Hi all
I’ve got to grade 1 module 7 and seeking feedback on this video I made of myself playing. I know my changes to C are still a little dodgy and I’m working on keeping that little finger down, but I’d love to hear other thoughts and suggestions.
Ignore the date stamp on the video.
Heres the link: Pearl Jam - Last Kiss
Thanks
Murray
Murray I see an overall tension in your upper body, not just the fingers that aren’t being used to play a chord. You might like to shake it out and take a few deep breaths before you begin. You’re making good progress. Keep 'em coming.
Hi Murray, there’s a lot to like here. It’s a great song, very emotional. I’ve listened to it a lot and played and sang it a lot. In fact, now when I play it my kids tell me to stop because it’s making them sad! How’s that… shows the emotional power of this song.
You played pretty well. Good strumming, carried the song through, tempo was solid. Yes, some tweaking to do with tension - relax - let the pinky hang out where it wants to while relaxed. In terms of technique, I’m wondering if it might feel easier if you turn both your legs towards the head of the guitar? Might position it better. Just something to try.
If you wanted to polish the song, you can add the stops. At the end of each verse, between the G’s, there is a stop. You could try muting the strings there. I also like to add the drum taps there too by tapping the acoustic body. So kind of - G strumming, stop/mute, tap-tap, tap-tap, G strumming again. Listen to the song if you’re not sure what I mean.
That’s just polish stuff you might like to do though - I thought you played well.
Hey Murray,
Well done mate. Nice, even strumming too which is a big, big plus.
One thing I noticed is your thumb is hanging over the top of the neck mostly, and it seems to cramp your chord formation at times, particularly the C chord. May be worth trying to lower it a bit, enabling your hand to open up abit more, thus enabling more efficient access to the fretboard.
Going well mate.
Cheers,
Shane
Like the changes in the strumming pattern.
Good. Can’t offer advice as only module 9 myself, but you may be a little tense as above.
Congrats on sharing a first recording, Murray, usually a scary moment for folk to do that but invaluable.
Equally invaluable is your ability to review your recording and identify the things that need further attention.
I’ve no further feedback to add to what others have shared.
Keep doing what you are doing, keep making more recordings, you are well on track!
Thanks everyone for the generous comments and feedback. Always a bit scary putting yourself out there the first time.
@batwoman thanks. I have a tendency to tense up doing lots of things because of my anxiety - sport, singing, you name it. I’m usually not even aware of it until someone points it out so thanks and I’ll work on that.
@jkahn thanks for the advice. I re-listened to it (did you know this song is a cover of a 1961 song) and I can hear the gaps. I think it’s between the two Gs at the end of the verse and the G beginning the next one, for one bar. Is that right?
Again, thanks all for the feedback. I’ll plague you with a new video soon 
It is at the end of the verses. I can’t remember the exact duration, I go by feel on this song not count. It might be that you hit a downstrum on count 1 of the bar at the end of the verse, mute, and then start on 1 on the next bar.
You’re clearly PJ fan - a few of them on this forum, myself included! Yep I knew about the origins of this song and even listened to the original.
Well done Murray same as David much have already been said so just wanted to pop by and say you did great!
Well done Murray on posting your first performance and it was a good one. You done very well, nothing that I can add that hasn’t already been said.
There has been quite a few covers of this song. It’s quite interesting watching the various versions from Wayne Cochran to J Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers to Alci Acosta to Elvis to Pearl Jam.
This live version is a good one to watch and you can see/hear the gaps where he plays percussive Pearl Jam Eddie Vedder Last Kiss Acoustic Live - YouTube
Well done Murray and vibes from me on posting your first AVoYP.
The others have said it all. Stick at it and I look forward to more from you in the future.
Great start, Murray, every guitarist should have that song in their campfire repertoire! It was also covered by the Canadian band Wednesday, in 1974. I couldn’t even guess how many times I heard that version growing up, and yet it’s still a campfire staple.
Good on you, sir! Get this chord progression under your fingers and you have opened up a large portion of the rock playbook:
Transpose to C-Am-F-G when those chords emerge in your journey. Nice share!
Congratulations on your first AVOYP posting.
Sounding very good Murray. Nice and steady with clean changes.
Likes others have said try and relax ( I know it’s hard when that red light comes on) because when you do you’ll find it becomes easier to play.