anyone have any thoughts on youtube? has watching others improved your playing? ... broadened your mando-horizons? - or is it "just exhibitionism?"
YouTube is an amazing resource for mando pickers. I've learned new tunes form other folks, learned some more about playing technique, and had a blast watching other 'cafe members. And a few people have even said they learned something from my videos. I think it's one of the better sites on the internet. It certainly comprises a good portion of my online time!
It's absolutely a great tool. You can watch mandolins as easy as how to construct an earobic digestor. With the file size huge compared to an mp3, and the submissions they get every day, i don't know where they're putting it all.
I really enjoy youtube. I really don't have anyone to play with, so I often play along with the videos on youtube. Sure I can play along with audio, but with videos I have visual cues and I think that helps me more overall. Another thing is I can see how many of these tunes sound, and visualize some of the techniques that I could only hear and wonder about otherwise. I feel that it has really accelerated my learning process and introduced me to some great groups that I would have never known about otherwise.
It's great, I learn something from just about every video people post on here.
I think it's brilliant. I like to do a search for a particular tune and then listen to all the different ways folks play it, their take on variations and ornamentation, because it gives me tons of ideas on how I'll approach it meself.
There's a lot of #### out there - most of it mine - but there is also a wealth of ideas/techniques/styles/tunes/dress-codes/instruments etc. I use it extensively and exhaustively - I block my own videos with a spam filter...
Wow, even the genteel form of excrement is censored...
I like YouTube. From a "watching" perspective: 1. You can get a quick preview of a song you're learning. 2. You can get ideas about different interpretations and things to do beyond playing the root melody. 3. You can hear either how the original artist did it, or how some of the more famous (and anonymous) pickers play it. 4. Among this group, I think it is instructive to hear tunes played by people at various levels; spotting things other people are still working to perfect helps me identify things I need to work on in my own playing. They also confirm when I'm on the right track with a tune and general approach to playing. There are also some neat interpretations to "borrow" from. (g) From a "making videos of myself" perspective: I felt a little exhibitionistic about the first couple of videos I posted, but, you know, the videos put the stakes on a whole different level. I'd guess we all work harder than we otherwise might on some of these tunes as we push toward that "Here's mine!" moment. There are a lot of bad things about my playing I've identified by making these videos. I've managed to address some of those issues and am working on the other ones. I doubt there's anybody who posts here who doesn't think "I could've done that better." It's extremely cool that people are willing to be daring.
mike: succinct and to the point - great post.
Of course then there's the "bare-knees" brigade...
OMG! - they're back! ... they're squishy! ... they click!!
yes and yes..as to the "just exhibitionism?" no,i don't think so....coming from someone who doesn't post video's....i'm very grateful to everyone here and not "here" who post's videos on youtube..i've picked up so much,learned many styles of playing,many song's..met some very nice people....interesting how one song can be played so many ways...it's like sitting in the cave by the fire,telling stories??each telling gets just a little different..very cool.. only problem with youtube,i probably spend more time on there than actually practicing..that!! needs to change...
I don't learn from watching videos... more than learning the tune and get ideas of what to do with them. You Tube is a great resource for finding new tunes. Technique-wise I only learn from testing things and probably by talking to other players. But, making my own videos teach me a lot about what I need to work on, so in that way You Tube (or at least my video editor) is a great learning tool.
Actually, being exhibitionistic made me learn a lot about myself - not just the balance of bragging with one hand and casually acting humble with the other, but also the detachment from others' responses: after posting, can I keep myself from checking every 10 minutes? how does my joy of playing depend on how others hear it? You actually get a slight hint of what it must be like to be a superstar, completely living or dying on the opinion of strangers you cannot control. You don't get famous on YouTube in the sense that everybody knows you, and that is certainly a good thing. But it broadcasts you to the most important person to watch your videos: yourself. And comparing it to others' videos gives you the comfortable feeling that you're not the only exceptional freak on a boring planet. As for practical benefits: mando videos released me from the bad habit of trying to play tunes exactly like I heard them played by non-mando instruments on a recording and thereby just lamely mimicking. To boldly make a tune playable with my own mando resources and thereby reinventing it is what I learned. Bertram
youtube has a facility ("insight") that tells you how many people are watching your videos; where they are; how old they are and how many are male or female. since joining the SAW group, the number of daily "hits" on my videos have decreased ... BUT!!! ... the proportion of girls watching my videos has risen to about 50%. ... i'm happy ...
That was me Bill, I lied.... sorry....
that's cause your a wild and crazy guy...
well that's a bummer, eddie ... but i'm still keeping your (sigh) letters.
Some people,,I'm sure are "just exhibitionisms"...There are a few videos Ive seen like this,bit for the most part,Ive seen videos where people are taking what they are doing seriously..And yes,the you Tube videos have helped me a lotr.
