[the-old-coach]

Mike—–

“Stop worrying about your goals and find your reason”

Maybe these are my reasons……… (I’m not really sure🤔)- in no particular order.

A. I REALLY love the sounds that come out of my guitar. I really love just the simple pleasure of realizing that I AM CREATING THAT SOUND……. right then……. just me……..right then….. just ME. I know that may sound dumb, but it’s that real-time, “I am doing this… right NOW” feeling that keeps me coming back. That is THE **excitement** for me.

B. I also consider myself a bit of a “worker”, that is, I kind of like a challenge. I think I like “pushin’ that boulder up that mountain”. Or at least I used to— maybe a bit less lately🤔- not sure. Seems like since I started trying to find, play and memorize my 5-10 “favorite” songs, and also since I started writing and playing my own stuff– I think I’m getting a little lazy on the Dailies and Skills courses in TAC. I’m doing them- just with quite a bit less enthusiasm.

C. As far as my own songs goes, some or most of the songs I am working on are about things I’ve done in my life. Some of the time they are things I wish I could take back, but of course can’t. Or things I just wish I had done differently.

Writing, finding lyrics and chord progressions, changing, re-working musically, re-working again, playing, changing again, and singing and playing— is all kind of a therapy for me.

Is that what you mean by “process your emotions?”

Anyway– Thanks again for answer/post(s)…

To Jeff and Cadgirl—- thank you for your responses as well– and I will respond– but my brain is tired😜.

the old coach

• This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by  the-old-coach.

[the-old-coach]

Mike-

Thank you for your well-thought-out answer- I loved it!

As always- reading others’ viewpoints gives ME a different viewpoint.

Your analogy about Lewis & Clark is great stuff when you consider that the only actual “land-knowledge” they had was areas they had already been. Maybe the only “constants” they had- (speaking simply)- were possibly the directions which rivers flowed, the different elevations they were at, mountains and such to reference to & from, the changing seasons, and the sunrise and sunset… (note– they hit the Pacific Ocean near Astoria, Oregon, which is about an hour due South of where we live). I agree that they weren’t “lost”, but didn’t know where they were going either.

Maybe that’s where I am with guitar.

I have thought that it seems when I “discover” something new-to-me guitar-wise……. I also realize there is now another completely new, huge, area of stuff to learn.

The more I learn— the more I realize I don’t know.

Like a long— never-ending— hallway with many doors on both sides, all partially open. Do I just walk on by, do I “peek” in but keep walking, or do I walk right in and explore/ stay awhile.

I agree that I need to focus more on my “reason” for playing guitar in the first place, and also maybe that my vague- (that wasn’t a very clear description)- goals reflect my level of overall guitar knowledge.

Hell, maybe I’m just lazy in the area of pursuing the actual l-e-a-r-n-i-n-g of guitar and music theory. I can see that. And I am amazed at some of the comments it here about how easy it is to do this or that—- while I don’t have any idea of it.

Like you- me writing this stuff out helps me, too. Lets me see myself in the mirror as I re-read it back to myself.

Mike– as always– thanks for responding.

Mark J

[the-old-coach]

Thank you ALL for your generous and thoughtful responses!

My wife is very supportive of me learning/playing guitar. She thinks it’s great!

Even though I carefully picked the right time—- I casually mentioned buying a “travel guitar” and/or also maybe buying or even renting one- (uke included)- once we got there.

😒

Hard to describe “the look” I got, but the message was very easy to understand.

So, it looks like I’ll be focusing along the lines of what MikeG suggests, and that’ll be just fine I think.

I figure as long as I can keep my brain “in the game”, the hands will come back without too much time catching up.

Again– thanks to ALL for the advice and encouragement– our TAC “family” is great indeed!

the old coach

[the-old-coach]

KevinZ-

Great video and setting!

The playing is great- (way beyond me)- and I particularly like the way you are “all in” on the singing. Committed. That’s the way an old-time real, actual guitar-player/singer told me it should be done. Go all in.

Did I detect a little “Elvis” sound in the vocals?😀

Thanks for sharing the song– and the nice outdoor setting.

-coach

[the-old-coach]

Thank you all for your well-thought-out replies!

Overall, I have no trouble at all playing barre chords- and actually find them easier in some cases- than “regular” or open chords. “A-shape”/ “E” shape doesn’t matter at all either, and I can play them on and on for extended periods.

It’s way up the neck that gives me issues. Much more of a squeeze- as GerryB says- trying to jamb fingers into those narrow frets. 12th fret barre?– fuggedabouddittt.

