suziko learning to play The Ivory Salamander acoustic guitar

Hydroman52
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Sat Sep 04, 2010 3:35 am

Ha! Comic relief in a fur ball. I don't think I would want to be on the other end of that "look". You handled the distraction well. Looks like you're getting used to not looking at your left hand too much while playing. That is one thing that slows me up. Sometimes I've just got to close my eyes and play so I'm not tempted to concentrate on what my hands are doing "right now" and imagine more about the next moves. It also seems to put more focus on the muscle memory thing than that ever deteriorating eye-to-brain-to-hand stuff. Sounds like the song is coming together for you. That Bm hammer-on can be troublesome if the barre isn’t put down clean. Have you been having any problems with that?

That plateau bit that you talk about . . . happens all the time. Don't get discouraged and be tempted to put it down for a while. Many of us on the site have done just that, and a little while turns into a long while, and that turns into a big regret.

On another note, that's a nice looking slot-head Martin you've got. How does it play for you? Does it have a story? Are you the original owner?

Hydroman52


willem
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Sat Sep 04, 2010 4:01 am

Suzy,i listen after yours to Neil's play throug and i could hear the same music in yours,,so you are on your way,,,Doobie Brothers songs are great and looks simple when Neil explain's but what a difficult transitions when you try it,I saw you played it out memory,so it is there,you can maybe use it as a warming up and then practice ''black water'' wish you a good time back on practicing the songs you want..


reiver
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Sat Sep 04, 2010 5:16 am

Hi Suzi

I think you played this really well. I've worked on this song a bit and I know how tricky some of those parts are. A couple of times you got distracted - but picked it right up again, you played at a good steady tempo throughout and you played it through twice. I don't think I can play through anything twice without a couple of detours! I also assume that you did it in very few takes 'cos if you were going for lots of re-takes the cat probably wouldn't have lasted past the first couple! You are also continuing to look more and more comfortable behind the guitar. So, these things considered, I think this is an very good piece of finger picking. It'll keep on improving as you play it - and as you continue to improve as a guitarist. The Bm will get easier. Timings on the hammer-ons and pull-offs will get tighter......but I'm sure you know these things. I think you can be very happy with this post and the evidence it provides of your continued improvement, Suzi. Well done.

Stuart


suziko
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Sat Sep 04, 2010 6:38 am

Juanila- Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed.

Marc- So true. I used to think "So many books, so little time!" But then guitar took over my life and my books are all gathering dust.

Lueders- Thanks for your comment. You're right, this song felt like a transitional song for me. I'd faced in other songs all the challenging individual elements that I found in this song, but to have them thrown all together was tough. Partly what kept me going was that it was a really fun song to play. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes fingerpicking and wants a bit of a challenge.

Rick- Thanks for your comments. I've decided to go with a radical new approach and have started looking at my chair before I sit down. Seems to work!

Hydroman- I probably should have mentioned my guitar in my intro. You're right, it's a slotted headstock Martin, a 00-28VS. I got it about 2 months ago and I absolutely love it. The sound is amazing (not always captured so well on video because of the camera's mic): mellow and lush. The size is great for me, being a relatively small person, and I just love the look of it. My other main guitar is a Taylor (GC3), which has a bright, cheery sound to it, so this was a great compliment.

Yeah, the Bm section was by far the hardest part of the song for me. Getting to that barre cleanly, hammering while in it, and moving back and forth between that chord and others.... it was hard! It still needs work, but it'll come. Your advice regarding looking less at my left hand is also good. Sometimes I think I just do it out of habit... or to avoid looking at the camera.

Willem- Thank you. I like to memorize songs before I post them. For me, it's more distracting if I'm looking at a piece of paper.

Stuart- Thanks for your kind words. Despite its hitches, I was happy with this post. There are other songs I've been working on that I could have posted, and posted a cleaner version than I did for this one, but this song was a real challenge for me and I felt it demonstrated better the direction I'm hoping to go in. I know it still needs another few hundred play-throughs before it's smooth, but I can be a bit impatient and I felt ready to post it as it was. I've also appreciated the feedback i've got for ways to improve. Sometimes when working in isolation, you can lose sight of even the most obvious things that you could do to improve your playing. Having a few fresh eyes look at what you're doing, and give you feedback, can be really helpful.


michelew
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Sat Sep 04, 2010 6:43 am

Suzi,

That was great! Sure there are a couple of little places which you've already mentioned that could do with a little tightening, but all you need is more practice. There's nothing like recording a piece to see where the weaknesses are. Given all the obvious distractions, you've got this piece in fantastic shape. I haven't tried this song, but I listened to Neil's play through and it sounded damn close to me. The speed will come once you've played it a million more times.

