petelanger
Forum Replies Created
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When I started playing I imagined it would take 6-12 months to “master” chord changes. About 6 months in I realized this was going to be a multi-year pursuit. I’m 2 years into my guitar journey (about 15 months of it in the TAC program) and my transitions are much quicker than they were, but there’s still a good ways to go. I think I’m past the midway point, it’s hard to know because clearly it’s an unknown curve and not a line. There’s the 10,000 hour rule on mastering any skill, which also purports that 1000 hours gets you 7/10ths the way there (Competent (Proficient, not expert))
If that holds for basic chord changes then I’m 2 years into the 5.47 year journey (based on 30 minutes daily). Whatever the case may be, most importantly I’m enjoying my journey, I see growth all the time and I’m just glad to be here!
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Sorry, I didn’t want to over explain, but if what I posted is still not clear. Follow this procedure:
Alphabet A – A# – B – C – C# – D – D# – E – F – F # – G – G# then start over A – A# – B…..
let’s say your index finger is holding down the the B string on fret 1:
Open B string is a B then the next note in the alphabet above is a C, so fret 1 represents a C note.
If you are holding down the E string on the 3rd fret then following the sequence:
Open- 1 – 2 – 3
– E – F – F # – Gso it’s a G
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I’m not sure how Tony teaches this because I am not a FW subscriber. But there are a number of Fretboard Formulas that deliver the notes up and down the neck
The first formula will allow you to determine any note on the fretboard simply by counting (using the musical alphabet: A – A# – B – C – C# – D – D# – E – F – F # – G – G#) from the open string to the note you are fretting.
There are more formulas but you only need this one to determine the notes. The others are shortcuts to finding notes more quickly once you have memorized a few locations.
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Holy crap, when I read the intro before looking at your video I was expecting the worst. That was over the top GREAT! Keep it up @albert_d ! Very nicely done!
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@Barbara nobody has helped you yet? I am sorry, I went on Amazon and quickly found a plethora of fingerpicks so I wondered what the problem might be. I didn’t want to post the amazon link but I’ll DM it to you if you like.
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I apologize for being harsh, but I have to say something about your tone coming onto the TAC site with your very first post. It’s very demanding and whiney. Many members are going to be off-put by that approach. I was. I saw this post earlier in the day and closed it thinking: “I’m not going to answer that”. Four hours later I have succumb to my desire to help any and everyone, so here is my response to you.
Everything you need to become a better guitar player is here. I know because this is where I and many others have come and remained for many years.
There are lot’s of ideas on how to hold a guitar, Here are a couple of shorts:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-HLPEg2x1qYhttps://www.youtube.com/shorts/JdTRyHPWtU4
Regarding the lesson on strings, you will have to be more specific and then I will try to answer that.
The basics are in the skills tab: https://tonypolecastro.com/skills/
You have already found the address for asking questions since you posted this one. For membership questions email support@tonypolecastro.com
Getting started is here: https://tonypolecastro.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/TAC_User_Guide-v5.pdf
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It’s good to see you playing again, albeit through pain and the disappointment of your slow recovery process! Your determination is an inspiration to us all, thanks for doing what you do @Loraine !
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Oh but you are winning! These are not easy challenges @Mave, I would say Fast Car is among the toughest of the year. Getting the first measure is absolutely a win. You must not expect perfection, that will kill your joy of playing guitar faster than anything!
It’s in the struggle where your brain is working behind the scenes, you don’t realize how much you are learning as you think you’re banging your head into a wall!
Some weeks will feel easier than others, that’s where you venture further in and try to to go deeper through the layers of the lesson. When it’s more difficult just focus on getting a small portion down. You will see growth as long as you show up regularly and play the challenge for at least 10 minutes, mark complete regardless of how far you got!
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I’ve learned a great deal from diving into this fretboard work, so I’m glad I used this cheap guitar to get started. When I do my first build I won’t be completely green and at least have a clue on the interplay between the nut, the saddle and each fret in between.
I had some big issues on the 11th, 16th and 17th frets, but also part of the problem was in the treble area of the saddle. The high E string was too low, so even after leveling all the frets I still had buzzing. I’ve corrected it by fabricating a small plastic spacer before ordering a package of new saddles.
I suspect that the rather extreme temperature and humidity fluctuations have played havoc with the neck on this instrument. I keep it under AC at all times, but never in it’s case. It’s either on a stand or hanging on the wall.
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@MattTX_24 I searched for that intro video, but couldn’t find it. I did go through all my emails from when I signed up and while there was no link to this video, they clearly gave a lot of guidance on how to use and navigate this site. Perhaps those who are confused about TAC might check through their emails.
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Stewart Macdonald makes high quality stuff but they’re not afraid to ask 3 – 5 times what everyone else charges. So far I own 1 fret end file from StewMac and nothing else.
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Once I’ve walked all the way to the A/4 with my ring, my pinky wants to come off of B/3. Without the transition, this could work and I’ll experiment with it.
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This was answered in the thread @h24frankeyahoo-com started on this topic: https://tonypolecastro.com/family-forums/topic/hotel-california-9/
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If you haven’t completed the 30 Day and 5 Day series, the daily challenges (including benchmarks like Hotel California) might not be accessible from your home screen; it’s been so long I’m not sure how it looks. Please confirm that you can get there from the link I provided above. That should work. But otherwise it is going to return in 4 months or you can access it once you have started the dailies.
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It is prevalent in this benchmark, and it’s in the occasional other TAC song so I’ve seen it plenty and it’s been in my repertoire for over 2 years. Only now it’s sticking out like a sore thumb because I’ve improved transitioning to many other chords but not Dm. Got to give it special attention now!