Wondering if I should stay with it or not

[the-old-coach]

Stilltrying–

Please take a minute and read “tholdcoach”s post in the “Starting TAC” thread. Maybe it will help.

toc

[Skyman911]

@Stilltrying , as an older player (63), I can feel your pain. I was a prior TAC member and quit after about 9 months. I was a sheer beginner and felt I wasn’t getting much out of the course. After two years of private lessons, I started seeing some of the value in the course. I rejoined a few months back and don’t do private lessons anymore.

This will need to be your decision to determine if this is worth it or not. TAC isn’t my only method of learning. Also, you only need to do what you want. If you don’t want to do the Wednesday’s improve, don’t. Just do something else as long as you play. I skip many lessons and don’t fret about it. I used to dislike the improve challenges as well, and would skip most of them. I actually really enjoy them now. I don’t solo, but it is a very fun way to work on my scales. If that’s all I get out of it, I had fun playing scales. Below are some of the areas I see real value.

-TAC gets you to play everyday

-TAC throws challenges/techniques at me that I would never try on my own

-Lessons are short enough for my ADHD

-The Benchmark weeks have become very valuable for me

-I incorporate what I learn into the actual songs I want to play

-Stumming/fingerstyle/flat picking lessons get folks out of their comfort zones

I hope you can find what you are looking for. One certainly gets a lot of content for the price here. But again, only if one sees the value.

[Moose408]

Easy answer first. It doesn’t matter whether you use the 3 finger or the 4 finger G. The 4 finger sounds a little fuller but either is appropriate.

Guitar is hard, you are going to suck at it for a long time, it’s ok to suck. People get frustrated because their expectations exceed their ability. We all want to be able to play an exercise perfectly the first time and we can’t. Heck we may not even play it perfectly the 4th or 5th time through when it comes around again. The goal of Tony’s program is progress over perfection. Every attempt you do during the 10 mins a day results in learning just a little bit more.

Everyone struggles with finger dexterity. We are asking our fingers to operate individually from each other which they aren’t used to. It will take months for that to improve but it will improve.

Wednesdays are about a lot more than just soloing. It’s teaching you scales and where notes are on the neck. But more importantly it is teaching you aural and timing. Being able to hear and really listen to what you are playing is a valuable skill. Being able to vary the tempo and rhythm of the notes will help with chord transitions and adding accents to your playing. You can certainly skip it, and just repeat Monday or Tuesday’s lesson. Or go back the previous week and redo one of your favorites. There is no set rules on what you can and can’t do. Everyone is going to be different so cater to your differences.

Above all don’t get frustrated, try to enjoy the journey. It took me a while to understand that. It’s going to take me years to get where I want to be but every time I pick up my guitar I get closer to that goal.

[Skyman911]

“but every time I pick up my guitar I get closer to that goal”

This is golden.

[petelanger]

Take the-old-coach’s advice and read his post in the “Starting TAC” thread!
I didn’t know there was a 3 month option! I don’t think anybody learns guitar in 3 months. I’m new as well, about 105 days in at this point but I am a lifetime TAC member. I think anything less than 3 years makes no sense and at that point it’s cheaper to go for lifetime membership.

[BarbaraM]

I have been where you are. I started TAC In January, and was about ready to throw in the towel, with my apparent lack of progress. It took me nearly 2 months to finish the 30 Days to Play, and I thought it was just too much for my clumsy little hands. I also have trouble with the Wednesday improv, but I’m learning to step out of my comfort zone a bit and give it a try. It helps a lot to listen to the “play” section a few times (in any lesson, not just improv) before I even start the lesson, so I know how it’s supposed to sound. I’m 73 by the way, and if I can see progress in finger dexterity, training my ear, and a better understanding of what I’m doing, then anyone can! I hope you stick with it!

