MattTX_24
Forum Replies Created
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I might be misinterpreting your question, but if you are looking for this site to have a bunch of songs and you just pick one and learn it, than this site is not really about that.
Yes, you can and will learn some songs while going through the tutorials each week, but the site is more about introducing you to techniques to improve your fundamentals. At least, that has how I’ve interpreted my experience, but I’ve also only been a member for a short time.
There are many knowledgeable folks on here who might have different commentary.
Cheers!
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The site does have a lot of content and can be confusing at the start, but once you get going it is pretty straight forward. Like Pete said, just start with the 30 days to play. Once that is done, you will start on the 5 day challenge which sets you up for the rest of the program. Tony (in my opinion) does a really good job of explaining everything in the videos and how to progress.
There are also the other optional tutorials on the site (under “Skill Courses”) which you can do at your own pace. I like doing these on the weekends when I have time (just started the fingerpicking course which has been really fun).
Have fun! And be patient! Focus on the little wins and know that it takes a little effort and practice. And keep your expectations realistic at the start. It is a fun journey.
Cheers.
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This reply was modified 3 months, 1 week ago by MattTX_24.
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This reply was modified 3 months, 1 week ago by
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Yes, this is completely normal. Guitar is challenging. I would suggest trying to train yourself to feel okay with being out of your comfort zone. These tutorials aren’t meant to be “nailed” the first time or two around. The “win” is that you are doing whatever you can that day and inside the challenge for however much time you can give it (5 minutes, 25 minutes, 45 minutes, whatever).
If I feel like a challenge is way over my head, I end up picking a small part of it and just trying to improve on that one small part (even if it is 10% of the day’s challenge). Tony says this all the time, but just feel happy that you did whatever you did and that you showed up and tried. Yes, they feel like small wins, but you will start piling up wins before you know it, and you will gradually see how much you’ve grown once you look back after a month or two. Be happy with the small wins, even if it was just you showing up and trying.
The techniques repeat throughout challenges, and you’ll come upon a challenge later and realize that you can do it a little better that time…. and this continues.
I would also suggest taking advantage of the play-along speeds where you can change them to 50%, 75%, etc.
So yes… be okay with being overwhelmed. Do what you can, even if it is just a little. That is kind of the theme of this whole program.
And have fun!
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Great job! Good tune. I like the sound of your geeeetar too! What are you playing?
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Wow… what a streak! Congrats!
I did notice a couple days ago that I had to mark “complete” about 3 times before it registered on the home page. But yeah… gotta keep an eye on it!
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Good question. Tony is playing the backing track while you play around and “solo” freely while he plays. It is a little intimidating and it does seem faster than I’d be used to, but it does help me keep it simple. Instead of trying to be a guitar master, I will stick to just a few notes for the solo and it keeps me humble. Plus, I have more growth to look forward to the next time around. And to confirm, you aren’t playing the whole scale that he teaches (I guess you can…) but you are playing “random” notes within the scale to create your own solo. You can play just one note the entire time at different beats and you’d be just fine doing that too. It is yours to have fun with!
Have fun!
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Well done!!!
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Yes – I posted a thread yesterday with the correct link and the thread is dated in the title. You can go back and work on it today if you’d like. It was a fun one! Cheers!
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I think this was supposed to be today’s lesson:
https://tonypolecastro.com/lessons/fast-forward-2-2-2-2/
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I think this links to what was supposed to be today’s tutorial:
https://tonypolecastro.com/lessons/fast-forward-2-2-2-2/
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First off, don’t feel like you are “falling behind,” as most of Tony’s tutorials should be a challenge and many times you might only feel like you were able to do half or 1/4 of the lesson well. Just trying and doing as much as you can is the win and expectation. You will continually re-visit the techniques as time goes on and you will continue to build your skills. So don’t feel like you are supposed to “nail” each challenge… you shouldn’t be conquering them easily. These are about the long-term, slow progression.
The size of the guitar could be a factor in your learning progress and how comfortable you are while playing, especially if the guitar is small and you have larger hands or a bigger build (although this is always subjective to one’s own feel). Have you visited a guitar shop recently and played around on a bunch of different brands/sizes/etc? I would also say that you might be playing on very old/rusty strings. If they haven’t been changed in a while, it might be a good idea to get a fresh set in place (light gauge). A fresh set is easier on the fingers as your fingertips will glide better when moving around the fret board. I think old/rusty strings create a “sticky” experience that inhibits chord changes.
But I would definitely recommend a visit to a guitar shop and play on a bunch to try and get a feel of what feels right to you. Everyone has their own opinion (and I’m happy to offer mine), but it all comes down to what feels good to you. I’d also recommend many visits… find a few that you like and come back a few days later and see if you feel the same. This can be done even if you aren’t as proficient a player as others. The first guitar I ever bought was done after several visits to mess around on guitars before I even knew how to play a chord. I still have that first guitar today and love it as it just spoke to me when I was playing it.
If you are looking for a new guitar and have nowhere to start, I’m going to paste a post below that I made a while back about picking out a guitar, some of it echoes what I just wrote.
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If I had a $1,000 limit, I would probably do an entry-level Taylor… but that is purely my subjective opinion. I just love the way they play and sound… and their guitar necks feel good on the hands. My first and only guitar is a Takamine G series, and I bought it for about $450 around 20 years ago. It has done me well and I love the way it sounds more and more each year. My buddy has a Yamaha and those seem to be a popular pick as well.
Whatever you pick, definitely go to a store that will let you play around with several until you find one that just feels right. The right guitar should just feel right in your hands.
Some models are larger/smaller and might be easier to play based on their size. For instance, some of the smaller-sized guitars will have slightly smaller fret sizes/etc, which could make it easier for your fingers to play the chords (depending on your dexterity/hand size).
At the end of the day, it is whatever just feels/sounds right to you! You could ask 10 different people and get 10 different answers and everyone would be right
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Sounds like you are starting to get over that initial hump of the sore fingers. Keep going! You are on the verge of many small wins. It is a fun journey.
Cheers!
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Your statement that you feel like this isn’t mentioned anywhere confuses me as he reiterates the “progress over perfection” practice over and over in many videos. In fact, it is one of his main points in the intro videos when you initially sign up and start the program. Tony is constantly saying “don’t worry about getting it perfect… do what you can and that is enough… move on”
Maybe I’m wrong but that has been the clear message throughout my experience anyway.
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This reply was modified 3 months, 1 week ago by MattTX_24.
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This reply was modified 3 months, 1 week ago by
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It is “garbled” cause it is super processed in order to keep the correct pitch at that slowed down speed. Imagine typical videos of people talking.. if you speed it up they sound like the chipmunks, and if you slow it down then it sounds super low and slowwww.. Since he actually isn’t going through every video and playing at different speeds, they have to be processed this way in order to keep the pitch… so the “garble” is perfectly normal!
Cheers! Happy playing!
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On the bottom right hand corner of the videos of him playing, there is an “options” button that has different speeds.
