[dr_dave]

I am not sure how to best help you. Suppose guitar is in standard tuning E-A-D-G-B-e. Now if you place a capo at the first fret, the open strings at Capo 1 become F-Bb-Eb-Ab-C-f. The open chords also transpose up 1/2 step so if you play what looks like an E chord, it becomes and F, G becomes Ab, A becomes Bb, C becomes Db, D becomes Eb etc.

At Capo 2 (2nd fret), the strings wouod be F#-B-E-A-C#-f# and the open chord shapes would be one whole step higher than if played sans capo: E becomes F#, G becomes A, A becomes B, C becomes D, D becomes E etc.

at Capo 4, you would be up two whole steps. E becomes G#, G becomes B, A becomes C#, C becomes E, D becomes F#. Learning where the roots are in each chord shape and learning where notes are on the fretboard will help you see these things for yourself.

Does this help you?

[dr_dave]

Sounds like your joy returned via going through the equivalent of what we used to have as the “Libraries.” I really lament the loss of them.

[dr_dave]

Let me know if you can find any difference between the Barre Chord 5-day Challenge and Better Barre Chords. I told TAC HQ a few weeks ago that they are exactly the same thing. Maybe I missed something?

[dr_dave]

Great job! One of my favorites from the vault.

[dr_dave]

Great to hear all these wins, Doug. Hope your vacation is good in other regards too.

[dr_dave]

Wow. This is big. Very big!! That was a serious undertaking, but you managed it. Some people are not afraid to set the bar high. So I guess it’s on to the next challenge. Good luck on whatever that might be.

[dr_dave]

I spent some time composing a nice reply. I was wondering why it wouldn’t post. After several tries, I navigated away (of course without copying what I had written), only to get slammed by the new TAC with the login prompt. I’m sorry for the thread drift, especially on such a cheerful page, but I needed to vent.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming. This is a really big win. I know it takes incredible drive to do something of this magnitude. I gave up on recording myself a long time ago because of how tough it is to get a decent take. I’m content with seeing a video from one of my Zoom open mic performances, and I’ve cut back on those, even though I play and practice as much as I ever have. From that perspective, what you’ve done here with this 100-day challenge is akin to moving a mountain. Heartiest congrats.

[dr_dave]

This is great news. It’s amazing how much you have accomplished in your first year.

[dr_dave]

Wow, TJ – great emotion and feeling in this song. You’re strumming is solid and your singing has progressed a lot. You offer a great testimonial to how much the VOM performances (and the rehearsal preparing for those performances) can advance one’s skills. Bravo, and happy first anniversary FNL. Sorry I missed it.

[dr_dave]

I believe in using a metronome frequently, and it’s never too early to start. Occasionally Tony mentions the metronome, but I don’t recall any lessons built around use of the metronome.

As far as getting your chord transitions down first, I say don’t wait. You don’t necessarily have to use the metronome to practice your chord transitions, at least initially, but at least start practicing single string picking with it.

You mentioned some success on quarter notes and then a lack of success with eight notes. You did not mention speed. A quarter note at a certain tempo is exactly as long as an eighth note at half that tempo.

My advice is to start fairly slow, just using down picks on a single string. Don’t even worry about playing a scale or melody. Initially just try to make one down pick on every click, say at 60 bpm. Slow it down if this seems difficult. And try to tap your foot in time with the metronome as you do this.

You did not say whether you tried all down picks or a D-U-D-U technique when you tried to do eighth notes. Definitely try the D-U-D-U approach. Remember to tap your foot once per click in time with the metronome. If it is too hard, slow the tempo until you find some success.

If this seems difficult, recognize that it takes time to learn it. Give yourself a chance. Gradually speed up the metronome as you gain confidence.

Next, learn a simple melody, something like “Mary had a Little Lamb.” Start playing that to the metronome, slowly at first and gradually increasing speed.

As you get more confident with chord transitions, pick two chords that are easy for you and start practicing alternating between just those two chords to the beat of the metronome. This will most likely need to be at a speed much slower than the other things you were doing. Maybe 40 bpm. If that’s too fast, only strum on every other beat. The point is to begin internalizing your sense of timing and to have discipline and accuracy as to when you strum, your fretting hand will eventually learn to keep up with your strumming hand and tapping foot.

I hope to hear back from you in a few weeks to see whether you see improvement. Too often, we’re impatient and looking for a quick fix. Give yourself enough time to learn this. We often get to practice only a few minutes per day, so it’s unfair to expect we’ll just turn on the metronome and things will just fall into place. Be patient. The metronome is a quantitative thing and over time you will be able to measure progress very objectively.

I’m playing some bluegrass melodies around 170-180 bpm these days, but I still have quite a way to go to truly get them “up to tempo.” It has taken quite a few years of practice to get to where I am, and it will take a lot more practice to get to where I want to be. But I have lately started a few new tunes and had them up to the 130-140 range pretty quickly – less than an hour after starting the tune.

You can get good results too if you pay your dues. The key to keeping good time is practicing regularly over a long time with patience. Did I just say the key to good time is time? Yes, in fact I did.

[dr_dave]

Silly me – I wrote from the perspective of a flat picker. You can certainly adapt the approach I outlined to finger picking or you can choose to do both. Just remember to start slow and simple. Build a little speed with simple things and then slow things back down as you build complexity. Make rhythm and timing become a part if your regular practice routine.

[dr_dave]

Congrats on putting this piece together, and congrats on winning the contest! That certainly is a grand prize, worth several grand in fact!

[dr_dave]

Thanks Ian. Exactly what I was going to say. Changing string gage usually requires truss rod adjustment to dial in neck relieve, but should not require you to change saddle or nut height. The truss rod does not change the action.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 10 months ago by  dr_dave.

[dr_dave]

I am greatly saddened by this news. Greatly.

[dr_dave]

Oooooh! Happy Mothers’ Day,