[Loraine]

@Stilltrying Great to have you here with the TAC community! I will start by apologizing because this will be a lengthy post trying to answer your questions maybe intelligently and maybe not so intelligently feel free to ask for clarification of something doesn’t make sense or maybe someone else can explain it and better manner than I can but this is my thoughts and experience and hopefully I will answer some of your questions

TAC is a learning platform for foundational skills for playing guitar. These are all skills that you will use as you move forward in your Journey to learn the guitar you may not see how you can put it all together at this point but as you move into learning songs and listening to songs that you want to play you will hear where the skills come in and you’ll want to know these foundational skills, so that you can to some degree replicate a cover if that’s what you’re goal is to play, or maybe someday aspire writing your own songs, or you want to understand why some cords are paired together and sound good and others don’t sound so good together or different strumming patterns or different fingerpicking patterns knowing scales that you can incorporate into licks and other runs within a song, to know why or when to use accentuated strums, and you want to accentuate things, to understand and incorporate things like arpeggios , staccato, and many other things.

Have you taken five day challenge that explains the purposes of each day’s routine? If not that’s where I suggest you start. https://tonypolecastro.com/courses/5-day-guitar-routine-challenge/

Specifically,

Monday – Technique s

Tuesday – guitar licks

Wednesday- improvisation … BUT, in the lessons you’ll notice that Tony is teaching you a scale of some sort every week so the purpose is to learn scales just as you would as if you were playing piano or another instrument scales are essential, because they form a progression of notes and octaves. It is basically how Music is formed by moving from one note to another note to another note in (the notes may be within chords) but it is Notes that pair up and sound good moving up in active you know up in octave. Improv simply takes those same notes from a scale and puts them to a backing track that’s all it’s doing and it actually teaches you to be able to Play in different keys, find notes that sound good together, and that is what music is. You will notice when you start playing songs that you hear the same type of increases and decreases in octaves within the same key to make it sound kosher together. I hope that makes sense

Moving on

Thursday focuses on rhythm guitar which is typically a type of strumming support type playing and not the lead guitar. Rhythm guitar to me means that you learn cadence, timing using a metronome, different time signatures, forms of strumming based on the time signature, whether 1/2 notes, whole notes, quarter notes, etc. Accentuations on strums, and so much more.

Fridays are chord transitions several years ago TAC approached cord transitions in a very linear manner on a tab sheet, basically playing chords back and forth between possibly 4 chords in a very repetitive manner with a few different patterns between the chords. Currently, Tony does them in the overall focus from that week. If the focus is on learning a song or an aspect of a song throughout the week each day will focus on the daily goal of learning a specific skill with Fridays being a culmination of the chords and transitioning between those cords that go to that particular song or whatever is being worked on that week.

So the purpose TAC is to teach the foundational skills so that you can go out and learn songs and understand and know the different things that go into a song and why, and it will actually help you understand and learn songs faster but you also need to study a small amount of theory to round out your understanding, at least in my understanding.

So as @Moose408 mentioned guitar is not an easy instrument to learn, but it’s not impossible. It takes patience, practice, and by that I mean repetitive practice meaning you’re practicing every day learning new skills, songs, or working on a new skill you want to become proficient in. Learning aspects of a song that shows you how it incorporates different techniques, how to play the guitar licks found in a song, the scale that song incorporates to have flow, cohesiveness, or even discord within a song through the use of a diminished chords that add dissonance. As you learn songs, they will incorporate all these aspects of skills that you’ve learned, and you’ll be able to recognize them. You’ll be able to play the song because you’ll understand the rhythm of it and why the chords are where they are and the cadence and the tune and you just everything of a song you’ll understand the song is written the lyrics the timing throughout the song why some cord sound sound better than others which many times is just from playing those scales that are taught on Wednesdays. If you decide to board wizard or any other theory type course you will learn about the different scales and major and minor chords and the typical progression of a song how to be trained because you’ll be able to identify keys of a song which it’s very important to understand keys of a song

I would like to apologize because my intention is not the sound as if I’m lecturing or anything along those lines I’m basically trying to answer the questions that you put fourth in your post I do feel like probably been too repetitive in my answer and for that no I just apologize tendency to be word ha ha

I can guarantee that it gets easier as you move forward. The go to fucking go to bed what the fuck is your problem beginning is very difficult because it’s a new skill that you’re trying to learn it be like learning a foreign language that you’re not familiar with it would take a lot of practice a lot of repetition in order not to lose it you would have to continue to use it. fingerpicking or flatpicking so it’s more.

