[N-lightMike]

Hey @MarkD66 , you did a really great job with this. Good for you that you did one take like it was live. I am glad you posted this so we could see it. I hope to see you at more VOMs.

MG 😀

[N-lightMike]

Hey thanks for sharing your win and some inspiration with us @JanineK . Several companies make a tenor sized ukulele that’s actually called a “guitarlele” because it has 6 strings and is tuned like a guitar with a capo on the 5th fret. A, D, G, C, E, A. That way you can use guitar chords. I know 2 people who have the Gretsch guitarlele and have been thinking seriously about getting one. I finally decided not to get it, but you have inspired me to change my mind. Thanks again for posting and I’m glad for your small win. That’s excellent.

MG 😀

[N-lightMike]

Another one is MusicArt on YouTube, @Sigi . Also, just to let you know, I found Sebastien Zunino whom @jumpinjeff recommended just by typing “Guitar Backing Tracks” into Google.

There was another really good one I ran across but couldn’t find. I’ll look again when I have more time and give you the link if I can find it. But you may find one or both of these links give you all that you need or want.

MG 😀

[N-lightMike]

Wow @Moonhare , that was really amazing. So when I saw this I had to remember what Tony said about not comparing myself to my guitar heroes, but taking inspiration from them. So yeah, I choose to be inspired and try something like this on my own. I actually know how to do all the individual steps and have the software necessary.

But then, imagine my surprise as I read the thread, to realize you had never put together a multi-layered video. You have really done an amazing job with you first attempt at a layered production. But then to find out, you didn’t use a clap or something to sync your different takes? And it still turned out this well? That’s some serious persistence. Another thing I can take inspiration from.

Oh, but let me not forget the first thing that hit me between the eyes. Your finger work on the guitar was so fluid it showed how much you have noodled on this little riff. I know how new you are to guitar, so again, I have to take inspiration in stead of comparing myself.

Ok, that’s a lot of inspiration from one little video. Thanks for posting.

MG 😀

[N-lightMike]

You are absolutely correct, @Moonhare when you treat this like a special small win, because it is. The Friday lesson is one of the things that makes Tony’s method help people who have played for years see improvement and helps those who are new to guitar make unusually quick progress. The transitions are really critical to playing a song, but also to getting the shapes down cleanly.

Now here’s the thing about the E shaped minor barre chord, it’s not necessarily easier. Without that middle finger, your index barre has one more string to fret. The knuckles are fatter than the spaces between them, so that one string can be a real challenge for some of us. That’s why it’s so important to use that middle finger as a lever to help the index barre. But also, you are learning to lead with the ring/pinky pair, which is very useful.

And speed is nothing in itself. Learning to make a clean barre is the biggest step you can take in chord shapes. Without a clean barre, none of the different shapes and positions are going to work. Once you can make that barre, you can move forward to learning all the different barre chords and using the whole neck of the guitar.

Great win. Thanks for sharing your success with us.

MG 😀

[N-lightMike]

That’s wonderful @Guerra6007 . You didn’t even need to say “small win” as you were in the small win section. But your post is inspiring. It helps us to see how effective this program is and commit more fully to it or confirm why we are already so committed to it.

Thanks for posting.

MG 😀

[N-lightMike]

Hello @aisenstadt@msn.com (ps, I don’t think your “nickname” is working. You need to get rid of the “@” symbol and the period),

So, I am now confused. @tailsawaggin and @Moonhare have made nice comments helping you to understand Tony’s method as opposed to other methods. Tony is teaching us to play guitar. Others just teach us to play a song. It’s amazing to see someone shred a cool song but they can’t play the guitar at all. Other than that song, they don’t know what to do with the strange object in their hands. Some people can learn a few songs and just take off from there. But those who can’t need Tony’s method.

I just need to say that I love the comment that @tailsawaggin made. He said “doing what they say to do got a lot easier after some time here with Tony. Tony’s program is sneaky, too – I just do the daily lessons, and songs get easier to play.” See, that’s because we are learning guitar and we don’t even realize it. Anyone who can play a guitar can pick up a song very easily if they can figure out or are shown the chords. Then there are embellishments and bass runs and partial chord shapes… all kinds of things that give a different and unique sound to a song. Again, once we see what the players are doing in a particular song, we can imitate it easily if we can play guitar.

