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#1
10-20-2016, 11:54 PM
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Am I decent? (13 years old)
Hey, I'm 13 years old and I've been playing the guitar for about 10 months. I don't have a guitar teacher or anyone that I know that can help me.
Heres a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGiHpKvVVFA I know the video quality is not that great, but I would love some tips about how I'm playing. Thanks Last edited by BasicPotato101; 10-23-2016 at 12:33 AM. 
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#2
10-21-2016, 12:01 AM
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Doing fine. Keep learning tunes. Watch out the finger tap thing does not become an ingrained habit as it is often annoying to listen to.
__________________
Derek Coombs Youtube -> Website -> Music -> Tabs Guitars by Mark Blanchard, Albert&Mueller, Paul Woolson, Collings, Composite Acoustics, and Derek Coombs "Reality is that which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." Woods hands pick by eye and ear
Made to one with pride and love To be that we hold so dear A voice from heavens above
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#3
10-21-2016, 12:31 AM
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I think you're doing great! I started out at age 13, so I think you're a lot better than I was. I'd probably agree with rick-slo about the finger tap thing... I think there are songs where that has a place, but I think it can be overdone.
I'd just continue what you're doing. Maybe a guitar teacher in the future can help you. If not, there is so much on the internet to help, guitar camps, books, DVDs, etc. Keep learning fingerstyle techniques or flatpicking skills. You're doing great... keep at it! Glad to have you on the AGF. Learn as much as you can here... there are so many good players!
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#4
10-21-2016, 05:36 AM
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Quote:
Best thing: solid sense of time. (This is the most important element of all) Area for improvement: don't be afraid to play harder/louder. Dig into it more. The air of hesitancy or shyness is the main thing that marks you out as an amateur/relative beginner. You're not making any (serious) mistakes, you're more than "decent" technically, so there's no reason to hold back. It might help to slow down just a little, to make sure everything you play is firmly controlled. Remember that performing a piece is not just about getting it right (which you are). It's about delivering it - playing with confidence and expression. I.e., the first stage is learning the piece, getting all the notes right, in the right order, etc. When you have everything correct, and can play the whole thing all the way through at the right speed - that's the start of the next stage: which is to actually start playing it, performing it, turning it into "music". Making it your own, playing it like you mean it. Check out the video that followed yours when I was watching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9F6hu-Hbjk - he's not really any better than you (maybe not as good technically - a few definite mistakes), but he's playing with more confidence. I.e., he needs to go back a little and get everything correct, but he's conveying a confident attitude.
__________________
"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." - Leonard Cohen.
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#5
10-21-2016, 07:20 AM
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You are doing great. I'll offer a quote to inspire you.
"Make what seems hard easy, make what seems easy habit, make what seems habit beautiful." Credit - Richard Smith (Google if you have never heard of him) My teacher is always telling me that I need to play as slow I need to make the music sound appealing to the listener. I think you're hand tapping percussion is very cool but be sure the melody of what you are playing stands out. My main focus is fingerstyle and one of my challenges is toning my thumb down and balancing my thumb tone with the tone from my finger/treble strings. I started at age 55 3-1/2 years ago. You are so smart and blessed to start at age 13. It's a wonderful journey.
__________________
Doerr Trinity 12 Fret 00 (Lutz/Maple) Edwinson Zephyr 13 Fret 00 (Adi/Coco) Froggy Bottom H-12 (Adi/EIR) Kostal 12 Fret OMC (German Spruce/Koa) Rainsong APSE 12 Fret (Carbon Fiber) Taylor 812ce-N 12 fret (Sitka/EIR Nylon)
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#6
10-21-2016, 07:38 AM
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I would agree with JonPR, having a sense of time is a blessing and too often overlooked.
I have heard many a young player rip through stuff better than I ever could, but they had that missing ingredient. You are doing very well. Everyone needs a pat on the back and encouragement, so you got one from me.
