[Loraine]

Welcome to the TAC community! I’m not really sure of the exact answer to your question. Over the years there have been times where it’s dropped off completely and then they fix it, and they say that they are showing the true numbers but I stopped looking at it a long time ago. I think it is too easy to become distracted by the number. If you’re true to yourself, and you know in your heart that you’ve played more, then you’re in a good place. But if you would like an answer to your question my suggestion is to click the link at the bottom that says contact support and you’ll send message, and Victoria will get back to you very quickly with an answer to that question

[Loraine]

Well done all of it!! And I like the fact that you’re trying different tunings and genres of music. That adds a lot of fun to the mix.

I had learned some open tunings when I had hurt my arm and wrist and gotten Tennis elbow and tendonitis throughout the arm, from trying to stretch too far with my fingers, without me, having the flexibility and without warming up, and that’s extremely important. So that you avoid getting hurt. I wasn’t able to play guitar for 4 to 6 months. I forget what it was because of the issues with the arm. It was too painful, and you should never play through pain like that. So I learned a few songs, and open tuning is easier because I didn’t have to stretch my fingers at all. It was typically the open strings, and then A note here and a note there.

it can be a big hassle to have to retune a guitar constantly. There are tons of alternate tunings out there, but not everyone has the extra guitar, unfortunately. As a suggestion to others, if you can pick up one at auction or a garage sale, resale shop etc, I highly suggest it. Just so that you have a guitar that you can practice on in an alternate tuning.

Anyway keep up the great work!

[Loraine]

HAPPY 1ST TACIVERSARY PETE!!

THE FIRST IS DEFINITELY A BIG ONE!! I LOVE READING TO TACIVERSARY STORIES (anniversary for those newer or who refuse to use the terminology that’s been around longer than me).

I do believe this is probably the most important anniversary that people can have playing guitar, because so many quit before getting to the one year mark period I think that if you hit this particular one, you have a much better chance at continuing on your journey and becoming a good guitar player.

I practice on an old takamini in my office. I bought it at auction and only paid about $60 for it. But it’s privately valued about 700 if I bought it. No, so it’s, you know, not cheap, but not very expensive either. In terms of guitars. You don’t have to have a really expensive guitar too.Learn on or to become a better player.

Keep up the great work. Youre definitely a valuable member of TAC and in the forums. Look forward to your next milestone.

[Loraine]

Love it Bill. You got smmoother and faster as you played. Keep on rocking.

[Loraine]

Welcome to TAC! You’re off to a fantastic start! It sounded great you were fluid and who can’t have fun with Hotel California, right?

[Loraine]

@KnottyJim That’s a great question. They’re actually the same. The pentatonic scale plus one is what you’re referring to ans the blues scale and the plus one I think is a chromatic note that is called a blue note.

[Loraine]

Hey, welcome @Anawnnymoose (Awesome screen name btw). I always suggest going through the 30 days, as a refresher, but also an intro to Tony’s teaching style, but there’s nothing limiting you to spreading it out 30 days. Some go through it quickly as just a fun intro, and others take the suggested 30 days, but can take even longer. This is your program and journey. Jump into the daily challenges and skills courses as you like.

You’ve already realized the fun part of the equation, so you’re well on your way.

[Loraine]

Hi @AnnieI ! Welcome to the TAC community, and I’m glad you introduced yourself. The first intro/post is always the hardest.

Sounds like you’re speeding right along and having lots of fun. Your background is interesting, in that you started with banjo. That’s not the easiest intro to strings, but then again, what really is – lol. Looking forward to hearing more from you.

[Loraine]

I’m so humbled by your very kind and gracious comments Bill. Thank you so much. I have read the story so many times today and cried each time. The sadness and pain, and grief are still there. I appreciate you sharing your own experience. It’s been great getting to know you more recently.

[Loraine]

Hey Rainbird

First welcome to the TAC community. You receive some great information from @Skyman911 and @DennyG .

I had never played guitar before I joined. I experienced the exact same frustrations at the beginning, just as you have and sky man and Denny and so many others who came before you.

Guitar is a difficult instrument to learn, but it’s not impossible. I can guarantee that if you do the minimum 10 minutes a day you will progress and get better most people put in a little bit more than the 10 minutes a day but you don’t wanna put in too much time either. It’s counterproductive when that happens. You can actually get worse.

