[Loraine]

@brandonkWelcome to the TAC community and congratulations on your leap of faith and starting the 30 days to play.

It seems like just yesterday that I was right where you’re at. I had never played the guitar before. I was given a used guitar 20 years earlier with the promise to my step father that I was going to learn to play it. It took COVID for me to pick it up and start researching how to learn to play it, and I came across one of Tony’s ads and was intrigued. I thought why not and jumped in. Well, screech to a halt. I couldn’t jump in, because that guitar that I basically ignored for 20 years needed some medical attention from lack of humidity control, and it needed a good set up, and the frets sanded down. So for 2 weeks, I simply bugged the hell out of the forum asking questions until I got the guitar back from the luthier.

I started with the 30 days to play, then the next 6 chords, and then the daily lessons and some of the skills courses. I don’t think I’ll ever be a great player, but that’s okay with me. I’m having fun. I began playing songs rather quickly. Maybe within 6 months playing 2 chord songs. Some are better than others or faster than others.

I’ve been playing now for 3 1/2 years. It was only about a year ago that things started falling into place for me, and I started picking up on songs faster. I still and not a great player, but I have a large number of songs under my belt.

[Loraine]

@Rob503 Welcome to the TAC Community! I think it’s great that you’ve dusted off the ol’ guitar that was sitting in the corner collecting cobwebs to give it a go at playing.

I’d like to start by saying, be kind to yourself. You’re only in the first 30 days. If it were “easy” everyone would simply pick up an instrument or foreign language and begin playing or speaking fluently. It would be nice, but that isn’t the case. It takes time, work, practice, and more practice to develop a skill. You will develop the skill if you keep at it. Give it a true go for a minimum of 10 minutes per day. Most people go longer than that, but as long as you commit to 10:minutes each day, you will improve. After the 10 minutes, mark a lesson complete. You can keep working on it, but don’t let perfection hold you up fro progression. We strive for progression over perfection here, and you will get better as time goes on. The guitar is not an easy instrument to learn, but it is so fulfilling once you’ve mastered it. The acoustic guitar, in general, is such a beautiful instrument. Remind yourself often why you wanted to play.

Hang in there, and try and have some fun with it, and you will have so,e aha moments and surprise moments as you continue to move along.

[Loraine]

@BarbaraM I’m sure your post had helped many others. You are not the first, nor the last that will take longer than 30 days to take the 30 days to play challenge. I can understand how it could frustrate someone whose tendency is to be a perfectionist to try to keep moving forward before having mastered the lesson. Boy, if that were the case, for me, aid still be on the 2nd week of the 30 days to play, even after 3 1/2 years – lol. Just kidding. But to put your mind at ease as to whether the TAC program works, I had never played the guitar before joining TAC. I definitely did not master anything in the 30 days to play and many lessons after that. But, the amazing thing is that I actually learned how to play the guitar, read tabs and chord sheets, improvise, play songs, sing, play with others, perform at open mics, etc.,

[Loraine]

Congrats on your 5 year TACiversary @AttyTJ ! It’s been a fun journey with you. I enjoy your posts. They’re like reading riddles. Lol.

I think watching you grow and become more confident in your playing has been the most enjoyable aspect, with your retirement and it’s obvious affect on you and your playing’. You’ve worked especially hard on your vocals, and it’s made a great difference.

Keep up the great work, and just think of where you’ll be in another 5 years. :)”

[Loraine]

That’s absolutely amazing, isn’t it @kjipaulson74yahoo-com ? Welcome to the TAC community, and congratulations on starting the 30 days to play course and completing your first week. That was such a fun week as I remember it. I knew absolutely nothing about guitars when I started, so I can relate to the enthusiasm I felt at being able to play something so quickly. It was inspiring. Keep us posted as to how your doing, and I hope you enjoy your guitar journey. Remember, you will have some ups and downs during your learning., but for any down or frustrating periods, just remember they’re temporary and you will continue to progress by simply working through everything.

As a note, TAC is a platform of progress over perfection. Give the lessons a good go for at least a minimum of 10 minutes per day, mark them complete. You can still work on them, but don’t get stuck on them if you don’t feel you’ve grasped it completely or have mastered it. Keep moving forwad with the lessons. You can revisit any lessons at a later time. Simply click the heart button to favorite it, and it will be saved in your profile under favorites. You’ll find that this way of approaching learning will be more conducive to actually staying motivated and involved and you will continue to get better simply by trying and practicing to the best of your ability. You’ll be better the next time a lesson roles around. Remember to have fun and find the positive and small wins in everything you do.

[Loraine]

@Sandie You’re not alone when it comes to having smaller hands. Many of us do, including many men, as you’ve seen from Chuck’s reply to you. Small hands can be a challenge, but they can’t be a decrement, because there are small children who can play rather intricate chords and songs on guitars. The difference is that they are flexible and they use a smaller neck and scaled guitar for their size.

There are various stretches you can do to increase the flexibility of your muscles and tendons and allow you to move your fingers and jointers further apart as you move along in your guitar journey. Research differenct options through Google and on YouTube for finger stretches and strengthening. Also, take the TAC stretching course and practice it daily before and after playing.

One way I practice stretching my fingers is start with my index finger on the 8th fret of the high e. Then take the middle finger starting on the 7th fret of the high e and touch it on the 7th then the 6th, then the 7th then the 5th, 7th then the 4th (all while keeping the index finger rooted on the 8th fret of the high d string). Go as far as you comfortably can without lifting the index finger. Then do it with the middle finger 7th fret, 6th fret; 7th fret 5th fret; 7th fret 4th fret; Then do it with the ring finger and again 7th, 6th; 7th 5th, 7th 4th. When you can easily do this exercise without lifting the index finger, then move the index finger up to the 7th fret and plant it. Then start the process over but now go from the 6th & 5th, 5th & 4th, 4th & 3rd, and so on. This will gradually stretch your fingers and hands.

[Loraine]

Thanks @Philb . Actually, the capo was just to make the vocals easier for me, but it would also help make the notes tinnier I guess to,sound more like a piano.

[Loraine]

Hey @BarbaraM My apologies if you thought I was saying you were being critical. That was not my intention, whatsoever? I’m so sorry if you felt like that. I have a very bad habit or actually a personality of being direct and often times saying things too harshly without meaning to. I thought your post was great.

[Loraine]

@rwwgreene Thanks so much! Had a lot of fun with this.

[Loraine]

@tmicallef2020gmail-com

Now that’s a true compliment! Thank you! 🙂

[Loraine]

My apologies for calling you Ken. Of course I know your name is Kevin. I’m not sure how that happened.

[Loraine]

Ya got that that right Ken! Thanks @KevinZ

[Loraine]

Thanks @Philb . This was the 1st time I ever really experienced that with my picking where it literally felt like it took off on its own. It was very surreal feeling.

[Loraine]

@al.e Thanks for the listen Al.

[Loraine]

@BarbaraM I did mean the ring finger. My apologies for the error. Yes, sometimes fretting a chord higher up the neck may cone easier at the beginning as you train your hands and fingers to become more limber and stronger. You don’t necessarily need to capo to do it. Simply move up the neck and start say at the 5th or 7th fret and when you’re able to get a clean chord (can play each individual string from the A string down, then move up a fret and start the process over. Dont stay at the higher frets once you can play it, because the ultimate goal is to play it at the open chord location. Keep,working at it, and all of a sudden, you’ll realize one day you can do it every time.