petelanger
Forum Replies Created
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Welcome Kevin! @focusforwardkevingmail-com
Many TAC members are people in the golden years taking up guitar for the first time. I count myself in this group, having started almost 2 years ago and approaching the 17 month mark with TAC. I’ve tried a bunch of other learning methods, nothing compares to this one. But there are quite a few very accomplished players on here. That’s one of the more unique features is that there is something for everyone here, even though we all see the same daily challenge, the way you approach the content of said challenge will vary greatly depending on your skill and experience level.The songs that are themed in the challenges are really example songs, and a player like you will probably be able to quickly take some of what Tony shows you and apply them to a number of songs you already know, turning them into entirely new arrangements.
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@Moose408 @Skyman911 thanks guys for your input. I actually am doing exactly what Moose suggested. Every day I’ve been transitioning from C major to G to A minor then back to C ( the chords to Simple Man. I spend more time on G to A because that’s the harder transition. A minor to C is a simple change, C to G is not too hard. I think I have doing these chord changes for at least a month, maybe 6 weeks. I’ve gotten faster but still not fast enough to play the song yet. It gets really frustrating because the fingers just won’t do it, I’ll get 4 or 5 good transitions and then just totally blow the next with my fingers flopping all over the place.
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This is one of the more difficult weeks but it’s a benchmark which means it comes back around in 4 months. Knowing what I know about this challenge (this is my 4th time through) I would do either:
days 2 and 4 this will give you almost the entire weeks content because day 2 is a continuation of what was done on day 1 and day 5 almost always just puts a twist on day 4 in any given week.
or:
If you just did days 4 and 5, that’s a cohesive unit and you might get the most out of it that way.
I’m just curious, how much time are you devoting to a challenge? Is there any way you could do an extra session or 2 at least occasionally?
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It’s not about the songs really, although maybe I’m ready to dive into songs more. They claim to actually evaluate you at the beginning, deliver a custom lesson plan “designed specifically for you” and then there’s the so called boot camps that sounded interesting. But I’m probably just experiencing “Shiny Object Syndrome”.
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Nicely done, @Moose408
This is a classic, that so many greats have performed, so that adds even more pressure. I think I almost prefer playing a song that hardly anybody knows, LOL! But you did it well and at quite a tempo, impressive! 🙂
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No worries, that’s perfectly normal first time through! It’s my 4th time and while it’s a lot better than the first, I still have a ways to go: it takes a bit too long to move between shapes, I’m not quite sure where to slide from and to, but it’s coming along. I have video from my second attempt and I’m well past that. Stick with it and you will grow as a player!
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That’s remarkable! Huge win, isn’t it! I can tell you it didn’t go that well for me first time. It’s the fourth time for me and I’m still challenged, but far less now. I was a absolute beginner and now I’m a novice player, but growing daily.
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I started several other guitar courses before joining TAC and I got to a point where I was overly challenged and eventually just stopped. This never happens in the TAC program because completing the exercise is nice but not essential to be be successful and progress. Besides those courses, I also have several guitar books on my shelf where I started and kind of got stuck as well.
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Another way to make those reaches less extreme is to move them towards the body. You can use a capo, but sometimes that’s not even necessary, depending on the drill. And “Yes” it’s totally ok to modify it by using your pinky instead of ring finger.
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Why would you not be ready? There is no test to progress to week 2. Do your best and move on. Unlike school and most learning programs, TAC is not about being perfect before you can move on to the next. You might want to identify areas where you seem to be lacking the most and address those in the skills courses but I can’t emphasize enough to keep moving.
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So thankful for this community for good advice like this. I just restrung my favorite guitar with some D’Addarios, not even a top of the line but just the EJ11s and wow! It’s like a completely different instrument. The strings feel just wonderful and the chords sound so much better. I think I’m going to switch to these now, I’ve got several sets of Ernie Balls that I might just give away if the same thing happens when I restring my old Takamine. I’m so happy right now, it feels like a NGD!
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Thanks for your input @Moose408 . I believe that I need some help to improve my chord transitions. I know more chords than I need to play some music but it’s moving between them that is holding me back. I have to make those changes automatic.
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I put it out there because it’s missing and people are actually asking for it. I can’t make the chord shapes appear on the TAB sheet, but I can do this.
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You’re welcome!
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No stressing necessary, whatever you didn’t get will come back around soon!