I had been mucking around with the guitar since college all those years ago. Heck I could play a mean air guitar on a lacross stick so why not do it with 6 strings. I learned a few scales and could play the standards of the party scene ok. Brown Eyed girl, American Pie, Twist and Shout and a few blues progressions. From that time and through the first couple years of being married I mucked around somemore and further developed bad playing habbits but did manage a few more songs but never really managed to get any better. Once my girls were born 5 years ago I just didn't have the time nor the inclination to pick up that old beat up guitar.
Something then happened about 2 year ago now. I wanted to get better so I got a new guitar (that was the DN4) and that helped a lot. Much easier on my hands and I just felt better playing it. So from there I spent a great deal of time in the home office looking for TAB sheets on the computer. I was going to get better if it killed me. I then came across YouTube and my world exploded. All the information out there and being able to SEE how someone else played a song really helped. I then started looking for lessons online. I don't know exactly what song got me to Neil and TG (I'm sure it was some Beatles song) but I got hooked with his easy manner and how he articulated the lesson. It was really enjoyable to watch his lessons.
From there I found the TG site about 3 months or so before the first live show. I remember telling my wife that particular weekend that I found this site and a great teacher and he is going to announce this new way of teaching folks through the web. I then said that I was locking myself in the office for the next few hours while the live broadcast was going to play. That was it. I was hooked and signed up that first day. $20.00 a month? Are you kidding? I jumped at the chance.
So that was in April of last year and then I spent so much time looking at all the great lessons. I couldn't believe it. They were all songs that are on my ipod and I just couldn't get enough of it. However I was still bouncing around from lesson to lesson. I think I did get a bit better but still had those bad habbits (G and A chords). Well it took me until about December or so to find out what the other half of the site was about. THE FORUM!!! What the (&(#&$ was this!!! All these people with the same interests as me talking music and guitars. Oh boy I was in for it now. Like I needed any more reason to procrastinate with work. I then saw folks submitting video's of them playing for some sort of review. I remember those early videos of Chris, Suzi, Tony, etc.... but the most amazing thing was the responses people got. I thought that was great.
I'm a pretty shy person (check that. I'm really not but with my guitar playing I am) by nature. I went out and upgraded my video camera and then decided to post a video. I think it was Cry Baby Cry by the Beatles (not a TG lesson). Playing in front of the camera I got it in my head that I had to play lound so that the camera would pick up the sound. Well I didn't have too and the video came out not that good but I posted it anyway. Within about 20 minutes I had all these great responses and pointers on how to improve it. I was hooked big time from there and I couldn't wait to post another one.
Long story here (can't you tell I'm procrastinating from work again) but I enjoy writing about my experience. I have always been a huge lover of music and it really is part of my life. Whether listening to it, watching it or trying to play it. None of my close friends play and I only get a chance maybe once or twice a year to play with a friend that does play and boy is he good. So this site has really become like an audience and collaborator for me. Apart from Neils outstanding teaching method and that I see him so much he's almost part of the family, the folks on the forums and those I've collaborated with are the true value for me. I can honestly say that I have had so much fun working on my songs as well as the ones I have worked with some of you on. It has been a blast and I got a chance to know some great folks through the process. That in itself drives me to get better.
Have I gotten better??? Well I think on some things I have and others I have not. Mostly due to my scatterbrained nature and that I usually take the road I've most travelled. I know I've gotten over my camera fright :laugh: :laugh:. I play softer now than I used too. I try and tackle tougher songs. I can, in some instances, hear a song and then find the chords and give it a reasonable attempt. I'm still a mucker and a strummer though. I would like to get my sense of time better. I'm still working on fingerpicking as I really want to learn this discipline (I need another guitar for that
) I would like to get more confident in my lead playing. I would like to get better at improvising on the fly. Last but not least I wish I could sing. I don't think any amount of practice time is going to help that though. To end this short novel I would say that TG and everyting that is apart of it has helped me a great deal!! It is the best investment I have ever made. The only problem is that I didn't think of building this site first :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:. If I could quite my job and maintain the same standard of living I would jump at a chance to be apart of something like this. Too bad it has already been thought of by an outstanding team of great people that have made my life a bit more fun!! I look forward to the next year at TG and see where I'm at then. I bet I'm still saying I wish I could sing
. MarkM
Even though Matt, Neil and the gang came up with this great idea first, they have been outstanding in letting us have our say to some extent. I work on fingerpicking off and on, and certainly need major improvement there, but the great thing is, that my frustration level has gone way down. I am now confident enough to know that if I am willing to put the time in, I will get it. I thank TG big time for that confidence. Now get ready for the drunken wiffle ball extravaganza. 5 wks and counting for my trip..... B) 
.
). But as there are tons of things to do, I'm not very disappointed. I don't have time to be disappointed