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  • How I TAC 4-18-2022

    Posted by Cadgirl on April 18, 2022 at 3:25 am

    Updated my Routine this morning.

    1.) How many days per week do you play?

    a. I play everyday. I get in at least 20 minutes a day, but my goal is 2 hours a day. I hit my goal most of the time.

    2.) What time of day do you play?

    a. Time of day doesn’t matter a whole lot to me. I like to get in 20 minutes in the early. After that whenever I want to sit and play a few songs. Now I’m setting aside some time to practice more sounding out chords/notes to a song. Stop rehashing the same old thing and learn something new.

    3.) Where do you play?

    a. Where ever one of my guitars are.

    4.) What was your guitar life like before having a guitar routine & how has implementing a consistent guitar routine helped you? (if possible name 3 ways).

    a. I just didn’t have a routine.

    b. I wasted a lot of time searching the internet for something to learn.

    c. Since I didn’t understand the hows and whys of what made some chords or notes sounded good together it made it hard for me to do it on my own.

    d. Having a routine forced me to chart what I’m doing and held me accountable, even if it’s only to myself.

    Cadgirl replied 2 years, 9 months ago 5 Members · 10 Replies
  • 10 Replies
  • Bill_Brown

    Member
    April 18, 2022 at 7:25 am

    That’s an awesome guitar routine @Cadgirl 👏🤩👏 Congrats and enjoy the journey👍🎼😎

    • Cadgirl

      Member
      April 19, 2022 at 3:34 am

      Thank you @Bill_Brown . I’m getting a better understanding of what sounds good together. Practicing a lot of the transition runs from one chord to another. Like in ‘I walked the line’ by Johnny Cash. He has a run-on from E to A. Then A to D, then back to A. Those are helping me out a lot too.

  • the-old-coach

    Member
    April 18, 2022 at 9:59 am

    Cadgirl-

    You have made a great post!- (not surprising🙂).

    Your “Stop rehashing the same old thing and learn something new” line is right on the money- at least for me….. and probably many other TAC-ers.

    I think maybe as I acquire new skills- (or improve to new LEVELS of skills I maybe already have)– I feel like I sometimes come up against some sort-of a “wall”. Hard to explain in words. Feel like I need to “shake things up” a bit every now and then, with adding something NEW- (as you said).

    I try to keep “moving the goal line”- but only after I feel I’ve reached a good “consistency” level. Perfection- no, consistency- yes— and that’s just fine.

    As for me, I’ve been working toward a “first five” songs to memory- (and it’s been challenging but tough- I can’t seem to make up my mind🤨 which ones, mostly). Also been learning/memorizing new chord groups, and once in a while a new scale- (wow, those are tough for me to memorize).

    The TAC Daily lessons and Skills Courses are great, for sure, as they provide for a REALLY great foundation of all skills guitar- (I’m sure there must be a better way to phrase that)- but pushing oneself beyond that– to “learn something new”, as you said– is a real driving force—– “moving the goal line”.

    Thank you for your post- GREAT food for thought.

    PS- I’ve been staying away from the Forum for awhile- on purpose- (to give you all a break from my ramblings-on)- but your post hit a good-nerve.

    the old coach

    • This reply was modified 2 years, 9 months ago by  the-old-coach.
    • Cadgirl

      Member
      April 19, 2022 at 3:46 am

      @the-old-coach

      I wanted the same thing, just 5 songs that I could sit and play from memory. Not as easy as you think it would be. I get frustrated with it because I think, I have played this song a billion times and I still can play it without music!! Now…. I have my 5 songs and I make sure I play them every day so I don’t forget them, even if it’s just a couple of times through.

      You took the ‘Fretboard wizard’ didn’t you? I’m assuming you know what the chord progressions are? 1-5-6-4 or 6-4-1-5, etc. I’m using the most common and strumming them, making up runs. It’s helping me alot. Keep up the good work and I think it’s safe to say we all like listening to your answers on the site.

      • the-old-coach

        Member
        April 19, 2022 at 9:21 am

        Cadgirl- Thanks for your kind words- as always.

        Yeah- the “five songs” thing is tougher for some of us- and I’m in that group. I think I’ve been FOCUSING on memorizing a LOT at lately— these 5- or so- songs.

        (One of🙄)- My problems is I keep replacing one or two of them- seems like as I get to the point that I pretty-much know them- they somehow aren’t as cool as I thought they were. I like to be challenged- after a while they just seem “easy”- to a point where I want “more” out of them— (it’s that old pushing the boulder up the mountain thing).

        My “five” right now are “I’ll Have to Say I Love You in a Song”, “Star” (stealer’s wheel), “Yesterday”, “Starting Over”, and “Old Man”– with “Dream a Little Dream of Me”, “Making Memories of Us”- (keith urban), and “What a Wonderful World” right in there also.

        As I said- and others agree– your original post is great stuff…. It makes/helps us all to reflect back and get us back on track- (I tend to “wander” aimlessly sometimes).

        Again- thanks for your kind words at the end of your answer-post to me.

        the old coach- (mark)

      • Cadgirl

        Member
        April 19, 2022 at 2:18 pm

        @the-old-coach , Jim Croci songs are HARD! I have gone back and forth with ‘I’ll have to say I love you in a song’. I finally put it on a back burner. I just couldn’t do it. But, just keep trying, you’ll get it. You have some good choices of songs to learn. Dream a Little Dream of Me. Is one of my songs that I have memorized. I dropped it for a while and decided it was one I really wanted, so I kept at it. I would like to be smoother, but that will come in time. My 5 songs are: 1) Dream a Little Dream of Me 2) Alice’s Restaurant 3) Blackbird 4) I Walk the Line 5) Hallelujah. I was trying to get the strum pattern for “All Along the Watchtower” by Dylan down this morning. The chord changes are on the Up stroke. It’s just weird to strum like that. It’s like making your brain work backwards. Glad you liked my routine, like I said it works for me.

  • albert_d

    Member
    April 18, 2022 at 1:29 pm

    Good to shake it up now and then. And you are so thoughtful to share your change with us. Should be sustainable.

    • Cadgirl

      Member
      April 19, 2022 at 3:47 am

      Thanks @albert_d . It really was refreshing to really look at myself and see where I needed to change and progress as a guitar player.

  • Loraine

    Member
    April 18, 2022 at 7:36 pm

    Thanks for sharing your updated How I aTAC. Many of us should revisit this. I always like reading them, and you have a great practice routine, and I’m sure your making great strides in your playing. I get bored after 10 minutes, so I tend to do little micro sessions.

    • Cadgirl

      Member
      April 19, 2022 at 3:59 am

      Thank @Loraine. I came up with an issue with my fretting hand (I have carpal tunnel). Sometimes I can’t play the guitar in the morning and have to put it off till later in the day (curses!). I am going to at least try to get Tony’s daily challenge and a lesson or 2 from Justin’s site in the early morning. I’ll just do a little bit at a time, few minutes here and a few minutes there.

      Don’t get bored! Just pick up the guitar and figure out a jingle. Sounds easy i know, I can struggle all night trying to figure something out and I end up going to ultimate-guitar to see what the notes are. ha ha ha

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