Thank you Tim and Ron!
(Sorry, I can’t seem to be able to @ ‘tag’ with the mobile 
)
Justin shows the little riff on his song lesson 
https://www.justinguitar.com/songs/neil-young-heart-of-gold-chords-tabs-guitar-lesson-st-909
Hey, thanks Heather. That’s a great help.
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Hi @Heatherxx, it was beautiful watching you play. I am also practicing this song now and it’s very encouraging seeing a fellow JG doing the same. Your chord sounds really clean to me, especially the little riff.
Bdw, I may be wrong, but I’ve found the “pump” effect sounds very good in an acoustic guitar. I look forward to watching you perfect this song.
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I thought it was really good… I’m practicing this one also… so gives me courage that I can eventually get it done. Bravo!
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It seems like everyone else covered the important feedback, I just wanted to say that I think this sounds amazing!! I can’t wait to hear you and your partner duet with guitar and harmonica!!
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Hi Heather,
I liked your effort and you hung in there all the way. Best part is you kept going when it was a little tough. That is a great asset to have!
Pick - I have had the same issue in the past. On my end I solved it by going to a Dunlop Max Grip pick. Much easier to hang onto and I think they are made in many thicknesses. Check it out below:
All the best and keep up the good rock’n,
LB
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Thank you! That’s the pick I’m using. I’ve been working on changing my whole picking hand through this week, trying to hold the pick and curl in my fingers the way Richard shows above. It’s been very awkward and frustrating, and I can’t even play the song close to the way I did before. But I know that’s to be expected, so I’ve returned to not worrying about the song and just trying to train my picking hand.
Slow and steady 
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Ah, a Max Grip user! Good, as they do help. I must say that was step one on this end and next up was to start tucking the index finger. That really helped too. That also was good in that it helps keep the index fingernail from hitting the strings when strumming.
All the rock’n best,
LB
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First of all, nice job Heather. Maybe someday I’ll gather up enough confidence to post a performance video too!
@Richard_close2u I wanted to thank you for the post about gripping a pick. I’ve struggled with this for a while and while switching to the Dunlop Max Grips that @LBro mentions has helped, I still manage to lose control of it fairly often. Over the last couple of days I’ve tried your style and it seems to really help. I’m still at the stage where it feels different but I’m going to work on it. Thanks!
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@29PAS Welcome to the Community, Chip. Posting a performance video is scary the first time round but no doubt one of the best things you can do in support of learning. And no need to feel like you have to be at the play-grade where you are playing public gigs.
Lots of good advice on the pick problem. I think we all go through that from time to time. Give it time and a little experimentation and it will sort itself out.
The song is sounding good for as long as you’ve been playing; just needs a little smoothing out, which will certainly come the more you play it and practice. You’ve definitely got the basics and then some. Well done.
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@DavidP Thanks for the welcome and the encouragement. I’ll start to look into the technical aspects of it and if I can figure out how to make it work in my NYC apartment environment that would be a good first step. Can’t make any appreciable noise here so I practice with headphones plugged into my amp.
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@29PAS Chip, if you want to chat about that perhaps post up a topic (#social:just-chatting would work) sharing the gear you have, including computers, and you may get some helpful tips to figure that out.
Well, 11 days now and the picking issue is not going well . Been working on curling in my fingers (I sure hadn’t noticed how they were flailing around before). Biggest trouble is that I have carpel tunnel or something, and my hand and fingers fall asleep very easily in that hand. It’s been like that for a long time, happens when I hold video game controllers, if I knit…I even have to have a cruise control on my motorcycle because of it.
It doesn’t take much to happen, even as I practice just loosely curling them in. The pick is way more in control that way though, that’s for sure…unti my hand starts to fall asleep.
So, gonna have to work this out somehow. Where there’s a will there’s a way 
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Now knitting is not something one would always expect to be slipped in between gaming and biking
Keep at it and I am sure you’ll figure out a ways that that works for you, Heather.
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CTS and bikes don’t easily mix. Especially unexpected tendon lock ups ! Had a double op many moons ago and (touch wood) been ok since and still riding - my missus does the knitting 
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I can empathise with you there, my wife had both wrists operated on after waiting nearly 10 years to get diagnosed and getting to the end of the queue! I have Fibromyalgia so have similar issues plus holding my guitars isn’t exactly comfortable. Keep going, you’ll find a way, you’ve already solved some of your issues so it’s just a matter of getting round it.
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WOW! I can tell your practice is really paying off! I would love to be at your stage. Keep rocking! 
Love your song choice.
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Hey Heather nice to meet you! Anyways Sandy has the same problem with her arm falling asleep! Might be due to your arm resting on the guitar and cutting circulation off? Im not sure i have not experienced that. How long you been playing? I mean if your a beginner i think you are doing really great!!! I suggest learning horse with no name, as it is only 2 chords, plus i think that song would help with rhythm! Its basically a Em chord with your 2 and 3 fingers and alternating the 3 finger to play the other chord on the 3rd string 2nd Fret. Honestly I have found you can do multiple rhythms in strums, such as just plain down strums or alternating and mixing in up and down strums!!! Down strums are the easiest, as you get better and feel comfortable trying mixing in down and up strums. Good luck!
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