Baby One More Time (Grade 2)

Community Recordings Audio-Video Of You Playing
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I played this hitting 1/8 note strums up and down, but muting the upstrokes for kind of a choppy, stuttering effect. What do you think?

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Ryan, I think the strumming seemed reasonably smooth and settled into a tempo after about maybe the first 30s or so and chord forming and changes going well.

Not sure about the muting you mentioned. Was that with the left hand or right?

The mic was perhaps picking up quite a lot of pick noise. Not sure what weight pick you are using, if a light weight flexible pick that would explain it (lighter picks are more forgiving on the strumming but tend to be ‘clicky’). Might also get a better result if you point the mic from where it is positioned at an angle towards the 12th fret.

Keep up the good work!

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Ryan, I thought you were on top of the rhythm. The only muting I detected was your fretting hand realeasing? Is that what you aimed for? It did add a little accent, which added to the performance, but I don’t think it was as much as palm muting would have done, given there were some open strings that weren’t getting muted. Good job, nonetheless!

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Hi Ryan, I’m not sure we’ve had the pleasure of meeting. Have you posted an introduction post or learning log? I’d be really interested to know your background to learning the guitar and how you’ve been finding your progress in the course. As @DavidP says, your strumming is reasonably smooth, and you settled into a tempo after the first 30s. This is a song I looked at a few weeks ago as I love a bit of Travis. I’d highly recommend sticking on the YouTube video of them performing the song a few times and jamming with them. Not only is it a lot of fun, but it will also help with the tempo. I’m not sure if you’ve seen this video of Travis playing it Travis - Baby One More Time - Live cover for VH1 Storytellers - YouTube. Interestingly, Ed Sheeran also did a cover of this song.

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Hi Willsie,
Yes, you’re exactly right! Perhaps I was using the wrong terminology. I wasn’t fully muting all of the strings, I was just lifting my fretted fingers to give a little accent. I didn’t intend to do it in the beginning…just kind of got in the groove and started lifting, enjoying the slight hesitation in the rhythm. I think it’s not as clear in the recording, but it’s quite pronounced to me when I play it. Thanks for the encouragement!

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Hi Socio,
No I haven’t introduced myself yet…just stumbled on the “community” while searching where to log into the theory class that I purchased a couple days ago. I’ll find the introduction thread and stop by there later. Thanks for the link to the Travis video – really like that cover! Looked up the Ed Sheeran one, too. I really like this version, which sounds kind of “choppy” or stuttered to me.

Cheers!

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Hi,
The “choppy” effect was king of cool… Sort of, in a backward way, has a flamingo flavor to it. Good even strumming and pretty good tone on the guitar.

Keep up the rock’n ways!
LB

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Hey Ryan! I play this song too. Not on my repertoire, but one I keep in my other music book just to have on hand to play sometimes. You did well. Maybe a little fast tempo to sing to, but fine for strumming. I agree with LBro on the interesting “choppy” effect. I like the Travis version too, and I’ll have to listen to Sherrin’s version. I wasn’t aware of his version.

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Thanks for sharing, Ryan. I think the muting on the 2nd and 4th beats adds some interest to the strumming, really emphasizing the 1st and 3rd. Seems like a useful tool in your rhythm toolbox.

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I thought that sounded really good. The only version of this song I know is Ed Sheeran’s, but I could recognize the song from your playing.

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I must be living under a rock. I’ve never heard of Travis, but watching that cover he did, it’s absolutely amazing. OH, and your playing was really good also, Ryan

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Sounded real cool very into the strumming technique, thanks for sharing!

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Sounded good but I reckon for this one you’d be better trying to record it against the Travis original to get really into the groove… sounded a little fast to me ( although it is played fast so hard to tell). Could definitely pick up the muted bit although it would probably sound better as proper muted hit on the downstrum ( same technique relaxing the fretting hand).