[the-old-coach]

OldSalt-

The stretching warmups are actually a thing.

As K-man and Cadgirl said- (and I agree)- they make a difference- especially if your hands and finger joints are stiff & sore from whatever as you are “going in” to a practice session.

Disclosure- I don’t do it as long as the Skills-lesson might say- maybe a total of about 2-3 minutes seems to be enough for me- unless my hands are really “tired” or sore.

Sometimes I’ll also stretch for a minute or so DURING a practice. THAT HELPS in the middle of a grueling Barre-chord session.

And when I said, “you can hurt yourself”, I more-like meant I can aggravate existing conditions- (like, for me, it’s arthritis in my finger & thumb joints just from being beat-up over the years).

And you DON’T want to be “that guy” braggin’ to his buddies over a beer or two about how he hurt himself playin’ guitar.🤨 🤣

theoldcoach

[the-old-coach]

OldSalt–

My small two-cents worth……… Remember to do your stretching exercises- (and try to keep your fretting ARM straight as you can for maximum effect). Take it easy at first with the stretching- you can hurt yourself.

theoldcoach

[the-old-coach]

A-G– (love the name- sounds like a rock-band name)

Welcome-Welcome-Welcome!!!!

If you yourself are just starting-out on your own guitar journey— you are in the best place!!!

At first, here in TAC, if you get the “how do I start” and/or “what do I do first” – (or “next”)- feelings– don’t worry about. There are LOTS of really helpful– REALLY excellent and knowledgeable– folks in here to get you goin’ and keep you progressing.

Use this TAC Forum as your go-to source for answers– NO question in too small or large. The Forum here is an extremely valuable resource. Read a few threads from the recent few days to see how helpful everyone is!

Again- welcome–

theoldcoach

[the-old-coach]

Roger that, Mike!

Haven’t got my hands on it yet- (that family is “hard to get ahold of”, and keep to themselves- they don’t often answer phone calls or messages- and when they do- it’s usually weeks afterwards😒– so there’s that).

A bit frustrating in that respect……. for sure………. But– I’m not about to show up, bang on their door, and say- “What’s the deal— I’m tired of waitin’, and I want the d*mn guitar”. Gonna rattle their cage- (lightly)- after the holidays settles down.

I like your mentality- I don’t wanna have any regrets by NOT getting an electric and then wondering. Rather have and then not like it if that’s the case…..

Thanks for your thoughts– as always.

Mark- (theoldcoach)

[the-old-coach]

Well said!

Happy/healthy Christmas to ALL of our TAC family!

I myself will have two full years in TAC, on Jan 12th- I can’t believe it.

I simply canNOT believe the progress I’ve made in my own journey……. A HUGE part of it is because of this/our TAC-Forum family.

I am- (we ALL are!)- very lucky to have the more-experienced guitarists in here that are sooooo willing to share their knowledge, encouragement(s), and “Play For Us” videos…… (We can all agree there have been some GREAT ones, indeed!).

I also can’t wait to see what TAC brings us next year.

theoldcoach

[the-old-coach]

C-G—

This is great stuff! Thank you for your post—- but maybe more-so…. thank you for your other thread/posts as you went thru the FBW course!

I, for one, “followed” along, reading the other thread(s), as you went thru. (I was going thru it myself, almost paralleling your progress- and had all the same questions at almost all the same times).

It really helped- it was like going thru it in “real-time”. I was seeing all the questions, responses, and discoveries at the same time I was seeing the course materials and challenges. Great stuff.

Again……. Congratulations!

yer old friend…..

theoldcoach

[the-old-coach]

Just for clarification– the guitar and amp aren’t free– but sounds like I could be getting it all at a “screamin’-deal” price.

Just waiting to be able to get ahold of them- (they are hard to “track down”, and generally speaking pretty-much keep to themselves).

It’ll all happen- (and I’m pretty excited about it!😎- but I have to “tread lightly” given the situation– family, etc, if’n you know what I mean).

• This reply was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by  the-old-coach.

[the-old-coach]

Marty–

Wow!– Thank you for your detailed and well-thought-out post!

It is a great post for those of us coming along “behind” you on our own guitar-journey(s).

You have provided almost a road-map. We’re all gonna be a little different, for sure, but you have marked the trail.

Thanks for sharing your story, congrats on FIVE YEARS(!), and thanks as well for all the specifics.

theoldcoach

[the-old-coach]

Gerry–

I agree with C-G. The “soloing” section of FBW really threw me for a loop, too. As I have said– I just had a HARD time “getting it”.

Not ashamed to say that I STILL don’t have a clear handle on it- (and that’s almost an understatement).

But I’m OK with that….. Over time, with more learning and practicing what I learn……. It will come to me.

Love reading your always-encouraging posts- they help us all!

theoldcoach

[the-old-coach]

Mike-

Thank you for both of those suggestions! That info is now LOCKED into my brain!

Hope you are well and have a happy/healthy Christmas!

mark

[the-old-coach]

Ted–

I had a nice reply all done up- spent ~ an hour on it.

Posted it, then needed to go back and edit it.

Re-posted it………. and………. POOF………gone.

(Not the first time)– a little- (OK, a lot)- frustrating.

Maybe I’ll try & remember all those sparkling gems of wit🤨, and try it again.

To all—– Have a great, safe Christmas!!!!

theoldcoach

[the-old-coach]

Did a bunch of research on this topic after I posted. Tried to “Edit”- (actually delete)- the post about “easier to play- electric or acoustic”, but it was too late……

Anyway- it was very interesting reading.

Thanks if you had read it and/or given it any thought…….

theoldcoach

[the-old-coach]

I have yet another dumb-question…….. Can you -(or anybody?)- explain exactly ***WHY*** it seems “easier” to play an electric- (vs an acoustic). We’ve all heard this— hundreds of times.

In my own experience, as I said, I have played an electric only a few times- (this puts me in the “non-knowledgeable” group– so there is that)- but it actually did seem to be NOTICEABLY “easier”.

But my question, I guess, is, WHY is it easier.

In your post you say it’s because “you don’t have to push as hard on the strings for fretting”- then that leads me to ask- again- why?

Electric/Acoustic?– They are just guitar strings over a fretboard, right?

Why aren’t the strings on an acoustic “lowered” to the same string-height- (action) as they are on an electric?…..

I know there are MANY different/various makes and models of guitars– and strings– (from the cheapest to the most expensive)- if this could be some part of the explanation.

Or is there a general difference in the size or “cross-section shape” of the guitar NECK of an electric and an acoustic?

Or are the string themselves generally different between the two?

It’s confusing to ask- I hope you all get the “jist” of what I’m asking…..

Any thoughts?

theoldcoach

[the-old-coach]

MJ-

My two cents–

Try & remember to do the warmup stretches- (and try to keep your fretting arm as straight as possible for the most effect)— but don’t overdo it with the stretches– you can hurt yourself.

I must confess I don’t stretch for as long as the Skills-course(?) lesson suggests to— but I still do some stretching every session. It helps.

Oh, yeah!- Welcome to TAC!

theoldcoach

[the-old-coach]

I see the new ones have the headphone jack up on the console area.