[Skyman911]

@Jeffk, I think it is healthy to have more than one system of learning. I understand your frustrations regarding the repeating lessons. I did a couple of years with a couple of teachers. My last teacher knew I was also doing TAC. I showed him a couple of the lessons. He thought they were pretty advanced, and contained a lot of material. Certainly something here for all levels of skill. For the price, I don’t think you can get anything that packs this much in. Three months of private instruction pays for TAC. I try to log in everyday and get the most out of the challenges.

BTW, I did quit TAC the first time I joined. It took a while to realize the value provided. And you get great people like Moose408 and Jumpinjeff to offer encouraging words of wisdom. I hope you can find something that works for you.

[Skyman911]

I’m about 4 years in, and the C chord is still probably the one I still struggle with the most. (other than barre chords) The C chord is one of my favorite chords however, and the very first chord I fret when I pick up my guitar. So many variations, and so many songs start in the key of C. I did move to shorter scale Martins, with a 24.9 scale length apposed to the standard 25.5 scale length. This has made the stretch less. Depending on your hand size, guitar size and neck shape, some of your issues may come down to your guitar. Just keep at it. You’ll get there.

[Skyman911]

@Strangeoldgal , something I did when first learning was to just kind of be with my guitar. For example, when sitting watching a show or TV, I would just sit and hold chord shapes while pressing on the strings. Not playing or strumming, just holding. Short intervals doing this during the day or evening, will help in creating finger strength, muscle memory, and help build up the fingertips. My tips really hurt when first learning. Doing this, even for a couple of minutes throughout the day really helped me. Of course, if you can pick or strum even better. It takes a while, so be patient.

[Skyman911]

@all6girlsmotherways-net , barre chords are very difficult, and takes a lot of practice to build the hand and finger muscles. I know some extremely experienced players who never use barre chords. I find them very useful, however I still struggle. I do practice the E chord shape everytime I play. I find it the most useful.

One thing that may help that some people don’t know, is using your non fretting arm to press the guitar body against your body. This will take some pressure off your thumb and index finger. I would recommend trying the E shape barre chord by just pressing the guitar against your body and don’t use your thumb at all. It will be hard, but once you use your thumb again, it will seem easier. The leverage from using the body and the thumb takes a lot of pressure off. Hope that helps a little.

[Skyman911]

I took private lessons for over two years. Half of one year also doing TAC. My teacher even knew I was doing TAC, and I showed him some of the challenges. He thought they were very well put together and thought out. Beware though, there are some not so great teachers. I had to go through a couple to really find one who I connected with. Even a couple of private lessons can go a very long way in the beginning.

[Skyman911]

@johnhalsall87gmail-com , John, totally possible. As an older player myself who just started a few years back, I’ve found that many songs can be simplified, and you can still have fun and sound good even though you may not be using the exact same chords or progression as originally written. Hotel California is actually one of our benchmark songs, and it will come around again soon. One of the first Beetles songs I learned was Day in the Life. It does contain some barre chords that can be modified if you’re not into barre chords yet. Blackbird is one I have been working on for a while.

[Skyman911]

@michaelsbicycles1gmail-com , my short and simple answer is, it depends.

What type of guitar, guitar scale, playing style, action setup etc.. A person who plays a lot of fingerstyle may want lighter strings. One who plays a lot of heavy rhythm guitar with heavy strumming may prefer heavier strings.

[Skyman911]

@Stilltrying , as an older player (63), I can feel your pain. I was a prior TAC member and quit after about 9 months. I was a sheer beginner and felt I wasn’t getting much out of the course. After two years of private lessons, I started seeing some of the value in the course. I rejoined a few months back and don’t do private lessons anymore.

This will need to be your decision to determine if this is worth it or not. TAC isn’t my only method of learning. Also, you only need to do what you want. If you don’t want to do the Wednesday’s improve, don’t. Just do something else as long as you play. I skip many lessons and don’t fret about it. I used to dislike the improve challenges as well, and would skip most of them. I actually really enjoy them now. I don’t solo, but it is a very fun way to work on my scales. If that’s all I get out of it, I had fun playing scales. Below are some of the areas I see real value.

-TAC gets you to play everyday

-TAC throws challenges/techniques at me that I would never try on my own

-Lessons are short enough for my ADHD

-The Benchmark weeks have become very valuable for me

-I incorporate what I learn into the actual songs I want to play

-Stumming/fingerstyle/flat picking lessons get folks out of their comfort zones

I hope you can find what you are looking for. One certainly gets a lot of content for the price here. But again, only if one sees the value.

[Skyman911]

@Loraine, dang it! So sorry to hear this. I must say, you have a great attitude. It is humbling to hear. I know I wouldn’t be as positive as you. With your attitude and dedication, you will heal up faster than you think. I can’t wait to see you post your music again. Heal up quick!

[Skyman911]

@Limor, so here’s my take. I assume we are all learning guitar to play actual songs, and not just to sit and practice. I’ve had two teachers, both from different sides. My first teacher was all about practice, drills, etc.. After a year I left him as I was having no fun at all. My second teacher was all about playing songs and less about practice. Once I let the fun back in, progress skyrocketed.

There are so many resources on the web for learning songs. Take what you are leaning from TAC, and incorporate that into learning songs. Start easy, but do challenge yourself. I use some of the below sites for song learning.

Marty Music
Guitar Hero2Zero
Justin Guitar

There are hundreds of songs if you only know the C, G and D chords.

[Skyman911]

@wetsibhotmail-com the ones I use are:

Songster

Musicnotes

Ultimate Guitar Tabs

Chordify

What I like about Chordify is you can get a free song everyday to play without needing to pay for the service. The chords play along with the music so it’s easier to follow and know when the chord changes are. The bad thing about the free service though, is you can’t slow down or speed up the music. More available features with the subscription service.

[Skyman911]

“but every time I pick up my guitar I get closer to that goal”

This is golden.

[Skyman911]

@Loraine, I hope I didn’t offend. I guess I don’t see these other sites as competitor sites since TAC is so much different. Also, most lessons are free, and no subscription required. I’ll try to be more prudent. I don’t want Tony getting mad at me.

[Skyman911]

Looks like we have more in common. I’ve trained in the MA arts for over 40 years, and still do today.

I agree with some of your comments such as being taught in person how to fret a particular chord vs being taught by a video. I cannot understate the value of personal instruction. It just isn’t practical for many. For me, TAC is just one of many tools I use to learn. It is not my main avenue for learning and practicing. The value it provides is unmatched in my opinion. I hope you can find your path.

[Skyman911]

Let me expand on this a bit. I actually tried a couple of teachers. My first teacher was a perfectionist and would not let me move to the next lesson without perfecting the first lesson. About six months in, I was beyond frustrated, and at this pace, it would be 10 years or more before I could get to the point I wanted. Then I found a new teacher and he was revolutionary. He could tell within 10 minutes that I was just not having fun playing the guitar, as I was trying to perfect every note/chord and I would get pissed when I hit a note or chord wrong. He basically said “you need to learn to have fun playing crappy”. He then had me start to work on Blackbird by the Beatles. I’m like, this is way over my head, and was so intimidated. My progress took off like a rocket ship after that, and the change in mindset was significantly better. After a year with my teacher, I decided to start my own journey. We still keep in touch.

His words of advice still resonate. Don’t compare yourself to others. You will make mistakes, just have fun and be OK with it. Most likely you will be the only one who notices or cares. When frustration sets in, put your guitar down and do something else. Find songs to play that you want to play regardless of the difficulty.