Well, here goes. I’m heaving myself over the cliff of never recording myself before, and avoiding pictures in general like the plague. But, I really do want more experienced people to see what I’m doing so that I can learn to play properly and avoid having bad habits engrained.
I’ve just finished Grade 1 and I began learning ~3 months ago. Here’s my first go at a recording, rocky start and all the mistakes included. I welcome any constructive criticism
Sorry for the quality of the video, I really don’t know what I’m doing with that…and the audio, I don’t know how to adjust the amp I’m using for a good sound.
Also, despite what it looks like, I really am enjoying myself…I have RBF, and I guess it’s incurable
Hey Heather I think you are doing fine. Chords are pretty solid and changes clean. The only thing I was going to say was to keep the strumming hand going with the beat but you corrected that after the first few bars and was able to add some good dynamics here and there.
Video and audio were fine and to some degree nice that the original was lower in the mix, as it made your playing stand out.
On the old forum, you’d certainly be worthy of a good vibe but you have to settle with this instead.
Congratulations on posting your first video Heather! As Toby said, the video quality is fine, and your strumming and chord changes were smooth and consistent. One suggestion I would offer is to try keeping time tapping your foot - it looked like you had started doing that but stopped part way through. I’m personally rythm-challenged, and find that tapping my foot helps with that. Overall, very well done!
Great job, Heather. Good on you for having the courage to post it, and I sure hope it feels great to get it out there - big accomplishment! I think for only being a few months in your rhythm was really solid, strumming was good, and you hit the changes really well. You managed to integrate everything and kept it together for the whole song. Sometimes I can do that for part of the song, but I usually lose it at some point and have to try to recover.
Keep on rockin’!
Also, I am envious of your music room. That’s a cool looking space!
Thank you! The music room…well, it’s my husbands. It used to be our daughter’s bedroom, but after she moved away and started her grown up life years ago, he transformed it into his sanctuary to collect instruments and jam at whatever strikes him All of the instruments therein are his, except the red guitar I’m playing, that’s mine
I’d say he’s adjusting pretty good to my unexpected use of the ‘band room’ in recent weeks
Hi Heather well done on your first recording, and wow what a choice love some Pearl Jam!
For the level you are at you did superb, good changes, seems like you know what you are doing and it comes pretty natural.
As other suggested I think you need to work on strumming a bit, how I would tackle it is trying to strum D DU UDU while keeping your hand moving all the time, same as you started doing around 1:00.
Keep practicing and it will become a lot easier. All the best.
That was very well done, Heather, especially for only 3 months in. You have a good sense of rhythm, and I can see you moving to “feel” the groove. That’s excellent: timing is super important, and good timing makes even simple things sound musical. I can’t really tell if you’re also tapping your foot, but if not that’s a good habit to acquire. I’d encourage you to continue to work on timing, playing the strumming patterns to a backing track or drumbeat or metronome, etc. You’re already on the path, there, and it will continue to serve you well.
It was fine. You don’t need to post super high quality audio/video (although you certainly can if you want to).
I’m glad you are enjoying it. As for “RBF,” I’ll disagree: performer and performance are both lovely. Thank you for sharing with us.
What a great intro Heather, you sure did paint the picture of how hard this was for you and how little we should expect. I wondered what I was in for when I hit play. Ta daaa nice work.
Great start to your AVOYP career Heather. Others have given you some useful pointers and the encouragement I would have so I shall simply say bravo and
Nice! You are off to a great start and have access to a music room with cool gear that just exudes inspiration. Good steady strumming, nice tempo and for a five minute run! Well done.
Nice guitar. I have the T.V. Yellow version. The action on mine is a little high, I have yet to really go over it and maximize its potential – but those P90’s are great for a high value guitar.
You’re doing great and not very far into your guitar journey either! Great song to practice to at 5 minutes long, and you did really well over the entire piece. I know what you mean about looking like you’re having fun or not, I often wish after I’ve done a video that I could at least have smiled at the end!! However I know I’m having fun, and that’s what counts
Well done Heather. At 3 months in thats really good. You look quite relaxed to me. No mean feat whilst recording yourself. When I try I usually tense up and it all goes wrong. Thanks for sharing
Hi, Heather. Well, for 3 months in, that was darned good as far as I’m concerned. Plenty of good advice/pointers above. I don’t use an amp so can’t really speak to that. I thought what you’ve got sounded pretty good. As fas as tone, just keep playing around with it and really listen to it. You’ll find what pleases you. But again, for 3 months, we’ll done.
All of the instruments therein are his, except the red guitar I’m playing, that’s mine 
