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@SteveinCT said: “I want to add on and be a decent player using a percussive fingerstyle in alternate tunings….and a somewhat decent slide player, also using open tunings….am I in the right place in your view?”
My first answer would be: Yes, I believe you are in the right place for that. However, I would point you toward the Skills Courses that cover these aspects of guitar technique. Since you mention that “these are just introductory in approach”, I would have to assume you have already looked at the Skills Courses that are available and found them lacking.
That leads me to my second answer: Tony does not take the skills he teaches us and apply them to a song. He leaves that up to us to do for ourselves. If you want someone to show you step by step how to put these techniques into a song, then the answer is: No, this is not the right site, you will have to find another site.
In my opinion, “introductory” is all that is necessary. Let me explain.
I have used some free YouTube channels to learn specific songs. However, I’ve come to realize I could have figured these things out for myself and I would have gained understanding that I could apply to any song and not just one song.
That’s where I’m at currently. I’m no longer looking for song tutorials, but putting in the effort to work up my own songs. I have held back from putting the skills Tony teaches into songs that I play out of fear or self doubt or whatever is the correct psycho-analytical explanation. But after learning a number of songs the way a specific person arranged it on guitar, I have come to realize there is no reason I couldn’t do that. These “instructors” teach me nothing that Tony hasn’t already taught me. The only difference between these instructors and me is they had the courage to experiment on their own till they could work up a song and I haven’t put in that effort… yet.
Doing my own song work ups, or arrangements is just another part of my guitar journey that no one can take for me. If I never do this I will never learn to do it and I will always be dependent on someone else to figure out how to use a guitar to imitate all the different parts of a song that was originally performed by a band.
One of the things I have heard from a number of different instructors is that I don’t have to hit the exact same strings they are hitting. In other words, there’s no “right answer”. I just needed to go forth and start experimenting putting the techniques I have learned to use in a specific song. The arrangement that I come up with will be my own original arrangement, and not someone else’s.
The skills and understanding I gain from arranging covers of other people’s songs will help me to write my own songs. I have already written some songs but I have put that effort on hold as I can’t “finish” them or make them sound “polished”. What do I mean? Exactly what we are talking about. If I can’t take a song that already exists and work up an arrangement on my guitar that sounds “complete” and “polished” how am I supposed to make my own original song sound “complete” and “polished”?
So, my advice to you is to jump into the deep end of the pool. But I admit that I didn’t do that. I first found some alternate sites. At least I saved my money and used what was available for free. Otherwise, I’d have felt foolish after figuring out I was not actually learning anything new that wasn’t available right here on TAC.
I know this is long, but I hope that sharing the experiences of my journey can help you.
MG 😀