19Nov2024 - This is the start of my Grade 2 ten songs project for Grade 2 consolidation. I decided to go ahead and add some initial recordings to get started. NOTE - I added consolidation to the title since half of the first six songs are technically listed at grade 3 on the JG website (stage 8 or 9 in the classic course). All of the songs were listed as suggested songs in the current grade 2 lessons or are grade 2 songs in the two Beginner Books.
Here is song number 1:
Hallelujah
I did a better positioning of the camera this time for the next song. In both cases this is the fist time I have sung all of the way through the song and just recording on my iPhone.
Here is song number 2:
Canāt Help Falling In Love
I will try to make better recordings by the end of the year using the new microphone and DAW, but first I wanted to get an initial recording of the ten songs. (NOTE: I changed my mind at the end and decided to wait until the new year to make more recordings). Hopefully I can get better audio in the recording, but no guarantee on better performance
Hi Steve,
With your guitar playing and singing you had all the good vibes in the pocket after the first song ā¦with Elvis there it was a super dessert
It sounds very well. As far as Iām concerned, both the playing and singing are fine (I donāt sing at all and I envy those who can). Iām waiting for more of your recordings.
Both songs were played with confidence & cleanly! Good chord changes, nice bass runs in Hallelujah, timing & singing were both well done also! I think those were 2 of the best ones I recall hearing from you! Good Job!!!
You are well on the way to Grade 3ā¦ keep up the playing & progressing!!!
Tod
P.S. I was particularly impressed with you F-Chord transitions at this stageā¦ Iām also consolidating Grade 2 & still muff up that stinking F-Chord with way too much regularity!!!
@roger_holland Rogier, thanks for listening to my first recordings and for your kind words. I was born in the 1950s, so much of Elvis was before I was aware of popular music, but I think that my voice is well matched to his songs.
@math07 Mathieu, thanks for listening to my recordings and your positive comments. I am starting out with the simpler rhythms for me and these are songs that are easy for me to sing. I hope the rest of the songs go as well.
@JackPK Jacek, thanks for listening to my recordings and happy that you liked them. I am 69 years old and have been singing since I was 5 years old. I also played guitar and sang many times over those years, so I have had much practice. I still get nervous when I record and try to focus on my playing and singing and not think about the fact that someone will hear my playing and singing. Justin has good advice on playing the guitar and singing in grade 3. If you canāt sing and play at the same time you could record yourself playing and then record yourself singing using a DAW and combine, for your own enjoyment, even if no one else hears the resulting musical mix. Have fun as you advance through Justinās lessons.
@Socio James, thanks for listening to my recordings and for your encouraging words. I wasnāt sure if I could finish with mastering these ten songs before the end of the year. With 50 minutes of practice that is just 5 minutes per song each day. I finally decided to heed the old proverb of āāDonāt let the perfect be the enemy of the goodā. I am being low key and recording on my iPhone at first and trying not to put too much pressure on myself by practicing and recording one song each day. I want to finish this grade 2 consolidation project so I can continue with grade 3 consolidation and start focus on learning blues in grade 4.
Great work Steve. Very enjoyable mate; clean an melodic, and some very solid foundations youāve built there for Grade 3. You also have the added bonus of a great voice too.
@Willsie John, thanks for listening to my recordings and for your nice comments. I am happy you enjoyed them.
@CATMAN62 Tod, thanks for listening to my recordings and all the great comments. I have been happy with my F chords lately also. Of course, I have spent the last 2 years on grade 2 consolidation while learning grade 3 and I have done a lot of Perfect Fast Changes between F and G and F and C and F and Am and other F chord transitions. So all of that has helped.
@beejay56 Brian, thanks for listening and glad that you enjoyed them.
@tonkyponky Thanks for listening and happy that you enjoyed the songs.
@sclay Shane, thanks for listening to my recordings. I appreciate the encouraging comments.
Both songs were really enjoyable to listen to. Playing and singing go nicely together and you have a very pleasant voice! Rhythm is solid for both strumming and picking - so your consolidation is coming along nicely! Canāt wait for number 3 to be shared.
@Lisa_S Hi Lisa, thanks for listening to my recordings and for your kind words. I will probably record one song per day and upload the recordings every other day. I started with the easiest songs, so I am finding each song a little more challenging.
Steve, you sounded great! Loved your vocal dynamics. Very nice tone to my ears. Iām looking forward to the rest of the songs you have planned on your list! These two were some of my faves in Jasonās Beginner Songbooks.
21Nov2024 - Today I am adding songs 3 and 4 of the ten grade 2 consolidation songs recorded on my phone.
I had some problems with deciding how to play and sing the song Iām A Believer. I practiced a lot without a capo until I tried to sing it. Then I wasnāt sure I could hit the high notes in the chorus so I switched to playing with a capo on the fourth fret and singing an octave lower:
Here is song number 3:
Iām a Believer - capo 4 - lower voice
I wasnāt really excited about the result, so I switched back to no capo and sang in the upper part of my vocal range and decided to even try a falsetto note in the chorus and added a little vocal improvisation at the end like in the Monkees original version. I also got up the nerve to add the intro riff which I can only do if I am not singing. I noticed that when I am playing fast chord changes in the chorus that my fretting hand still thinks that I am playing at the fourth fret and my fingers are contracting away from the fret. The fact that I am still getting acceptable tone tells me that I am pressing the strings too hard. Something to work on in the future.
Iām A Believer - no capo - higher voice
The next song āPlease Forgive Meā is one that I had not heard before. I think I was deep into listening to the blues when the song was re-released in 2000 and I wasnāt listening to pop. Part of the fun of this JG journey is learning new songs. I recorded it today after listening to David Grey sing the song a few more times. I listened to the original and 2 live versions. Iām trying to use Justinās brilliant guitar rhythm as much as possible, though I sometimes simplify a little when I am singing. Too many things to juggle. I still need to work a little more on the ending:
Here is song number 4:
Please Forgive Me
I think that these two additional songs go beyond grade 2 consolidation level and include some of what I have absorbed in my two years at the grade 3 level.
Well played on both songs. Particularly good dynamics in many phases of āIām A Believerā in both versions: I think your vocal sounds more comfortable in the lower version; you could maybe try the capo in a different position to land somewhere just a little higher. Very enjoyable.
@Socio James, I was going to listen to one of your latest AVOYP recordings, but the last was the Blues Studies recorded on Nov2023, before you started the BLIM course. Hopefully after the BLIM you can record some more blues studies. I would be interested to see what progress you have made.
Hi Steve, yes it seems I havenāt posted an AVoYP for quite some time. BLIM has been very time consuming but in a good way. After BLIM I plan on recording blues studies as I consolidate and build upon my learnings.
Nice voice and guitar playing 
