[Skyman911]

@BarbaraM, hey Barbara, can you actually see the neck bowing? My first real guitar was a Big Baby Taylor, and I still have it and do play it still. The necks are a bit different on these in regards to how they attach to the body. They don’t use a dovetail joint like most guitars use. A lot of the action adjustments are actually different shim thicknesses between the neck and the body. Although it does have a truss rod, you won’t get the same adjustments as other guitars. Do you have a good sideways picture of the neck at the 12th fret? Maybe you could post this and see what we’re looking at.

[Skyman911]

@BarbaraM, I do see the photos, and didn’t realize that was the Baby Taylor action you were showing. It does look high. Correcting this is usually done through shimming. If you look down the neck, can you see obvious bowing? I can’t really tell by the photos.

[Skyman911]

Lack of new content is my biggest gripe here. There hasn’t been any new content added for a couple of years. It seems like this program is on autopilot. Tony used to be somewhat involved, and I don’t see that anymore. Especially since the Acoustic Tuesday ended. This is the only thing making me think about not renewing. So much good content here, but I can only do Wagon Wheel so many times. I also feel a bit ripped off when the daily challenges for the week are just the 5 day challenges from the beginner course. Seems like those are just fillers when there isn’t anything new. Still the best online course though.

[Skyman911]

My only opinion on this is, “committing to 10 minutes a day”. In my personal experience, If I didn’t commit to playing everyday, I would have had long gaps between playing, and probably would have given up. Commit to 10 minutes, and then go as long as comfortable. Some days that might be 10 minutes or a couple of hours. But do at least your 10 minutes. Most likely you’ll play longer and be glad you committed to playing.

TAC also isn’t my only avenue for learning. I’ve had a couple of years of personal instruction with a number of teachers, and have checked out a couple of other online courses. I still think TAC offers the best bang for the buck even with some of the quirks.

[Skyman911]

Frustration is a natural part of the process, and frustration will continue to happen at various stages in your guitar journey. I don’t think we would get better without frustration and perceived failure. For some, it motivates them to get better, and they work a little harder, and play a little longer. For some others, they give up. If you’ve been playing for over a year, you’re past the point where most people quit. I would call that a major win. I try to accept the fact that I WILL get frustrated. Whether working on a complicated song, chord, or combination of both. I’m cursed with being a perfectionist, and when I get this way, I just walk away for a minute, just being aware of my frustration, but not dwelling on anything. Once I’ve allowed the emotion to peak and recede, I jump back into it.

I’m just over 5 years in. Almost three with TAC. I do remember how I felt the first couple of years. It was pretty difficult, I was lost, but I got through, and I know you can too. The magic is about to happen.

[Skyman911]

Start jumping into the daily challenges. Some will be more difficult than others. Just do your best for at least 10 minutes and move on. I would encourage doing more than 10 minutes if you can.

[Skyman911]

I only pick with the flesh part of my fingers. I’m never going to grow my nails out to pick. I know it’s popular for some. I guess if I need the extra tone, I’ll go to finger picks. I personally think it looks a little cringe when some men have long shaped thumb and fingernails on just one hand. However, I paint my toenails, and some find that a little cringe as well.

I do play around with a thumb pick on occasion.

[Skyman911]

Hell yeah! Nice job. I’ve only had the opportunity to play with others a handful of times. If you can keep meeting with this group, do it. This will accelerate your playing ability and confidence at light speed. I played with a couple of strangers when I was in Baja. It was awesome, and the more we played, the better I got because I got more comfortable. One time was in a larger group setting, and we were playing “That’s the Way The World Goes Round” by John Prine. We had the crowd singing, and got a nice applause when we finished. The guy I was playing with was pretty advanced and carried me most of the time.

I agree 100% with what jumpinjeff advises. Try to play without a songsheet, or tablet to try and follow along with. There’s so much going on, and to mentally try to process the song sheet or table will just confuse in my opinion. Take in the moment, be the guitar. The second time around will be completely different. Please let us know how it goes. I’m real exited for you. And a bit jealous. 🙂

[Skyman911]

I’m guessing @Loraine will have some insight here. She broke her wrist TWICE! She doesn’t give up and seems to find a way to work around her dexterity difficulties.

[Skyman911]

I’ve always wanted to try this one. Love this song. Thanks for posting, and giving me some inspiration to go after another song!

[Skyman911]

That does look a little bowed. It could be a simple truss rod adjustment. You would need to take the little triangle plastic piece off the neck to access the truss rod. Three very small screws hold this plate on. Make sure your strings are tuned, and there is string pressure on the neck before trying to adjust. Make very small 1/4 turns. Remember the direction and number of turns in case you need to go back the other way. I would try lefty loosey first as it looks like there is too much bow. This looks very intimidating, however if you take your time, it is actually quite simple. You have a lot of support here.

[Skyman911]

@petelanger, this is only for the Baby Taylor and Big Baby Taylor. Most other models have a Taylor neck joint that is actually bolted on. Not a dovetail design like Martins and other guitars. The Baby and Big Baby literally have two wood screws that hold the neck to the body. Kind of bizarre but it seems to work.

[Skyman911]

@petelanger, I didn’t get the impression at all that you were advocating some of us to play shorter sessions. Your posts are always positive and encouraging. I also don’t consider myself anywhere near advanced. : -)

[Skyman911]

I’m sure this gives you a better connection with your guitar than using finger pics. This is what makes guitar so great. One can personalize their playing style to fit their current needs.

[Skyman911]

This typically comes down to the lack of curl in the fingers, and the pads contacting the strings. Pretty common for beginners, and it will improve with practice. Try to work on getting more curl, and a better angle so you’re only touching the strings with the apex of the fingertip. I’ve watched the string dents in my fingers change from when I first started. They were crooked, and a bit low on the fingertip due to lack of being able to curl properly. Now my string dents/marks after playing seem to be right on the very tip and mostly inline with the finger.