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My First TACiversary!
I joined TAC in March of 2020 (thank you COVID for getting me off the road). Like many of you, I got my first guitar in my early teens, took a few lessons, learned a few chords and then slowly drifted away until the guitar sat silent. When I turned 51 I decided that I needed a new source of personal growth and wanted to learn to play guitar.
My journey started with live lessons, but after going to a half a dozen meetings, I realized that I wasn’t learning how to play. The instructors were nice people, but they always started the lesson by saying “so what do you want to learn today?” A perplexing question for someone who knows nothing about playing the guitar! As a result, they would pick a random topic, try to explain it (with musical theory concepts thrown in) and then send you on your way, always saying “remember to practice”…ooof. I found that I couldn’t remember half of what they said and I had no idea of how to actually practice. So I stopped lessons and turned to YouTube. The upside was being able to rewind! But in the end I still wasn’t learning how to play. No one was breaking it down into bite size concepts and then teaching me how to practice. And then I found TAC.
Now, a little over a year later, I’m amazed at how far I’ve come (and how much money I’ve spent on guitars)! When I started, my goal was to be able to play a few simple songs around the campfire using basic strumming techniques. Fingerpicking, hammer-ons, slides… music theory?? No way, too big of hill to climb. But guess what, I’m looking down that hill now, and looking up the next thinking, yeah I got this!
I’m not saying I’m a great player, or have mastered anything (yet). I’m still very much a beginner. But guess what, when people ask I do say “yes, I play guitar!”
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4 Replies
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Happy 1st TACiversary @JGK May you have many more! 🧐🧙♂️😎
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Thanks Marty!
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Great story @JGK !👍💙 I feel your pain of “Pre TAC” frustration with in person lessons and YT😱 – but it was YT where I found TAC. Anyways, happy TACiversary!
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Thanks Bill…. yes, YT is what led me to TAC as well… silver linings and all 🙂
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