__________________
Nothing bothers me unless I let it. Martin D18 Gibson J45 Gibson J15 Fender Copperburst Telecaster Squier CV 50 Stratocaster Squier CV 50 Telecaster
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#8
10-21-2016, 09:22 AM
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BasicPotato101,
I love your AGF user name! Very good! I did check out your video and you are doing very well for someone who has been playing only 10 months. Good for you! I actually think your sense of timing and rhythm was pretty good; most new players have no sense of time or tempo or groove at all, but you do, so that is a very good advantage you have. Build on that. Also, the tune was recognizable and you did a good job overall of playing the song. The only negatives that I observed were: 1) The guitar sounds a little out of tune. Do you have a tuner? I recently bought a Snark ST8 for $13 including tax, so a decent tuner isn't terribly expensive. 2) As some others have noted, your volume level from the guitar is a little quiet. That might be because you are a little tentative after playing for such a short time, and that is completely understandable. With more experience and confidence you will get louder. For myself, I use a thumb pick and my finger nails to get more volume, because I found that I never could get much volume with my bare thumb and the fleshy part of my fingertips. At the same time, there are plenty of people who very much prefer the sound of the bare thumb and finger tips, so you will develop your own style and preferences over time. The volume you are getting may also be affected by that capo you are using. To me, it looks like the Planet Waves NS capo. I have one of those and I have noticed that you have to mount those right behind the fret wire, with no more than about 1/8" of gap from edge of capo to the fret wire. Also, they have to be mounted to the guitar fairly tightly so that there is good clamping force. If you don't do those things, the capo tends to absorb vibrations from the strings and hurt or diminish the guitar's sustain and volume. So the way you have the capo mounted may be affecting your guitar's volume and tuning, also. By the way, if you have a tuner, you can and should tune the guitar with the capo mounted on the guitar. Capos almost always affect the guitar's tuning. Regarding your use of your index finger as a percussive tool, I thought it was an okay technique. You probably don't want every song to sound like that, but I think it works for the song you were playing. I liked it. My suggestion is to keep recording yourself and listen critically to how you are doing and compare your sound to the sound of the recording you are trying to learn. That will help you develop critical listening skills and make you a better player over time as you make adjustments to improve your technique. Keep up the great work and keep getting better! That was a terrific effort!  - Glenn
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#9
10-21-2016, 10:25 AM
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I was also 10 months into playing at age 13, and I'd say you're far ahead of where I was at that point.
Keep it up. Go crazy with knowledge while you're young and have time...in a few years, you'll be the one arranging the tunes.
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#10
10-21-2016, 01:48 PM
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You sound very good, especially for your experience level. Ten months, a year, 40 years - remember in any pursuit its not the years since you started but the actual hours you devote to it. Starting young is a huge benefit. I also was 13 when I started playing guitar (I started violin a few years earlier). When you're 13 you can practice and concentrate on learning for several hours a day. When you're an adult on your own with a job(s), family, responsibilities, etc. there is not near so much discretionary time or effort at your disposal. I know many players who've played for "10 years" but they're still beginners and likely always will be because they can't or won't devote the time that is needed to supplement any natural ability they have (or lack). That's the other thing - we all have a certain aptitude for any given pursuit. Music is one thing I'm good at. Others who lack that aptitude can still become skilled, it will just take a lot more work.
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#12
10-21-2016, 05:44 PM
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I agree with most of the others. Especially for the short time you've been playing, you're doing well. Keep at it. I agree with GW that you guitar is a little out of tune. With regard to the volume, I don't know if that is the result of your playing or the result of the recording. I recorded a set of a dozen songs a year or two ago and the recording was way too low in volume although it shouldn't have been. The problem was not my playing, but my lack of recording skill and knowledge. As I sometimes say, I'm just a dumb guitar player and an even dumber recording technician.
__________________
"To walk in the wonder, to live in the song" "The moment between the silence and the song"
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#13
10-21-2016, 06:06 PM
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You're waaay more than just decent. I think you're doing really good and will some day be absolutely great...and it may not take you all that long. I also noted that guitar sounds out of tune. Keep it up...I'm sure you will! As for the tapping, I sense that you may be wanting to add a percussive/tapping element to your style. If it's a conscious thing and it's something you really want to do, despite that many don't care for it including me to some extent, I say go for it. Just work at becoming really good at it and use judiciously. Do you plan on developing your vocal instrument at some point?
__________________
Tom '21 Martin D-18 Standard | '02 Taylor 814c | '18 Taylor 214ceDLX | '18 Taylor 150e-12 | '78 Ibanez Dread (First acoustic) | '08 CA Cargo | '02 Fender Strat American '57 RI My original songs
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#14
10-21-2016, 08:09 PM
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Quote:
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#15
10-21-2016, 08:14 PM
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