[the-old-coach]

Mike-

Thanks for sharing this— and all the other help & advice I’ve been able to snarp-up in my 8 months in TAC.

Keep droppin’ those breadcrumbs…. they mark the trail.

Mark J

[the-old-coach]

My two cents-

Try this– try moving TO the mini-F FROM a similar chord- like maybe a C or an A-minor.

Just a thought- worked for me.

Mark

• This reply was modified 5 years, 2 months ago by  the-old-coach.

[the-old-coach]

No expert here for sure, but maybe try something like this…

Try going —TO– your C chord —from– a similar-shaped chord- like maybe an A-minor or “mini” F. See if that works.

Might be easier for you than just tryin’ to grab a C chord outta nowhere from a dead start.

Welcome to our TAC family!!!

Mark J

[the-old-coach]

Welcome to the TAC family!

You will find **THE** most helpful folks in here!

I have found the info and help to be well thought out and straightforward- and I’ve come up with some doozy questions and thoughts. NO QUESTION is too small or unimportant. Or if you just have something interesting that’s NOT a question- throw it out there, too!

You made a good choice! And this TAC family is here for ya.

My 2 bits- MJ

[the-old-coach]

Please indulge me for a minute.

This thread and this TAC family here reminds me of a time a lotta years ago.

I had one old line crew foreman back in the 70’s-80’s who was pretty damn great. Ornery, but great. And tough?- oh, yeah, tough as they come.

I was probably pretty hot-headed and “full of p#ss & vinegar” at the time- (you had to be at that time- to survive in that trade). Anyway, I remember he sat me down one day and said “Kid, you don’t get ahead by keepin’ everybody else down– you get ahead by pullin’ everybody below you on up.”

I never forgot that moment. I remember it like it was yesterday.

6 months ago I stumbled upon TAC- and this “family”, and there it is!

To me, that’s what our TAC family does BEST- they help the ones behind them in the journey. And you/we all really get nothin’ for it except knowing we’ve helped.

If that ain’t the definition of cool- nothin’ is.

I’ve been to put this into words for awhile- and suddenly– out it came.

Thanks for readin’ it– Mark J

[the-old-coach]

Please excuse me if this is a dumb question….

Are these “Acoustic Life” videos available “inside” our TAC program, or do I go thru a separate- (maybe)- “Acoustic Life” website? Looks like there are quite a lot of them, and they look interesting!

Ooops- my computer skills are showing.

Thanks- Mark J

[the-old-coach]

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[the-old-coach]

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[the-old-coach]

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[the-old-coach]

THAT is good stuff right there, @jumpinjeff 😉

[the-old-coach]

A few months back, a TAC friend, “Punder”- (are you out there Punder?), had a thread that was long this same line. It was very interesting to me.

It’s a ways “ahead of me” but I remember the thread well- it fascinated me!

Cool stuff!

MJ

[the-old-coach]

Thanks for the tip!

I found the thread I was thinking of– (started by LMG 73) and “favoritized it” for future use.

Again- thanks–

MJ

[the-old-coach]

Thanks- I’ll check it out!

M

[the-old-coach]

This is very interesting. And surely something I’m aiming for.

Question- How do I have access to a song that just pops into my head, that I might want to play and learn- (and save and set aside for future)- without the internet tab-stuff- (e-chords, etc)? It’s just so easily accessible, easy to print and save, easy to play along with, etc.

It just makes it so easy to get the repetitions- that make the memorization happen- (where you are). Me too, someday!

If I find a song- maybe an old favorite- that I really want to explore and get into, I make my word document, placing every word, line, verse, chorus, etc,– and then put in the chords above in red– in exactly the right spots. Sometimes I put an alternate chord in parentheses right next to the original chord- as I’m messin’ with it in my head- typing it out. I actually think there is some memorizing going on in just doing this step……

Anyway, it all seems to make it very easy to get the reps- (inc. any little parts inside the song that I’m stuck on— chord transitions, etc).

After a while, I’ve memorized the chords, transitions, etc, and I only use these sheets for the words- which I pretty-much have learned by then anyhow.

But then, it seems, that’s where I kind-of quit. I move on to something different… SQUIRREL!!😄

Maybe that’s where your suggestion- to “dig in” and put in the work to get it really learned!

I will take your suggestion to heart, pick one of my faves, and follow it through! Man, it would be cool, to just grab my guitar and play- (and maybe sing- at least to myself for now😳!)- a complete song— only off of memory!

By the way— what you have done there is a HUGE win!!!!

Thanks again— I hope more folks weigh in on this!

Mark J

• This reply was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by  the-old-coach.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by  the-old-coach.

[the-old-coach]

Alisa-

Thank you for this video- it is great stuff!

Maybe more importantly- are your own insights and suggestions. Like SO MANY posts in the TAC forums, from so many great folks, it is that kind of information that helps….. instantly. For me, it takes away some of my own “paralysis-by-analysis” problem🤔.

Reading your post made me smile….. At least 10 years ago, I started a 3-ring notebook of favorite songs. Coincidentally- (per your suggestion)- I typed the lyrics to a couple-dozen songs, each one its own Word document- with the properly-located chord- (in red-bold)- directly above each chord change. It worked- and still to this day– works great for me. It’s easy on my eyes- (not “cluttery”), and easy to follow. I still use that old notebook!- now even more that I’m in TAC.

This playing and singing stuff is gonna be tough for me- probably like most folks, I guess. Not so bad in private. So, I’m gonna GO FOR IT- (in private for now), though, because I think it’s a normal progression thing. Partly just for the challenge and fun of it. Partly because I want to be able to play guitar kind-of “automatically”- (while my brain is focusing on lyrics and melody). Playing thru distractions.

I really think THAT SKILL IN ITSELF is a huge part of learning the guitar. Watch real entertainers– they can probably play those songs while eating breakfast and reading the paper! (sorry about the caps- this forum does weird things when you put something in italics).

Anyway, it took me years to even play guitar anywhere anyone could hear me. Don’t know if it was embarrassment somehow, or what. Maybe I felt like I couldn’t keep up with our old arch-enemy– “expectation”- because I couldn’t play it like on TV. Maybe small steps on this playing-singing stuff…. Playing and singing in front of others scares the crap out of me!

I might be able to stumble thru it with several brewskis in me😜– and joining in with others- (certainly not alone😳)- but I suppose that would certainly affect my guitar playing!

Anyway- Thank you for your thoughts and suggestions!

Long-winded me- (makin’ Mike proud)-

Mark J