• Registered: 2009-06-05
  • Posts: 55

Topic: Critique a piece of.....

Hello,

I was practicing my fast strumming last evening with a song called "If My Heart Was A Car". I decided to capture the shining moment on video. I know I am mutilating chords and my timing is all messed up. My wife and daughter both say it is too loud and of course sounds nothing like the song. Got to love the brutal honesty. What do you think? Don't worry about hurting my feelings.....I know its pretty bad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUBKGxUXVQI

This is what I was trying to achieve:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttVgAZVTNac

  • From: Madeira Beach, Florida
  • Registered: 2007-12-05
  • Posts: 3,312

Re: Critique a piece of.....

Honestly... I liked yours better than the original - I couldn't bear 30 seconds of that. To each his own I guess

Rule No. 1 - If it sounds good - it is good!
  • Registered: 2008-08-14
  • Posts: 10

Re: Critique a piece of.....

I prefer slower music myself but I have often heard playing slower and more accurately will improve your speed playing. I guess its down to muscle memory and accuracy between chord changes.

I am a newbie myself and the main thing is at least you are trying smile

  • From: U.S.
  • Registered: 2007-01-24
  • Posts: 269

Re: Critique a piece of.....

Not my cup of tea, but you did ask me to be honest. First off, I give you high praise for posting it for everyone. I have never recorded myself, so for that I say good job. The strumming pattern(and there is one on his recording) is not even close. I agree with soccerbrit, slow it down and get it right before you try and speed it up.

  • Registered: 2010-10-11
  • Posts: 19

Re: Critique a piece of.....

Since I'm such a lousy lead guitarist, I have learned to finger the chords and then pick several individual strings in the chord to somewhat give the effect of some lead licks.  What I see in your picking is pretty much that you're hitting all six strings all the time with every stroke.  This is not uncommon for the "less experienced" guitar players.  It's not easy to hit only the strings you want to hit, especially when you're standing up in front of a crowd, but it can be done.  Practice! Practice! Practice!

A pet peeve of mine about my own playing is that I have a tendency to strum one unfingered beat when changing chords.  I've worked very hard to eliminate that with some success.  I didn't really hear you doing that, but wanted to make you aware of it.  I hear it a lot from other guitarists.

Keep practicing, and keep up the gutsy work.  Before you know it you'll be doing that song just fine.  Jcellini was right--get the chord changes right and get the muscle memory while going slower.  After you do, you can speed it up as fast as your pick hand can go.

  • From: Chesapeake,VA
  • Registered: 2008-11-12
  • Posts: 332

Re: Critique a piece of.....

tfsails wrote:

Since I'm such a lousy lead guitarist, I have learned to finger the chords and then pick several individual strings in the chord to somewhat give the effect of some lead licks.  What I see in your picking is pretty much that you're hitting all six strings all the time with every stroke.  This is not uncommon for the "less experienced" guitar players.  It's not easy to hit only the strings you want to hit, especially when you're standing up in front of a crowd, but it can be done.  Practice! Practice! Practice!

A pet peeve of mine about my own playing is that I have a tendency to strum one unfingered beat when changing chords.  I've worked very hard to eliminate that with some success.  I didn't really hear you doing that, but wanted to make you aware of it.  I hear it a lot from other guitarists.

Keep practicing, and keep up the gutsy work.  Before you know it you'll be doing that song just fine.  Jcellini was right--get the chord changes right and get the muscle memory while going slower.  After you do, you can speed it up as fast as your pick hand can go.

Good advice and I agree.  I'd suggest slow down the part you're playing until the finesse of your strum hand comes along.  As TF says it's pretty common to strum all the strings, but in time you'll hit the bass note and it will stand out as it should.  When I started out I thought strumming was all up and down along the face of the guitar.  Now I realize it's in and out as well.

Also good on you for posting.  Takes guts.  Your daughter and wife are the best critics at the moment, so lighten up and slow down (a little) and you'll find them complimenting that same song very shortly.

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