8 - Crazy Little Thing Called Love (06 Nov updated) My 10 1st AVOYPs "Grade 3 Exam Rehearsals"

Nice job - Yea I can play, but I can’t play and sing at the same time - Heck I can’t sing even if Im not playing guitar - Good Job!!!

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Good job on this one, Marcel. :clap:

You’re percussive hits are really good and I liked the little runs you incorporated a lot. That really added to the performance. Except for some fluffs in the interlude section, rhythm seemed to be steady to my ears as well.

A little more time down the road with some more practice on that one, this will sound even cooler and smoother than now. But taking into account you’re only into it for one year, this is quite an impressive achievement. You can be proud on the skills you’ve learned and now also sneaking into barre-chord-land. :sweat_smile:

Well, we’re a guitar learning community, so I try to evaluate the playing in first place. But as you self-assess, there’s room for improving. Good thing: learning to sing is pretty much like learning an instrument. :slight_smile:

You’re on a good way with your grade 3 exam, Marcel. Already looking forward to the next one. Thanks for sharing. :slight_smile:

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Yeah, I unexpectedly fell in love with the instrument. Always loved music, but never imagined I’d be able to have the patience to play a “real” instrument. Thx for the kind words and listening to it.

Thx for checking it out. If I had a singer-friend or even guitar friend to jam with I’d probably wouldn’t present my early attempts at singing classics. But I rather do that than play to a backing track. I feel that’s even harder to do it justice then. On the other hand, I found it’s also fun when just practicing singing for yourself, as wrong as you like :wink: I highly recommend some private time singing along to your guitar wildly.

It’s fun opening up the fretboard slowly to all kinds of chords and new possibilities.

Again, thanks for your assuring assessment :blush: Yes, voice is not the main focus here, still, it’s highly encouraged in the course and I try to oblige to the extent of my ability. But as you said, like with any instrument I just have to find a practice routine for that instrument someday too.

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Nicely done Marcel. It looks like things are progressing well, especially for one year in.

I’d also like to echo what @Lisa_S has said.

Just one thing of my own, you looked a little tense. Try to relax a little more.

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Thx Stefan for checking it out

Yeah, that’s something I need to learn in life in general. I feel there is still a long way to achieve looking relaxed while performing for me. But if I want to be able to play a set I need to find a way to be more relaxed.

Either really get the songs to a state I can play it in my sleep and replace concentration with feeling or for the moment find a method to at least make it look less tense.

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Bravo, Marcel, you are doing well. Nothing for me to add, just keep on keeping on.

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Hey Marcel - that was great! Just one thought, do you ever practice with a metronome or a drum machine? You sped up quite a bit from beginning to end (which isn’t uncommon). Personally I use a drum machine quite a lot of the keep time and it’s fun too!
However, you’re really rocking it for 1 year into your journey, I really enjoyed it.
Cheers
Paul.

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Lots to like in that, well done.

I couldn’t help noticing that in holding down some of your barre chords you’re bending the strings a little rather than pressing them straight down onto the frets. That’s going to make those strings very slightly out of tune for those chords so might be a habit worth trying to break?

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Thanks for checking it out, I will!

Yes I should do this more. It was my the first problem analysed on my first video in the safe space thread. Now when the weather was nice I practiced songs more out and about, happy to be off the grid and not using any software. But I will try to practice it more with a click besides playing to the recordings more as well.

Maybe even put a click into my ear for the next video if the song doesn’t require tempo changes. Maybe a beat or metronome could reduce some brain processing power to have more capacity for playing and singing.

I noticed this when editing the video and yea I got to work on that.
Barre chords in general are still something WIP. I honestly looked a bit into grade 4 as I was afraid to mispractice barre chords early, but I think I know the general technique now and it’s more a matter of getting to feel the right positions and force to use. Also, some perfect barre chord practice will be one of the things I’ll implement into my practice routine from now on.

Hi Marcel,

congratulations on your guitar anniversary, and especially on the progress you have made and the techniques you have learned in just one year. That’s truly impressive!

Franz

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Hi Marcel,
a lot of nice/good things happen while playing that guitar :sunglasses:…and that after a year :sunglasses: :clap:
Greetings

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7- Fly me to the Moon

This is my so-so take for today, still much to improve some guitar misses and lots of vocal misses. Learned it later and it’s the only song not in Justin’s beginner songbooks or videos.
It’s good early practice for some more barre chord practice though.

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Good effort Marcel and the barre chords look to be going well.

