[Braden]

Wow what a great song, never heard it before. And you killed it Kevin! Really excellent…always love the emotion you put to both singing and playing. Keep em coming brother and thanks for continued inspiration

[Braden]

Good job Woodsy. Love them 12 bar blues. Keep on rockin brother youre doing great!

[Braden]

Hey @Mountain-gal yeah I would just jump right back in to the daily challenges. remember some are more difficult thn others so if a particular week seems too difficult dont sweat it. Dont be too hard on yourself. Learn to embrace the suck and keep your expectations realistic, esp when youre just starting. Learning to play guitar is hard and its a long road. But it can be very rewarding and everyone starts sometime. Main thing is to accept that Rome wasnt built in a day and learn to love the process.

My advice is to do the challenges every day the best you can and again some will be easier than others. Spend a good 10-20 minutes on the daily challenge, getting it as good as you can, and then hit complete…it doesnt need to be perfect, or even good. Pat yourself on the back. Then spend another 20-30 minutes practicing your chords and scales, and other techniques you have picked up so far, eg hammer ons, bends, slides. As you do this you’ll realize that you hve to continue to practice things youve already learned to reinforce that muscle memory. You have to do both…the daily challenge and a practice session to reinforce skills learned from previous challenges.

As soon as you have a few chords down, eg G C D Em, and you can transition from one to the other, I strongly recommend you find one of your favourite songs and learn to play it. Most songs can be played in a beginner friendly way so as long as you can transition between chords you can jump in. Youtube is full of good videos teaching easy beginner songs using those chords so grab one and get started. You’ll be surprised how quickly you can have one of those, “hey, that really sounds like it” moments. I think that beginner players should staet learning songs right away. It’s fun, builds motivation and you learn a ton by learning songs. Plus you add the singing which is a whole new adventure in itself. Tony doesnt really teach songs in a lot of detail but he provides the main parts. So if you really want to learn any particular song, like Old Man, do the TAC but also find a good vid on YT that also does an beginner version. Before you know it youve got a whole song under your belt.

Anyhow sister I hope this might help a bit to get you out of your rut. Main thing is be kind to yourself especially when it doesnt sound good. Sounds like you had a really good start so keep at it… with lots of repetition it gets better. Celebrate those small wins, they all add up. Remember this is a lifetime thing.. and youre doing what most only think about.

[Braden]

Lots of good advice and wisdom here. I wouldnt be able to add much more but just to summarize wht others have said….its all about your attitude, goals, expections, and degree of committment. And its all relative…if you really want to be at your version of ‘perfect’ or even good in say, six months from now, its probably impossible, there isnt enough time in a day. Two years? Yeah maybe, but youd better be playing 6 to10 hrs a day. Ten minutes sure isnt going to get you there.

So its important to be realistic about what you want and how bad you want it. Learning guitar is hard. If it was easy and fast everyone would be a rock star. Not only hard, it comes with a price…you have to work at it for a long time. And if youre truly not happy with the progress youre making, you have to work harder and/or smarter.

Like everyone has said you hopefully learn to embrace the process and love the journey. Those who dont eventually find a new hobby. But those who stick with it, with the right attitude and expectations, reap the guitar rewards. But to each their own…its a very personal endeavor. Not sure where you are brother but I wish you well and good luck. If you decide to play on thats great. Just stay off the clock, embrace the suck and celebrate those wins, big and small. They all add up.

[Braden]

Hey Gary from a fellow Canadian down the road in London. This is a great thread you started and lots of good advice. Sounds like you got a handle on a lot of things and some good skills but getting a bit bored and hitting a plateau. I think this is very normal and, like everyone says, is part of learning guitar. I also think the first thing is to ask yourself what are your goals with the guitar…start there. For me being able to play and sing covers is the main one but I also want to be as good as I can be technically, and to continue to study theory so Im really understanding what and why Im doing the things Im doing. So I do both…Im continuously learning songs while at the same time have a regular practice plan. And for me thats why TAC is so good…Tony doesnt really teach songs but will give the bones of a song while hes providing five days of skill development…great licks, strumming paterns, percussion, soloing, all of it…I think its great and Ive learned a ton here. But like I say my main thing is to be able to play and sing songs that I like from beginning to end…for me anyway thats kind of what its all about. And I also learn a lot of those same things by learning songs…just as many as I do from TAC. Ive got three lists: Campfire Ready…if someone asked me for a tune, I could do any one of these, play and sing, beginning to end (including any number of mistakes). Next list is Developing…these are songs that Im currently working on to move them on to the first list. Some stay on this list for months, others just a few weeks, depending on the degree of difficulty. Last one is Next Up…songs on the wishlist that I havent started yet. My view is that even beginning players should do this as well. Depending on the songs on your list, and using chords you already know, there is usually an easy way to play most Western popular music ie rock, folk, country, metal…jazz not so much. Tony does this all the time, he usually always provides three versions of how to do any particular skill…easy, harder, hardest. Playing songs is the same way. You start basic and work your way up. YouTube is full of good how to videos that are very beginner friendly and I think it really helps to keep you motivated. Anyhow sounds like youve already decided to add learning and playing songs while youre also doing the TAC program. That model has worked well for me. By the way I still hit plateaus every once in awhile but they dont last forever, esp if you find something to give you a little kickstart. Just remember this shit is hard. It takes committment and time, again depending what your goals are, but like others have said the rewards can be life changing. Music, in all its forms and expressions, is a beautiful thing and offers us so much. i wish you well brother and hope you get your mojo back.

