Very nice job. Thoroughly enjoyed the performance. Congratulations on #1 video!
Excellent first post Ian. I thought you sang the song really well , on what is a really difficult song to sing.
I’m a bit late to the party, Ian, but a debut AVOYP for a regular contributor deserves a response
Excellent performance! 
No sign of nerves.
Solid steady rhythm both picking and strumming, you did that ‘ghost-noting’ well, keeping your hand moving steadily.
You can sing in tune, which is a huge advantage some struggle with in the beginning.
Bravo! 
I wouldn’t worry at all about participating in an open mic. I can’t recall anyone in the community ever doing one and saying ‘never again’. Most of us still get a touch of butterflies, but in a good way.
If I were to suggest an area to focus on, it would be the picking direction. If you look at Justin’s lesson again, he mentions a few times that all the single string picks are downwards. This makes it easier to keep the hand moving constantly (even if it’s just a tiny bit or mentally). You play all the sections where you go from high to low strings with an upstroke. The good news is that your innate sense of rhythm largely compensates for the change of direction, and it’s just a minor niggle anyway.
Well done again, and I look forward to more 
Thanks Brian,
I have to say, I didn’t think at all about the direction of the single note picking (up or down). I just did what felt Ok for me. Now you mention it, indeed, in the lesson he says all down picks. I ignored that. I’ll try that when I practice this one again. Thanks for pointing that out!
1 Like