TAC Family Forums

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

Tony’s Acoustic Challenge – The New Way to Learn Guitar Family Forums Community Support Thoughts on guitar journey plateaus… via helping my Daughter

  • Thoughts on guitar journey plateaus… via helping my Daughter

    Posted by Alfred on April 13, 2021 at 11:45 am

    So since my Daughter got down her barre chords, she hasn’t been practicing much. She still plays, but hasn’t worked on anything new in a while. I asked her why she has stopped practicing, and in the form of a 15 year old girl, I get a shrug and a “Mmm?” and she is on her way.

    This got me thinking. Maybe it is just OK to stop and enjoy the view. She worked hard and practiced often to get to where she is at. I think she deserves some time to just play and enjoy her new skills without the pressure of learning something new for a while.

    I know that in time she will want to play “that song” whatever it may be and will then start practicing a new skill. Until then the roses smell sweet where she is, and she can see more of the landscape below her.

    My progress has been steady over the last couple of months. It is hard to see it day-to-day, but sharing performances, participating in the VOM events and looking back at recordings of myself show it… Will I have the wisdom to allow myself to enjoy the view for a while when I plateau again? Will you? What do you do when this happens, do you allow yourself to become frustrated, or stop for a long celebration of your work and enjoy what you have already achieved?

    For myself, I hope to have the wisdom of a 15 year old.

    Alfred replied 3 years, 6 months ago 3 Members · 3 Replies
  • 3 Replies
  • CharlieStrings

    Member
    April 13, 2021 at 7:05 pm

    Sounds like you guys have it figured out. Enjoy the journey!

  • Loraine

    Member
    April 14, 2021 at 4:49 pm

    What a great story @Alfred . I think you’re right that she’ll want to pick up learning a new song in short time. You’re a wise father for recognizing how hard she worked to get to where she is and that it’s okay to take a breather and step back.

    I’m learning this lesson more along the typical lines I learn any lesson – the hard way. I tend to beat myself up and feel like a failure if I don’t seem to be working on something new or seeing some type of results. My father was a very hard and critical person and if I wasn’t working to his standards, he let me know in a very negative way. You’re not doing that, and I think your daughter will greatly benefit because of it.

    • Alfred

      Member
      April 14, 2021 at 5:27 pm

      The funny thing is… She was assigned Ocean Eyes by Billie Eilish for a school assignment. It took all of 5 minutes to get the strumming of the song down, because it is slow and is basically C G Em a lot with a G thrown in here and there. All single strums. She is working on timing but is bored with it…

      It ended up being a stretch goal for me to make a finger style song out of it, picking out the melodies I can’t sing. It went from a 5 minute project to get her done, to a stretch goal for me… 1/2 hour in and I am only 4 bars into the song, and this is the easy part… Think I am going to make it my 1 pop song for my 90. It will have me doing things and thinking in ways that I don’t right now about music and guitar.

Log in to reply.