[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!

[BarbaraM]

Oh no! Sorry to hear that, Loraine! But, you are an inspiration with your positive outlook on the situation and your coming up with ways to make the best of it! May the surgery go well and your healing be speedy!

Barbara M

[BarbaraM]

Hmmm, neither of you really answered my question. Loraine, you tell me which finger to start on the root note, depending on whether it’s the major or minor pentatonic scale, but where do you go from there? I have the chart from the Jamming 101 course (Quick Reference Jam Sheet), and the tab for “Somebody Holds the Key” from this week’s Can’t Find My Way Home challenge. And the scales are different as far as which fret to use when going up the scales. Albert_d, I cannot make sense of your answer either, though I understand in a way how you are trying to explain it. I don’t know what the notes are on each string and fret, though I can work them out given time. And yes I did take FW, but only understood about half of it.

What I want to know is why the fretting is different, if it matters, and which one is correct?

[BarbaraM]

Very nice! I’ve always loved that song.

[BarbaraM]

I’m not sure if I can really answer your question, but I’m both a picker and a thumb-strummer, and I do each for different reasons. Full disclosure, I’m 6 months into TAC, but had some brief and informal guitar instruction in my late teens/early 20s. Which was some time ago! I never used a pick back then, simply didn’t have one.

Now, I tend to follow the instructional sessions as to what tool to use if any. There is a flat-picking course in the Courses section in the sidebar to the left of the screen; you might go there, I did. During practice sessions, when not specified, I tend to do whatever I feel like, or if I’ve mislaid the pick. (It’s usually on my desk or tucked between the strings on the headstock.) Some of the lessons I think would require using a pick if it’s got mixed strumming and single notes, unless you’re really dexterous with finger-picking; that is the only place where it could possibly slow you down.

But if you’ve been playing for 3-1/2 years, I’m sure you have your own habitual way that is comfortable and easy for you. But do try the flat picking course; it might address some of your concerns. Good luck!

[BarbaraM]

Thanks, Loraine, for your suggestions. Maybe it *is* the cold, it’s 59 degrees in here and I’m playing with my jacket on! I have done most if not all of the jumpstart lessons, and a few of the others. I do play smaller guitars — I have a 3/4 Johnson, which I keep tuned to open D, a Baby Taylor, and my new, go-to guitar, a Zager Parlor electric/acoustic. All of them have reasonable scale and comfortable action. The Taylor was actually too low so I recently had it reset. I’ve done the stretches, but need to revisit them more often.

My biggest handicap is the middle finger; it won’t fold up enough to do some of the barre work-arounds I think should work, and even some of the normal chords, which is why I do a D chord and even the mini F with the “wrong” fingers.

But you are right, stretches and warmups, finger placement and practice!

[BarbaraM]

Ah thank you langerking! that answered my question!

[BarbaraM]

Thanks, Moose! The second one works best for me.

[BarbaraM]

Ah, thank you, Loraine! I suspected it had to be something like that.

[BarbaraM]

I know the Benchmark challenges repeat every 3-4 months, but what I was referring to is a particular 5-day Blues challenge that is also found in the Skills Courses section. I don’t have it dated, but I am pretty sure it was the one that got mistakenly substituted for the Landslide week, last week of July. I’m sure it was just an anomaly. Now that we are in September and can see what challenges are coming up for the month, it’s coming again week after next. Maybe it was originally supposed to be scheduled this month, and maybe they take a skill challenge once in a while and throw it in the monthly 5-day challenges to keep everyone’s basic skills up. But because of the mixup in July, they could have put in a different skills challenge for this month. So I will be taking that week to revisit some FW work or do an older challenge.

[BarbaraM]

Oh thanks for that list, Beatrice, many of them I have not seen. I’ve only been here since January! But I do “favorite” every lesson I do, even the ones I don’t care for the style. Who knows, I may want to try it again someday.

[BarbaraM]

Thanks, Moose408, yes they do, but I can’t print anything out unless I join. I don’t want to have to copy it all out by hand. Right now they’re running a discount special, I’ll see if that’s doable. Thanks again.

[BarbaraM]

Anyone know of a chord/tab source that is free?

[BarbaraM]

Thanks, I’ll look that one up.

[BarbaraM]

Thanks for your reply, Rick, but that just generated more questions…How do we know when the root note isn’t the lowest note?