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How I TAC
1.) How many days per week do you play?
I really like the idea of committing personally to play a minimum of ten minutes per day. I feel like that is what enables me to commit to playing seven days per week. My actual goal is 1 ½ hours per day, and I am able to meet that goal consistently and sometimes exceed it.
2.) What time of day do you play?
I get up at 4:30 am, make coffee, sit with my dog, who’s still asleep then, and play from about 5:00 to about 6:30. I once read some advice for people who want to save and invest money: pay yourself first! It’s quiet early in the morning, I can concentrate and listen clearly (thank you, coffee), and best of all, if I play first thing, nothing is going to get in the way of my playing. It really sets the stage for a great day.
3.) Where do you play?
In a corner of the Family Room. One chair, a nearby bookcase to put a coffee cup on, a lamp, a music stand with a tablet clamped onto it for watching lessons, and of course, a guitar.
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).
Before I had a routine things felt pretty haphazard and not very satisfying. I was trying to work from a book, one page after the other. I played pretty regularly, but I wouldn’t exactly say it was a routine.
Now, I have been playing first thing in the morning for long enough that the rest of the day doesn’t feel quite right if I have not played that morning. When I wake up each day I can’t wait to start playing.
Focusing on reasonable near-term goals and appreciating small wins allows playing to be fun while still remaining challenging. Learning to have patience helps a lot. Concentrating on working to play better, without worrying about “being good” has allowed me to enjoy the pleasure of the process.
Keeping a TAC notebook has helped a lot. First thing each day, I log the date and the name of the lesson. Most days I print the tab right away, punch it and put it into my notebook by category (Technique, Lick, etc.) Then as I watch the video lesson I take notes in the margins of the tab sheet. After I play the lesson, I work out a plan for that day’s playing session in 10-30 minute blocks, depending on what today’s topic is and depending on what seems to need the most attention. This is where I can set small goals for working on particular skills. Each time I return to one of the tab sheets, which is pretty often, I write the date on it, which really helps me keep track of progress. Also, organizing the notebook is helping me learn better by being able to see patterns I might have missed otherwise. For example, I have a collection of different G scale lessons…playing them all together is really helping me to learn the fretboard.
5.) Bonus Question: What is one non-guitar item that is a must have in your guitar routine?
Besides coffee, a tablet -iPad in my case- has been a huge help. I clamp it to my music stand just below my notebook, so I can watch the videos and see the tabs, and take notes all at the same time.
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