[the-old-coach]

This discussion seems to have run its course🤔. Thank you all for your insight and sharing. This was a great thread. I think it really applied to learning to play guitar- and maybe about learning anything, really.

Happy Easter- and good health!-

Mark J

[the-old-coach]

To “memorize” something- don’t you have to have already “learned” it?– (example– you have to DO something before you can remember what you did….).

The learning part is what’s fascinating to me. Some can learn a song by being able to just HEAR it and play along intuitively- (wow that’d be cool!). Some learn a song by repitition/repitition/repitition until it’s ingrained in their head and/or can “mostly” play it from the tabs. Some maybe learn a song more by memorizing each note.

We’ve all seen a high-school band or orchestra play thru a song- they all turn the page at the same time- just reading off the sheet music. Maybe it doesn’t even matter to them what the song is- they are just playing notes one after one, and not learning the song at all…. in this case it seems to a certain extent like they aren’t learning or memorizing the song.

Maybe different methods work for different people- (that’s my best guess).

I need another cup of green tea-

Mark J

• This reply was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by  the-old-coach.
• This reply was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by  the-old-coach.

[the-old-coach]

WOW– your responses! This (our) TAC community is amazing…..

Funny how such great generosity, care, input, learning, and “realizing-we’re-all-connected” can come from some dumb/weird question-thought that just wandered across the “big screen in my brain” a few days ago.

I can’t fully express the gratitude .

The responses– off the scale. More pages in my Roadmap Book coming for sure!

I’m gonna take every one of these thoughts and ideas and try ’em– maybe start within a day or three– and then again in maybe 2 months. I save this stuff!

Just when I thought I was doin’ great– a new door has opened!- and it was just some brain-fart thought that started it……. amazing…….

To me– sharing ideas, advising, experience….. THIS IS THE TRUE ESSENCE OF LEARNING. And it is this TAC program and this Community-Forum that makes this stuff happen– for all of us!

Thanks to all- maybe more will come!?

Oh yeah—– Jeff- when you and that boulder get to the top- (spoiler)- it just rolls down the other side. That’s when a true Scandinavian- (that’d be yours truly)- unquestioningly runs around and starts again😧………..

…….could be the beer talkin’……

Mark J

[the-old-coach]

Jeff and Momma– WOW those are two remarkable answers!

I think I sort of mislabeled the title of the original post, actually. Maybe should’ve been something like “Too dependent on Tabs?”

I like to use the tabs for the Daily Lessons. I guess my thought was- (and maybe this works along with your responses)- in some way– does just “playing only what your seeing” actually hinder a person’s ability to “learn”, or “see”, or “feel”, or “anticipate” the music?

Wow- this is really hard to express in words, but I hope you get “the drift” of what I’m saying.

Now- your responses…. I can sum this up easily– YOU TWO are where I hope to be someday on being able to hear and feel and anticipate-along inside a song. And while it’s playing? That is really cool stuff!

In my original TAC pledge I said I hope to be able to play by ear someday, and I’m stickin’ to it.

I’m gonna somehow “favorit-ize” both posts and and put them in my “roadmap book”, and refer back to them from time to time. Thank you both.

Like a ball in a Pachinko game—

Mark J

[the-old-coach]

Maydog- and everybody else— This is a great thread!

It is thoughts, ideas, hints, etc like these that are a HUGE help along the way.

Mark J

[the-old-coach]

Thank you Levi- and also to your team for the new website! And also for all the hours both “on the clock” and on your own time- (probably countless!)- just thinkin’ about it🤔

To mention my name in this discussion is really cool and appreciated- but I deserve no credit. You’ve got it all wrong. It is you-all who created that friendly, helpful, caring, encouraging, atmosphere here in our Community Forum. You-all are its heartbeat.

It’s the quick-answer tip, it’s the long-answer explanation, it’s the “pick someone back up”, it’s the welcoming in someone new, it’s the sharing small wins, it’s the “keep it fun” reminders!, it’s the free-sharing of info from years of learning- to someone they don’t even know- (and THAT is REALLY cool….)…. but maybe MOST importantly— it’s the realization that– because of this Forum— none of us….. is alone in this Guitar Journey we’re all on.

To me, anyway, this is the essence– the coolest part– of learning!

For me personally– one of the cornerstones of this– our– TAC program, is how the Daily Lessons, and also the other Courses- (Barre, Jumpstarts, etc)- “push my limits– just a little”– and how that is perfectly balanced with the Community’s helpful nature when I need a little help. It’s the perfect way to LEARN guitar!

