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  • Sherry H – How I TAC

    Posted by SherryH on April 27, 2021 at 11:42 pm

    1.) How many days per week do you play?

    I commit to 5 days a week but I use the weekend to practice the lessons that were especially challenging for me, work with the backing track on soloing, or try to learn a song.

    2.) What time of day do you play?

    I do the daily challenge first thing in the morning with my morning coffee. I often play again in the afternoon or evening, but the morning session is a must.

    3.) Where do you play?

    I do my daily challenge on the couch in the living room while my spouse sits across from me reading the newspaper, whilst we both have our morning coffee. Dog on one side of me, cat on the other, and a cat at my feet. I love playing and looking out my front window as the neighbors jog or walk their dogs, and the deer graze in our yard.

    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 consistent routine, I would try to learn a few chords, get frustrated, quit for months, get frustrated, pick the guitar back up, try to learn a few chords, rinse, and repeat.

    After committing to the Acoustic Challenge routine:

    1. I realized that the only way to stretch and make my hand muscles more flexible and able to make the chords was consistent practice. Consistency is the key to muscle memory of chord shapes, chord transitions, strumming patterns, fingerpicking patterns, and even reaching the right string. Literally, consistency is the key to everything.

    2. TRYING every daily challenge moves me out of my comfort zone. Instead of going back to something easy every day, I am faced with challenges that might be beyond my grasp for a long time but it is glorious the day I actually do the challenge well. Barre chords were ridiculously hard for me for 18 months. When I started I made the most horrid sounds come out of a very decent guitar. I really felt like it was impossible for my hand; then like magic one day a real chord came out of the guitar. I was deliriously happy. I am happy every day that I can play the lesson along with Tony and keep in time with him. Last year, I always had to start at .5 speed and usually moved up to .75 and occasionally played the SLOW. But this year I start at 1x and if I have trouble I might move down to .75 but then I move back up. Stretching beyond the comfort zone is the way to bust through to another level.

    3. Establishing my morning practice starts my day off with joy. Sorry Folgers, but “the best part of waking up” is Tony’s voice presenting the daily challenge. Because I see the positive effects of consistent practice I have learned to tolerate my frustration. I have faith that if I just keep at it I will improve. I might be slower than most in my progress but I can see the progress.

    5.) Bonus Question: What is one non-guitar item that is a must have in your guitar routine?

    Yes Tony it is coffee!!! But I also have my notebook where I have logged all the lessons and made notes of “what went well” and “what needs work”. Although the “what needs work” is always “Chord Transitions” and “Speed”.

    Here is a shot of my guitar routine. The dog is quite focused on my practice. The black cat has been put to sleep by the G backwards roll warm up and the other cat is wondering why there is no room for him on the couch. The second picture was a view out the front window. What a great start to a day!

    • This discussion was modified 3 years, 9 months ago by  SherryH.
    SherryH replied 3 years, 9 months ago 1 Member · 0 Replies
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