Beginner's Safe Space 2025

Community Recordings Beginner's Safe Space
44

Hi all,

First post here, so seems rude to not introduce myself before posting my first recording as part of moving on from Grade 1–absolutely loved it and love this site by the way. (I think this is the best thing on the internet, so bravo to all involed). However, the consolidation is starting to get a bit dull for me, so figured I’d post this and move on to the next grade. Lots of waffle below, so if you’re only interested in watching me awkwardly playing a very wonky version of Girl Like You, skip to the bottom!

So about me for anyone who’s interested: 36 years old, living in Surrey, accountant after finishing far too many years of study at university. I spent about a year in my late teens learning guitar and then stopped playing for various reasons (one being unable to afford more than a very cheap and extraordinarily loud acoustic guitar from Argos paired with living in a series of very small flats and a certain family member then breaking the fretboard somehow…).

Turns out playing the guitar is not like riding a bicycle and when you leave a mahoosive gap (I think it would be something close to 18 years), to pick it up again was essentially to start from square one.

Started learning again properly about 2.5 months ago after having the bright idea to get a cheap electric guitar (got an Eastcoast starter pack from Andertons so I could play in my flat–super happy with it).

I’m quite shy so posting this video is quite a big deal for me, but figured I’d do it becaused I can see the thinking behind needing to do it. I definitely felt that my ability, rhythm in particular, tanked a lot and my fingers felt stiff just knowing that I was recording something that might be watched.

So anyway that’s me and here’s the recording. It’s obviously not stellar, but I’m super happy I can more or less get that change from Dm to Em and Am on the ‘and’ fairly consistently even if my fingers go a bit wonky sometimes. Took a long time to get there!

Right, hope that worked. Cheers all :slight_smile:

4 Likes
45

Oh also - I do realise the sound is very quiet and low quality. Apologies for that. Unfortunately, it’s all I can manage with the phone I have and my living arrangements!

2 Likes
46

is your guitar plugged into an amp ?
it sounds like its not

1 Like
47

Yes it was, but quite far away from my phone and turned down to a level I’m comfortable with playing in my flat. The walls are quite thin and I live below a vulnerable person so I have to keep it quiet. If you turn the sound up on the video it’s a little better, but that’s the best I can do. You wouldn’t believe how long it took me just to figure out how to get the video from my phone to my computer to here, haha! Would welcome any advice on how to make better recordings given the circumstances, but I’m just happy to be able to play.

3 Likes
48

Im in the same situation as you , I have to keep quiet for the neighbours

for recording I plug my amp into a scarlett solo

then I plug the scarlett into my computer and I record with my webcam on OBS
I just plug my headphones and nobody but me hears what I play like that :slight_smile:

the sounds is good when you plug it directly on the computer

its important being able to hear the sounds of the strings correctly to correct all the little mistakes , to mute and so on …

3 Likes
49

Hello Rob & Welcome!!!

Nice job with your 1st post!!!
You’ve come a long way in 2.5 months!!!

No criticism here… I do advise you to critique yourself. Watch your video as if it’s someone else playing & note what you’d change if it was you.
Also, in a month or two, record yourself again playing the same song… you’ll probably be surprised at how much better you sound in a relatively short time!
Good luck!!!

Tod from New Mexico USA

3 Likes
50

@Floydianpsyche
Bravo Pradeep. You’ve leaped several hurdles all in one go.
Sharing your first recordings, singing and playing, strumming and fingerstyle. That’s amazing.

First - a slightly cheeky comment, forgive me. The camera angle on Knocking gives you the hands of a giant and the head of a baby! :wink:

re: Knocking
Congratulations for bursting through the bubble and having a go at singing and playing together. Many people struggle and either the guitar playing or the singing or both go off kilter here and there as the mind tried to multitask. You were no exception in that now and then you had a little wobble with a chord change, with the rhythm or with the vocal phrasing. Truly - nothing unexpected as you begin on that path. Keep on doing it. Practice both skills separately too. Sing along with the song many times to learn it as a vocalist would. Play along to learn it as a guitarist would. Bring them together.
You maintain a reasonably strady rhythm. Your strumming arm is in constant motion which is good. Your strum movements go through large arcs of swing so I would encourage you to try to reduce how much your arm moves below the strings on down strums and above the strings on up strums. Also, when playing up strums, most of the time, you do not need to hit all of the notes of the chords. For example, on a G chord, you down strum on all 6 strings, but it is more than fine to only strike 2-4 strings on the way back up.

re: Happy Birthday
Bravo at tackling a melodic fingerstyle piece.
Your fretting fingers are doing fine work. My advice is all about the position in which you have the guitar held against your body and the position of your picking hand.
Look at this.

image
image703×552 58.1 KB

Most of the guitar is sticking out to your side and is pointing back, behind you. Your forearm is reaching forwards from a position approximately behind the bridge / bridge pickup. Your wrist is forced to bend steeply downwards in order to allow your fingers to reach the strings. Your thumb is behind your fingers. Your whole picking hand is floating, not in contact with any part of the guitar body. All of that is making it difficult for you now, and long term will inhibit good progress in finger style.
Try these steps to make a difference.
You are wearing a strap which is good even when sitting. Ensure it is holding the guitar weight. Move your entire guitar further to your left and more in front of you. You can still angle the neck upwards. A little like this.

