[Loraine]

Thanks for letting us get to know you better @WyoBoy52 ! I think it’s great that some of the old skills came right back. Keep up with the dailies as best you can. Don’t shy away too much from the fingerpicking lessons. Best way to learn is to try.

[Loraine]

That’s more nerve racking than when my nut came off. Good for you @Cadgirl for taking the initiative!

[Loraine]

Happy 1st TACiversary @Dirk_R ! You’ve come a long way in a short amount of time. Keep on plunking!

[Loraine]

@L0ngSh0t As long as it’s within the current month, you should be able to go back to it. Once a new month starts, then you’ll have to wait for the lesson to come back around (about every 8 months). You can always favorite the lesson by clicking on the little heart icon ♥ under the video. The lesson is then saved to your favorites and can be found on your profile. If the lesson you’re trying to get to is from November, and you still can’t get to it. I suggest contacting Support.

[Loraine]

@OhWowMan My hands too small and my fingers wouldn’t stretch well like that.

[Loraine]

Welcome to the TAC community @Stackmanjohn ! Lookin forward to getting to see your progress too.

[Loraine]

Loved the minor sound of this. Very relaxing @charlie_d

[Loraine]

I doubt the volume would go up with a heavier gauge string @JeffM.22 , because it would be more difficult to hit the strings. The best thing to do is finger strengthening exercises; and make sure you’re hitting the string at a 90 degree angle (straight on). My hammer-ons are the loudest, but they’re getting better. Lots of practice.

[Loraine]

If you have a full tear, then you should probably back off playing as much as you are until you rehab or have surgery. Have you discussed it with your doctor or physical therapist? You could actually cause more damage to it. Rotator cuff tears are quite literally no laughing matter.

[Loraine]

Just outright fun @KevinZ . You did extremely well playing the blues. 😎

[Loraine]

Sounded really good against the backing track. Nice contrast and timing. Well done @Michael_Green !

[Loraine]

Awesome! And to your sister @sis_di Welcome to the TAC family. It is a lot of fun, and to still say that after 200 days is a great testament to the program. Keep on plunking away @albert_d !

[Loraine]

Hi @d2rsandy and welcome to the TAC community! I have smaller hands, and I completely understand what you’re experiencing. You might want to take the stretching lessons in the Skills section. I wouldn’t necessarily use the pinky in lieu of the ring finger, because it is not proper placement, would become habitual,the pinky might be needed to fret a different note at some point. It’s okay if you have to lift your hand to help with the reach. Your reach/stretch will become easier as time goes on. Another s I lotion when doing scales is to use a capo in a lower fret (such as the 5th fret). Frets become more narrow as you go up the neck, and you’ll find it much easier to play.

As for the 30 Days to Play, you can take as long as you need, but I caution you from remaining on a lesson until you feel you can play it perfectly. TAC’s philosophy is that if you play a minimum of 10 minutes per day, you will improve. If you play the minimum time, mark a lesson :: practicing then do so, but remember it’s about progress, not perfection. You can also mark a lesson as a Favorite (heart at bottom left of videos. Then you can access it any time by %oing to your profile and clicking Favorites.

Lastly, remember to breathe and have fun while playing.

[Loraine]

I liked the hybrid picking used @Jonathandavid . Great job!

[Loraine]

@NewCreation My heart goes out to you with regard to your mother. I was a caregiver for my mother for years, and she had dementia and several other health issues that made it a full time job, along with my regular job and household. She recently passed away, but I’m so glad I was able to be there for her and to have the time with her.

As for guitar, it was my saving grace during the past year and a half during Covid and dealing with the isolation of being a caregiver. It was a great outlet for stress, boredom, loneliness, isolation, depression, etc., and it brought me such joy and was fun. The TAC community listened to my frustrations and challenges often and were very supportive, patient, and understanding.

What’s great about the TAC program is that this is our own personal journey, and all that’s asked is a commitment of a minimum of 10 minutes per day. Considering how challenging things were at home, there were many times that 10 minutes were all I had. I found 10 minutes even when I had been at the hospital emergency room with my mom for 5 hours. It was exactly what I needed to relieve some tension before I had to return to the hospital after she was admitted.

You started in the perfect place with the 30 days to play lessons. From there, just continue with the next 6 chords. After that you might want to try the daily challenges and start looking through the Skills courses. The Jumpstart to Flatpicking, Fingerpicking and Strumming courses were great. This is your program, so you can go at your own pace and in any direction you’re interested in. With regard to all the lessons, don’t shoot for perfection. This is more about progress over time and you want to continue moving forward. Mark lessons complete after you’ve worked them at least 10 minutes. You can ‘favorite’ any you really like or you want to return to at some point. They’ll be saved in your Profile under favorites. Tabs (tablature) to all lessons can be found by clicking the link next to the favorite’s icon at the bottom right of each video. I usually save these to my computer, but that’s not a requirement. The Daily Challenges rotate about every 8 months, so you’ll be able to see progress from the first time taking the lessons and the next year.

There are virtual open mics (VOM’s) several times throughout the week. These are through Zoom and you can choose to play or to just listen to other players. Days and times can be found at justmusicgeeks.com and clicking on the calendar. Feel free to join in any of the conversations in the forums too. It’s a great way to support other players and to be inspired. All playing levels are encouraged and the groups are very positive and supportive.

If you ever need anything please feel free to PM me. Just click on your name at the top and choose messages from the drop down menu.

Have fun with the 30 days to play, and I hope to see you on the forums and to see your progress over the year. It’s a truly amazing program.

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