[Braden]

Hey Glenn keep on plugging away at that F as you will need it for many songs down the line. But as others have said dont panic if it isnt coming together for you right away, its the hardest of the cowboy chords because of that mini barre, and it takes a good while before its comfortble. My advice for now is to maybe put off learning too many songs with an F (unless theres one that really important for you) and focus on songs that have chords youre more comfortable with right now. There are hundreds of songs that can be played using that magic 1 4 5 chord progression in the key of G ie starting on a G chord and then any combination of D C Em and maybe Am . The G D Em C progression alone covers a ton of good tunes and these are all pretty doable chords that most people get down fairly quickly…certainly easier than the F anyway. Do a You tube search for easy songs in G and you’ll find lots. TAC is great and will result in steady progress esp related to skills and techniques in my opinion. Tony started doing song covers a few years ago which was awesome bc for me learning songs is really what its all about. Its a great accomplishment when you ve learned a song from beginning to end, including singing it (even if its just for the dog). Its also motivating and makes you want to learn another one…and then another.. But just as important to keep it simple at first and within your skill set so you dont get discouraged. Hope this help bro. Keep on rocking

[Braden]

Hi Crystal as @JTSchrock says dont stress over improvising but dont give up on it either. It took me probably over a year of TAC wednesdays before it started to click. Keep on drilling those scales for now and as per @petelanger ‘s excellent theory class, pay attention to those spaces between notes as per the major scale formula, and specifically what they sound like. These spaces are also known as intervals, and are fundamental in learning how to improvise and solo over a chord progression. Theres about a dozen common intervals, ie spaces between two notes, but for now focus on the two found in the major scale ie full step (two fretts apart) and half step (one frett apart) With lots of repetition you will be drilling the patterns into your brain, but even more importantly imo training your ear to know what notes sound good together and what notes sound good with any particular chord. Ear training is an absolute must and it starts right away with scales and intervals. And like Tony says “if it sounds good, it is good”. And i would just add if it doesnt sound good, move up or down a fret and see what happens. Go slow and like John says you might find just a few notes within your scale that sound good to your ear. Let the notes ring out and listen carefully to the backing track and when the chord changes try another note. And dont worry when a particular week of challenges are beyond your scope or skill set like maybe Old Man. Some weeks are harder than others. Just do your best and then move on. Main thing…dont stress, celebrate the small wins, be easy on yourself ,keep it fun and rock on. Learning guitar is hard and Rome wasnt built in a day. Hope this helps and if you have any questions keep asking.

[Braden]

Hi Wenda sorry but I did have to smile a bit when I read your post…”im not playing, Im thudding”…good one. Im assuming that you are new to this, but not sure how long its been since you first picked up a guitar and tried to play chords…is it days, a few weeks, two months, six months? There are so many variables…first thing tho what is the quality of your guitar and is it properly set up? A set up ensures the guitar is straight, all the pieces are doing what theyre supposed to, and the strings are at the proper height above the fretboard ie the ‘action’. If the strings are too high, it is much more difficult to finger the chords. Most players want the action as low as possible…makes the guitar much more playable. So thats the first thing to check. Btw when I say quality of the guitar im not necessarily referring to brand names or price point. There are many great guitars for 2 or 3 hundred bucks. Also what size guitar are you playing and does it fit your body size? For eg if youre a smaller person and playing a big dreadnaught or jumbo it will be uncomfortable. And vice versa if you have large hands a smaller guitar might not be the best to start with. All of these things are important to check before you start. If youre not playing the right guitar or one that is not set up properly your frustration will increase and you may decide to eventually pack it in…many do. Learning guitar is hard enough as it is so having the right instrument in your hands helps get your journey off to a good start. Re making chords…your hands and fingers are not used to moving like this and easily get cramped and tired. Important to be regularly doing stretches throughout the day to increase your range and mobility. Also how do you keep your nails on your fretting hand? If your nails are too long they get in the way and fretting strings is very difficult. Most players keep their fretting nails very short. As far as fretting any notes, together in chords or one at a time….go very slowly and take the time to make each finger come down right on top and using your fingertip and not the pad of your finger. You may need to shift your fretting arm forward a few inches …this will allow your wrist to angle up more which helps your fingers come down from the top. I would also just work on one chord at a time for awhile before switching. Sit on one chord for a good ten minutes. Pick the one that is easiest for you. Dont worry about being perfect but once you get it so its not just a thud move on to the next one. Learning guitar is a long long game…I know you dont want to hear just keep playing …but yeah just keep playing. Getting good at guitar can take years. Repetition is imo the most important thing…when Im learning something new I’ll play it over and over a million times. Many times when I start to learn a new song thats stretching my abilities I think man this is tough, and does this ever sound bad, but ive learned that if i put in the work and keep at it, in probably several months time I’ll be playing and singing it pretty good. This is another variable…how motivated are you to learn, what are your goals, how much time and work are you willing to put in. I know Tony and many other teachers say just do ten minutes a day. You can do that but if thats all you play progress will be that much slower than if you practiced more often. The more you play the better you’ll get…it really is that simple. And the better you get the more fun you’ll have. But again it depends on your goals etc. And for sure ten minutes is better than nothing….Most important thing is dont be too hard on yourself, keep your expectations realistic, be patient. If you keep at it and play as much as you can you will get better, and it will get more fun. No question. And enjoy yourself along the way, youre doing something many people only dream of. So pat yourself on the back sister and rock on.