image
image282×221 17 KB

That will allow your forearm to approach the strings not from above but from behind. This will mean your wrsis does not need to be unnaturally bent but will actually be relaxed and quite flat. You can rest either the fleshy outer part of your palm on the bridge a little or you can place little finger down below the strings and touch the guitar body very gently. Either of these helps your hand to know its location, an ‘anchor’ for finger picking.
Adjust the angle of your wrist so that your thumb sticks out from your fingers a little. It does not want to be behind 1st and 2nd fingers as they will bump into each other when one goes down and the other goes up. Your fingers will pick the strings at an angle, not in a perpendicular plane. A little like this (it is an acoustic but the same applies).

image
image926×601 37 KB

I hope that helps.
:slight_smile:

1 Like
51

@Rob0602

Hello Rob and welcome to JustinGuitar and the Community.
Kudos to you for making your very first post one in which you share a recording of yourself. It is a big step and you’ve cracked it. Bravo.
I think this is key …

You worked at it, you kept going, you learned it and performed it.

Making that chord change on the pushed & after 2 is not a simple task.
Here’s something you may not have thought of doing. Watch the recording on mute. Look at your strumming hand. Hopefully you see how you have successfully heeded Justin’s advice to maintain constant down and up motion. When you can’t hear your playing, the visual is a great indicator.

RE: recording … @GrumpyMac has good advice and there’s more here: 💻 Hardware, Software & Recording - JustinGuitar Community

:slight_smile:

2 Likes
52

thanks all :slight_smile: @Richard_close2u and thank you. I think I see that my hand gets a bit inconsistent sometimes to me when I watch the video with no sound. Probably on some of those changes on the ‘ands’. Also surprised at how much I seem to be using my wrist rather than forearm to pivot when it sort of feels like I’m using my forearm. Interesting one

Hopefully something I can iron out through lots more strumming practice. Looking forward to starting grade 2 today!

53

Thanks a lot Richard for your feedback. This gives me a lot of encouragement. I Will improve on the points you have mentioned and get back with next video :slight_smile:

1 Like
54

I know that Justin discusses and demonstrated forearm movement in the early stage beginner lessons.
Strumming is very much a combination of forearm, wrist, hand and fingers. The fact that your wrist is involved already is good. A relaxed wrist is desirable. You don’t want your forearm to be the only mechanical part of the strumming action. It won’t be a relaxed feel and your music will actually suffer too - sounding robotic and too stiff.
:slight_smile:

1 Like
55

Bring it on … :slight_smile:

1 Like
56

Hi Rob @Rob0602
Welcome here and I wish you a lot of fun :smiling_face_with_sunglasses:

Congratulations on your first video :partying_face: :smiling_face_with_sunglasses: :clap:, that’s a big and important thing. :grinning_face_with_big_eyes:

I put the first videos “away” in my learning log because I was also very insecure/shy to be like that with my giggle on yoiu-tube and then here in the “open” on the internet, well you get used to it here and soon it will feels like HOME :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes: :smiling_face_with_sunglasses:

Greetings,Rogier

2 Likes
58

Hi everyone!
I’ve just completed Beginner Course 1 and I’m now consolidating everything I’ve learned throughout the different modules, to which I dedicated about a week each.

Just to give a bit of context: I’m 36 years old and had never touched a guitar before. I still remember all the doubts I had before buying one (Is it right for me? Will I ever be able to learn?) :grinning_face:

Now, after a month and a half, first of all I want to say thank you for the course, it’s really well done, and I honestly think there’s nothing better available online!

I’d like to dedicate at least two weeks to this consolidation phase, so I’ll spend another week practicing the more difficult chord changes for me, and playing songs using the Justin Guitar app.

I still have some doubts about when the right time is to move on to Module 2. I’m really eager to learn new things, but at the same time I don’t want to start the next module with bad habits or without having properly absorbed the concepts from Module 1.

What worries me the most are the following things:

  • The C chord: it doesn’t always sound clean, and I’m still a bit slow on some changes.
  • When I strum down, especially on chords like D or A, I tend to hit all the strings.

Is it something that will come easier with the time or better to get it “perfect” now than later?

I’ve also attached a short video of a song I’m practicing through the Justin Guitar app, I’d really appreciate any feedback on posture or anything else that could help.

Thanks so much!!

6 Likes
59

Hi ,
Congratulations on a first video :partying_face: :smiling_face_with_sunglasses: that’s a big thing and will help you a lot.

I wouldn’t worry too much (or not at all worry and just be happy learning this stuff :grinning_face_with_big_eyes:) in the beginning, but it’s good that you think about it, bad habits are so learned and difficult to unlearn.

