[Loraine]

Hi @BarbaraM Like so many others, the dreaded C chord gave me so many problems until someone pointed out that I could move my index finger up further to allow more room for the middle finger. The reason this works is because the low E string is not part of the C chord and is not played, so you can essentially have your index finger infringe upon the low E string somewhat and have it remain muted.

[Loraine]

Hi @Joyfinder Welcome to the TSPAC community! Sounds like you jumped right in and are off to a great start. As an fyi, I play WAGON wheel with a Bass strum too. It’s a fun song, but it’s always good to learn new skills and ways of doing things.

You have the right attitude. We’re a program of progression, not perfection. Give it a good go (at a minimum 10 minutes per day) and mark a lesson complete. You can still work on it more if you like, but don’t stop moving forward. Move to the next lesson the next day. You will see progress and improvement.

Enjoy your journey. If you haven’t considered it, ai highly recommend the 30 Days To Play course, even if you already have some experience. It’s a great primer, and most find that they still learn something new.

[Loraine]

Hi @jackcc23 What a great opportunity! I’m not to that point yet, and I’ve never accompanied someone or played lead guitar so I can’t necessarily comment on what you’re asking. I would think you could play the verse and chorus line of chords as a solo, or you could try to improvise something. I just wanted to wish you luck. Please keep us posted as to what you ended up doing and how it went. Good luck.

[Loraine]

@dpatton_HockeyGuy The muted string syndrome happens to the best of us, and as @Moose408 so correctly points out, it is micro adjustments that lead to finally finding the sweet spot, and it takes time, and sometimes it takes a lot of time.

Putting too much pressure on the strings is typically not the answer when it comes to fretting. You shouldn’t need to place that much pressure to where your finger tips hurt. I agree, play one string at a time to find out which string is muted, and then make micro adjustments. Arching your fingers more by bringing your wrist down and out as Moose points out should help also, and possibly raising the neck of the guitar or even trying the classical guitar positioning of your guitar, which brings the neck up and closer to the body, and forces your hand arm to arch when playing. It is actually quite comfortable, and more and more western players are switching to holding their guitars like this.

Lastly, the Dm chord gives even many veterans headaches. I know several that still struggle with it, but personally, I can attest that all the chords get easier over time, you will build up muscle memory and be able to play chords clearly. It simply takes extra work on the front side that you have to be willing to put in.

[Loraine]

@DiscostewLA That’s really cool. I know a few people that attended it. Not sure if they’re still current TAC members or not, but it’s too late to pass on the info. I know they met some really awesome people. Out of curiosity, how did you get invited by Martin? I’ll have to have a private word with them! Haha!

[Loraine]

@Linea It doesn’t need to need to be perfect. The fact that you tried and succeeded is a big win! Keep it up!

[Loraine]

👍

[Loraine]

@mikehill53hotmail-com I had never played the guitar before either, and it was scary moving forward. I definitely wasn’t proficient in the skills taught in the 30 days to play when it was suggested I move onto the daily challenges. What both @albert_d and @Moose408 have said is spot on. The name of the game is progress. Progress over perfection. Keep moving forward, and you will improve. You’ll find some daily challenges to be extremely challenging and difficult. Just do the best you can. Other weeks you’ll find the lessons a little less challenging. Tuck those under your belt and keep moving forward. Glad you’re having fun. That should be what it’s about!

[Loraine]

@lollyt Great win! Keep at it.

[Loraine]

@atroutcatcher For me, a strap is a must, even sitting, because there are many times my hands come off the guitar, and I might lean or turn in my seat. The guitar can easily fall. It is a safety net. It also brings me comfort l’

[Loraine]

That’s an awesome win @sflemdogmsn.com ! Congratulations on completing the 30 days to play and 5 day challenge. Don’t forget to take the daily stretching skills course. It really is an essential tool that every player should be aware of and practice to avoid injury. As an example, I developed tennis elbow and tendinitis in the forearms and hand on my fretting hand from over stretching it on chords without being limber enough and warmed up. I was out of commission for over 6 months of not being able to play the guitar.

Things to keep in mind with the dailies. Some weeks will be very challenging, while others may come more easily. Just do the best you can. Our mantra is progress over perfection. We aim to continually move forward, and through a concerted effort consisting of a minimum of 10 minutes, you will improve/progress in our skills and abilities. Mark a lesson complete after 10 minutes. It doesn’t mean that you can’t keep working on it. Just don’t get hung up on it. Keep moving forward. The lessons typically rotate back around every 8-9 months, so you’ll have an opportunity to compare your abilities and the ease of the skills between lessons. I think you’ll be pleased to see that you pick things up much quicker and find it easier. Have fun!

[Loraine]

Hi @redrivermonkey Congrats on completing the 30 days to play! My suggestion is to take the Skills courses titled the 5-day Guitar Routine Challenge and also the Daily Stretch Routine course. The 5 day Guitar Routine Challenge explains how the Daily Challenges are set up. Each week has a topic/learning objective, and each day has a focus or skill base, such as rhythm, scale, etc. The course explains it all, so you understand the dailies. Then, you should begin on the daily challenges. You can take the Skills courses anytime you have the time and interest. There is no set curriculum. This is your guitar journey, and you can take whatever courses interest you and at your own pace. The main goal is to commit a minimum of 10 minutes per day. We practice progress rather than perfection, so mark a lesson complete after giving it a good go for at least 10 minutes. You can still continue to work on it, but don’t get hung up on it. Do the best you can and then move forward. You will improve, and you’ll see this as time goes on and when lessons rotate back around 9 months later or so.

[Loraine]

Thank you so much @Camilla ! I spent a lot of time working on strumming. It is not an easy skill, as one would actually think it should be. I also learned early to use a metronome to help with timing.

The song was a favorite of mine from when ai was a kid (Yes, I was a disturbed child – lol). The artist, David Bowie, had a rather large repertoire of music ranging from rock, pop, disco, grunge, folk, etc. He’s was very influential in music of all genres, and was extremely talented. Unfortunately we lost him at a very young age of 69.

[Loraine]

Thanks so much @stevieblues !

[Loraine]

@cwglazemusic I absolutely love playing the 12 string. I can actually play the song better than ai did in the video, but for not having played the song in a while and jumping right onto the,12 string I was happy with it, even with all the flaws. The guitar is so fun to play and sounds so great with certain songs. I think it’s totally worth the investment. I didn’t spend a lot on mine. I’m a fan of Orangewood guitars. They are well made, great set ups and easy to play, great customer service, and the prices are extremely reasonable.