-
Extremely frustrated
Hi, I don’t know anybody else out there is having some serious frustration problems with this last Chicka Boom Boom strumming practice? Where you have to go from a G an A Minor to a C to D to an E minor back to a g. I try to keep up with Tony and I mess up every time I can’t switch chords very fast or they vibrate or my fingers are in the wrong place or I get off timing completely to what Tony’s at the only speed I seem to be able to try to keep up at is the slow speed that he’s doing it at. As soon as I go over to 1.5 or 1 1/2 speed I can’t keep up my fingers don’t switch right I’m very frustrated it sucks cuz I want to get better. I don’t know what else to do. I can kind of do it on my own by myself but I don’t do the music exactly right to what he’s doing it at like maybe I I strum a little bit too much on one chords or just get messed up completely. I just don’t know what to do I want to get better but it doesn’t seem like I am getting better. My timing is off my cord changing it sucks. So if anybody have any words of encouragement or support it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Matthew
-
13 Replies
-
@MrKimm
So I don’t recall the exercise specifically but you mention going to 1.5 and 2x speed. This isn’t necessary anywhere in the program. It’s a commendable effort to try to get there as it will help you with your transitions to go fast but you always want to learn slow.Try to get it right slowly and then gradually increase speed. If you can get close to doing a challenge at .75 speed you are fine to move on.
Hope this gives you encouragement Matt!
-
In general, TAC never requires you to be perfect at any of the shown skills before moving on. It’s cyclical and things come back again giving you ample opportunity to get better at them!
-
MrK–
Remember this about the Daily Challenges— especially when just starting out here in TAC.
No two people are at the very same exact “starting point” when they join TAC. Some are very experienced; some are absolute beginners. There is no way that the TAC crew can design a daily program (the challenges) that fits everyone. Not possible.
In the same way that you may have troubles with a tough lesson; yet another may find it too easy! You get my drift here….
TAC’s program kind-of “bounces around” in this respect—– some Dailies are more advanced; some less. To make it perfect for everyone, they would have to custom-build hundreds of different curriculums.
So my advice is….
1. Don’t sweat the toughies. Just give them an honest try….. and move on- (you will see them again– with a year’s-worth of new skills under your belt!).
2. Make sure to do the warm-ups/stretches- (at least somewhat…)
3. DON’T compare yourself to anyone else- (even Tony)- and especially to some mental image of “where you THINK you should be”.
4. Focus on those beautiful sounds you are making….. the rest will follow!
-
Thank you, yes I do have a mental image on where should be. I put to much pressure on myself a lot.
-
“I just don’t know what to do I want to get better but it doesn’t seem
like I am getting better. My timing is off my cord changing it sucks.”In my opinion, you won’t get much better until you change your mental messaging. You’re at the critical point where most people give up. The best single piece of advice any of my teachers gave me was, you need to be OK sucking and still have fun. Even Tommy Emmanuel espouses this. You’re new to this. Your timing will suck, your chord changes will be slow and cluncky and so on. Really try to be OK with this and accept it. Have fun with it, laugh at it when you screw up instead of beating yourself up. THIS single piece of advice will help more than anything. It will make you want to pick up your guitar and learn with vigor instead of not wanting to pick up your guitar because you may be off on your timing, or miss a chord change etc.
I know this sounds easy put in words, it is more difficult to put into practice, especially if you’re like me, and have the need to be perfect at everything. Most activities in life have come pretty natural and easy for me. Not this dang guitar. But I keep plugging away everyday, and having an absolute blast. And I totally suck.
-
Lots of good replies here and I have little more to add… the main thing to remember above all is consistency. Try to play every day for at least 10 minutes but that doesn’t have to be a speed limit… you can go longer but only if you are feeling it.
It has been a long time since I first started playing and for some reason I got a 12 string guitar to start which was not a good idea. But I remember the same frustration. Definitely dial back the speed or even just play the chords on your own. That coordination only comes with time and repetition as your muscle memory kicks in as you transition from every chord to every chord.
I really like the advice here about moving on and not requiring mastery of yourself before you continue. My practice routine pre-AC was to work on a technique/song/new chord kind of randomly but I’d keep adding things and never mastering the earlier things… though I’d keep them in my routine until I felt I’d mastered them. The result? A VERY long routine with a whole bunch of things I couldn’t do. Moving away from something before mastery I know is difficult… it really bothered me a first but now I find, working on other seemingly unrelated techniques impact everything and when I return to things I did not master, I’m a lot better at them even without having practiced them for weeks! It isn’t magic, it’s just that fundamental techniques develop over time with the method that can be applied to lots of different styles, exercises and songs. It really works! Be patient with yourself and understanding of what seems like slow progress. It will come with time and perseverance.
-
What @Skyman911said!
