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What to do with weekly challenge
I guess… after weeks, I don’t get it. I’m new here and new to guitar… well relatively new to guitar. After going through the 30-days material (with which I was already familiar), and the 5-day challenge, while also looking in on daily challenges and poking around the web site… I’m not sure what is supposed to be happening. I can be a little slow, I suppose.
I joined up hoping to do several things… get better at chord transitions (admittedly I was kind of hoping for some secret sauce but I’ve already heard of and tried most of the recommendations found here). As yet, I haven’t seen even a partial listing of the “thousands of songs that can be played with C,G,D.
I spend anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes, daily, trying to learn guitar. I’m getting only marginally better — certainly nothing to write home about.
So, the advice here… “Don’t worry about mastery,” “Develop consistency,” “Set goals,”
*My immediate goals (Let’s call them 90-day goals):
1. Chord transition (C,D,G, — A,D,E)
2. Play 3 songs all the way through
*Longer term goals 6-months to a year):
1. Be able to play barre chords (for the life of me I can’ figure out how to roll my index finger and reach additional strings to form a chord. Even a mini barre “F” would be amazing)
2. Beginning finger picking — just one song (maybe something Dylan as he seems to be back in the lime light)
*Ultimate goals 1-3 years:
1. Play with my daughter and grand daughter
2. Be able to play a melody (the lyrical melody) of songs
3. Put a jazz spin on older pop songs
4. Be able to read standard notation
I’m 73. I played drums when younger. I’ve dabbled with the piano.
After watching the weekly challenge — I can’t figure out what to do with, essentially, 5 guitar lessons in 5 days. Right now, I’m considering concentrating on just one of them rather than all five. I’m thinking what might serve me best would be the Technique days. Then — spend, say, at least ten minutes Tues – Sunday trying to be able to “play” it with the practice track.
I’m open to recommendations. I’m wondering if my thought on what to do with the weekly challenge is a good thought? And, I’m wondering if my goal timelines are realistic. In all honesty, after 25 visits, I’m close to throwing in the towel here.
Thanks
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This discussion was modified 1 year, 2 months ago by
Mark E.
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This discussion was modified 1 year, 2 months ago by
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6 Replies
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You should do all of the Daily Challenges in a week, they build on each other throughout the week. The mantra here is progress over perfection. Spend at least 10 minutes on each challenge, do the best you can, some days it will be easy, some days you will struggle with the first measure, that’s OK, just do the best you can and move on. It will come around again in a few months and you will get further.
The Daily Challenges are exposing you to a lot of different skills and techniques, but you are not expected to master them in a day. Just keep moving through them.
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Going to give you my current daily process.
1. Watch the days Challenge while walking on the treadmill. Watch it again while eating breakfast with the Picture in Picture feature so I see the tab while Tony talks and plays.
2. Set an egg timer for 10 minutes and do the days challenge the best I can. If enjoying myself play longer. If not stop.
3. Set timer again for 10 minutes and play cord transitions with C,D,G, easy F, and a couple other cords. I have a five cord song I am trying to learn (Dancing in the Moonlight) that serves well for this.
4. Set timer for 10 minutes and strum along with a metronome with different cords and some simple strumming patterns at different speeds. The 2 cord version of “Horse with No Name” was my first go to, but now I mix it up with just cords sometimes
5. Play few simple licks that I am trying to learn for another 10 minutes.
By then I have played for 40-60 minutes and I call it a day. Spend free time looking on the web for the next 3 cord song or opening lick I want to try out. I still have a lot to learn and cord transitions are happening but slowly. My ultimate goal is to play the guitar as long as I am physically and mentally able. How good I get we will just have to wait and see. Turning 65 years old this year..
Btw.. At almost a year in I sometimes still feel frustrated with TAC, but I remind myself it’s just one tool in the toolbox and not a silver bullet
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I’m going to turn 64 this year, so we’re pretty close. I’m also a late beginner. You’ve got a nice solid routine there. You are correct about TAC just being a tool. I try to have a number of tools in my toolbox.
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Thank you all. Helpful and similar to my routine, John. I’m also enrolled in TruFire and I took private lessons for about 6-months. What you made me realize is I might just try being satisfied with the process. Sorry for whining.
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I see TAC a lot is a lot like farming.
In my short time in TAC (6 months) I’ve noticed that progress isn’t linear at all, it comes in spurts and often when you least expect it. All of sudden I will realize I can do things that I struggled with mightily! You will reap long after you have sowed, that’s why it’s important to not miss too many sessions in a row and to never quit.
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I’m 73 and was right where you are nearly a year ago! I too, was frustrated with my seemingly slow progress. But all the repeated advice given (progress over perfection, be consistent in your practice, take it slow and in smaller chunks), I finally had a mind-set change, and realized guitar wasn’t learned in a day (or 3, 6, 12 months, etc.). No question I am better than I was a year ago, but I recognize now that I still have limitations in what I can do, particularly barre chords. But I have a bunch of songs to learn that use simpler chords, and am working on pick accuracy etc. Your goals are reasonable enough, if you are easy on yourself. If you haven’t already, try some or all of the skill courses accessed from the left side of the home page. They should help you get a better handle on some of the techniques offered in the weekly challenges.
Hang in there, you got this!
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