[Skyman911]

I think a lot of people including myself have had the same issues when first joining. I quit after the first 9 months or so due to the same issues you are having. I then took some personal lessons for a year or so. During those lessons, I could see little pieces of TAC coming through. It was probably then when I realized the value TAC provides. My teacher also thought the lessons were well thought out.

I also want to point something else out. TAC doesn’t really teach songs per se, it teaches elements of songs designed to actually learn how to play guitar, not just how to play a song. It provides the foundation to have the ability to play any song. There are thousands of youtube videos on how to play songs. TAC is different. Also, the skills developed with the TAC system will also leap frog your ability to learn songs.

Use TAC as a tool. Find some fun easy two or three chord strumming songs and just have fun. Don’t try to perfect anything. Just do your best for 10 minutes and move on. Do your best the next day for 10 minutes. Rinse and repeat. You WILL get better if you keep showing up.

[Skyman911]

I’m actually going to sell my electric guitar and amp. I just can’t seem to bond with it like my acoustic. Yeah, it’s cool, and I can rock the house, but it’s just not the same for me. It feels more mechanical, and not as authentic. I thought the opposite would be the case when I first bought it a few years ago.

[Skyman911]

Personally, I would jump into the daily challenges and just do the best you can. I would also recommend finding a couple of easy songs to play. I’ve seen so many players getting “stuck” when not knowing what to practice next. I say play, and don’t spend so much time practicing. Start adding more songs to just play as you get more chords under your belt. There are literally hundreds of songs with only two or three easy chords. Don’t get me wrong, practice is important, however we picked up this instrument to play. My overall enjoyment and progress came when I started just playing. This was great advice from one of my teachers. He recommended spending about 10% of my time practicing, and 90% of my time playing. Another golden nugget he gave me was, being OK playing poorly. Being OK missing a chord, or transition. Just enjoy playing. Suddenly, you will hit that chord, or chord transition and it will sound like magic. No better feeling in the world.

[Skyman911]

I think the most important thing is to just keep trying. That is more important than getting the up and down strokes. It will come with time. Focus on the small wins.

[Skyman911]

You’ll probably get many different answers for this question. My only advice is to experiment. Thicker strings can add more tension, making some chords/notes harder to play. I personally use Martin Lifespan 2.0 treated PB. 12 – 54 on my martin short scale guitars. I’ve tried D’Addario’s and didn’t like them on my Martins.

[Skyman911]

Nice! It looks like you’ve healed up well, and back to playing like your old self.

[Skyman911]

I would suggest not having the neck parallel to the deck. I hold mine with an upward angle, thus changing the angle of the wrist. I would also recommend a strap if you don’t play with one. A GS Mini is pretty small, and sitting on the right knee may make it lower than one would normally play. When I start to get slack in my strap, I know I’m bending over more than I should, and I then adjust my posture.

[Skyman911]

I was kind of in a similar boat. TAC for sure has made me more comfortable with a pick. I do think you could still do many of the challenges fingerpicking though. However, using a pick has certainly opened up my rhythm guitar playing. I used to just thumb, or finger strum.

[Skyman911]

Fretboard Wizard is a must, and for the price it’s a no brainer. Jumpinjeff nailed it with his reply.

[Skyman911]

Blue Chip pick hands down. I use a TD35 and TAD40. I can’t seem to play with any other pick now. I don’t tend to lose it when playing like every other pick I’ve tried. I don’t really like the grip picks either. Very pricey at $35 each. Based on watching the videos, it looks like Tony also uses a Blue Chip pick. Your results may vary.

[Skyman911]

Your chord shapes will come with time. I wouldn’t spend time trying to “get” the D shape before moving on. Keep progressing forward. It will come, I promise. The D shape was a challenge for me as well. I just couldn’t get my middle finger to fret the high E string clearly. The D7 chord was a bit easier, and I would substitute that shape sometimes. My other challenging chord was the C chord. Good luck on your journey and keep reaching out to the group with any questions.

[Skyman911]

I would experiment with different pick material and pick thickness. I think thinner picks, that are easier to use tend to grab the strings more than a thicker pick. Also, like you mentioned, try to have as little of the pick exposed. 1/4″ to 1/8″ of the tip exposed. Your knuckles may still hit the strings a bit until your technique improves. I also don’t like real pointy picks, and prefer a smoother, more rounded tip.

I struggled a lot with strumming. A Blue Chip pick was a game changer for me. They are pricey though at $35 a piece.

[Skyman911]

Yeah, I’m so used to playing this in Bm, to F# to A using barre chords and have adapted the lesson for these chord shapes. The only chords I play that aren’t barred are the E and D chords. This is probably an easier way to play it for sure. Maybe that’s why Tony teaches it this way. This was the song my teacher chose for me to start leaning barre chords, and actually taught me how to play all the chords in barre shapes. My barre chords aren’t always very clean, but I’m improving slightly.

[Skyman911]

I turn 64 this summer as well!

[Skyman911]

That’s good advice. I’m working on stumming softer these days. I’ll try this. I seem to have no issues stumming loudly.