DianeB

@Curtis, I think an acoustic is probably a better choice for the workshops and lessons. In the main room, there may be as many as 80 guitars going off at once during workshops, and you will need to carry your guitar around to the smaller classrooms. The main room has amps and a full PA system for those who want to play their electric in the student showcase. No need to bring a music stand, Trevecca has them, but Steve does carry a dandy collapsible stand in his store. One accessory I recommend is a collapsible guitar stand like the Cooperstand. A year or two ago in a live lesson Steve discussed his experiences flying with his guitar. I wish I could recall the exact lesson; maybe someone else can. I do remember two points he made: leave your really good guitars at home, and get a tough hard case. Here are some other thoughts on the subject. And here's my post from last year for first timers.

@CliffMcCartney Cliff, I think a lot of us share your experience. Finding the optimum tempo for practicing a piece, or even a small section, is like hitting a moving target. Every day is a little different. We’re human, not machines. You’re in session 4. I would not be concerned about failing to play anything perfectly until session, oh, 25. Just don’t practice mistakes. By that I mean: don’t repeat the same error sequentially. Stop and diagnose it. Likewise, don’t worry that you haven’t eradicated it either. Seek improvement, not perfection. Struggle a bit, but don’t founder. Play for anyone you can, every chance you get. The more mistakes you make for a friendly audience, the less concerned you will become about those hiccups, and paradoxically, you will get better faster. Play on! ?

@Jkindgren Jeff, I agree with Neil. Consider what kind of music and guitar(s) you want to play, any past experience, and go from there. Your acoustic will serve you well for now.

David, here's a good tutorial on transposition.

@Slug Welcome back, Peter!

Hi, Cliff! Welcome to our guitar family! The guitar-in-retirement story is a familiar one in these parts. I like to direct the new folks to my reading list. With your background, you obviously won't need the basic resources, but there are some there that you might find helpful. The answer key to the lesson book is here. Enjoy the journey. PS / Here are some Resources for Study.

@gotto Way to go, Greg! ?

“Miss? Hello, miss? Are you all right? Can you hear me?” I tapped on the driver’s side window. She was slumped over the wheel, parked in a space with the engine running outside our apartments. I recognized her as a downstairs neighbor, but we had never spoken. Rain pelted me and I felt a twinge of fear. As I reached for the door handle, she stirred, woozy. She had fallen asleep. That was how Terrie and I met, years ago. I didn’t know it at the time, but she was ill and slowly getting worse. As the weeks and months passed, we would see each other occasionally, smile and make small talk. She was only a little younger than I, a wisp of a woman, and her frailty concerned me. During the cold months, she would seem to disappear, only to emerge in warmer weather to sunbathe on a lounge chair. Eventually I learned that she was too weak to hold a job, and lived alone with only an indifferent sister somewhere in town for family. She invited me over to watch TV in her ground floor apartment. It seemed too much to ask her to hike up to the third floor where I lived. We laughed over schlocky sitcoms and sighed at romantic old movies. Once I took my guitar with me to strum a little for her. The situation came into focus: doctors, hospitals, bills, cancer. Terrie was a trooper, but it was clear that the prognosis was grim. One night I found myself alone at an Applebee’s preparing to order a nice dinner. I thought of Terrie and the bleak cavern of Ensure that was her refrigerator. I asked the waiter to duplicate my order for a steak dinner, dessert and all, and box it to go. Terrie answered my knock on her door in her pajamas. “For you,” I said, extending the bags. “For just one night, eat what you want.” She was overjoyed. I left her in disbelief and tears. A few months later, I moved out of the apartments. I had scarcely unpacked the boxes in my new home when the phone rang. It was Terrie’s sister. “She left a note asking me to call you,” she said, and hung up, leaving me in disbelief and tears. The memories linger. Now I hold in my hands a new Cordoba. Her name will be Terrie, for a friend who suffered so alone for so long. Peace be with you, sweetheart. Your namesake looks and sounds beautiful, and makes me smile, like you.

From what I've read, the concept of "perfect" intervals dates back to at least the Pythagoreans. They were familiar with the particular consonance of a string divided by ratios of 1:1 (perfect unison), 1:2 (perfect octave), 4:3 (perfect fourth), and 3:2 (perfect fifth). I will leave discussion of equal temperament and the Pythagorean comma to more informed scholars!

@costancr , Welcome back! Yes, move along. The first four sessions are an introductory unit. Here is Steve's overview of the course, and the links to his Roadside Assistance videos. A theme you hear Steve repeat often is: aim for competence, not perfection. And rest your hand as long as necessary if it cramps. Play on!

@RichLich It sounds like you are progressing well and have a good plan. ? Considering how far along you are, I would urge you to complete the Major Scale Mastery workouts. Follow through. Learn those scales all over the neck. I'm nearing the finish line there, and it has all been time well spent.

Wow, the old Allen Toussaint tune, I haven't heard that since it was on the radio in the 70s. Thanks, John.

Ed knows where to find a good beach. ? I have a collection of shells from my own visits to Chincoteague and Assateague. Just had a look. None is suitably pick-shaped for testing, but I’m pretty sure that any one of them would saw through at least my top two strings by the time I got home to see my kin ?

Here is the Answer Key to the Learn & Master Guitar Lesson Book (PDF, 111 K, 7 pages). L&M Guitar Lesson Book Answer Key.pdf

Hi, Bruce! Welcome to our little guitar family! I can relate to what you're experiencing. The lower tension on an electric is really seductive. I see you are in Session 2, so I presume you are just starting out. Unless you want to play electric exclusively, my advice is to do the bulk (80%) of your practice on your acoustic for now. Strengthen those hands. But before you play another note on it, make sure that it has been professionally set up. It is money well spent. I always start my practice with my warmups, exercises, and scales with my steel string acoustic. After a rest, I work on fingerstyle, which requires some tough stretches, on my nylon. Only when I've done all that do I pick up my electric. Then it feels like a reward of sorts for my left hand!

Welcome, Ian! You will have a great time!

Hi, @ozy! Welcome to our guitar family. I collected several resources that I found helpful in this list. As you start out, you might find something helpful there.