[Loraine]

For the calluses, I suggest two things. First soften up the calluses after a shower is a great example of when they would be softened or you can soak them in a small bowl of warm water with some dish, soap or some salt, or some what type of vegetable oil or any type of oil. Then, I would use either a nail file or a small piece of sandpaper and rub your finger against the grain. And then with the grain over the calluses don’t do it to wear it, please or causes pain, but do it enough. That it will wear down part of the callus that sticks up.

So the other question I have is, where are your calluses? Are they on the tips of your fingers? Or on your cushions of the fingers. Your calluses should only be on the tips of your fingers. If they’re on the cushions, then you’ll want to revisit proper placement of the tip of fingers for fretting.

So when you do a pull off it is a quick flick on the string. It is not necessarily where you’re holding down the string and then flicking. It is more quickly flicking downward.

I agree pull offs are more challenging than hammer ons. But it gets easier.

[Loraine]

Yeah, there’s nothing wrong with learning on the electric. I agree. Electrics are much easier to play than acoustics.

@jorgemac gave a good explanation on how to execute a hammer on. Make sure that you are hammering straight down on the tips of your fingers. If you are having difficulty with that, push your hand downward and your fingers will automatically curl more. It does require building up strength in your fingers to do louder hammering but it does become easier with time

They’re a great skill to have, so keep practicing.

Don’t shy away from music stores if you dont know how to play yet. The employees at the stores love to help people. You can always ask for a private room or a lesson room that you can go into. If one is not available, don’t let this push you from enjoying yourself. And looking at the guitars and picking at them and playing around with them. It’s okay not to know that much. You can ask the store for some suggestions. They’ll go out of their way to help you.

[Loraine]

Hey SteveBee, there actually are two Fretboard Wizard courses. There is the original one from Tony’s prior website, and then he rewrote the course within the last two years, I believe. It appears that you are pulling up the vintage course, as well as the new course. They’re both available to anyone that has purchased the course.

See the screenshot that shows both of them. The first is the old one, and the second says, new on it, and that is the current one. It can’t hurt to take em both.You’re going to learn similar things.But you might actually pick up something different in each one.

Most people go through the course more than once. Typically, on an annual basis to refresh their memories. Oftentimes people woke comment that every time they go through it, they pick up on something new.

[Loraine]

I’m friggen envious as hell! Have a fantastic time, and enjoy the songs you’ve chosen. Great list. Share experiences and photos, if you’re able to.

[Loraine]

Hi Michael. I hear your frustration. I agree with Pete, go back to the quick start guide. There really isn’t a right or wrong way to work the material in TAC. I did the 30 days, the next 6 chords, and then I took stretching, The 5 days skill course came awhile after I started, but it’s a great intro into he daily challenges and how they’re set up. The daily challenges are an extremely important path, because it teaches all the foundational skills. The Skills courses are a great way to learn specific techniques and add variety. Take whichever you are drawn to.

You are taking advantage of the community by posting your frustration and asking for assistance. That’s the exact place you’ll find the help and guidance you need. Keep asking, but also make sure yo post your small wins too. This encourages others, and it allows us to celebrate with you.

There is a Support button too to reach Victoria at TAC (bottom left)

[Loraine]

Hi Mave! You’ve got this. It’s a journey and it will get easier as you continue on it. The tabs can be daunting at the beginning. As you build up muscle memory in your fingers and string awareness, it will become easier , faster and more fluid. Hammer ons & Pull offs are about precision in how your fingers strike or pull a string. I would focus on that aspect. The tabs come in time.

[Loraine]

Welcome to the TAC community!

What you’ve outlined is completely normal. I had never had any experience with the guitar until I started with TAC, and I found it extremely challenging at the beginning. You’ve gotten some great advice from others.

What I would like to add is that if something isn’t challenging then you won’t get better. If it’s too easy then it doesn’t give you something to work towards. Guitar is a difficult instrument, or a challenging instrument, but you can learn to play the guitar. It takes time. It takes patience. It takes effort at the beginning. It seems daunting and frustrating.

But I always tell people don’t give up until the miracle happens. That miracle may take a while to happen. I almost quit at the end of two years because I was frustrated. I could play. I could play some songs at that point, but I felt things were very challenging still, and I felt others were leaps and bounds ahead of me. I was actually going to meet a few TAC members for a three day jam, and I knew I was out of my league. I got a list of the songs that were suggested, and I practiced as many as I could over and over and over and nowhere near perfect. The jam wasn’t great, and I left early. But when I got back from it, something clicked and all of a sudden I just took off in my playing, in my learning and it’s still like that a few years later, I’m not a great player and I’m OK with that, but I can play a lot of songs. I play for the sheer enjoyment for myself. It’s my happy place.. That’s my motivator. You need to find what motivates you and you have to remind yourself often, while you’re playing and then you have to just put 1 foot in front of the other and eventually all of a sudden it just takes off.

