@Richard_close2u Thanks for the positive feedback on both videos. Also thanks for the heads up and link to the additional info on video setups.
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I read the rules and, although I know âideallyâ doesnât mean ânecessarilyâ, Iâd like to ask if I could post here a video of myself playing a song thatâs not in the beginner grades. It was the song through which I got to know Justin on youtube and it was the first song I ever played entirely and recorded. Iâve been playing for a little longer than a year now and alternate between beginner and folk fingerstyle lessons, even though I havenât been watching too many lessons recently⌠BTW: the song is âHarvest Moonâ, by Neil Young (I could also post a link to my instagram account, where I published it).
Tks in advance!
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Hi Adaltro, @Adaltro
This topic is intended for people who find it exciting to make themselves vulnerable in their own topic and thus draw a lot of attention to themselves, ⌠you already have your own channel where you post videos 
, ⌠âŚso a topic in AVOYP seems more appropriate to me than hereâŚ
Kind regards,Rogier
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Hi @Adaltro I have just checked your Instagram account and watched Harvest Moon. I think you should be fine posting your own topic in the wider AVOYP area. Click New Topic here:
Yoâll be fine. 
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Thank you so much for your help!! I might do that!! And tks for watching my vid⌠the vocal is so terrible⌠lots of room for improvment!!
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Thanks, Roger!! Youâre so kind to answer my question!!
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Edit: I updated the link to a new recording I did today on acoustic which sounds a little better given my mic setup. Also fewer mistakes! Not sure if that is allowed, but it is not something I will do regularly.
This is my first song recorded. It is basically in fulfillment of my Grade 1 assignment to play for someone. I thought this would be a good way to do it and will share the link with some others as well.
The audio is not very good as I am only using a single microphone (usually used for work!) and my electric guitar out of a very small amplifier that I cannot crank up loud due to my apartment. However, I think you can hear it fine, its just not very professional. I am singing and playing together and my voice is not loud in the microphone, but again, I think you will get the idea.
Also, I will warn you that I made a couple of mistakes, and the strumming pattern is very basic! But I know it is OK because Justin said so!
It is Mad World, Grade 1 song
Thank you for taking the time to listen. By the way, posting this publicly is not really that easy, so please go easy on any criticism.
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Hi Drake,
Congratulations on your first recording 
,âŚand what a good one, with vocals ,âŚI thought it was really great, keep up what youâre doing,.
Greetings,Rogier
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Wow recording really is difficult⌠after what feels like a million takes I still find something that doesnât sound right 
Anyway, here is the first first song I learned after finishing grade 2: Hurt by Johnny Cash
(Guitar only as I did not realize backing track existed 
but I added timestamps so no one has to fall asleepâŚ)
feedback much appreciated! the strumming part in the chorus in particular doesnât sound smooth, any tips?
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Hey @pozz that was pretty awesome! Well played. You got the tricky bits down great.
Tips on the strumming part. Mostly I think you did pretty well there. If you want to add something extra you can emphasize the quarter notes with heavier strums and use lighter strums on the eighth notes. ONE and TWO and THREE and FOUR and. Or, just hit the bass strings on the quarter notes.
Or you could mess around with tone, add some bass and/or roll the tone knob slightly. Or try on acoustic 
.
You did great dude.
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Really good job Alberto, clean picking and smooth changes.
I think that advice JK has given is spot on, would make a nice little difference to the overall feel but from where youâre at that refining what is already very good.
And whatever mistake your ears are hearing mine arenât. We will all find the same with our own recordings, honesty nothing to worry about!
Bravo 
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Great job Drake! Very well done for both the performance and for taking the step to post
up your recording.
Vocals were great, with your own spin to a few lines and the recording levels and balance were all good actually, nothing to worry about there.
Your playing was spot on for grade 1 consolidation, definitely a flying colours pass! Couple of tips, maybe start to break away from all down strumming all the way through, not necessarily adding up strums if youâre not doing those yet, but little things like a single strum on beat 1 during the chorus for example. And the second tip is adjusting dynamics or the volume of your strums in sections, itâd add some extra feel to the song.
Iâd have been very chuffed with that, you certainly should be too!
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Thank you for the feedback. I tried to do a little dynamic playing at the end, but it really was not much of a change in volume, so it is something to work on I think. Also the strumming pattern was just ddddu but I realize I was not really fully engaging my up strum, only hitting the bottom few strings. I can do a variety of strumming patterns, but not while I am singing. I end up moving my hand to the melody of my voice and get all messed up trying to get back on beat. So, I definitely need to work on that in the future. Appreciate that you took the time to listen and give some feedback. Thank you.
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I meant to say âlike you did at the endâ on the dynamics comment!! It certainly stood out!
Oh and singing with a strumming pattern is absolutely not easy, your mind goes all over the place, thereâll be a lesson on it coming up for you in the course but the crux is you need to get the guitar bit fully automatic, chord changes and strumming, at which point your brain can concentrate on singing. All the best!
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Please donât update your recordings that way Drake. Peopleâs comments are written in response to what they heard when you first posted.
A second recording could / would warrant a fresh set of responses.
And replacing old with new cold make some comments in the topic read as redundant.
@drake_equation
RE: Mad World (acoustic)
You have build the foundations of solid strumming, steady rhythm, singing & playing. Thereâs much to commend here. Congratulations on your first recording, youâre doing fine.
ps
I did listen to the first upload too without having yet commented. I had similar comments in mind. All good.
The comments about strumming patterns and using upstrums, plus dynamics and leaving space are valid. You will build those slowly over time. So long as you are aware that you are moving towards them and learning the skills bit by bit youâll be doing it right.
@pozz
Congratulations on stepping into AVOYP and uploading your first recording.
Youâve lots to feel good about there with many of the foundational skills learned and applied.
Youâve had some good advice already on aspects of rhythm and strumming that you can look to develop in the coming weeks and months to further enhance and improve the playing.
I saw clean chord changes, a full barre F chord and confident play.
Your strumming hand was maintaining good movement and looked relaxed.
Keep it up.
thanks all for the comments! targeting the bass strings on the beats is something I think I hear on the record too, need to try that (or buy an acoustic , getting new gear is always a solution )
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@drake_equation
Hi John, congratulations on posting your first recording. You should be really proud of what you have achieved. As @Richard_close2u says you are building some solid foundations which is a very good thing and should never be overlooked and as you progress through the course those foundations are going to develop further as you learn new skills and techniques. Keep up the good work, you are on the right path. Iâd recommend that you start a learning log to record your progress and set goals. Itâs amazing looking back periodically and seeing how far we have come and the obstacles we have overcome. P.S. you donât have to worry about criticism in this community, its a very supportive community and any feedback you get (particularly when you ask for it) is always put in the nicest possible way highlighting the areas to work on (with tips and pointers) to aid improvement and learning.
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@pozz
Hey Alberto congratulations on posting your first recording and what a good debut recording your served us. There was lots to like about it; very confident and good playing. You should be really proud of what you have achieved. You got some good tips from @jkahn to spice it up a little bit. You may also want to check out Justinâs premium course âstrumming techniquesâ. Thatâs a very good course and Iâd highly recommend it and doesnât cost much.
P.S. Yeah, recording is not as easy, its only when you hit that record button for the first time that you realize Red Light Syndrome is really a thing. One tip that I recall from the community is to record your practice sessions. You get two benefits from it. Firstly, you have a record of your progress and can analyse your own playing. Secondly, the more you record yourself it starts to become a normality.
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