[Braden]

This is a great converstion, thnks for posting @Aservire ! Cool to hear about everyone’s approach and thoughts. Making music is so personal and everyone does it their own way. But its also communal and we’re inspired and can learn so much from others.

Tons of great advice here but just to add my two cents…be careful of ‘perfect’ or ‘mastering a song’. I can play and sing an hours worth of songs from beginning to end but i wouldnt say that Ive really mastered any of them. Dont get me wrong i can play them pretty good but perfect is still a ways off.

I love Coach’s point about learning vs practicing. Even though I have learned a song, its imperative that I continue to practice it, especially if my goal is to get closer to mastering it. You can learn a song fairly quickly depending upon difficulty, but practicing it is a much longer process. A few times Ive left a song on the shelf for too long that has a specific fingerstyle and its like “damn i forget how to play this”. Can always figure it out again, but the longer I leave it the harder it is to get it back. So I spend half my time learning new songs (usually 3-5 on the go, alternating between them) and half my time practicing those Ive already got under the belt. And its always a long game…Ive got songs that I learned years ago that Im still working on to improve.

Also agree its important to learn the whole song. That doesnt mean you have to have the lead solo, or any other tricky parts, but if you can, learn it from beginning to end. Start with a version thats at your current level or just above. And then once youve learned the song you can add stuff as you practice and get better. If you only learn the beginning of a song or the main lick/riff, it gets boring after awhile and you miss out on the sense of accomplishment of learning the whole thing.

If a song has distinct parts eg intro, chorus, solo, finish, base runs, etc etc., I’ll always break it up into chunks and work exclusively on each part. Once Ive drilled each part in then I’ll put them all together. For me this is especially important when I’m at the very beginning of learning any particular tune. I do the same thing when its time to bring the singing in.

Bottom line…again depending on degree of difficulty, and how much time put in, I can learn a song pretty quickly. In other words I ‘know’ how to play it. Can I play it well? Not at all, that where the practice comes in. And like they say, practice makes perfect…or at least good enough.

And of course the most important thing is to have fun with it, pat yourself on the back regularly, keep your expectations realistic, and be patient and kind to yourself.

[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]

Wow Pete that was awesome Stanley is great! So cool…guys like that blow me away and almost make me want to throw my guitar in the lake…but i wont 🙂 thanks for sharing bro.

And welcome to TAC @evuljeanne . Youre in a good place. Once you learn the 1 4 5 chord progression in key of G ie G C D Em Am you can start playing hundreds of your favourite songs. Like Pete says TAC teaches the bones of songs but also skills and techniques which are invaluable to a guitarist. Youtube has a ton of good teachers who teach songs at all levels from beginner to more advanced. Personally I do both…Im a big fan of TAC and have learned a lot but I pick up just as much from learning songs. And at the end of the day youve got a song under your belt. Rock on sister and enjoy the ride!

[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.