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How I TAC – Donna Rae
1) How many days per week do you play?
During my time as a TAC member (3 1/2 years) I’ve usually been pretty consistent with the daily lessons, but things came to a halt at the end of October when my dad died unexpectedly. Then in early February, we also lost my husband’s mom. These past few months have been a whirlwind of funerals, grief, stress, decisions, family business, house clearing, and travel difficulties due to the pandemic. Life was too chaotic to have any kind of routine with anything. But whenever I made time to play my guitar, especially with friends, it really helped and I didn’t think about all the troubles for awhile.
So this month, I decided it was time to focus on getting life back on track. I’ve resumed my old routine of doing the weekday TAC lessons and learning songs on the weekends. I’m happy to say that I have logged in to the daily challenges consistently for the past three weeks now. They say that’s how long it takes to build – or re-build? – a habit.
2) What time of day do you play?
My TAC time is early evening, starting around 6pm, while my husband is making dinner (yes – really! 😀). It’s an ideal time for me to put the demands of the day behind me, maybe have a glass of wine and focus on my guitar playing. When I make time for myself and my personal goals every day, life is good.
3.) Where do you play?
I play in my home office because that’s where the computer is. I’d love to transform it into a dedicated music room. When the weather is fine, there’s nothing better than playing on the porch or outside on the patio.
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 having a guitar routine, I felt totally stuck. I just kept playing the same simple songs the same way. I didn’t have a path to follow to improve my playing. The daily lessons and guided routine attracted me to TAC and gave me the direction I needed. It has definitely helped me in so many ways, especially….
1. Knowledge. I love the way I absorb musical knowledge and guitar tips during the daily practice – from Tony and from other TAC members in the comments as well. I’ve had so many “A-ha!” moments along with the lessons. Things suddenly make sense or fall into place in the context of playing in a way that doesn’t happen if you’re reading it in a book.
2. Confidence. I used to feel shy about playing with others or performing a song because my skills were so basic. Having a consistent routine has helped me build a relationship with my guitar – both physically in terms of skill and motor memory, and mentally in terms of confidence that I can execute what I want to play. If something is difficult at first, I now know I will get there with regular practice.
3. Accuracy. I always thought of myself as a “sloppy” player, often playing the wrong chords or hitting strings that were supposed to be muted. A couple of weeks ago, a musician friend was setting up a home recording studio and invited me to be one of his “guinea pigs”. As we listened to a track, he said to me: “Your guitar playing has really improved. Your chords are so much cleaner than when I first met you” (which was shortly before I started TAC). That validation – both from him and my own ears – was such a big win! I realized how much those small steps add up. The benefits of a guitar routine sneak up on you.
5.) Bonus Question: What is one non-guitar item that is a must have in your guitar routine?
My grandpa’s white chair. It’s just a simple, old-fashioned, wooden hard-backed chair, but it’s the perfect height for playing guitar. It connects me to my family roots and old-time music, so it helps get me in the zone for practicing.
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