All that having been said, the part that confuses me is your statement “Third, a lot of the lessons Tony is treating the viewer as if they never played before. I know he is trying to keep it light and fun, but at times it seems a bit basic.” Then @tailsawaggin says “yes, this program is aimed primarily at beginners, so the lessons are fairly ground-level.” If you all can play all the daily lessons easily, then you are an accomplished guitar player, so I don’t understand why you have spent the money to join TAC. But if you are learning even though you have played the guitar for years, why do you think this is aimed at beginners? A very large percentage of TAC members have played the guitar for years. They are people who weren’t able to continue progressing and continue gaining new skills for whatever reason. Now they are learning new skills and honing old skills. And yet, beginners are able to follow the material and learn from the ground up with the very same lessons. So yes, Tony needs to make sure everyone understands the terms and concepts he is using. But hey, one of the biggest problems I see with any type of instruction is that the instructor assumes his audience understands all the terms or concepts they are teaching. It has nothing to do with the lesson being for beginners, it has to do with actually being a good teacher and not someone who can’t relate to his audience.

Anyway, there are a lot of people who find that the standard ways of teaching guitar don’t work for them. However, Tony’s method works for everyone… well, except the person who judges TAC harshly and bails. So I guess I have to amend that statement to: Tony’s method works for everyone who tries it instead of judging it. I have never had a single person say that TAC didn’t help them after doing the daily lessons for just a month or two.

I played the guitar for 20 years before coming to TAC. I learned more in the first 6 months than I had in 20 years. And that is a common story among TAC members. Everyone has an opinion. Mine is that Tony’s method is the best… period, bar none. Segovia himself couldn’t teach anyone who didn’t already have mad guitar skills. I’ve tried so many different methods and instructors, online and off. Nothing worked for me until I started using TAC. See, it’s not about what Tony teaches or what you think you are learning. It’s about the doing… what Tony gets you to do causes your hands to learn guitar in spite of your head trying to sabotage your efforts.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. I hope this helps you. I hope I haven’t stepped on any toes. Sometimes my opinions come off too strong. If that is the case, I apologize.

MG 😀

[N-lightMike]

This is awesome @TmThorGOT , thanks for posting. I just love testimonials like this. No matter who we are, TAC delivers like we had hoped when we joined. Yeah, I know other sites and methods can work for some people, but TAC seems to work for everyone and anyone. I just didn’t “get it” until I came to TAC.

And thanks for giving a look at your guitars and telling us what they are. Both great little guitars. I hope that your second year brings all that you are hoping for.

MG 😀

[N-lightMike]

Hello @rdf1967 . So you had 3 very nice wins there. First, you picked the guitar back up after a forced break. That’s great. Second, you didn’t lose your dexterity, but actually seemed to have improved after your break. But here’s the 3rd and perhaps most important win: now you are aware of this phenomenon. Don’t hesitate to use breaks on purpose for whatever reason you might have, even if it’s because your playing is becoming a little stale. Just lay off a day or 2. It can do wonders.

MG 😀

[N-lightMike]

Great point @campfire , thanks for sharing this. Many times, watching Tony’s hand and fingers is more important than what he is saying.

MG 😀

[N-lightMike]

If you travel a lot to different places, then getting a small “travel” guitar that can go on the plane or in the back of the car with you like @Cadgirl mentions is a great idea. But since you are traveling to the same place, this is a really great solution and shows that you are committed, @PSavage , congratulations on the NGD (new guitar day) and the solution to playing every day.

Play everyday and have fun = progress!

MG 😀

[N-lightMike]

It was less than 3 weeks ago that I replied to your post @John_Hall , and now look at this beauty. Wow. You have a nickname that works, and the next thing you know you’re gonna have a Mule resonator that works. You are so right when you say these guys do amazing work. I hope to hear this beautiful guitar soon.

MG 😀

[N-lightMike]

👍😊

[N-lightMike]

LOL @That_Guy , that’s just too simple for brain surgeons like me to figure out. 😅

[N-lightMike]

Hey @jumpinjeff , thanks for your constant support and encouragement. I couldn’t be happier than to think I have helped you some. I have been such a ridgid perfectionist that I could never have heard the message about NOT mastering guitar without down home wisdom. Your many proverbial quips always made me stop and think. And here I am, starting to actually get musical.

I always wanted to be able to “ski down” the fretboard. In other words, I wanted to play the guitar like I had skied. When I was on the ski slopes I was a different person. I was kind to others and always grateful. Now I realize that when I skied I wasn’t trying to “master” some kind of technique, instead I was focused on a feeling. Yes, I became really, really good on skis. But I always had fun and always found the feeling that locked me into the zone. When I was young, I didn’t learn by being taught in the traditional way. I learned by watching others and then I’d focus on feeling like they looked. I know it sounds hokey, but it worked.

Skiing depended on body position, and you can see that. Music is sound, and you can’t see it. What you see someone else do isn’t what’s important. It’s what you hear someone else do. Every guitarist develops their own style, but they can all create a sound that blends together. I guess what I’m trying to say is I am now using my ears and not my eyes to play my guitar. And lo and behold, it’s working.

MG 😀