Your finger picking just gets better every time I see it. It's very clean and precise. Your right hand look nicely relaxed. Your left hand is looking fantastic too; the wrist is good and low and your fingers are moving with great agility and independence. You're making it look easy. I bet it isn't.

I second Marc's suggestion. It's the bits that trip you up that you need to practice ad nauseum until you don't even need to think about them anymore. Practice them until you've way lost count of how many little loops you've done. The Bm sections probably fit into this basket. I bet you land them most of the time. I noticed that you missed on the couple of times that the cat distracted you, so I'm betting that is part of the issue in the video.

I would like to hear you bring out the bass notes a bit more. They're fading into the back a little. I also wonder whether you're twisting a bit. It may be an optical illusion, but it looked as if you had the neck pulled back towards your shoulder and the bottom right edge of the body out in front. I find that sitting on the edge of the chair or corner (even a bit more that you are now) allows me to rest the lower bout of the guitar on my right thigh comfortably. It is more stable if you have the whole width of the guitar in contact, not just the edge (a footstool helps too). As I said it may be an optical illusion, but I wondered whether you felt like the guitar could slip. Not that it looked like that was affecting your playing.

Your sound is really gorgeous. That is one pretty guitar and it suits you to a tee. I love the head stock too and the shape is dead cute.

Speaking of gorgeous. Your house is WOW!

I really get that you needed to record this song so you could move on and give it a rest for a little while. I bet that after taking on a little advice from members here (and Neil) and more practice, you're have the song absolutely nailed; Bm and all.

Great piece. It's sounding fantastic already. With a little more work it will be BRILLIANT. You've given me an itch to give it a go.

I love your work as always.

M


AcousticAl
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Sat Sep 04, 2010 7:08 am

Nice post, Suzie.

As others have said, your posture and hand positioning seem really good, and comfortable for you. A problem I have is I still feel like I'm forcing it or sitting unnaturally as I lower my fret hand or angle my picking hand towards the floor. Holding the guitar like you do might be an answer- I've never tried it.

Another thing I liked was how you let certain notes ring through as your picking continued. That's a great effect and makes the song sound really full.

Lastly, I think your fingers have grown. At least the ones on your fretting hand.


dennisg
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Sat Sep 04, 2010 7:15 am

Well, I wasn't going to watch your video until tomorrow, when I had more time, but I couldn't help myself and had to watch it today.

First, congratulations on a terrific job on a song that's action packed from beginning to end. Why it's rated as a Level 5 song is one of those mysteries I'll never understand, but even still you made it look easy. Hammer-ons, pull-offs, rapid chord changes ... you did it all -- and did it beautifully.

Really, what stands out to me is how your playing ability has just vaulted ahead in the time you've been on TG. When I think about what you used to play months ago compared to what you're playing now, your progress just amazes me. But then I've always been impressed by your desire to challenge yourself.

No suggestions beyond what other folks have already offered.

I was surprised to see the guitar on your left knee -- classical style -- and it made me wonder if you've always put it there and I've just missed it or if it's something new.

I'm not at all familiar with this song. But the mark of a job well done is that, after watching your performance, I'm so intrigued by the song that I'd like to give it a go, too.

Funny how our animals like to appear in our videos.


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jcrocket
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Sat Sep 04, 2010 7:46 am

Suzi -

Very nicely done!

Seeing the progress you're making with fingerpicking gives hope to novices like me.

Jeff


jayswett
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Sat Sep 04, 2010 8:30 am

That was very nice. Several comments:
1) I don't recognize that guitar. Is this your first video with that little beauty?

2) You might consider trying to accent the bass notes a bit more. I was able to hear the treble notes very nicely, but the bass notes were not so easy to hear.

3) I hope you can post more videos now that school has resumed. I've been managing to post only a video per month or so, but would like to post more regularly than that. I'm looking forward to your Eva Cassidy video, to which you had alluded a week or so ago.

4) You have taken a page out of Michele's book with that perfect left and right hand positioning. It can't be a coincidence that both Michele and you have demonstrated tremendous improvement over the last year and have the best hand positioning of all of us.

That's all for now. I'm resisting the temptation to take a look at that song as I'm really trying to focus on using a pick.


BobR
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Sat Sep 04, 2010 8:53 am

Suzi,

I just wanted to say I enjoyed your performance very much. You played very relaxed and except for a couple minor timing bits it came through very nice. Both hand positions looked really good.

Thanks for posting

Bob


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