[dylangmiles]

This is my fourth attempt: https://youtu.be/HRnxNPE_EEg

• This reply was modified 1 year, 2 months ago by  dylangmiles.

[dylangmiles]

Very smooth and sounds great. Well done!

[dylangmiles]

My fourth attempt: https://youtu.be/yjA2ht795x8

• This reply was modified 1 year, 2 months ago by  dylangmiles.

[dylangmiles]

My second attempt: https://youtu.be/f2vdMEcIZsI

• This reply was modified 1 year, 2 months ago by  dylangmiles.

[dylangmiles]

This is my first attempt: https://youtu.be/W8QycRZTibU

[dylangmiles]

This is my fourth attempt: https://youtu.be/qoMJikkk51g

• This reply was modified 1 year, 3 months ago by  dylangmiles.

[dylangmiles]

This is my third attempt: https://youtu.be/RiX_QixJdXg

• This reply was modified 1 year, 3 months ago by  dylangmiles.

[dylangmiles]

This is my second attempt: https://youtu.be/J-NR03G-wB4

[dylangmiles]

This is my first attempt at Hotel California: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCpFtgqlKSE&list=PLZq0w_0wgw4rvxW2TDVUT-wFtBJfIHeWY&index=2

[dylangmiles]

Hi Rob,

I have been on TAC for three years and some of the exercises I am now coming back to for the third time. All I can say is I have improved and can now play a song or two from beginning to end. I have also now a good base of skills that I can build on.

I realise again and again through this journey there are no short cuts. Regular consistent practice is the only way to progress.

Guided by TAC I started to look for ways I could make practice a pleasure and get hooked rather than rely on grim determination.

Here are a few ways I have found that bring pleasure to my playing:

1. If I find grim determination and tension creeping into my playing, usually as a result of feeling like I am not getting it … I slow down. I force myself to slow down. As sloooow as I can go.

By slowing down and trying to feel the music I start to hear the story in the music rather than single notes. Hering the story in the music brings me joy.

Playing fast almost happens automatically over time from here.

2. If the lesson is to complicated and I am struggling to grasp the full sequence or technique I will take just one part of the lesson and just practice that as slowly as possible.

The pleasure of grasping one simple thing far outweighs the frustration of not getting something complicated.

After practicing a few of the pieces in isolation I try and string them together but even if this is not successful at least I got one step of progress which can fuel next steps.

3. I would often find myself losing context in chord sequences. Even one or two chords in to a 12 bar blues I would get lost and not know what is next. I found that by focusing more on the rhythm rather than notes has improved this. Playing with a metronome or some backing track also helps to have a counterpoint to what I am doing and seems to accelerate progress and has improved my memory enormously. Also playing with a metronome or backing track makes practice so much more fun.

I hope you find the fun in your playing.

Kind regards,

Dylan

[dylangmiles]

Thanks Tom!