Beatles Blackbird by mbleier

mbleier
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Sun Jul 31, 2011 2:00 pm



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mbleier
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Sun Jul 31, 2011 2:18 pm

Hello again,
This again is a super rough video just to get something up. I also am really trying to get through the whole messing up constantly in front of the camera thing so that I can start to pretend it isn't there. I also seem to have trouble keeping my place in the song and get to a point where I forget. I hope you guys don't find these too loose or unpolished. I figure putting the ones where I make mistakes are the ones that will show what I need to work on more than sitting for a hour straight with one song trying to get it just right.
Thanks,

Mike


dennisg
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Sun Jul 31, 2011 3:44 pm

Hi Mike,

Screwups are almost inevitable on early versions of songs, so keep your chin up and keep at this one. It's well worth it. One thing I would suggest is to slow the whole song down until you can play it at a steady tempo. Then you pick up the pace as you get comfortable with it. As it stands now, your tempo is all over the place as you approach chord changes that are a little tricky.

But good job, and don't hesitate to post a finished version of this beautiful song.


dsmarion
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Sun Jul 31, 2011 7:15 pm

Hey Mike,

Great job on this song - I am working on this too and you have it sounding better than me right now. I am still at the infantile stage of learning to fingerpick usign all the correct fingers and you have that part down. So keep working on just smoothing it out and letting those bass notes ring as long as possible throughout. I also like the way this sounds on your classical. Great job so far!

Scott


Lavallee
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Sun Jul 31, 2011 9:31 pm

Hi Mike, this is coming good already. I noticed you are using the fingers Neil recommends in the lesson (not using the index of the right hand). Also your thumb seems to be alternating from the fat basses to the G string. It would actually be a little easier to see your right hand if you would change your camera angle. Especially if you are focusing on fingerpicking. I think it is better to have a clear view of the right hand as well, to see the fingers hitting the strings.

Keep em coming

Marc


suziko
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Sun Jul 31, 2011 9:39 pm

Nice job, Mike. Another great fingerpicking song.

My advice is to echo Dennis: slow the whole song way down until you can play it more smoothly at the same tempo. It might seem painfully slow, but it's best if you keep your tempo even thoughout the entire song, and then once you've got your chord changes down smoother, you can speed up the tempo.

Otherwise, it seems like you've got the bones of the song down. This is one I enjoy playing on a regular basis. Ironically, it was never a Beatles song I liked all that much, but it sure is fun to play!

Suzi


tovo
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Sun Jul 31, 2011 9:50 pm

mbleier wrote:
Hello again,
This again is a super rough video just to get something up. I also am really trying to get through the whole messing up constantly in front of the camera thing so that I can start to pretend it isn't there. I also seem to have trouble keeping my place in the song and get to a point where I forget. I hope you guys don't find these too loose or unpolished. I figure putting the ones where I make mistakes are the ones that will show what I need to work on more than sitting for a hour straight with one song trying to get it just right.
Thanks,

Mike
Hey Mike. I think this is one of the most enjoyable tunes on the site to play. I guess it has something to do with the journey around the neck, the tricky changes and the tempo. A real beautiful, challenging tune that feels good to play.

I don't see anything at all wrong with you posting your progress video. They are always well received. I think keeping your place in the tune, as well as minimizing or pretty much eliminating mistakes all comes down to the same process, getting it down accurately no matter how slowly. (playing too fast is a common problem I know I have also) and then repetition until you don't have to think about where you are in the tune and what comes next. You just know subconsciously. You gradually bring it up to speed. That takes heaps of work. Heaps of repetition. I know of no other way.

One experimental technique I have been using on a tune I have been flogging to death for about 3 months now which is similar, a fingerpicking tune with a fast tempo, is to play it ridiculously fast every now and then. (you need to know it very well at that point...doing it early doesn't help) Of course the mistakes tend to creep in at that point, but when I drop back to the correct tempo, well it seems more manageable then. I don't know, perhaps you might find that of value. At any rate, look forward to the next one mate.


lueders
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Sun Jul 31, 2011 10:50 pm

Hey Mike,

I'll second what Tony said about putting up progress videos.It really is about the journey and not the final destination, I believe. It is easy to get caught up in an overly goal- oriented mindset...where a person starts thinking: " this has to be bloody perfect or I aint gonna post it." That is a dangerous mindset in my estimation. Sure it is nice to watch a super polished final draft of a project...but it is equally nice to watch ANY of the twenty-seven, earlier stages of a tune. In the later, you get to see the unglamorous grunt work of learning these tunes. Which is kinda nice!! (Like Buddy often says it is about moving it along.") So, I commend you for that. Besides, if everybody thought like that, all the time, we wouldn't have too many videos to discuss or learn from. LOL!

There was a lot of good stuff going on in there, truly!! It ain't much fun but you might try slowing it down a bit. (Again...echoing Suzi, echoing Dennis...with that.

)I feel this one is gonna be a keeper for you. You're taking on a range of tunes...and some tricky little devils too!! So I commend you for those things as well!! :)
Keep plugging away!


Cori


MarkM
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Mon Aug 01, 2011 11:36 am

Mike,

Ahhh... One of my favorites for sure. You've got the pattern down and the fingerings for sure. I agree with the others in that you may want to slow it down for a bit and get the transitions in time. A few more run throughs at the slower speed and you'll be amazed at how much easier it is to bring up to its correct tempo. It works for me anyway.

It's great to see a work in progress. Please keep at this one and show us your journey. Thanks for sharing.



MarkM


willem
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Mon Aug 01, 2011 11:44 am

Yes Mike,,you now know the transitions and maybe i can say to slow it in down in tempo a bit I also make the mistake playing it too fast and still strugle with the song or on the way playing it i stumble and lost track(not alway's),,it is better to slow it down...thanks for showing us


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