Thank you Tony, Levi, and the whole crew. This new website is great stuff!

But to you-all out there (I ain’t saying it all again)- you know how I feel — I’ve got nothin’ but thanks.

Keep on pluckin’-

Mark J

[the-old-coach]

Thank you for your responses- more than you know. If it isn’t obvious, I stand before you offering my ramblings with very, very, little technical/computer-type knowledge.

Maybe like many others just starting-out in the TAC program- (at least before the new roll-out)- I feel the Forum Community in here had a real, helpful, personal, friendly, feel to it. I hope that will continue— to me, it is all the difference.

It is very important to have that place to turn to if you have a thought or question or idea or problem. THAT is the essence of learning to do something like play guitar.

Seems like questions & small issues are expected— if you’re doin’ it right……

[the-old-coach]

I’m a 70-day newbie, and LOVED the old TAC forum setup– but am not any kind of computer/tech person, so I really don’t know any difference. I know it’s “new”, and I have zero technical knowledge about it, but the former version just seemed easier and friendlier somehow, and when your just starting out, having that comfortable place to go is REALLY valuable.

I also hope that the “Get Unstuck” area doesn’t get to the point of being a place to post EVERYTHING- because that would have the effect of watering-down the basic point and ability of getting something unstuck.

There is a huge difference between having a QUESTION- (remember- we are all learning(!)– and having a PROBLEM- (getting unstuck). I am afraid “Get Unstuck will just become a catch-all. There goes any “efficiency” the new setup was supposed to bring…………

Learning IS about questions, advice, and hints/tips.

I hope the new Forum doesn’t leave that general philosophy in the dust.

Thanks– Mark J

[the-old-coach]

That’s hysterical !!!– because there actually is a guy that walks around in our neighborhood while playing his guitar. His nickname of course is “guitar man”.

I’ve never talked to him………. people kind-of avoid him🤨……

MJ

[the-old-coach]

Yeah- like I said- it was harder but not super-hard. Maybe more-so just different. Just kind-of out of my comfortable, sitting-down position. Playing is playing- but the perspective is certainly different. Whole body position is different along with arm position– and certainly viewing the fretboard also.

Thanks- MJ

[the-old-coach]

Well- I have two pieces of advice ….

1. (from what you said)– Do not try to stop it on its way down!!!

2. Make sure we’re both starting on the same side of the mountain.

🤨 Mark J

[the-old-coach]

Now this is also interesting….

I have– again– read thru every word of this thread, and am– again– amazed at the responses.

So maybe- (I shortened your words)- “As you get more familiar with… a song… you don’t need each…note…but might use the written music as a way of keeping track…”?

So after I’ve played a lesson or a lick or a portion of a song or whatever— enough times– (using the tab)- is there a point where it’s just kinda there to help “guide” me thru the parts I don’t have memorized yet?

Interesting— I feel like that is where I’m at. Just didn’t realize it!

After reading your post this morning, I really took notice of this in today’s practice.

What I noticed– In the same way I can play most of a lesson without looking at my hands, -I’m rough-guessing- (after I’ve “learned it“ and played it lots of times, of course)- I can play almost that much without looking at the tabs. So that’s interesting/ cool.

Is this from memory? or the start of intuition? Both? Did a light just come on?

So this just opens another door!– I’m gonna start thinking about how to become more “intuitive”, music-wise- (a la Jeff and MommaTAC’s first posts in this thread). That’s gonna take some music-edu-ma-cation, in keys and chords-within keys stuff. If it isn’t obvious– I’ve not really started in there yet.

But, hey, with zero music background– at all– maybe I’m actually right about where I “should” be 🤔 (whatever that means)….. and I feel really good about that!

Uh-oh— now it seems there is more than one boulder.

Mark J

[the-old-coach]

Interesting indeed. Actually I really try to see the tabs and yet play without looking at either hand. On purpose, I sometimes look “away”, sometimes eyes closed- (another member from another post said eyes closed helps them “see” better– me too!).

Most of the Daily Lessons have some type of pattern to them, which seems to make them easier somehow to play without “looking”.

I’d safely say- (after I get the hang of them)- I can play two-thirds of each of the “Dailies” and also the other course-stuff- (Barre, Fingerstyle, etc)- without looking at either hand. Maybe more after I’ve worked on them longer.

Not “Tony fast” mind you🤨, but that is of no concern for me right now.

I worked really hard today on focusing on “hearing” the lesson- and also– coincidentally– not looking at my hands and engaging my brain more. Cool!

Pushin’ that boulder up the mountain–

Mark J