The name of the game is progress, not perfection. Most people have difficulty with the lessons at the beginning, but I can guarantee that when those same song lessons roll around again, because they do and other lessons, you’ll be able to see your progression and how far you’ve come.

I was a very slow learner and I struggled and I found it very frustrating that I could not play songs at the beginning. But one does not become the best pitcher or running back or virtuoso guitarist overnight. All these take a lot of practice mindset change and then actually talking with other people finding common ground. Telling yourself and others that you are a guitarist. Own it. You can look for people in your area by going up to your profile and in the drop down look for search members or location or something like that. Suggestion, search by state, not city or something too restrictive.

I think I was here about a year when I did take some private lessons to supplement Tony’s teachings. The guitar teacher was shocked at how advanced I was compared to his other students. He never interfered or critiqued or criticized my relationship with TAC. We actually worked on some of the TAC lessons. He is very supportive and never threatened by me taking lessons at TAC. All that is a testament to how this does work.

Down the road if you haven’t purchased it, you might want to consider the fretboard wizard course. It’s a great way to learn some of the fretboard, some theory, and to understand what makes a guitar work so well.

I’ll try to end this soon. Ha ha because I write too much. I almost quit playing guitar around two years in. I saw others that had begun around the same time with me Advance at a much faster rate than me. That is dangerous to compare yourself to others I have to look at what was going on in my life at the time it was a hell of a lot. was frustrated because I was such a slow learner I thought I was never gonna get it and I was meeting up with some people in Florida and I knew they were more advanced. So I got a list of the songs and I just tried my best to play them over and over you know for a good month or two I wasn’t great at a lot but I actually could hear songs I was able to sing because I knew some of the songs. That is a key to singing, especially at the beginning things didn’t go well at the meet up I left early.

When I got home, I started playing the same songs, and all of a sudden everything just clicked into place. I was able to play songs I had never been able to play before my chord transitions were becoming smoother and smoother I was able to sing most of the time. And trust me, you don’t wanna hear me sing ha ha ha?

My first year I decided that I was gonna post and share the good the bad the ugly of my Journey. People may have thought what is this crazy person doing, but it gave me an outlet to my stress, depression and even anger I was going through at the time. I truly believe that by dng so, I got better.

<font face=”inherit”>So, the moral of this long long story, </font><b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>don’t quit before the miracle happens. <font face=”inherit”> Most ays, I love playing my guitar and play as much as I can. I have a guitar I. Just about every room. I have the worst vocals still, but I’m working on them. My vocal </font>cords<font face=”inherit”> atrophied over a 4 year period from not having human contact and using my vocal </font>cords<font face=”inherit”> in speech or singing. I truly don’t care about it. I enjoy playing and singing. </font>

<font face=”inherit”>Remind yourself every day why you wanted to learn the guitar make a sign. Put it where you can see it. Say it out loud. Participate in the quarterly check ins that Tony does. Take them seriously. I hope to see you around, and good luck with it. </font>

<font face=”inherit”>I really do apologize for the length of this post because I tend to just ramble and if there’s mistakes or things you don’t understand, it’s because I dictate everything it does not like my accent feel free to reach out if you have questions or need assistance with anything.</font>

[Loraine]

Thanks Fletchie-poo. I did learn from the best and the likes of you!

[Loraine]

Hi Albert – thank you. I did the story more for myself, because it was inside me and I needed to get it out and on paper. I had absolutely no expectation it would be chosen. I panicked when the contacted me.

[Loraine]

If only … I think and say things like that about so many things. But, sometimes I can be discouraged when I do that. My immediate thoughts will always go to the negative, and I beat myself up for not having stuck with something. I have to force myself to try to stay in the moment and just enjoy the now. In hindsight, I’m not sure I would have stuck with trying to learn the guitar when I was younger. I was too busy running to where I thought the grass would be greener, but my sorry ass always went with me, so I was doomed. It wasn’t until the last few years that I decided to do things for me and simply be content in the moment (hopefully).

[Loraine]

@JTSchrock I don’t believe we’ve spoken before, so I’m very happy you commented. We all need these inspirations.

[Loraine]

Thanks Stevie – I hope I still have my mental faculties at that age.