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One Year Anniversary
I joined TAC one year ago today not knowing how to even hold a guitar. I’ve come a long way, but am still a little disappointed by my progress. My expectations of the guitar player I would be after a year don’t match the reality. I can play a few songs, but I’m not anywhere near where I could perform in front of others. I’ll keep plugging along and maybe I’ll be there next year.
By the numbers: I have practiced 233 hours for an average of 38 mins a day. I am on a 248 day practice streak and have only missed 25 days of practice in the past year in the early months because of travel.
I’m debating whether to continue with TAC. There are certainly some valuable skills being taught in the daily challenges but I am learning more from a more structured course that I started last September. These TAC skills aren’t really translating into songs for me which is my goal in learning guitar. I’ll probably give it another year as I do enjoy Tony’s teaching style even if it’s not a very fast path to songs.
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8 Replies
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Holy,Cow, a year already!?! Happy 1st TACiversary.
I feel for ya with regard to where I was at a year too. The guitar is not an easy instrument to learn. Look at where you were to where you are now. The learning curve the first year is especially high. I can say with certainty that it gets better and faster the more time you have.
As for TAC, it teaches the base/foundation for playing. He’s started in the past year teaching against actual songs, which he didn’t do before. There are many sites that you can use for a supplement to TAC. If you’d like some suggestions, IM me. It isn’t courteous to discuss them openly because some are competitors to TAC. Have you considered supplementing TAC with guitar lessons. I know a great teacher that does virtual lessons. Lmk if you’d like his info. I take my lessons virtually still, and I’m only a mile or so from the store. It’s just more convenient to me.
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Thanks Loraine. I do supplement TAC and that is where I’m seeing most of my progress. I do appreciate the skills Tony teaches, they are all directly applicable to my other course.
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Congrats on a year. And not just a year passage of time but consistent play. You’re doing well and your posts show it. But it reads like you have high expectations. There is nothing wrong with that but don’t let it be a place where fun goes to die. I do t think that is your case as you are patiently giving it another year. But again, congrats. I enjoy your posts.
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Thanks Albert. Yes, my expectations were way too high. In most of my other endeavors where I devote as much time as I do to guitar I’m typically in the top 25% of people in that field. With guitar I feel like I’m in the bottom 10%. I just expected to be further along. It’s less about comparing myself to others than just comparing myself to my internal vision of where I should be. I’ll keep plugging along and maybe in another 5 to 10 years I’ll be where I feel like I want to be.
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Congratulations Moose. I would say your playing session record alone makes TAC worth it. You have made it through the hardest part of the learning. I have appreciated your participation in the Forum for sure. My best advise: the fasted way to get better (at your stage of the game) is to let go of where you think you should be. You have tackled consistency which is the hardest obstacle for those starting out. I know you did not solicit advise per se but there you go. Very lastly, get ready to have some of the presented panoply of dots connected as if by magic. in reality it will be the direct result of your effort and clear teaching.
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Thanks Jeff. I have recently had a few A-ha moments where some puzzle pieces fell into place. Looking forward to more of those in the future.
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Cool cool. Hearing those moments are sometimes the difference between a good session and a great one for me. I will be look with care for your “Small Win” posts. I don’t want to miss out!
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@Moose408 -Totally on board here with Jumpinjeff in regard to letting go of your expectations. I concluded a while ago, that Guitar is not a destination, it is rather a journey and will take you in many directions, but there is never going to be a final destination.
I have been a TACer for just over 4 years and I also supplement with another site that is very different and bit above my skill set. The combo of the 2 is really good. TAC provides the daily motivation to show up and try whatever it might be. You are without realizing it developing the underlying skills to play songs. I find that now when I attempt to learn a song, it goes way easier and quicker than it did 2 years ago
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