Your rhythm guitar arm is going well and you have only been working for such a short time that you just have to continue calmly and consciously, placing your fingers as close as possible to the frets is becoming more and more automatic (with the C and some other combinations with others, this often still goes wrong for me after 5+ years),

And hitting the right strings can be a ‘thing’ for a long time, but if you are aware of it and continue to practice it quietly, this will also happen almost automatically.

practice as best as possible and don’t stress too much about it…practicing on the couch could cause additional back problems, a chair without armrests is recommended ,

If you are slightly bored or in a standstill, continue with grade 2 and if you are in doubt, just watch a lesson every now and then and you will see that what was difficult last month now suddenly goes well… you will experience a lot of that, I am still have that with learning songs after all this time…waiting /putting away for sometimes very long doing something else and then :collision: :sweat_smile:

Have fun ,Greetings,Rogier

2 Likes
60

Hi @roger_holland thanks for your feedback, it’s very appreciated.

1 Like
61

@spraythatfins
Congratulations and kudos for completing grade 1 and for recording and sharing your recording. Those are big steps, major accomplishments.
Positives …
You have a relaxed strumming arm and maintain a good down and up steady motion throughout.
You have ‘song stamina’, playing through from start to finish with no let up or loss of energy.
You are changing chords cleanly and in time most of the time.
You keep a steady tempo and rhythm and only fall behind or jump ahead in a few places.

Pointers …
your little finger seems eager to get involved so even while consolidating grade 1 I recommend you go ahead to look at grade 2 lessons on the G chord and learn stuck 3&4 G chord.

For finger placement on C chord (and other chords where you find that your fingers land one after the other rather than all at once) …

  • Hold your fingers near to but not touching the strings.
  • Touch the fingers where the chord is but do not press.
  • Once you have all three touching at the correct place then press them down.
  • Do not strum - this is a fretting hand exercise only.
  • Release the pressure after a few seconds but keep touching the strings.
  • Then move your hand away from the strings by a small amount. All fingers away.
  • Repeat the process.

Then, to improve changes to and from the C major chord and other commonly grouped chords, repeat the above process with one alteration. After the final step of lifting all fingers away, the next cycle would be over the chord that you are changing to. Once that chord has been done and fingers are lifted away, go back to the first chord of the pair.

Wash, rinse, repeat.
Make this exercise last about five minutes.

1 minute - C alone
1 minute - C & Am
1 minute - C and G
1 minute - C and D
1 minute - C alone

Practice daily and within a week you should see improvements.

I agree with Roger. That couch looks soft and is not supporting your back as you attempt to sit at the front edge and hold an upright posture that is good for guitar.

For strumming accuracy on 5 and 4 string chords, take your eyes away from your fretting hand - trust that it can find the chord grips. Look at your strumming hand instead. Also, reduce the overall distance you swing your arm, use a shallower arc of movement.
Another comment on this - when Up strumming, limit that to only the 3 or 4 thinner strings, not all 6.

I hope that is helpful.
Richard
:slight_smile:

2 Likes
62

@richard_close2u
Thank you so much for your feedback, I really appreciate it, and I can’t wait to practice this exercise on the C chord (Actually, I’ve already started :sweat_smile:).

I’ll spend another week consolidating, and then I’ll start Grade 2. I’ve already taken a look at the first lessons and I feel ready.

I also took the opportunity to record a video of the exercise you suggested to make sure I’m doing it correctly :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:.
I noticed that compared to the other chords, with the C chord, it takes me a bit longer to get the C shape in the air and place the fingers in the right position on the strings before pressing them down.

Thanks again for the feedback and your support!!!

1 Like
63

@spraythatfins
That video is really useful to diagnose your formation.

I see you moving from C to D and aiming for simultaneous landing of fingers.
Remember the exercise is about being careful and accurate.
A few things I notice.
Your string height seems high (high action). That makes clean and in-tune chord formation difficult. It can easily be improved by adjusting a few things on an electric. It can ve optimised by having the nut slots filed with specialist tools.
Your 1st finger looks a bit too close to / on top of the fret during the C chord. Can you bring it back and still keep the others stretched out?
Your finger nails are long, cut them down.

1 Like
64

@richard_close2u Thank you again for your feedback, I really appreciate it!

I try to place my fingers on the strings simultaneously, since the exercise in the first step suggests keeping the fingers in position over the strings without touching them, and also because of the “air changes” lesson :slight_smile:
Maybe I’m doing it wrong and I should place them one at a time?

As for the string action, I checked it and there’s about 1mm of distance from the fret. But as soon as I need to change strings, I’ll have a setup done on the guitar as well!

The video actually made me notice too that I place my first finger on the fret, but I can definitely manage to place it just before and stretch my fingers out. The difficulties I have with the C chord are not about hand stretching, but rather forming the shape in the air or placing the fingers quickly on each string even if I decide to do it in sequence.

Also, my fingers still feel a bit too soft, I notice that the fingertip presses quite a lot into the strings despite the small calluses I’ve developed, mainly on the first finger.

In any case, thank you so much for the feedback! I’ll keep doing the exercise all week, and maybe even a bit longer :slight_smile:

1 Like