[Moose408]

I use a timer for a lot of my practice. I bought this which makes it super simple and encourages me to use it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09M3NBJ9B/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Moose408]

Disliking the blues implies that you also dislike rock and roll as blues is the father of rock. A lot of the early rock pioneers copied blues songs, Elvis, Eric Clapton, Rolling Stones, Beatles, Led Zeppelin, etc. so what kind of music do you like?

The reason blues are used as an example is a lot of guitar techniques come from blues players and songs; pull offs, hammer ons, fingerpicking, bends, slides, etc. TAC is using these songs and players to demonstrate and teach these basic techniques. It is less about the song and more about the techniques.

That being said typically, only one week a month might have a traditional blues song or artist. The other weeks will have songs inspired by blues such as BB King, Eric Clapton, etc..

[Moose408]

TAC is not designed to be a linear course where each week builds on the next, instead each week is standalone. The weekly challenges also repeat thought the year, the idea being that you might get all the techniques the first time through and the next time it comes around you will get little bit more out of it, rinse, repeat.

So missing a week is not a big deal. It’s not to affect your over all progress. So your #1 path is the way the course is designed.

[Moose408]

Sounds like maybe your meter is the issue. If it let’s you select the string it may not allow tuning outside the standard G. I would suggest trying a different tuner.

[Moose408]

Tony changed things last year and I believe the progress parties are a thing of the past. There was a brief flurry of other online topics and get togethers about 9 months ago but those too have stopped.

[Moose408]

Great job getting your first one recorded. That’s the hard one. Look forward to many more.

[Moose408]

I only have 2 songs I feel are performance ready, everything else is a work in progress and has been for months.

Performance ready

• Mad World
• Stuck in the Middle with You

In Process but close

• California Dreaming
• Hotel California
• Coconut
• Wild Thing

Relatively New

• Sunshine of Your Love
• Sweet Home Alabama
• Don’t Fear the Reaper

[Moose408]

There is so much to learn and so many different resources that it can be challenging. I started off doing 3 courses at once plus jumping around learning songs. I am currently doing 2 courses TAC and highly structured program and have made great progress.

The one thing that helped me the most is having a written practice routine for the week. It makes sure I keep skills in the rotation and that I’m not just chasing the shiny object. If I want to learn a new song then it goes in the routine where I might practice chord transitions every other day and timing or intro riff the other days. It will stay in the routine until often for months until I get proficient with it or get sick of it.

[Moose408]

Fair enough

[Moose408]

TAC and is not a structured linear program. The idea is that you are exposed to lots of different techniques over and over. These lessons are repeated and come back around so you are exposed to them again and again and each time you hopefully learn a little more until you have mastered it.

There is no need to go back and pick up where you left off because the weeks do not build on each other and are stand-alone. So just jump in on a Monday and you will be right back on track.

[Moose408]

Those courses are several years old and apparently haven’t been updated. I was really upset when I found out and felt like I had been lied to when the event didn’t happen last year. Tony’s priorities seemed to have changed and it appears that he doesn’t seem to put as much care into this site as he used to.

[Moose408]

@langerking She was very good. Mine is about a 10th as good.

https://tonypolecastro.com/family-forums/topic/my-first-time-posting-here-mad-world/

[Moose408]

I posted Mad World right around July 1st.

And may never post Hotel California because I don’t want my YouTube channel to be deleted.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 8 months ago by  Moose408.

[Moose408]

I really like Horse with No Name but I struggle with 2 things. First having enough endurance to play the entire thing and being able to sing along using the correct strumming pattern. I can sing if I just use down strums but as soon as I incorporate the up strum portion for the 2nd chord I lose my timing and can’t sing.

[Moose408]

“All the pent shapes are chords, in fact every pent scale has within it a chord/triad and once you are aware it is easy to see the corresponding CAGED chord shapes in every scale shape.”

Wow. Lightbulb moment for me there. Thanks Jeff!