TAC Family Forums

Share your wins, get unstuck, or see how others use the TAC Method to create a fulfilling guitar life!

  • Best Way For Newbie to Begin

    Posted by Gopal on June 21, 2021 at 6:55 am

    Hey guys,

    I’ve just joined and am excited to be a part of your community.

    I’m a lapsed guitar player and am wondering how you would recommend I begin?

    30 days to play and the daily challenge, one at a time or perhaps something else entirely?

    Look forward to your tips.

    Thank you,

    G.

    dr_dave replied 2 years, 9 months ago 9 Members · 14 Replies
  • 14 Replies
  • Bill_Brown

    Member
    June 21, 2021 at 9:14 am

    Hello @Gopal , Welcome to TAC🎸 You have made a great choice to start (again) here👏👏 I believe you should go through the “30 Days to Play” course first 👍 before doing any of the “Daily Challenges” – that’s just my humble opinion. You can do them together if you like, but I feel it’s better to concentrate on the 30 Days and then go onto the “Next 6 chords” course. After that, then do the Daily Challenges if you like, but you should still consider spending more of your time on the “Skills”. Take a look at the “Jumpstart” courses next, (there are 3) choose one that interests you most, and then do the other two also. Then you should look at the “Foundations of Fretboard Navigation” and from there you should do “Fretboard Wizard” 🤩. Most of all, just have fun while learning. I wish you a successful guitar journey😎

    • NW7

      Member
      July 3, 2021 at 6:17 am

      Thanks Bill.

    • JP_Mills

      Member
      September 16, 2021 at 9:58 am

      i am a beginner too. Thanks for the Advice Bill, i will start with what you suggested too.

  • Loraine

    Member
    June 21, 2021 at 3:04 pm

    Sound advice from @Bill_Brown

    • Gopal

      Member
      July 3, 2021 at 5:27 am

      Thank you guys.

      I’ll get practicing…

      Cheers!

  • dr_dave

    Member
    July 3, 2021 at 10:03 am

    The “lapsed guitar player” description you gave invites me to wonder how much experience you had and how long the lapse has been. It’s probably worth a try at the dailies. Certainly don’t hesitate to jump in there and give it a try, especially if 30DtP doesn’t thrill you.

    30DtP did not even exist when I joined just over 4 yrs. ago. Even if t had, I don’t think it is the type of thing that would have got me hooked personally. Of course, we’re all different and we display different needs and preferences. I had not had any lapses since I started playing (4-1/2 yr. before I joined TAC), although it had been 2-1/2 yr. since I’d had any lessons.

    The best order in which to do things depends on the individual. Try everything that’s available – 30DtP, dailies and Technical Skills courses – and dig in wherever you think you’re getting the best value. The most important things are to keep it fun and keep playing as often as you can.

    Now I should go back and read what others said, as I started writing befor reading the responses you already had.

  • Gopal

    Member
    August 23, 2021 at 10:49 am

    Thanks @dr_dave, I will mix and match (around a basic structure), and keep playing.

    Cheers!

    • jumpinjeff

      Member
      August 23, 2021 at 8:04 pm

      Hi @Gopal , I am with @dr_dave here: jump into those daily lessons. They are the backbone of developing the skills and mind muscle connections one finds ever so useful for playing guitar. Go more slowly than you think you should. I spent a good amount of time chasing speed until I realized I learned way faster when I manage tension and snuck up on it. I have heard some people say speed kills but I would say only if you have not managed your tension. Truly it is tension that kills speed.

  • dr_dave

    Member
    September 9, 2021 at 10:21 am

    Checking back to see if you have any clearer picture of how TAC best meets your needs. What has been working well for you?

    • Gopal

      Member
      April 30, 2022 at 3:04 pm

      Hi, @dr_dave,

      So sorry for the late reply. Really appreciate the advice of everyone here.

      I’ve returned to playing and started with the 5 Day Challenge. I’m now doing the daily lessons as you recommended and dipping into the courses when I feel I need to change it up.

      Thanks again and I hope your journey is a fruitful one too.

      • dr_dave

        Member
        May 6, 2022 at 2:38 pm

        It is great to hear from you. What’s funny is that you probably had no idea that I am a fruit grower and pie baker when you wished me a “fruitful” journey!

      • dr_dave

        Member
        May 6, 2022 at 2:39 pm
  • speckpgh

    Member
    May 2, 2022 at 8:25 pm

    As someone who is around 3 months into his own journey, and started here with TAC as well, I would agree with Bill, don’t worry about the daily routine stuff, do the “30 days to play” and focus on that, until you are able to make all of those chords cleanly and ideally work your way to being able to transition reasonably, and then follow that with the “5 day guitar routine challenge”, which will explain how the 5 day a week challenge works etc.

    You certainly could do the daily challenges while doing the 30 days to play, but honestly, I honestly found them more confusing than anything early on.. not that you can’t do a daily challenge, you certainly can, but when you can’t even make a chord consistently, what good is trying to do all the chords of a family?

    I personally stuck to spending my time whatever the lesson was for the day, and then on making the open chords and transitioning cleanly between them… My typical day during the 30 days to play was to spend so much time on the lessons, and then try to play a simple version of a song I wanted to learn once I had a few chords in my belt. I admit it took me more than 30 days to finish it all, but that’s okay.

    It was only after finishing the two courses I mentioned that I started really doing the daily challenges. Now I spend at least 10 minutes working on the challenge, and still spend about an hour to two a day practicing other things I want, like playing a songs, or transitioning into and out of new chords, (currently trying to get the F to C transition speedy enough to actually play songs with this transition with the full version of F) etc.

    Whatever you decide to do, good luck.

  • Mrfredsporty

    Member
    May 3, 2022 at 6:33 am

    As another VERY lapsed dabbler I am doing essentially what others recommend but being a rebel from the 60s I am doing it like this: 30 days to play, at the same time doing the skill courses followed as of this week the daily challenge. It’s been just about a month and I’m feeling much better as well as regaining and adding new skills and ideas daily

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