TAC Family Forums

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

  • Two year TAC anniversary

    Posted by Maydog on April 5, 2021 at 3:20 pm

    I just realized that I had a TAC anniversary in February but I didn’t post anything about it. So, just a little late.

    When I joined in February of 2019, I had only picked up the guitar a few months prior after an almost 30 year hiatus. Same story as most everyone else: Played when I was younger, then started and focused on a career and slowly quit playing guitar. Now I’m semi-retired and have more time so I am playing again. I joined TAC because I was playing the same 12 songs and 12 chords that I was playing 30 years ago, and I wasn’t really improving or having much fun.

    It took about two months after joining TAC to really start with the daily lessons, but once I started, I was consistent. It wasn’t long before I noticed improvement. In this past year, I think the biggest improvements are that I can play bar chords fairly well (I’d give myself a B-), and I understand the fretboard much better than I did.

    This time next year, I would like to be playing cleaner, transitioning into bar chords better, hitting my bass/root note accurately at least 95% of the time, and learn more about how and when to use sus 2, sus 4, and 6 and 9 chords. I also want to incorporate more picking into my rhythm playing, and just generally improve my rhythm playing overall. I’ve learned the first two positions of the minor pentatonic recently and I have been playing lead over backing tracks on YouTube. I want to learn all 5 positions of both the minor and major pentatonic scales to the point that they are just automatic. Sounds like a lot, but it’s doable.

    Maydog replied 3 years, 9 months ago 14 Members · 31 Replies
  • 31 Replies
  • N-lightMike

    Member
    April 6, 2021 at 8:37 pm

    Guitar is cool, @Maydog, but it’s just not that much fun when we feel stuck. Thanks for posting this TACiversary so we can see how it has worked for you.

    I just love how the daily lessons help us improve consistently even when we think we aren’t doing that well with them. But when we do notice that improvement, it’s just another boost to our playing.

    Barre chords are huge. The number of doors they open, but yeah, that’s a pretty steep hill to climb. I’m glad you are making progress with them.

    All the things you mention are definitely doable, and I’m sure you will get them. Next year, you will be able to give us the report on how your barre chords are and how well you’ve gotten the scale patterns down. And in the meantime, we just keep having fun. It doesn’t get better than that.

    MG 😀

    • Maydog

      Member
      April 6, 2021 at 8:45 pm

      Thanks, @Mike-Gaurnier . I have really picked up a lot of head knowledge lately too. Now if I can just make that head knowledge get down to my fingers I’ll be in business.

      • N-lightMike

        Member
        April 7, 2021 at 12:44 pm

        That’s something I’ve been working on since the beginning of my guitar journey, @Maydog . Seems like I’m finally making some headway since joining TAC. But, I’ve also picked up a lot more head knowledge, so I’m still behind. I figure, eventually my fingers will catch up.

        MG 😀

        • This reply was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by  N-lightMike.
  • MoochasPoochas

    Member
    April 8, 2021 at 1:11 pm

    Sounds like you have a great plan. Best of luck.

  • StevenB

    Member
    April 8, 2021 at 1:18 pm

    Congratulations, that’s awesome. I think those bar chords are the toughest for most of us.

  • Maydog

    Member
    April 8, 2021 at 2:16 pm

    @MoochasPoochas and @StevenB, thanks for the encouragement.

    p.s. Just spent 15 minutes on a picking hand drill with my eyes closed. Hitting the right bass note is so foundational that I really need to start getting that right.

  • Chris99

    Member
    April 8, 2021 at 2:33 pm

    Congratulations on your Tac anniversary. I am a 6 month newbie still trying to figure out if I will ever get any better so I look to stories like yours for inspiration.

    One thing I will say is proper setup is critical for barre chords. I have two identical guitars, one of which I had setup. The difference in playing barre chords on them is night and day.

    • Maydog

      Member
      April 9, 2021 at 12:00 am

      I agree with that @ccebell. Thanks to YouTube and my love of buying even more tools, I’ve learned to do my own setups. I actually checked the string height at the 12th fret on my Gibson acoustic today and it was right on the money. I think one of my main problems with bar chords is my skinny index finger…needs a little more meat on it so I can get all the strings fretted more easily.

      • jumpinjeff

        Member
        April 15, 2021 at 11:08 am

        @Maydog said: “I think one of my main problems with bar chords is my skinny index finger…needs a little more meat on it so I can get all the strings fretted more easily.”

        I am laughing because I have these fat sausage fingers and I think, If they were only a little less fleshy they would make my bar chords so much easier.

        Congratulations on 2 Maydog, it has been fun walking on the Road with you. Wishing you many more years of clear pathways. As long as we keep sight of the DoDah Man no moss will grow.

  • Maydog

    Member
    April 15, 2021 at 10:39 am

    Hi @Tony P, just wanted to say that I am honored to be featured in today’s TAC Family Holler e-mail. A couple of decades back, I had to get rid of a very troublesome habit. It had cost me a lot financially, physically, and emotionally over the previous two decades. Once I finally got sick and tired of being sick and tired, I knew I couldn’t keep going down the same path. It occurred to me that I had been trying to do everything my way. I decided that just maybe I wasn’t the smartest guy in the room, and maybe I should listen for a change. Turned out to be the best realization and decision I had made. I’ve been sober for 20 years now, thank God.

