Bravo, Valerian, a big deal to make that first recording and you did great.
Based on the final part of the video with the full strumming you showed steady rhythm, mastery of the pattern and did well with the chord shapes, especially Dm which can be challenging.
My only suggestion would be to work on your foot-tapping. That may help you to keep track of the beats in the bar which I think can be a little more tricky when playing the same chord for 2 barres as is the case in this song. And along with that to keep the hand moving. That movement doesnāt necessarily need to be a full motion between the single strums in the first portion, just enough to keep a groove going with the foot.
@BobW72 re: Itās Easier. Bravo on that, well done. From start to finish you have a good vibe going here and do it with a seemingly quiet confidence in your ability to play it through from start to finish and to play through any minor fumbles. Yes, of course, there are tweaks and improvements that you need to work on. Iām not going heavy on critique here so will limit it to one observation. Your 3rd finger is slow on the D chord so try working on improving your speed of simultaneous fingering.
Cheers Richard
@oliver_bendix re: Aināt No Sunshine.
Sparse and simple is just so effective on that song. You still need to be sure and confident on the chords - arguably more so given their infrequent yet vital nature - and you pulled it off just fine.
I couldnāt help but watch your cat also - especially itās twitch of the ears at your high notes!
Uploading both videos provides a really useful snapshot into your progress over several weeks Brendan. Bravo all round.
There are improvements as others have mentioned. You may look occasionally and think that you donāt hold your chords long enough - especially the D major. However, what you are doing is ensuring you arrive at the F barre on time. In the early stages being in the right place at the right time takes priority over staying on a chord for its full intended duration. So no worries there. Just keep working on the changes to build better speed between them.
Kudos and vibes. Cheers, Richard
Bravo @Burnspot on your first AVOYP. re: Last Kiss
All good and steady and consistent. You have had good encouragement and useful advice already. I would add to keep an eye on your 3rd finger,it is slower then the others at joining the chord formations. There are exercises you can do for that. Keep at it and keep working on those basics.
Cheers, Richard
Congratulations on sharing your first recording.
Step back a mo - congratulations on letting your husband record for the first time.
These are big obstacles to get over.
What an ambitious song to go for after only 10 months. Iād be interested to know what your practice schedule has been like to get you where you are - that song requires a lot of skills beyond basic beginner stuff.
Well done.
Cheers, Richard
@Jenndye429 again re@ A Hard Dayās Night
Go, go, go.
Solid and rocking on this one.
And how great to have a banging husband to set down a solid groove.
One tip not guitar related.
The dynamic mic is specific in the directionality of sound it picks up from. When you lower your head to look at your fretting hand your mouth moves out of the necessary path for the mic to pick you up optimally.
Either lower the mic a little or raise your neck angle a little.
I would recommend the second of these overall for better playing and because it does not compress your neck and chest for singing. You really want to try to be upright, not squashing down.
Good stuff.
Richard
Hi @artax_2 and well done re: I Remember You
C and G chords are so commonly sed in millions of acoustic strumming songs that nailing them as you are aiming to do here is a great way to spend some practice time.
You have lots of good going on so no critique from me, just encouragement to keep on doing what youāre doing.
Richard
Thanks Richard, appreciate your feedback. I have since posted another HOTRS take, another couple weeks later than these two, House of the Rising Sun, take 3
As you predicted, I was able to hold the chords for longer and get set up on the F more comfortably by putting in work on the changes.
All good and good to move on. Two beginner chords with the catch of going from a 6-string to a 4-string chord and you negotiated the strumming well.
Move on fella! Cheers Richard
Thank you. I know when Iām miles past these early stages Iāll miss this process of discovery. I canāt think of another scenario where being a novice is as much fun.
Re: Dig a Pony: I play about an hour a day (sometimes more) roughly 6 days/week. Some of my practice time is focused play and some is just having fun learning songs. I have family members that are musicians. I take a 1 hour lesson 1-2x per week via zoom with a family member that lives long distance. I think supplementing my online learning with Justin with the zoom instruction with a pro has really helped me progress. I have been learning Dig a Pony during my Zoom lessons where I can get help with some of the trickier techniques in the song, such as the bends in the solo.
Re: Hard Dayās Night: Thank you for the feedback on mic placement! I am trying to work on not needing to be looking at my hands so much while I play. Itās tough, but I know Iāll get there! I ultimately want to be able to proficiently play and sing at the same time.
Wow, thatās a brilliant situation to learn in - lots of dedicated time, plus musicians in the family plus weekly 1-to-1 lessons. No wondering youāre powering ahead.
RE: the mic and looking.
If you watch pro singer / players they will mainly have a quick look with their eyes while maintaining their head and mouth in a front on position so as not to move away from the mic with their mouth. A slight tilting / turning of the head and a further move of the eyes. Only when you know you really need to look. It will come!
@NicoleKKB re: Three Little Birds
Sweet music, Iām saying to you donāt worry about a thing, 'cause every little thing gonna be alright.
That was really well done.
The finger strum on the & means you are catching a little flavour of the reggae vibe - which is all about the off-beats.
Bravo. Richard
That was lovely Nicole. Fingerpicking is always a good option and your pattern choice fits very well. Your dexterity with the bass notes is very good and overall it sounds nicely smooth. Also loved your singing!
Thanks a lot David for your kind words. Iām happy that you liked my little song .
Iāll definitely try alternating the other strings as well. Thanks for the tipp .
Thank you Richard for your feedback. Although Reggae isnāt my preferred music, I enjoyed playing this song. Singing it was like a real mantra to me .
Richard