[Loraine]

Welcome to TAC Zia!

It can be difficult and daunting when first learning. I knew absolutely nothing about the guitar when I started, so I completely understand the confusion and feeling overwhelmed and trying to understand everything. Guitar is not necessarily the easiest instrument, but it does get easier with time.

If you ever get a chance to take Fretboard wizard, I highly recommend it to understand a lot of what Albert was explaining with regard to the make up of a chord and the root notes.

As for an A chord, the note is the a string so you strap from the a down, which would be strumming 54321 if you’re counting the strings, the D chords route note is the D string, so Tony is strumming from the D down 4321 eventually, it just becomes second nature to know what strings to strum and to also have string awareness and to build up muscle memory in your fingers to know exactly how to fret a chord and also the strings too strum .

My suggestion to anyone starting out is to be patient to be kind and to know that it will take time, but you will .

[Loraine]

Hey Brian, welcome to the TAC community!

It’s a legit and good question TAC teaches progress rather than perfection. It’s OK that you don’t master any of the lessons or skills as you’re going through the 30 days to play or even once you start taking the daily challenges.

Tony researched it quite a bit when he was developing the program and the backbone is that if you can put in a minimum of 10 minutes per day, you will progress . So it’s suggested that you put in the minimum of 10 minutes and Mark a lesson complete that doesn’t mean you can’t continue to practice that lesson. It just means that you shouldn’t be bound by it and trying to reach perfection. It’s actually counterproductive if you practice something too much.

So you’ve put in seven days, so the questions are, Do you have more knowledge than you did seven days ago, and have you progressed and you’re playing capability during those seven days? If the answer is yes, then you were doing everything perfectly and just continue to do that and to move forward. Don’t get caught up on the perfection. Keep moving forward. What you will find is that once you get into the daily challenges, they have quarterly check-ins, which are basically working on a group of lessons that you’ve already taken in the past and taking notes of how much you’ve improved since the last time you took that particular weeks worth of lessons. During those weeks, it is recommended or suggested that you actually tape each of your lessons, so that you have a reference point to go back to and compare how much you’ve improved or things that come easier.

[Loraine]

Sometimes it happens because there is a need to clear your cache.

[Loraine]

Hey Cami, just by going tgrough the lessons, continuing to take baby steps and put one foot in front of the other

And continuing to quit moved forward by picking up your guitar every single day are all small wins. They all contribute to your success down the road.

Congrats on a great win!!

[Loraine]

Hi Dave

The purpose is to treat it just as you would any other lesson, but the benchmark aspect of it means that you will use this week as a benchmark to how you are doing when we go through the song again. You’ll be able to see your improvement . So that’s why it’s called a benchmark.

I suggest that you maybe record your practice each day and just say that.And then the next time you go through it, you can compare the different timestamps.

[Loraine]

Woohoo!! CONGRATS RODNEY! I remember when you started, and yes, time goes by so quickly. Congrats, and I look forward to y

[Loraine]

Mark, thank you for your kind words. I learned from the many that came before me. We’re a tribe of sorts, and we have to help each other in order for us to grow. You also have that gift. Keep lifting others up and helping as much as you’re able to.

[Loraine]

Hi. Barbara. It’s definitely been a challenge. I’ve actually. had worse pain after the 3rd surgery . I mean debilitating pain anad throbbing, nerve pain and hypersensitivity. and the. arthritis in my thumb and fingers is amplified. I do believe a lot of it is duee to a very wet. and. cold winter.

But, I’m still playing every day, but I just can’t. play as long, and I’m back to playing barre. chords like I was previously. I can really feel the pain and stiffness when I first start playing, but I won’t notice it as I get into playing. It’s when I stop and go to straighten my wrist and fingers out that the pain is excruciating, but I rest, rub topical pain relievers, and often times ice. Yet, there are other times, I can play for an hour or two and I’m just so into it, that I don’t notice the pain.

My surgeon is leaving his practice as of 1/14. He is around 50 and now has more money than he knows what to do with, and he’s going to Paris to get a doctorate in Philosophy. He wants to teach ethical practices in surgery (kinda scary they have to teach that). He says his collleague who I’m veing transferred to may show surprise at the wrist, but he’s hoping they read all his notes . When I broke my wrist, and with each surgery, I stressed how important playing guitar was to me and to please do his best to let me continue to play. He thinks my playing has been the best therapy for the hand. He said the type of breaks and amount of breaks typically end something like that.