I recorded the spot pasted below. I’m singing over my guitar playing. The mic+video is my Android phone, a Samsung Galaxy 12.
How can this be improved?!?
I like how time the phrasings in your own way; gives it a nice personal touch.
An improvement could be combining the single notes you play with some more fuller chords or alternations between the two just to enrich your accompanyment.
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Hello Robert,
sounds great to me. 
Only thing that seems weird to me that I can hear audio only in left ear in my headphones. 
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Well done, Robert.
Phones have remarkable camera and audio quality these days… no worries on that front.
I like making covers in our own style, but agree with Lieven, I think this song works better with a consistent underlying strumming pattern. Justin emphasises this in his lesson on it.
Have you had a go at playing it like that?
I think I might just give it a whirl this morning.
Cheers 
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It shouldn’t all be “just strumming” but it lacks a bit of richness that fuller chords have.
it is of course very cool to throw in lead or bass lines but try to do it in a fashion that keeps the main pace and rhythm.
That’s why it usually helps to work in layers, where you start out with a primer of a consistent strumming pattern as Brian suggested, and build upon that when the rhythm is rock solid.
I think that is the core of what Brian and I are trying to convey here 
add coplexities, bass lines, passing notes by replacing some strums in a pattern. the pattern creates predictability. the more predictability, the better the audience can follow along. The ART of playing with rhythm and decorations is exploring how far you can take it, creatively but also skill wise ( to make sure you don’t break down the rhytmic aspect)
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I liked the sparse simplicity of your rendition, Robert. I think the flow between the bass line fills and verse/chorus was fluent. Good job on the picked fingerstyle.
Do look into the observation made that the recording was mono in the left channel. Not sure what the cause of that might have been but would be better if a stereo playback, even if recorded with a single mic.
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Nicely done Robert.
To supplement comments already made re: padding out the bass lines you play, here are four alternatives.
Octaves, power chords, thirds and triads.
None from the U2 version, all loosely based on the rhythm and notes you play.
ps
I know you say in your info you are self taught. Have you tried learning several different ways to play a G major chord? I recommend at least stuck 3&4 and weak finger versions.
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Hi Robert. I read the minor critiques on the importance of keeping the rythym flowing. I don’t disagree, but I really appreciate the way you adapted the song to your own style. You made it work and your singing is a pleasure to hear.
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Robert, I liked that a lot. Very interesting playing and singing.
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H Robert,
I really enjoyed this but I concur with some of the others above particularly on the strumming pattern. I normally don’t pay attention to strumming patterns but this song really works well with the strumming pattern Justin lays out.
This doesn’t take away from what is a really nice cover and good solid vocals.
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It sounds great to me Robert…I’m not able to give advice on how to improve it…it might also depend on your personal taste…do you like
? Or you would like to add
as Lieven suggests?
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Hi Carreta, I’ve encountered the left-side-out comment before, but it plays in stereo on my side. I wonder if it is an IT setting?! (Or maybe crossing the pond blows out the starboard!?) I know that when sharing great stuff with Justin and guitar instructors that getting the setting correct on Zoom is frustrating. Very sorry you missed some of my bleak performance, I’ll study on it, but I’m not an engineer. Thank you though for commenting and listening…_R
Hi Lieven and Brian too, Yes both of you are pointing to where I need to work at presentation guitar wise. I need that kind of direction. After all these years of hearing the song, a few day ago I thought I’d like to play it. A quick work up, but yes I need to put more effort into the song and find what I can play convincingly. I did watch a live U2 version and Bono kind of shocked me with his guitar additions to The Edge and his orchestration. But to play it alone, one guitar and one voice convincingly, I need to add more accomplishment is what I hear you saying.
It’s a great job challenge and I appreciate your feedback. This is such a great place and especially because of the critique. ((To be honest, I’m struggling with some mouth cancer stuff, so part of my motivation was to see if anyone caught my vocal degregation…but even if I stop singing, I can go on with improving guitar)). Heart Correct!
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Hey Richard, Thank you for listening. I will pull up the recordings you posted and think over the G chording. I have been discovering chords and how they sound different when fretted up and down the fret board but, for G, I’ve been mostly down at the first three frets. Your recommendation is something I’ll take to task. Thanks for encouraging me along this journey and sharing!!
Plus Richard … for me the standard open G chord is very difficult for me.
Funny, the barr F chord is so natural and easy to me; many people say F is difficult.
…okay, yes, work on the G… and find it any and everywhere thx_R
Nice job on this. Thanks for sharing!
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Hi Brian…that underlying and very consistent rhythm thing. I want to master that. The Edge has is. Andy Summers had it. JimmyP has it but goes sloppy sometimes even though he describes it as the catch…mesmorising.
Ok more work on my part, but Brian anything more you could tell me about achieving it. Dave Matthews hits it. Any vids I could watch? Thx. It’s love when you share! Owe you Brian. _R
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Beautiful interpretation - you singing is really makes it your own version! As mentioned before for me it is also mono / left speaker only.
Haha, you and all the rest of us here… 
I struggle as much with it as the rest, so blush at being asked 
You’re on the right track though. That’s probably one of the most important lessons Justin, Richard and Lieven bang on about. Guitar is a rhythm instrument. All the rest is frills.
For this song, I’d advise trying to learn it the way Justin teaches in his lesson, purely strumming, if necessary four down-strokes to the bar and move on as soon as possible to the kind of pattern he suggests (he varies when playing it). It’s basically
or a simpler version like Johnny Cash
When you’re happy strumming in time (with the recording or metronome) then start throwing in your bass runs/embellishments/alt. chord shapes etc.
When all that’s down pat, put your soul into it
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Pure simplicity is such a monumental effort!
Tkx Brian!