Motivated by the recent threads on how to suck at guitar playing, and rut busting, I’ve decided I need to post more AVOYPs…warts and all.
This is very much a Work In Progress, recorded about a month ago on a rare warm early spring day.
A dreamer song for me, and just barely within my current abilities. Based on Ryan Lendt’s excellent campfire version in standard tuning. Just the first section of the song.
Did about 5 takes…first one was the best one, as is often the case, I find.
Second try. Recorded today…after about a month of fairly diligent practice. 5th of 6 takes.
Self critique to follow…
I so much luv your courage and being carefree to just share the videos. 
The smile you make when having a “spontaneous freestyling” is a pure sign you are having fun and enjoying it. Your first take out in the nature is awesome and also interesting the sound difference.
So lovely you just continue. Performance mode and not practice mode. (Like some teachers talk about: “know when it is performance mode and when it is practice”)
Just had a look at a guitar lesson to that song. Seem not that easy. 
It is easy to hear your progress, but one thing I notice also, is at the second take, you are way more relaxed. So cool to watch the progress!!! Well done, luv it. 
Keep them coming! Cheers! 
Hey Tom you picked a song right from my alley there, I have never really thought about this song and how challenging it is to play (although which Soundgarden song isn’t?!) 
good progress you are making, clearly can see it between two videos and again this is quite a challenging cover! So kudos for that. But…
I will be honest as I think this is important - I am not a huge fan of this cover from Ryan. I watched it out of curiosity and yes definitely can hear some fine chops in there and challenging techniques, but I think by putting capo so high and playing so many fancy riffs over and over song is loosing it’s flow and it’s almost impossible to sing along while playing. On top of that he plays with capo and in my opinion he looses out on more fuller sound from his strings which is a bummer as this song needs this extra resonance to sound better.
I imagine a campfire song being one that everyone sing along, including a performer. Being able to play and sing along I must say I would find this cover almost unbearable to sing while playing.
I started to wonder how Chris Cornell was performing it and if he was actually playing it live during his acoustic gigs. He was an amazing guitarist as well and of course he did play that song as well as in the video below. I think if you are willing you should study it and ditch Ryan’s cover, or to perhaps take it under consideration and add some stuff from there to Chris’s version which should be what you are basing your study material on.
There is a lot of similarities but also it appears to be a lot simpler and you have more shapes that are easier to change to and from but also you get rid of the capo and by that you get a fuller sound. Just my 2cs obviously it’s very subjective but I hope it will give you some food for thought about it 
again I am impressed by how much you have learnt already and that is a key thing here! All the best Tom
I like Ryan Lendt & his lessons, but I agree, I don’t usually do the campfire versions of his. Which is where he takes rock songs an alternate tunings and does them in a way you can play on a standard tuning acoustic - like if someone just hands you a guitar.
Burden In My Hand is on my dreamer list - one of my favourite songs of all time - but I haven’t looked at it yet, mainly because it’s in a different tuning (Open C I think?).
Hi Tom,
What you were playing a beautiful setting again …I also hope that your final video also takes place in such an environment…and what a progress can be seen between the first and 2nd video…super. … 
And if you are going to show your end result in this thread, I personally prefer not to see a “perfect” version of one or the artist posted and certainly not by anyone else 
. I know your intentions are really great @adi_mrok and a great extensive story and it is a work in process so I can imagine that this is super nice for you Tom (but maybe you haved look this up yourself or have you already done … you knows your dreamer song 
(actually I’d rather never hear the original of someone’s avoyp if I don’t know it or directly after it)…
I say all this with the friendliest smile and a hand on your shoulder Adrian…it’s more of a tip than a comment (if this makes sense??)…
In an LL or if it is clearly requested, it is of course very different in my eyes…
And with a good chance that I am of course the only one who thinks this 
Greetings,Rogier
Things are progressing nicely there Tom and what a difference a month makes. I’m looking forward to one day watching your finished song. Love the setting in the first video.
Hi Tom, what a great song to tackle! Really enjoyed seeing that progression and totally agree with Stefan, what a difference in a month! I can see it coming along nicely and can’t wait to hear the end result, very cool!!