[Braden]

Hi Diane these are all great tips and should be helpful. Rolling your pointer a bit so youre using the side of your finger helps and for me leaning my middle into the pointer adds more pressure on the strings and helps with that muting. I just want to add dont sweat that old f chord too much tho. Its a challenge for many players especially at the beginning and of all the open ‘country’ chords its probably the toughest becasue of of that mini barre. Ive been playing for many years, know a lot of songs, post regularly on play forum and last year started busking. My point….when Im playing a song rarely do a play a perfect f, either open or barred. Its usually that damn c note (first fret b string) that gets muted or muffled. Thing is…noone usually notices, and if they do, Im already on to the next chord,Im not sitting on that f for too long. And if its just one muted string, it still sounds like an F, it still works. So keep on working at it, as will I. Its in a lot of songs so need to have it. But dont sweat it if its not always as clear as youd like. Remember learning guitar is a long game…but will time and lots of repetition it gets better. In the meantime dont let perfect get in the way of good. Be easy on yourself and enjoy the journey. Rock on sister

[Braden]

Another beaut @KevinZ very nice great vibe and emotion classic Kevin cover! thanks man

[Braden]

Thanks a lot Spalding! I appreciate you watching and taking the time to comment. Keep on rockin it and your timing will get better Im sure. thanks bro have fun!

[Braden]

Hey Coach I think youre right…in this world where we want it fast and maybe with not too much effort, the only ten minutes a day line is a good hook. However i think there is a strategy behind it as well that is not just marketing…the hope is that ten minutes turns into 30, or an hour or even more. I’m giving the grandkids lessons and use this all the time to hopefully stretch out their practicing. But youre right, what can you really accomplish in ten minutes? If youre sitting down for a planned practice session, not much. You’ll barely tune up and do some warm ups. If however, youre having a busy day which isnt going to include much, if any guitar, then picking it up and getting even a few minutes in can also be a beautiful thing. If ten is all youve got, go for it, youll be glad you did. Just dont expect to advance very quickly if thats all you do. Again its all relative..and depends on the big four…goals, expectations, attitude and committment. Hope youre doing good brother. Keep on rockin

[Braden]

Good luck and enjoy the ride! Will look forward to your first post.

[Braden]

Thank you @Marty75 ! Much appreciated…hope youre doing well

[Braden]

Hey Brett im the same way…been inspired by watching many musicians, including on this forum, do their thing. Whether the original artist or folks doing covers…do i sometimes think, “man, i wish i could do that…if only id started sooner…”? Of course! I think many of us do. but that doesnt last long and i have no regrets and like you, im encouraged and motivated to keep plugging away and have fun trying to close the gap.

Thx for shring your story and glad youre liking TAC. I tried other programs too but liked Tonys style and philosophy/methodology. The daily challenges are a great way to pick up skills that become foundational in all your playing and no other program I saw focuses on these quite like this. Having said that, I can go for weeks without doing the challenges, and will use other learning sources, or mainly just focus on songs, learning new ones and continuously practicing ones already under my belt. Lately Ive also been taking a deeper dive into theory, which has been very helpful re song structure, etc. Its also been a lot of fun getting something ready to post on here too, and Id encourage you to do the same (and its a very supportive and kind community!)

Sounds like youre really close…playing and singing at the same time is hard but youve already got the singing part down, which is the main act…the guitar accompanies the singer…so youre well on your way! Pick one of your favourite songs with that easy 1 4 5 chord progression and where the melody follows the chord changes. Separately learn and practice both the lyrics and the guitar. Get them both down so that you can play/sing them in your sleep (repetition over an over). Then when youre ready to put them together start slow…maybe just one beat per measure and sometimes I’ll just say the lyrics or sing very softly. That helps to know where in the lyrics the chord changes happen. Get comfortable with that, then you can get your rhythm and tempo going and next thing you know youre belting it out! Some songs are more difficult than others so to get to “performance ready” can take as little as a week or two, to several months. But of course thats all relative depending on how much work youre putting in. I also think its important to mix up the easy and difficult. Anyway I hope this makes some sense and is maybe helpful. Main thing of course is to enjoy the process, be kind to yourself and keep living the dream. Take care and hope youre having a nice Easter weekend. B