I was frustrated and almost quit playing guitar, probably the end of my second year. I think I was still confused as how everything fit together I was having a difficult time picking up learning songs transitioning between chords Learning how to strum inability to fingerpicks because I have tremors in my hand challenges due to a pain and muscle disorder that makes it difficult to play. I was overwhelmed with Covid, being a sole caregiver to my mother who had Left Body Dementia. It seemed to be stacking up against me and, oh stressed depressed overwhelmed and a bit angry. I was going to meet some people in Florida get together and several songs were sent out ahead of time that we were going to be playing during our time together and I was determined to learn the songs. Now I did supplement TAC with personal lessons in my 2nd year. He gave me a few pointers, but for the most part I was left on my own to practice them. All of a sudden things just started to fall into place I mean my strumming clicked I was able to transition between chords better my vocal still weren’t great that I’m still working at it’s having so much fun playing guitar because all of a sudden I could pick up songs much easier than I had ever picked up a song and I haven’t stopped since I love the guitar I love playing I love learning new songs I love performing at open mics and I go to jams and get together with friends sometimes it’s my happy place and what I’ve learned is that if you want to have fun it Hass to come from within you it’s not an external thing that Tony gives you or people within the form give you it’s taking the tools that are given to you and learning how to have fun with it experiment with it goof around with it no add some of your own flavor to it that type of thing at the beginning I just had such a joy over learning even the simplest thing like the 30 days to play I had never played the guitar before so it was brand new and was ecstatic about what I was learning I wasn’t good but I was determined and I had to find my own phone and learn how to laugh at myself I had to I decided I was gonna put out to the forums the good the bad the ugly and I posted videos of my journey and it wasn’t a lot of times but that’s OK because I learned from it and I got better from it so that’s still fine I love meeting new people that that’s part of my fun you know I’m six I’ll be 63 and two weeks so I was an older adult too I’ve only been playing four years and I have hundreds of songs that I can probably play now do I may not play them well, but I can play them.

Again I’m really not trying to lecture I’m just my whole point is don’t give up before the miracle happens that’s what happened with me I almost gave up and I almost missed out on the miracle which to me is my happy place absolute fun playing at times frustration but there is always something I can laugh about and I continually learn and I think to me learning is fun so it just depends on what your goals are and I suggest that you take Tony up on his quarterly chickens and write down and 90 day goal what you’re going to accomplish within 90 days what steps you’re gonna take and then in 90 days to a check in to see where you are on those goals and that’s all I can really suggest at this point feel free to message me with questions if you want I don’t have all the answers but I’m willing to talk to anyone I can only give my experience strength and hope so you know it has to come from within you I hope you are offended by my post I have to laugh because I’m never short

tonypolecastro.com

Tony's Acoustic Challenge

Tony's Acoustic Challenge

[the-old-coach]

I really LOVE Loraine’s line— “Don’t give up before the miracle happens”…. How sweet that line is…. and soooooo true.

[TerriG]

Hi Stilltrying,

First, welcome to this amazing community and I see you’ve received the advice from of the most knowledgeable TAC members here. I will say “heed their wisdom”.

Second, I equate playing guitar to earning a “black belt” and I will say that seven weeks is not enough time and you will be doing yourself a disservice if you quit now. It does get frustrating and you will get bored. But right now you are in the process for creating the necessary brain neural networks, calluses in your fingers, and the hand/eye/finger muscle memory required to move forward. That takes time.

In other words, you’re going to suck at this for awhile. And that is okay….honor it – you are a “White belt”. White belts will not play like Neil Young, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix or any of the great guitar artists out there. And reading their stories, you’ll find that they sucked at it too in the beginning. But eventually one day as Lorraine mentioned, “a miracle” will happen. It will be subtle like playing the chords cleanly, or you get the rhythm right with the tempo, or you memorized the TAB and can play it. Whatever, then you know you moved up to maybe a “yellow” belt”. And the process will repeat itself again to move up to the next rank.