None of my present guitars has a cutaway- a 12th-fret barre chord is simply not possible for my old hands.

I’m gonna give last week’s tough-for-me lessons maybe 2 more, 5-minute sessions (each)— going as high up the fretboard as I want to— and the likely put them in the rear-view mirror and move on.

Thanks again for encouragement. I think getting bummed-out once in a while is the RIGHT way to do this guitar-stuff.

Maybe it was just “Mr. Expectation” peeking around the corner at me………

It’s funny how I can get bummed-out—- but still be having fun with all this😎

Our TAC family is great- thank you all again

the old coach

[the-old-coach]

MrFred–

Coulda been that you were a little bit distracted(?)……….😉

[the-old-coach]

Jeff-

As always, thank you for your insights….. interesting.

I am also a believer that repetition is one of the main building blocks. I don’t know if I get to the point of “seeking the boredom that makes you go crazy”, but I do certainly believe it plays a HUGE role in learning and memorizing- no question.

I do, probably showing some laziness, work MUCH more repetition-wise on songs or riffs or licks, etc, that I LIKE the sound of, and not so much on “everyday-type” nuts-and-boltsy lesson stuff. I still like that kind of work, of course, but I guess I play the stuff I like- more.

The earlier part of your answer/post fascinates me also. “I don’t even need someone to tell me the key as long as I can hear it for a verse and chorus”, and also “trust the process and follow the teacher”.

THIS is a skill I want to learn.

IS this a skill- (figuring out what key a song is in)- something that is inside the elusive/ (mythical?) Fretboard Wizard course?– (seems like I read something about how to find the key by going up & down the low E string to a note that “sounds OK”, and then go from there into the chords, etc).

I know that’s a lousy explanantion/question, and I know there’s much more to it than that….

Anyway– what you have there- (ability to just hear a song, monkey with it for a bit, and then take off playin’ it– is a skill I really WANT).

For my part, I think I’m headed that way, but still working on “background/prep” stuff- (chord groups, progressions, transitions, etc)- that will make learning the “play-by-ear” skill easi-ER once I’m ready.

Learning to take off playing by ear is one of my MAIN goals in playing guitar.

Anyway- as always- again- thank you for your insights. This is GREAT stuff to chew on!

the old coach

[the-old-coach]

This is funny stuff—- (after 44 years— finally—)- we are in fact going to Hawaii 😎.

I was hopin’ to hear from you!

Sounds like a good idea- but my wifey might have a differing opinion🤨…….

-coach

[the-old-coach]

No prob!

I print them ALL off and keep them in a big 3-ring binder.

But– when they “come back around” I don’t print them again. So, these days there only about 5 “new” lessons each month. That’s good- because the book is gettin’ kinda thick!

From the big book- sometimes I just open to a random page and start playin’ away– no computer needed!.

-coach

• This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by  the-old-coach.

[the-old-coach]

👍

[the-old-coach]

🤔🤣

[the-old-coach]

Yes– I painted it blue.

[the-old-coach]

It would have to get lighter out for me to be living in the Dark Ages😎

Android- no. I-pod- no. I-pad- no. Dial-up phone- no. Tweeter-hooter- no. Round TV- no. 650-pound stereo console- no. Party-line- no (but we used to have one when I was a kid). Flip-phone- yes. 10-year-old, beat-up laptop- yes.

There ya go. Welcome to my world😀

Mark

• This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by  the-old-coach.

[the-old-coach]

Mike–

“Just learn to match your voice to the plucked strings………”

My simple mind🙄 says this is exactly right. Wouldn’t the earliest guitar players and “sing-along-ers”- (I’m talking since the invention of the guitar itself)- have had to have some sort of reference as to what note they were actually singing?

Like the old “pitch pipe” or maybe tuning fork?

With-OUT something to compare to, like your example– the plucking of a certain string at a certain fret, how would they have had any way of knowing if they were singing a- (example)- C note or a G note?

Different octaves- yes– but by picking any fret on any string- doesn’t your guitar “tell” you what note you are on?

To me, your idea with this “Just learn to match…” paragraph is simple, easy, and foolproof.

I’m takin’ as a challenge😜👍😎

Mark

[the-old-coach]

This is indeed awesome stuff- this thread!!!

I wonder if when we use these simple ways– are we re-tracing the very same steps as our “guitar fore-fathers”?🤔

They learned to play & sing LONG before all the electronics of today……

You may have just explained how they did it hundreds/ maybe thousands of years ago.

(Again-🤔).

the old coach