Feeling frustrated means your expectations are beyond your capabilities and that is totally controllable. It’s okay to want to be better, but it’s not healthy to think you should be, deserve to be, must be better. Ratchet down expectations, I had to do this a lot during my first several months of playing.
Playing guitar is a lifelong journey, everyone would like to improve even the very best in the world. The key is being pleased with what you can do right now and excited about what tomorrow will bring. Take that approach and then you will find yourself suddenly surprised when out of nowhere (it seems) you can do it. Yesterday I actually rejoiced because I struggled with the lesson so much; knowing that being challenged mightily fosters mighty growth down the road.
-
This is a really great thread! I agree that no matter where you are in your guitar journey– you always want to be “better”. It’s natural to put pressure on yourself to get there- (wherever “there” is)……
But……… “there” is a mirage. You can see it from a distance, but once you get closer… you realize that it isn’t real- (and never was).
I’m thinking that maybe I need to hit the big giant “reset” button every now and again when it comes to keeping my own expectations in check. It’s easy to get “too far out over your skis” without doing the work needed to be there.
Focus on the trip much more than just the destination.
-
I love the “mirage” reference Coach! It brought back a memory for me when I was in my twenties and addicted to smoking. I had realized that my brain was tricking me into thinking I needed to smoke: light up and things will change, you will feel better! Every time that I lit up it was evident that the promise was fake! That smoke wasn’t making me feel any better. It’s kinda disgusting; it stinks up the room, my clothes, hands and breath and just like the 60,000 cigarettes before it, it was no better than the one before it! And on top of everything it’s also making me poorer every day!
Once I fully grasped all that, I quit and haven’t had one to this day! That was 41 years ago!
-
-
Lots of good advice and wisdom here. I wouldnt be able to add much more but just to summarize wht others have said….its all about your attitude, goals, expections, and degree of committment. And its all relative…if you really want to be at your version of ‘perfect’ or even good in say, six months from now, its probably impossible, there isnt enough time in a day. Two years? Yeah maybe, but youd better be playing 6 to10 hrs a day. Ten minutes sure isnt going to get you there.
So its important to be realistic about what you want and how bad you want it. Learning guitar is hard. If it was easy and fast everyone would be a rock star. Not only hard, it comes with a price…you have to work at it for a long time. And if youre truly not happy with the progress youre making, you have to work harder and/or smarter.
Like everyone has said you hopefully learn to embrace the process and love the journey. Those who dont eventually find a new hobby. But those who stick with it, with the right attitude and expectations, reap the guitar rewards. But to each their own…its a very personal endeavor. Not sure where you are brother but I wish you well and good luck. If you decide to play on thats great. Just stay off the clock, embrace the suck and celebrate those wins, big and small. They all add up.
-
Braden—
I loved your “ten minutes sure isn’t gonna get you there” line…. and could not agree more.
I surely have no actual qualifications of any kind on this subject— so all I can offer is an opinion.
But I always thought that ten-minute-thing was a bunch of hooey; always sounded to me like a “bait” thing—– “”””Yes!!!… YOU can become an excellent guitar player in only TEN MINUTES A DAY!!!!”””
Takes me more than that just to figure-out what I want to work on that day- (I just don’t have the time to have this stuff all planned/mapped-out ahead of time).
What can you really gain in ten minutes???
-
This reply was modified 2 weeks, 1 day ago by the-old-coach.
-
This reply was modified 2 weeks, 1 day ago by the-old-coach.
-
Hey Coach I think youre right…in this world where we want it fast and maybe with not too much effort, the only ten minutes a day line is a good hook. However i think there is a strategy behind it as well that is not just marketing…the hope is that ten minutes turns into 30, or an hour or even more. I’m giving the grandkids lessons and use this all the time to hopefully stretch out their practicing. But youre right, what can you really accomplish in ten minutes? If youre sitting down for a planned practice session, not much. You’ll barely tune up and do some warm ups. If however, youre having a busy day which isnt going to include much, if any guitar, then picking it up and getting even a few minutes in can also be a beautiful thing. If ten is all youve got, go for it, youll be glad you did. Just dont expect to advance very quickly if thats all you do. Again its all relative..and depends on the big four…goals, expectations, attitude and committment. Hope youre doing good brother. Keep on rockin
-
This reply was modified 2 weeks, 1 day ago by
-
I don’t think the ten minute a day thing is really a hook. Some days it’s tough and don’t feel like doing. So I do it for ten and move on. Other times I really get into the learning of a song and am spending 30 minutes or more. The “trick” is picking up and doing something daily and becomes a habit. Then when I track the progress, or a lesson comes around again, I do see the progress. Less frustrations and more enjoyment. We all came into this world knowing nothing and not able to do much. But we kept trying and got better.
Log in to reply.