So, become the “Black Belt” and I do hope you do stick with it. This is a great program and can open up so many guitar playing doors for you. All the best!

• This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by  TerriG.

[Stilltrying]

Hi,

Thanks for all the replies. Just to clarify a few things first.

· I am not thinking of giving up on trying to play guitar. I am simply wondering if TAC is the best resource to help in my learning.

· I have been trying to learn the guitar for a lot longer than 7 weeks. The clue is in the name. I had given up but when I hit sixty I decided to give it one more shot. I took lessons for a couple of years. I enjoyed the lessons but my teacher never focused on the fundamental skills and I never felt like I was making progress.

· I appreciate that a lifetime membership is usually best value but if I am not getting enough value from the programme then lifetime membership would be a waste of money.

Having said that I did get some useful information in the replies.

· My own thoughts were that TAC on it’s own will not help me with my goal of being able to accompany myself. That seems to be shared by many others.

· TAC does provide a good basis for developing fundamental skills that can be applied across the board and that should make learning songs easier.

· The underlying habit-based principles seem to be a good basis, probably the best basis, for approaching how to learn guitar.

· I should think about the Wednesday improvisation as less about soloing and more about getting familiarity with notes or scales and with developing finger dexterity.

· I really liked the following
– every time I pick up my guitar I get closer to that goal
– don’t give up before the miracle happens

In the past few years, I have been practicing consistently however I don’t think I had a great structure or framework. I think TAC has that structure.

The question now for me is whether there is another resource that either might be better overall or that might complement TAC in terms of learning the songs that I want to learn.

That is something for me to think about for the remainder of my three month subscription. Right now, taking on board all the feedback, I am leaning towards finding something complementary.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by  Stilltrying.

[petelanger]

Thanks for your clarification on what you meant by “should I stay with it or not”.
I believe many TAC members have other sources to supplement the instruction received here. So we are responding here to explain why TAC should be in your tool belt.
In my opinion it should because I don’t know of any other that motivates you to show up here regularly. The other programs that I have signed up for, whether it was for guitar or anything else, have not done this nearly as effectively as TAC. I believe a good many members would agree.

I responded in the daily challenge recently that if you are not having fun in the TAC program then something is not right in your approach to it.

I quote: ” I have seen a number of people come into the community support forum to voice their frustrations and state they are on the verge of giving up or leaving TAC. If you are in this place then you are doing TAC the wrong way!
It is designed for you have fun, so always be looking for the fun in it! Don’t get wrapped up in the drive to “complete” every daily challenge. Look for nuggets in the teaching or in your personal playing experience. Share the nuggets you have found in these threads and in the forums.”

Many new people come on here and get frustrated because they can’t “complete” the challenges. These are designed for players at all kinds of skill levels. Naturally any player, who isn’t an expert, will struggle at some point and will think they “aren’t getting anything out of the lesson, it’s too hard!”

But the truth is, when you struggle that is when you have the greatest learning opportunity! In those moments, huge growth is possible and this will produce that magic down the road. When you find a part of the challenge isn’t very hard, in those moments you are harvesting (reaping) from lessons learned earlier on.

[Leiferic80]

Proffering my opinion as well…..

The TAC resourse is an amazing tool that I have been utilizing as my skill and foundation building daily practice.

For supplimentary song specific lessons, I really like the site “guitar tricks”(GT)

Personally I prefer Tony’s method of instruction and learn well from what resources that TAC has created. Using the skills developed in TAC I am much more capable of utilizing the resources on GT for so many additional songs. Why not use more than one resource in combination?

