[the-old-coach]

Lisa-

Wow. Kinda looks the world has been “piling-on” you.

Glad you got thru them both- and are playin’ again!

I’m willing to bet you still have it all stored away in your brain- that you’ll only have tender fingertips for a couple days- and that you’ll be right back where you left off!

But……. now…….. you will be RARIN’ to go!

Mark J

[the-old-coach]

I- (we all)- hope you’ll re-up.

With always a helpful and encouraging word- I consider you as being in a “pillars of the community” group here in our TAC Forum. In that group, you are in fine company indeed!

MJ

[the-old-coach]

saskia-

Mike’s suggestion of Ultimate Guitar is a good one.

If it matters- (and if they have the kind of music that you mentioned)- another good “tab” site is E-chords- (echords.com).

[the-old-coach]

Terry- I also have trouble “joining on to” the moving backing track. Maybe I’m just doing it wrong, but my problem seems to be STARTING. I can play the scale just fine, but it doesn’t sound to me like every part of the scale goes with every part of the track, so just starting “anywhere” doesn’t sound as good as when you are “in sync” with the track.(?) Sometimes I’ll wait till the very first part of the scale “matches” with the “restart” of the track.

Heck – I dunno- but I have quite a time with those, too!

I maybe think it would be easier if the backing track had the same kind-of “strum four times on deadened strings- like the “Play” videos always do. Then maybe at least we’d know when to start- right from the top.

Maybe I just have it all messed-up- (actually a fairly good chance of that).

This is a great thread– thanks for asking the question!

Mark J

[the-old-coach]

Terry- (more!) great tips!

Always appreciative— thanks.

Mark J

[the-old-coach]

That Guy, Mike, Terry–

Great post- thanks for that insight!

Hadn’t really given it much thought, but I spent most of today’s session FOCUSING on a really “light touch”- exactly what you and Mike were saying.

When just playing along on a tabbed song, I always just strummed kind-of on autopilot as far as volume goes. If the song was big and loud/ or soft and easy– that’s the way I tried to play it…. “along with the song” I was hearing.

But today I went at each song a second time- but a little different. The tabs were still visible, I read thru the song– but I turned the sound OFF. And with the song’s sound only in my head– (in a now-quiet setting)- I really FOCUSED on “light touch” playing.

I could hear that song in my head exactly as if it was playing out loud– but my light-touch strumming sounded PERFECT- (at least to my ears😜)- to the music in my head. The guitar sounds were cleaner, crisper, clearer somehow. I actually think I was in “the zone” for a bit there!

To me, this is just another example of how much a person can learn simply by paying attention to the advice of those ahead of them- (that’d be you all!).

Great question, great thread…….. Thanks—-

Mark J

• This reply was modified 4 years, 1 month ago by  the-old-coach.

[the-old-coach]

Great video, Mike- Thanks- MJ

[the-old-coach]

👍

[the-old-coach]

TerryB-

Old Man is a really fun song to play! This will help—- check out “martymusic old man”.

Type it in just like that- and hit “enter”. You may just love it.

MJ

• This reply was modified 4 years, 1 month ago by  the-old-coach.

[the-old-coach]

Punder-

Great news, man!

I tore mine up about 20 years ago- what an ordeal. My wife is goin’ thru it now- injured it the last month or so.

Glad that you’re playin’ again—- and good to “hear” from you.👍

Mark J

[the-old-coach]

👍

[the-old-coach]

Terry, Doc, Loraine-

You know…. now that I think about it….. I don’t think I EVER got the real “jist” of the backing track and playing along with it. As I said, I could do the scale easily backwards and forwards- but only just off the tab info. But playing along?— Fuggedaboudit.

Guilty- I remember trying it with the backing track probably close to a year ago- (right after I started TAC)- and got frustrated with it I guess- and never gave it a serious look after that. Shoulda stayed with it…..

I think I was lookin’ at it all wrong- that I had to play the scale complete, start-to-finish, from the VERY BEGINNING. And what I thought was the beginning— was “gone” by the time heard it!- So I was always starting “late”. That’s where the “strum deadened strings 4 times like the “Play” videos” came from.

I’m gonna use your techniques and ideas from here on- just noodlin’ around WITHIN that backing track- throwin’ in whatever comes to my mind.

Hey– it only took me a year- cuz I are a fass lurner 😜

Thanks again-

Mark J

[the-old-coach]

Mike, Carol, and JumpinJeff-

Don’t ya just love “exploring” issues and questions like these? Really digging in?

Maybe this kind of issue only happens to me- (but I wouldn’t think so)…..

Recognizing the problem- (going downhill after a few times thru)- is only one third of it. Asking for help about it is the second big thing. Understanding and absorbing the advice, and putting it into practice, is the third.

Discussions like this are GREAT for learning! Logical, well thought out, advice–(which only comes from experience….)– is the KEY– we are all going to hit bumps in the road, right?

Imagine trying to learn guitar all by yourself- with NO help at all…. none….

Wait– I did that for ~30 years🙃………….. and learned nothing.

Can’t thank you guys enough… for the new perspective(s).

Mark J

• This reply was modified 4 years, 2 months ago by  the-old-coach.

[the-old-coach]

Jeff-

Thank you for this GREAT post. This has been buggin’ me for a while now, and this helps a lot. The way you composed and worded it reminded me of listening to a hypnotist! Awesome.

MJ

[the-old-coach]

Jeff- I gotta figure this tension thing out. Is that what’s goin’ on when– the very first few times thru a lick or scale- (Daily lesson)- I seem to nail it………

Then I don’t know what the hell happens, but sometimes it just goes downhill.

Is this what you mean when you say- don’t THINK about it…….. just play?

Many times it takes me the 10+ minutes to get back anywhere near the first couple times thru, (but I figure maybe that might be because of constant repetition?)

Is this the “tension” you all are talking about?