That’s an all around solid effort Joao, nice one. Yes some pauses with some of the changes as your brain’s processing strumming, chord changes and singing, it ain’t easy!! But this is a good foundation to build on for sure and well done for posting it. Keep at it!
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Good job João! It seems you are improving a lot in different areas. I’m sure you will nail this song very soon 
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Hi William,
Great I say. Really nice vocal mate 
and lovely relaxed and pleasant strum and chord changes. I really liked it and if I walked past you playing I’d have happily stopped to listed for sure, if that helps. Great work mate. 
Thanks buddy, I appreciate your kind words!
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OK, so, ehm, I kinda did it? I recorded myself for the first time, and I’m sweating buckets posting it, but as folks say on tumblr: ‘Do it scared if you have to’, and I think that is excellent advice. It was a journey and a half to find an app to record with on my tablet, and get the mic to pick up at least some of my playing, and it’s not the best quality, but I hope it works regardless.
I hope you don’t mind that it’s a German song; it’s what I’m most comfortable with atm. There are also a few moments where I’m squabbling with the chords, and I could have recorded other tries until I got it right, but I believe firmly that mistakes are part of learning, and therefore I’m leaving it as is.
I appreciate encouragement and honest feedback, especially if you notice problems in my posture or pick manipulation, or any of the other myriad things that are difficult to notice when you’re learning by yourself. I also appreciate tips to figure out breathing while singing, because I noticed while recording that it is difficult for me. I’m thinking maybe get a strap and practice standing up might help? Anyway, here it is:
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Hi Eva,
Your first video 
Congratulations that’s a big thing…as you’ve noticed in your mind 
Nicely done and there is a lot to like, and for singing in German you get extra points for it as far as I’m concerned
Greetings,Rogier
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Definitely noticed that, yes 
Thank you so much for your encouraging words! 
I think I’m gonna start recording myself regularly now, just for myself, because I saw a lot of things to improve on, and hopefully I get more comfortable with it by repeated exposure.
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Don`t think it… do it 
(I’m saying this especially for others who read this, you already figured it out 
)
You have taken a very important step and you realize why you are doing this , just yesterday I thought I had finally mastered the rhythm guitar from The Joker (justins lesson) with the hammers on and smooth touch of the strings with the pick, and then I kicked I turned on my looper and listened to it again…CUGH…that pick again …I’ll practice some more 
Greetings
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Hi Eva!
Really well done on your first recording and your playing. And you’re even able to sing along already! It’s evident that you put a huge amount of practice into it. Especially combining a proper strumming pattern with singing is not easy. Lots of respect for mastering this in just four months!
Franz
Hello Eva,
Congratulations on you first AVOYP! Good feeling to get that first one done, isn’t it ?
Lots of good stuff there to build on. Good rhythm feel too which is super important.
All the best.
Cheers, Shane
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That was great Eva for a first recording. Mighty impressed that you were signing and playing. To do that early on in your learning journey is pretty remarkable, it literally took me decades to figure that out. Your self analysis picks up on the areas to focus on. The chord change will become more consistent with time and lots of practice. But in the main they were good and importantly your rhythm was solid.
Big congrats on breaking the recording duck ! Well done.
Wow, thank you so much for all your encouraging words, it feels really good to see them <3
@franzek Yes, I’ve been practicing a lot, not on this particular song (picked it up a week ago by the time I was recording it), but on others with similar chord changes and strumming patterns. I’m very glad it has started to translate from one song to the other, and I it is now easier to pick up new songs quickly because I already know all the elements.
Very much so, like ripping off a bandaid I’m glad my rhythm is good; I had a few problems with it in the beginning, when I hadn’t yet got the hang of strumming.
@TheMadman_tobyjenner Singing and playing takes a lot of work in the beginning. I need to really understand the song completely to even attempt it: what is the rhythm like exactly, and where do the lyrics go. I kinda need to puzzle out the shape of the whole song, and it takes a while, but once I got it, I know how it works, and singing is fully integrated into it by that point.
As for analysing myself, yes, I do that. A lot. Some would say too much. But I’d say it’s a good way to get better, and the only way when you’re going at something alone. Which is why I really appreciate outside perspectives.
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Just to document where I am at, I made a fingerstyle recording. The tune is “Schlaflied für Anne” by Fredrik Vahle. It’s a sweet lullabye, and I loved it ever since I was a kid. I can sing to it no problem, but the recording app was weird about the balancing, and the playing is more important.
Please, if you watch it, could you keep an eye on my picking hand? I’m not sure if I do it right. And if anyone has tips about the melody parts, how to make them smoother, I welcome it. I already realised that I need to practice it slower. Again.
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Hi Eva,
The first thing I notice is that you pick with your thumb in your hand, it should protrude further and that is when you start to learn it well (provided of course you do not have a congenital or an accident deviation)… because if If this is the style you want to play more, there is a good chance that this will get in your way… PS: be aware of this, but don’t freak out if it doesn’t work out at first, this is something that will happen naturally. has crept into my mind quite quickly, and I now play certain things that would otherwise be almost impossible…
Just an example of just anyone 
Greetings,Rogier
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Just anyone, ey?
Today, I tried your suggestion, and I found that if I concentrate on it, I can get my fingers to curl in further away from the thumb, but it means they are more diagonal than before. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, it is just different, and I need to get used to it. I also found I’m kinda loosing wrist position, because I’m concentrating on smth. else, but that is just practice. I’ve also experimented with pinky as anchor, which keeps my hand lower to the strings but I’m loosing the finger curl, and just plain resting my hand on the strings, which mutes the strings but helps with keeping position.
It seems like I need to pick veeeery slowly for the forseeable future, and keep an eye on all those moving parts. I’m not going to sound great, and I am apologizing to the neighbours in advance, but it is important, since I very much do want get into fingerstyle more.
Thank you so much for your observation and feedback, @roger_holland !
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Hi Eva,
Ha ha, and good to read it all, and using your little finger as an anchor or not or occasionally.(.I do that a lot the anchor but sometimes it is not possible for me or not the power to get used to it ) are things that you will find out for yourself, but I notice that you have quite a good ability to give the right look/attention to what you do and that together with all the knowledge and opinions in this community, then it’s just a matter of taking it easy and testing things out I still do
Greetings