[Av8tormike]

Striving for perfection is the enemy of progress. Your issues will follow you wherever you go. I’m also old and have problems. My fingers are too fat to play chords, and they ache after playing. That’s the short list. I’ll spare you the long list. I share your view of the TAC shortcomings you mentioned. I have decided to accentuate the positives and downplay the negatives. I have more than one learning avenue, community college class (It was way more awesome than I imagined it would be.), assorted YouTube videos, and guitar song books. I hope in some small way this helps you find what you are looking for.

[petelanger]

I realized that it doesn’t seem your last question was addressed:

I have one other question around the G chord. A three finger version of that chord seems to be most common and I have been used to using that form. The four finger version is more difficult and I decided to see if I could master it. I thought that doing that can only help. I am getting there but I am wondering why we are not using the more usual three finger version. Does it really matter which one we use.

Actually Tony uses a variety of G chord shapes. I have seen at least 3 in the short time I have been a member, including 2 different 3 finger shapes. Many people have to make adaptations while learning to play the challenges and in my opinion Tony encourages us to do what works for us. Always keep it fun!

[R Craig C]

I am deeply frustrated about the situation with chords and my fingers being so fat I’m getting flat notes and I am about ready to quit get and my money back because it really is frustrating. Feels like my fingers are too fat for the guitar and tired of trying, I’ve been trying this for a week now and it’s just super frustrating.

[gmhendersonme-com]

Learning guitar is quite daunting and takes time to get to where it sounds like a musical instrument. A week is nothing in the grand scheme of things. Having fat fingers really isn’t the worse thing in the world in the realm of guitar playing…lots of excellent guitar players have fat fingers ! However, as a beginner, the best thing you can do is give yourself the correct tools to work with your fat fingers. Classical guitars have wider necks, so the strings are farther apart. Seagull makes wide neck guitars as well if you don’t want to go to a classical. Use light gauge strings so as to require the minimal pressure to fret the note. Technique is also important ….get to the tips of your fingers. Lower your thumb on the back of the neck, get your palm real close to the bottom of the neck ( allows maximum curl in your fingers ) and make sure you fret the string just under your nail. As you progress, the callous will build up and it won’t be as large as the tip of your finger. Go to YouTube and find work arounds…plenty of info there . Good luck !

[TerriG]

Chords are such a pain; but, the good news is you’ll do just fine with them as time goes on. One week is not enough time especially if you are a beginner. Fingers need strength, flexibility and dexterity to create a chord and your fingers are not there yet …. and that is okay. Set yourself up for success.

First, make sure the guitar you’re using are for your fingers. For example, I have short stubby fingers so I need a smaller guitar for my fingers to reach. Bring your guitar to a local guitar shop and ask them if the guitar you are using is the best one for your fingers – it might be, it might not. In addition, strings matter. Certain strings on the guitar are harder to press down so you might have to change strings especially if the guitar is older or you don’t know what type of strings you have.

Second, finger exercises are needed just to help with the flexibility and independence of each finger. If not, you’ll only get frustrated in trying to form the chord. Finger and hand positioning are essential and this takes practice (and exercises).

Finally, start small. If you can’t do a 3-note chord, try the root note and then the next note in the chord (a two-note chord instead of three). Then work on adding the final note as you become more proficient. This will aid with the frustration level. Also, start with the easiest chords first – A minor, E minor, G & D and build from there. C is such a pain and F chord well there’s a reason why it is the “F”. They take months and one week is not enough.

A year ago I saw a guitarist with the fastest fingers imaginable playing with ease with short fat fingers. My hubby and I was talking with him after his set and it turned out he was in a car accident and he self taught himself guitar when he suffered hand injury from the accident. He said it wasn’t easy, but he did it (and amazing to watch him too). Anyway, try to stick it out – yes, frustrating in the beginning but you’ll have the biggest smile on your face when you finally get a good sounding chord especially the C and F. All the best…

[jumpinjeff]

My take: TAC took me from a rehearsed mindset to intuitive playing….I could not have done this without the knowledge and information set up with the training structure. I had no idea of the physical requirements to play the way I wanted to play when I started. Over time it became clear I needed help. TAC was the structure the training ground I needed to become the player of my desire.