    It occurred to me this morning that my progress on guitar can be attributed to the same mindset: Maybe I need to listen to someone who knows more than me. My method wasn’t helping me improve, and I needed a new plan/method or else I ran the risk of just giving up on guitar. That’s why I decided to give TAC a try two years ago. The lessons are structured in such a way to give a well-rounded practice experience, and that has helped me improve and given me confidence to try things on guitar that I never would have attempted two years ago.

    One more thing before I close. I think I came to this realization on my own, or maybe I heard it somewhere. There is a difference between playing and practicing. Both are good, but practice almost always requires the use of a metronome, especially when I’m the only one in the room and my guitar teacher can’t see me or correct me. I consider playing along with the daily lesson video to be essentially the same as using a metronome, in that I have to keep up. Maybe it boils down to having someone or something else set the standard. In other words, not just playing things my way. Seems to be a pattern here…

    Thanks.

    • N-lightMike

      Member
      April 15, 2021 at 11:21 am

      That’s a great comment, Steve. I, too, had to learn to follow someone else’s direction to get rid of the same nasty habit. In my case, I stayed sober for a number of years, and then would go back and have to run the experiment over again. I remember someone telling me that getting sober was the easy part, the hard part was growing up. I can say now that this guitar site and guitar routine has helped me to grow up. I am glad we are both on this wonderful path. 😀

      • Maydog

        Member
        April 15, 2021 at 9:21 pm

        @Mike-Gaurnier, staying focused on the guitar (or on something else worthwhile) definitely is a help in staying sober. I remember in my first year or so of sobriety, thinking, “I know what I shouldn’t do, I’m just not sure what I should do.” I kind of had to reinvent myself, which is liberating and terrifying at the same time. Anyway, keep racking up those one days brother.

        • This reply was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by  Maydog.
      • Guy_H

        Member
        April 15, 2021 at 9:29 pm

        👍

  • Michelle-PSL

    Member
    April 15, 2021 at 8:46 pm

    Hey @Maydog , Happy TACiversary! Always enjoy your posts, especially when they include a performance. You are an inspiration to newbies like me. Liked reading your anniversary post. IMHO, your goals are all doable! Have a great year!

    • Maydog

      Member
      April 15, 2021 at 9:23 pm

      Thanks, @Michelle-PSL. I’m glad to be in this community with cool people like you.

  • LC_SmithSoLong4Now

    Member
    April 15, 2021 at 9:06 pm

    Congrats Maydog! Another year of awesome progress.

    ~Cheers!🎆

    • Maydog

      Member
      April 15, 2021 at 9:24 pm

      Thank you @LC_Smith . I enjoy your thoughtful posts.

  • dr_dave

    Member
    April 15, 2021 at 9:31 pm

    Congrats Steve. Many more wins to come, I’m sure. I look forward to reading about them.

    • Maydog

      Member
      April 16, 2021 at 1:32 pm

      Thanks @dr_dave . I’m glad I learned the eyes closed practice idea from you. I know it’s making me a better player.

  • Guy_H

    Member
    April 15, 2021 at 9:37 pm

    Thanks for your post @Maydog . With your approach you will definitely achieve your goals. These guitars are pretty magical things! Just like us they have incredible potential. A skilled player can bring out the potential in a guitar and a guitar can bring out the potential of the player!! It’s a virtuous circle 😲

    • Maydog

      Member
      April 16, 2021 at 1:36 pm

      @Guy_H, you’re correct. Guitars have nice curves, are pretty to look at, fun to hold, and only make sounds when you ask them to. Kind of like a perfect….I forgot where I was going with that. 😆

      • Guy_H

        Member
        April 17, 2021 at 7:35 pm

        🤣

  • Loraine

    Member
    April 16, 2021 at 2:26 am

    Happy TACiversary @Maydog . It’s a pleasure to consider you a friend and fellow guitar geek. I’m always impressed with your playing and your positive outlook. Here’s to moving forward with your goals for the next year. Cheers!

    • Maydog

      Member
      April 16, 2021 at 1:38 pm

      Thanks @Loraine. It has been fun to watch your growth here at TAC. Keep on pickin’!

  • DeeDee

    Member
    April 16, 2021 at 7:09 am

    Happy TACiversary. Keep on keeping on. Guitar Geeks Rule!

    • Maydog

      Member
      April 16, 2021 at 1:39 pm

      Thank you @DeeDee. Always a pleasure to hear from you.

  • Marty73

    Member
    April 16, 2021 at 7:13 am

    Happy 2nd TACiversary @Maydog May you have many more! 🧐🧙‍♂️😎

    • Maydog

      Member
      April 16, 2021 at 1:40 pm

      Thank you @Marty69. I always enjoy reading and hearing your posts.

      • Marty73

        Member
        April 17, 2021 at 6:50 am

        😊

  • Marisa

    Member
    April 19, 2021 at 7:06 am

    Great goals @Maydog . Congratulations on all you’ve achieved, and Happy TACiversary!

    • Maydog

      Member
      April 19, 2021 at 8:18 pm

      Hi @Marisa. I really appreciate your encouragement.

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