[Loraine]

@outdoorgator Hm, typed a message and hit post, but it disappeared!

I really enjoyed this song played on your Resonator (is that a Gretsch?) Now you’ll have to incorate using a slide. lol. Great job!

[Loraine]

Hi @barbaram The major pentatonic starts with the pinky on the root note (1st note of scale), whereas the minor pentatonic starts with the index finger on the root note. The pattern is the same for both, but the beginning note will differ for each.

[Loraine]

@langerking With regard to the daily challenges, you can begin on any day. If you miss a day or a few days, simply start on the day you can play. Just do the best you can for the minimum of 10 minutes, then mark the lesson complete. You can still work on it, but the goal is to simply give it your best shot. You will continue to improve in your skills and playing. The lessons eventually come back around, and what you’ll notice is that you pick up on things you couldn’t do previously, and the lesson seems to be easier to pick up on concepts. This cyclical learning is a great way to judge how you’re advancing.

Keep on plunking!

[Loraine]

Hi @Limor This is a timeless question,on,playing actual songs. I remember being baffled by it at the beginning. My suggestion is to Google songs with 2 and 3 chords. They’ll be the easiest. If you know the song well, you can often figure out a strum pattern, but I always suggest using a metronome, and start slow. One down strum for every chord on the 4th count/click on it. Increase the speed by 5-10 beats once you’re able to master 1 chord every 4 beats.

If you need to work on transitions between chords, use the metronome. Take 2 adjacent chords in a song. Again, play the chord on the first beat. On beats 2,3,4 transition to the next chord (position fingers correctly) and strum down on the next beat 1; then use 2,3,4 again to transition back to the other chord, and back and forth. Again start slow and increase speed by 5-10 beats once you’re able to transition 10x in a row without missing a beat and with clear chords.

There are many resources to learn songs on sites and YouTube. I don’t like to provide competitors openly, so I’ll message you a few sites.

[Loraine]

Hey @Philb You had some pretty intricate moves in there. Great job! You’re getting better and better.

[Loraine]

Hi @PickinmyPocket I’m pretty sure it does not count as another session. Sessions are based on whether you sign in daily. It will have already logged your session for the day.

[Loraine]

Dang this was good. I love Bread. Loved your vocals. I liked that you were able to raise your pitch. You really stretched them to reach the high notes, and you nailed it. I would love to have seen your hands. The intro was cool, and I’d love to see what you were doing. I like how you did percussive slaps. and would love to learn that skill.

[Loraine]

Hey @Philb Thank you so much for listening and your compliment. As for barre chords, I’m kinda a freak. I like doing full barre chords. For some reason I’m able to do them. Freak of nature! Haha

[Loraine]

Thanks for posting! It is a funny song. I listened to it, and I would have interpreted and done the music so differently than was done. Funny how that is when you read the lyrics first and then listen to the music.

[Loraine]

What a great memory Langerking! Some great songs. I don’t remember Yellow Bird. I’ll have to check that one out. I have always loved To Sir, With Love.

[Loraine]

Always appreciate your kind words and support Brandon!

[Loraine]

I have tickets to see Ten Years After in October, but the show got postponed over Visa issues they were having. But, it will be rescheduled.

[Loraine]

I’m using the Ultimate-guitar.com version

[Loraine]

I’ve never had Eric Burdon mentioned in the same sentence as me before. haha. He had a very distinctive voice. Thank you for the compliment on my chord transitioning. 🙂

[Loraine]

@pdb962 Welcome to TAC. I’d like to make a few suggestions regarding the 30 days to playand how to approach the program and lessons as a whole. This might also help @Big-Jim and @drstump54 . The program and lessons are not meant to me perfected. Throw perfection out the window and strive for progress instead. If you’ve given a lesson at least the minimum attempt for 10 minutes, then mark it complete. You can still work on it, but don’t let trying to perfect something interfere with your progression. Keep moving forward in your lessons. You will improve by doing so. Many of the same skills you’re are stuck on will come up again in another lesson, and you’ll be able to practice them again, and you will be surprised that you are better at it than before.

I was the slowest learner I know of when I started with TAC, having absolutely no prior skills on the guitar. There were a lot of great people on the forums that helped me out and never let me best myself up too badly. They were positive, inspiring, patient, and great teachers and role models. Back then there were more people that were semi-formal mentors. TAC didn’t carry over that role when they moved to the new platform, but many forum members stepped up and took over an informal sort of mentorship. It’s all in the asking.

Guitar is a difficult instrument, but it’s not impossible. I almost quit at about year 3, but I’m glad I stuck with it. I hit a period of rapid growth. Things simply became easier and skills were achieved quickly. It’s been a really fun ride since. The moral of the story, Don’t quit before the miracle happens. Good luck all. Feel free to reach out via messaging if need be.