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Tabs
For today’s Benchmark, I’m learning hammer ons and pull offs. For the first time trying it I’m not doing that bad. Here’s the thing. I know that the tabs say which finger does which fret but dang it. I can’t read the thing and do it at the same time. I more than open for suggestions on this one. The other questions is are we supposed to be recording each day of this challenge for the next time or just the completed song. I’m not even sure dogs want to hear today
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20 Replies
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Relax! Just tackle things little by little:
“I can’t read the thing and do it at the same time.” – first of all just go slower so that you can read and play. If you must look at your hands, that means it’s a good time to begin learning how to play without looking at both the fretboard and the strumming hand. Today’s challenge is a good one to start on, only 2 strings and they are adjacent.
Also try to remember what you are supposed to do so looking at the TAB closely is no longer necessary. This might not all happen for you the first time through, don’t worry we’ll be practicing these kind of things a lot and you’ll improve.
“The other questions is are we supposed to be recording each day of this challenge for the next time or just the completed song?” – the recordings are for you, I for one have never recorded myself for this particular challenge but you can if you want to. There aren’t rules for this. On the Wagon Wheel benchmark I’ve only recorded the Thurs and Friday sessions. That was my choice but by all means, record whenever you like!
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As per usual, thanks for talking me down off the ceiling. I really do need to retire. LOL
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Hi Mave! You’ve got this. It’s a journey and it will get easier as you continue on it. The tabs can be daunting at the beginning. As you build up muscle memory in your fingers and string awareness, it will become easier , faster and more fluid. Hammer ons & Pull offs are about precision in how your fingers strike or pull a string. I would focus on that aspect. The tabs come in time.
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Thanks for the kind words. It’s all beginning to make sense to me. Slowly, can see that the wheels are starting to think about grinding. Among the things I like most about TAC is that the concentration it takes shuts off my mind from racing. Who knew? Sure, I’ll get better but it is nice to have friendly people like me a few clicks away for support.
Thanks so much for writting
Mave
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@Mave just know that almost everyone struggles with the daily challenges at the beginning. Heck, some of them are still very challenging after almost 600 sessions, just in a different way than at the beginning because they are layered. The first few times you only do the top layer and then you go deeper in.
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Thank you Pete I did today’s challenge and worked hard at trying to get the notes in my head. Even saying them out loud as I played. Slowly, very slowly it’s starting to come together. I did the G scale and then to finish strong I went back and did a few rounds with yesterday’s challenge. I starting to figure out if I slow my self down I do better.
Thanks for the solid help.
Mave
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For me Mave, I found it helpful to print out the lesson, then I keep them. I can then go back to them when I want and repeat if necessary. It also gives me a place to write notes on where I am at.
Also, if it is a week I really enjoyed, I save the challenge. (Click on the heart). If you don’t save it, after 4-6 weeks, you won’t be able to pull it up until the next time, which could be a year.
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Hi, Thank for that. I have saved almost everything LOL and I never would have thought to write the notes on the tab page. Also a very cool idea indeed. Thanks.
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I don’t print mine because I don’t want a paper war (and also I don’t have a music stand!). Instead I save them to my computer in OneNote, where I can make notes. I also started sending the ones I’m working on to my Kindle Scribe tablet, which has been a revelation because I can have that music (almost unlimited pages on a thin tablet) with me any time I want now. If I printed out the whole year of TAC challenge tabs, I suspect it would be at least a 5 lbs binder.
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I hear you Pete, but I am a little old fashion and still like my hard copies. lol. Maybe because I live in a land of trees and not worried I am going to run out. Also I am not a music guy, so sometimes I need to write notes on the tab so I understand the music. I will usually write the strum pattern right on the notes.
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I prefer paper too. For me it’s easier than looking at a computer screen, but you really do need a music stand to make it work. I make notes and annotations on the paper such as pick direction. I wish the pick direction was printed on the tab. It would make things a lot easier.
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Agree
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Struggling here too, do you mean you print the TAB sheet or how do you print a lesson if not? I have to watch and rewatch the video over and over to remember what he said. He taught a few new chords in day 5 of the 5 day series but they are not listed on my beginner 12 chord cheat sheet someone gave me (thank you so much whoever gave me that! I still use it daily!). I will poke around and see if I can figure out how to print the lesson so I dont have to watch the video 6 times!
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I know what you mean, I had to make my own Chord Stamps for the many chords Tony teaches us in the Hotel California challenges. There are a few weeks it gets quite tough to keep up, but typically it’s not an issue.
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I found a Chord printout with 24 chords so I should be good to learn whatever he throws at me. You are WAY beyond where I am currently but Im glad to hear you still find them challenging but are making progress Pete! Thank you.
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I’m really still a beginner @JILLC , I’ve been in TAC since July of 2024, but I’m a fairly slow learner
I was referring to keeping up with the chord shapes. There are some challenges where he doesn’t have diagrams on the TABs and yet goes through a large number of chord shapes quite quickly. It’s not a big number of them, single digits throughout the year. But the one I mentioned is the only one where I was so confused that I couldn’t save myself without creating my own chord stamps. Next time we’re in that benchmark I’ll post them again, I still use them to help with the challenges.
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I print just the tab sheet. I don’t know of any way to print the whole lesson.
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Thanks Dennis, I found that out as well. Printing the TAB helps but Im still learning how to read and follow them in a timely manner. Really enjoying the lessons, difficult as they are!
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Yes, Print the tab. Sorry. I print, take notes, and practice. If I have to re watch the video, I do. Make sure you save it. I don’t let myself get bogged down on a challenge. It will come around again. If I like the song, I may spend more time on it, if not, I move on. There is no test at the end, and you do what you want, when you want.
I have been doing this for almost two years, and I have never ended a week by saying, “That was easy.” “I got all five of those challenges down.”
You will find what is right for you.
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Ah, that’s what I thought. I print some of the tabs that I find super difficult, but as we go along, thats most of them. LOL Thanks for the reply!
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