Beginner's Thread

[pipsickle]

Floyd - I agree that was very good for stage 1. I wouldn't have noticed the 'shaky' fourth strum but did catch it having read close's comment, but as he says I'm sure that will come with practice. Very confident strumming for this stage - well done!

[Rossco01]

Welcome back Pip! Hope you had a lovely time and we all missed you.

Really nice Floyd and sounds like you're exactly where you should be at this stage. Keep going as you are and practicing in the same way. You'll soon be tackling more difficult stuff

[floydnb]

Thanks for the comments everyone it's really helpful to gauge my progress. 

@Close2u I hadn't notice the difference with the 4th strum until you mentioned it. I think you're 100% correct that I'm strumming with a little more hesitatation getting 'ready' for the chord change. 

[Rolandson]

at Sweed77
ah that's the strumming pattern

AM        G        F          F      G
D    D    D U    U          D      D U D
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + / 1 + 2 +   3 + 4 +

thanks
 I had
AM                              G
D    D    D U    U          D      D U D
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + / 1 + 2 +   3 + 4 +

[tobyjenner]

WHATS UP 4 Non Blondes

Ok folks I know I'm BC8 going on 9 at the moment but have been going back over some of the earlier material. Normally I'd be happy to pump tracks out direct into AVOYP but a little unsure of this one, so Beginner SB it is. Timing seems a bit rough although using a metrnome (@135) and there a few missed up strums but as usual I'm always hard on myself.

  https://soundcloud.com/tobyjenner/whats-up-4nb

Played on my Squirerstrat for 2nd or 3rd time - much prefer this on the acoustic but struggling to get a recording set up for that at the moment.

Feedback welcome as always 

[Borodog]

@tobyjenner

Steady rhythm. Could use a lighter touch with some dynamics, and your level seemed blown out, but well done. I expected something much shoddier from your description. ;O)

[SiegeFrog]

tobyjenner

I happen to be working on this song at the moment too, so I was interested to hear your version. I'm not sure why, but it sounds different to me. I think you're using the strumming pattern from the book, and the changes and strumming sound good, but to my untrained ears, there's a difference. Are you using a capo? Which fret? Are you using G Am C G chord grips? I'm going to have to go back to the original and see what I'm missing. Maybe it's the tempo. 135 bpm seems a little fast. I've been playing it at 65 bpm as 16th notes, so that's about the same. When you listen to it next to the original, what do you hear?

[stitch101]

@ tobyjenner
re:
WHATS UP 4 Non Blondes

Slow down to around 70bpm on your metronome. Your rushing the chord changes. Maybe try playing
along with the original video Justin has posted under the lesson video.

[tobyjenner]

@Borodog - thanks. Just started recording via Guitar Rig and not quite got the settings right but I'll take on board touch and dynamics. One of my biggest problems is being heavy handed, as I drop the pick when I lighten things up. All about practice. And yes it could do with some accents

@stitch and Siege respectively
Chord progression GAmCG as you state, capo on 2nd as per BSB.
With both of your comments on tempo I think I've sussed out what I'm doing wrong, that, as stitch said, I'm rushing the chord changes and Seige

it sounds different to me.Maybe it's the tempo. 135 bpm seems a little fast. I've been playing it at 65 bpm as 16th notes, so that's about the same. When you listen to it next to the original, what do you hear?

Well I listened to the original again and realised that I was playing
G D+DUD+DU Am DUDU3UDU C D+DUD+DU G DUDU3UDU
not
G D+DUD+DU DUDU3UDU Am D+DUD+DU DUDU3UDU C D+DUD+DU DUDU3UDU G D+DUD+DU DUDU3UDU
so thats Seige 16th then. And seems more like the 4NBs original.

I need to go back to Justin's lesson as Stitch said and the accompanying video. The BSB shows the strumming pattern over 2 bars
Bar 1 D+DUD+DU Bar 2 DUDU3UDU
so I saw this a chord change for each bar.

I think this why I did not just drop this into the AVOYP thread on its own. Something did not sit right for me, so I'm grateful of the feedback. I'll give it a few days to absorb and analyse what I thinks going on, reviewing J's lesson and the many vids on Youtube to confirm the pattern.

Thank you Forum, forever helpful 

[tobyjenner]

This would suggest 16ths at 63 bpm

http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtdFPE.asp?ppn=MN0027666

Tried it sounds better but recording was a bit shoddy. Need to sort that before a re-post

[SiegeFrog]

@ tobyjenner

I'm glad you got that sorted out. I was coming back to the thread to delete my response, as I felt it was a little negative and unhelpful. I think it's one of the few songs in the BSB that is not identified as a 16th note pattern when he converts it to an 8th note pattern. I also don't think he explicitly says it in the video, but he definitely plays the whole pattern for each chord. It's such a recognizable rhythm that when you get it right, you'll instantly know. Good luck. Maybe I'll get around to posting my version. I've been messing around with trying to play it as A Bm D A, but I just can't make the changes to and from Bm quick enough.

[justinguitar]

@erichamion - great first recording dude. I think playing tighter with the metronome will just come with practice. When recording a good trick is to put the metronome in headphones so only you hear it and the mic doesn't pick it up! But great stuff

[justinguitar]

@Rolandson - tough choice for a beginner that one, and what I'd recommend is making sure you play it in time before adding in the fancy strumming. Try just playing the 4 down strum versions along with a metronome and if you struggle to do that then you probably shouldn't be trying to add in the more complex strumming yet!

It's the pauses between chords you should be aiming to eliminate - but very well done

[justinguitar]

@floydnb very nice sounding chords (and nice crisp sounding guitar btw!) you're doing great! certainly ready to rock stage 2!!

[justinguitar]

@tobyjenner - you're doing great dude - certainly wouldn't be worrying about 'missing some up strums'- much more important to be keeping solid time, which you are doing!!

My one thought is that maybe you're strumming a little too hard, or perhaps using a too hard pick - try and be a little more delicate, even though it's a puky tune, I think a 20% lighter touch might make it's overall sound a lot better! Well done