jumpinjeff
Forum Replies Created
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Welcome Suzette. And away we go……
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What is music? It is repetition. There are other online teachers out there who do teach how to play guitar but I have yet to find a one that integrates learning from the beginner to the advanced player. The other teachers are great treachers. They are more expensive. For results, the intuitive knowledge of thirds is about mandatory. Without that knowledge you may get stuck in learning just that on your own. If you don’t have that maybe another year of TAC will get you to that place.
I want to touch on the subject of repetition. I intitially did not want nor did I appreciate the value of repetition. It took me a few years to figure out that by embracing repetition I was shortcutting my time to achievement. Music is repetition….the coolest songs have the cleverest repeats. The riff driving a tune over and over then slightly varied is the source of the earworm in the songs we elevate to favorites. It was a watershed moment when I grasped the full value of repetition. I recommend it…if you can stand it. It is in “repetition” where I work out the kinks and find the voice of the guitar. -
If you are buying I prefer Santa Cruz but if I am buying , D’addario EJ-16s in bulk.
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I may get some boos here but my advise is to listen more…..think about it but then listen, really listen. The note thing is a matter of time. I think it helps some people to actively pusue identification and location but for me…I am an ear player…..everything is relative….the 1st degree, aka tonic tone and the progressions changes compared to everything around it. I rarely am lost today and when and if I do it is two notes to get back on track or only one when I am focused. Trust me when I say I used to hate when people would tell me to listen and feel it….but it did happen when I put it into practice…..Perhaps approaching FW with a new perspective focus…is the note higher or lower…may yeild for you some surprising results. I wish we were closer in real life. I see a tremendous advantage for working this out with another guitar player in person if you can find that.
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The thing that worked for me was repetition on the strings: pushing past boredom for the reward of strength and flexibility on the other side. What I did not expect, practicing this, I was also training my ear without knowing it. This also meant that I would have to stop and stretch (silly putty stretching). My fingers were always strong enough it was precision and accuracy that allowed me to learn to play with barely touching a string to get the desired sound. Precision is key. Even in bar chords, once I became precise about applied pressure bar chords became easy. Most bar chords involve the bar on only three strings. Your other fingers hold down the three others. That realization came through repetition.
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release pressure on the strings but keep contact. He uses the middle finger to contact the open strings otherwize not in contact with the fingers making the chords.
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I can relate to the “old fingers too fat to play”! I fixed it by changing to: everytime I play my fingers get slimmer and more flexible. Once I got that cemented I played all the time.
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Chordie is an app that has tens of thousands of songs with chords and lyrics. It is free, no commercials. No need to duplicate that here. I saw it pointed out but it bears repeating: TAC uses songs to teach guitar but does not teach how to perform any given song. It essentially gives you the recipe and ingredients but you have to prep and cook. The focus is on the specific skills within a single song that are tranferable to any song. If you are brand new I totally get how the concept seems like it doesn’t serve you but it is the shortest road to playing skillfully with confidence on any song including songs you have never heard before. The between the lines is understanding “song forms” allow you to play all the songs, And I get how that seems confusing but it is as real as “not being able to play the wrong note”, or knowing the next chord or note without thinking about what or where your fingers should be. TAC is the opposite of sites that teach finger choreography,
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dont forget that your top is braced so you have to turn it upside down an lift a hitch as you shake. this allows the pick to get over the top braces as it exists the hole. You can almost get a feel for where the pick is as you lift and shake thereby angling the guitar to guide the pick toward the hole. Method #2: If your hands are small you can loosen your strings and reach inside or find a kid with small hands.
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I don’t specifically remember the patterns but I would venture to guess they are related to chord shapes. Take a look at it through that lens and see if it becomes clear. I like the topic: patterns. It is an exercise in fractiles. Patterns of patterns of patterns. It is another way to understand. Keep going and you may get your questions answered along the way. I found Tony to be clever in how questions are raised and then answered. It was motivating tactic for me.
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I am so sorry Terry! I think you found the perfect solution to a whacked situation….work on the mental. Dive in deep on the Fret Whiz. Keep your routine if possible but change the practice from physical to mental. Sending healing vibes your way! I wish there were something more I could do! You could start a thread…healing with theory. Now that would be cool….when you are feeling better.
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Right with you Pete. I would teach someone if they wanted but I would only work with them if they were also doing the challenges TAC offers.
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I can play longer with less finger fatigue when I am playing santa cruz strings.
How I touch the strings makes a way bigger difference in tone than the string itself. -
100% this @petelanger , this is the path to freedom and fun on the fretboard.
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wanna be pickers keep their guitars in their cases. Tac is a communty of Daily players of varying skills, not wanna be players. Learning yes, wanna be no. Wanna be players don’t last long with the TAC method. The two mindsets are antithetical.