Hey @adi_mrok loved that vid you posted! Appreciate there’s some conflicting thoughts on it, but I hadn’t seen that before and it was a super cool rendition, so glad I got to check it out, thanks!! What a tragic loss he is to the music world 
Thanks for the great comments, everyone! I’ll try to respond individually soon.
Self critique, after sleeping on it…
Pluses
Minus
weak count in. You see me try to get my strumming hand going first, and it doesn’t work. I find I sometimes just dive into a song without being mentally prepared, which often leads to a crash and burn in the first chord change. I think I need to focus more on how I begin.
not enough contrast between strumming bass and treble strings. One of you commented on lack of resonance, maybe this is what you meant?
some muffled notes in first part chord melody…need to articulate that more clearly
the big one…rhythmic uncertainty…especially in the second section. I see my strumming hand stops at times, because I don’t have confidence in the rhythm. Rhythmic complexity is my nemesis, and I’ll probably do a separate post on this.
Anything I missed - plus or minus?
I think that’s good self analysis Tom. I’d encourage you to work on playing the chords/melody/decorations cleanly and slowly first, then rhythm, then speed, and finally the dynamics (contrast as you say).
No hard feelings from me Rogier, I was just trying to help Tom out and perhaps show him that there is an easier way to learn this song and the best way for me was to show how the artist did it live, although I do appreciate your concerns and will reconsider posting any originals in the future
Sorry to be so long responding to everyone’s helpful comments, but things have been happening here in Nova Scotia.
Yeah, I almost crashed and burned there. A teacher gave me some good advice many years ago. He said you should be hearing the song in your head as you play. If you screw up, don’t stop, keep listening, and jump back in when you can.
It’s strange…watching myself…I only smile when I mess up…something to think about.
There’s something really inspiring about playing outside in a natural location. I always feel I play better, and am more likely to do a recording. I think I saw that you have a creek you play beside…done any videos there?
Unfortunately, we have’n been able to go into the woods here for the last week. Seemingly out of nowhere, we’ve had two historically massive wildfires, and I’m only a few km from one of them.
The neighbourhood next to mine got an evacuation alert, and I packed a bug out bag.
As it turned out, they got that fire under control, and I didn’t have to leave. But it was an anxious few days.
Fortunately, we are now having a lot of rain, which has opened up the woods again. Looking forward to playing there again!
I’m late to this party Tom. Good self analysis from yourself and good advice from others. Well done I enjoyed your version.
Keep eating the poutine. 
There is some kind of freedom in it for me also. First my neighbours don’t have to listen to me fumbling with the same melody 700 times per day. - Second I can play as loud as I want. I can give full expression and also the sound is somewhat very different from indoor. There is something about not having those walls throwing back the sound etc. When sitting at my creeky place when there is no wind, is really magic. The sound from the guitar is extra magical.
Haven’t done a recording there yet. Have been thinking about it. Have a couple of options I could use. Will have to give it a try one day. Little hard to setup and manage with the equipment I have atm.
Fire is scary. Happy to hear rain have fallen and things have settled. 
I can’t help smile or laugh, when I mess up. I have no negativity towards myself or guitar when I mess up. Looking at my videos and while watching my mind, I only see fun. joy and of course concentration also. But is same as when children play, a mix of those three ingredients, fun, joy and concentration. Then combined with out in the nature. Just be free. - Think learning process gets a boost.
The difference after only a month of practice is very noticeable, it’s really coming along nicely keep at it 
I just use a cheap tripod with a phone mount and remote fob…makes things a lot easier and spontaneous to record a video when inspiration strikes.
About $35 Cdn from Amazon, IIRC.
I’m doing a deep dive on my attempts to fix my rhythmic stumbles, if anyone’s interested…
I’m learning to sing and play, and find I’m much more willing to belt it out when I’m out there alone, where the people who live above me can’t hear me.
Thanks for the insights on fun and joy…I’m going to try to focus on that more.
Thanks, Gordon.
Will do. My upcoming mega-popular guitar channel will be called “Powered by Poutine”!
Have you tried the escargot yet?
Eh, non.