing?), and some light country. Most of these sound best using an acoustic guitar so I am determined to “get good” at it.
Thank you for your positive feedback.
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@CamiB that’s not cheatin’ at all! Use any and all resources available to you! TAC is the single best learning program, I honestly believe that, but most of us have some other learning tools in our belt. I save links to YouTube and guitar channels to favorites constantly. It’s great that you are already playing songs! Sounds like you are way ahead of me now! I still don’t really play any song completely, but it isn’t something I spend very much time on. I am much more focused on knowing how to play a guitar the right way and get to where I don’t to think about chord transitions or strumming patterns, etc. Once all the physical human to instrument interface patterns have been acquired and internalized, the learning of songs will come rapidly.
I think it’s best to go through all the lessons in “30 Days to Play” and then the do the “5 Day Routine” before you jump into the daily challenges.
The Daily Challenges tend to be more challenging than these Intros. Now if you are bored because there so darn easy, then it’s fine to skip them. Otherwise I wouldn’t rush ahead. But by all means don’t try to do everything perfectly. It’s more important to understand the requirement and start it. Your brain continues to absorb it even if you can’t do it all, even as you struggle in the attempt you learn. It’s quite amazing! Everything you do in the Intros will be covered again in daily challenges, so if you miss a lesson or 2 it doesn’t matter. Just keep moving forward.
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Thanks Pete. I was feeling a bit guilty for a minute.
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I am more advanced than a lot of the pickers on this site so I took and completed the 30 day course on a Sunday afternoon. then started the normal 5 day program on Monday. I have taken many of the skills courses on the week ends and continue to brush up with these quite often. Being retired does offer a lot of time to fill and my guitar skills have improved every week by devoting time and energy to guitar practice.
i also print out every daily lesson and do go back to favorites to keep up with those learned or learning skills. Some of the TAC members just save the lessons on their computer. I like the printed versions better.
I just purchased another 2 inch binder as this one is overflowing after 10 month’s on TAC. I am fortunate to not have any hand or finger limitations to hinder my guitar growth But other famous guitarist like Djando Reinhardt figured out how to become a giant among early Jazz guitaist despite missing a finger or 2 so I know you will figure out how to pick despite your crooked appendages . Good luck
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Hi Jorge! I’ve already seen a few videos of Djando Reinhardt…he was awesome. I am working on compensating for the crooked fingers (and my deaf ear). I play with both TAC and YouTube (play-along videos) daily. With the stretches, I can feel my fingers limbering up. I expect to be playing pretty smoothly by the end of the year.
Thank you for your positive feedback.
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Hi @CamiB
have you tried to just play triads only, especially good on the electric, or some voicing called Shell voicing. These chords add lots of colours to the music you want to play.
i’m including some explanatory videos, if this forum allows
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