TAC Family Forums

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

  • How I TAC: Charlie D

    Posted by charlie_d on April 30, 2021 at 9:16 am

    *I have not been able to post here and see it posted 8 times out of 10. I’ll try without a photo.

    How many days per week do you play?

    Over the last year, I have played 6-7 days a week. I am still at work, but have been working mainly from home this last year, so I can always manage to fit in some playing into my day.

    What time of day do you play?
    
My time for playing varies. I often try to play earlier in the day, or before lunch for at least 10 minutes. I will often play longer when working on improv for the weekly solo or if I am trying to learn a new song or possibly coming up with something original.

    Where do you play?


    I have a little room in the basement that is often used for me to hide away and play guitar without disturbing anyone else too much. I will often play in this room to keep things quiet for everyone else. I will also play or record in a few other rooms depending on the temperature or weather. I move my recording equipment or amplifier (if I decide to use it ) around depending on where I decide to play.

    What was your guitar life like before having a guitar routine & how has implementing a consistent guitar routine helped you
?

    I only started regularly playing with the TAC routine that I joined some time ago (coming on 6 years (already!) in August).
    I had played guitar in high school, and always favoured acoustic to play, since some of my friends were more shredders and rockers, I was more of a rhythm player and singer, which I seldom do now. Over the years, I would play from time to time mainly re-triggering riffs and songs that I remembered from my youth, but rarely working on anything new.

    I have improved my playing in many ways through TAC, particularly learning scales and the timing or feel of my playing has improved. I am more at ease with certain scales and can play more spontaneously, which is great.

    I feel that I’ve improved considerably for soloing and continue to enjoy the weekly improvs. In the current year, I am trying to extend my song repertoire, although, I am not always happy with my voice, so I have extended my learning to some fingerpicking tunes from the TAC site and also from other sources. I have much enjoyed learning and improving flat picking technique, but feel I am more at ease with fingerpicking.

    The ability to find any note on the fretboard and also link notes to chords and scales is also an area that interests me greatly. I will try to improve in this area as well over the upcoming year.

    What is one non-guitar item that is a must have in your guitar routine?

    I would say for me at this time a “must” for proper playing and extended practicing and playing is a good chair! I much prefer to play sitting down, although it would be great to be able to play with more ease while standing. I haven’t really had a need for this, since I’m not playing on a stage or in a band setting where standing would be necessary. During my at home phase this last year I also had the opportunity to practice growing a beard, in the spirit of our zen master, Tony P…although this hairy non-guitar item is clearly not absolutely required for extending my guitar journey!

    • This discussion was modified 3 years, 9 months ago by  charlie_d.
    charlie_d replied 3 years, 9 months ago 3 Members · 5 Replies
  • 5 Replies
  • charlie_d

    Member
    April 30, 2021 at 9:19 am

    My How I TAC photos

  • Bill_Brown

    Member
    April 30, 2021 at 9:25 am

    Nice routine @charlie_d 👍👍💙 Like that acoustic “tool”😎, what kind is it?

    • charlie_d

      Member
      April 30, 2021 at 9:37 am

      First photo is a little Larrivée all koa wood Parlor (P-03) guitar. Second is a Martin Custom O-15 MS cutaway 😀🎶

  • Layton_Lange

    Member
    April 30, 2021 at 11:52 am

    Thanks for sharing @charlie_d ! now that you bring up how important a chair is. I probably need one with moveable arms, mine wants to squeak against the guitar body

    • charlie_d

      Member
      April 30, 2021 at 12:10 pm

      Yes, some chairs play their own tunes while you sway and play on them😀

Log in to reply.