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Clearly getting into the Groove Marcel which is a very good thing. Keep working on those barre chords and very tricky transitions. Coming along nicely.

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Looks like this one has a few things for you to keep working on. Seems there’s a lot in this one that’s beyond your current ability, and the chords aren’t ringing clearly - barres and barre A.

More practice, you’ll get there.

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Thank you, guys, for listening and the feedback. Still need to find the right pressure. Last recording I squeezed the barres too much. This one it seems, I may played them too light. Doesn’t help that I practice mostly on electric due to noise issues and I still seem to not adjust to the acoustic accordingly.

In this song, I got used to playing the F and the Bb 7b5 in a staccato style and had some insecurities so this didn’t help show off my barre ability.

My problem: Listening back, I honestly can’t hear much dynamic difference between the barres in comparison to the open chords. I felt the ones that weren’t errors due to mental lapses rung out as long as I wanted them.

I’m okay with still needing much work on the barre chords and know I have to work on consistency and precision. But it bums me out not being able to hear the general ringing out problem with my barres myself though…

(what I know is the G7 lacks the 4th string ringing and I recognize the mechanical problem, but I still have a hard time hearing the error :frowning:
I’ll see if I replace it with the open version or the easier version without barre but two muted strings)

Finally found some daytime to record again.
Not in the best headspace to really get into the groove and participate on the forum as much as I’d like at the moment.
Still trying to get these recordings done and post them as announced here:

8 - Crazy Little Thing Called Love Rehearsal

Sorry for the subpar sound quality, due to technical problems, this recording only has the iPhone microphones sound.

I know I have a lot to practice and improve on this song. Hope it’s still bearable to listen to for those interested, despite technical and musical problems :slight_smile:

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Hello Marcel :grinning:

Thank you for sharing your performance of one of my most favourite songs :smiling_face:

:clap: :clap: :clap:

I enjoyed it a lot, have an earworm now for the rest of the day, and my foot is still tapping :smile:

This song is on top of my dream list, but I’m still a beginner, so it is much too advanced for me with the barre chords, the riff and all the other tricky parts.
So I don’t quailfy for any constructive feedback, but I know what I like, and I liked your performance a lot.

Keep up the great work :+1:

Queen rocks :crown: … and you rock, too :grinning: :metal:

Cheers
Gunhild :lady_beetle:

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Hallo Gunhild!

Happy some groove still came through :laughing: Thank you for your kind words.

I have loved Queen since my childhood too and it was probably my least guilty pleasure music-wise over the years. And I still enjoy them. Sadly I was too young to ever see Freddie Mercury in concert. I still had the pleasure to see Brian May and Roger Taylor perform.

I see you are a super fan and even have the Red Special. Must be a different beast to tame if it plays close to the original :slight_smile:

I was surprised to find this song in Justin’s beginner book 2. This really helped to have the most important information for a “beginner” version on paper to fall back on.
The introduction even says: “This Queen song is unusually beginner-friendly”

With that said, as far as I understand it’s around Grade 2 Module 11 where Sus chords are introduced. By that time the power chord and the one F is something one can start to try and introduce into song practice already.

Reading your intro post, I read you already learned the rudiments of the song, have the books, and are already musically experienced.

So I bet you can move this song to your developer list sooner than you think :wink:

“Liebe Grüsse” and keep on Rocking on :v:

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Hi Marcel :grinning:

Thanks a lot for your kind message. Nice to know that there are some fellow Queen fans around here in the forum :crown:

Great that you have taken up your old dream of making your own music. So this weird time around 2020 has led to something good :grinning:

Oh yes, I had been too young to see Freddie in concert either (at least my parents thought so…) And Queen even performed in my hometown Dortmund several times in the late 70ies and early 80ies. But like you I had been lucky to see Brian and Roger. Pure legends! :star_struck:

Yes, the Red Special is a beautiful instrument - and one of the reasons why I am here now. My own JustinGuitar-story started with the tutorial for “Crazy Little Thing”.
Unfortunately, this “beginner-friendly” ( :rofl:) song still is much too advanced for me, but it keeps me motivated, and after a few weeks of practice I’d been able to play the main chords and these instantly recognizeable sus-chords at the beginning.

Thanks again for your encouraging words. Just like you’ve said, the course is gold, and I’ll keep on practicing and working on this song.

Keep on rockin’ and keep up the great work :grinning: :guitar:
Can’t wait to hear more great songs from you

Viele Grüße in die Schweiz
Gunhild :lady_beetle:

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