Here’s one of my favorite Dylan songs as taught by Jerry’s Guitar Bar. I didn’t notice the thumb click until after I heard the recording, guess I need to clip my nails… I would record again but I’m ready to move on. Hope you enjoy anyway. Any tips for muffling the thumb nail click would be appreciated. I don’t like to use a pick except when I have to, such as single note flat picking. Need to figure that out though… I’ll also try to figure out a better lighting system so I’m not in the dark next recording. Improving my makeshift studio a little bit at a time…
Hi Benji,
Very well done, the vocals and the harmonica are also great ,
The click with the thumb is on the guitar body and I wouldn’t have figured it out if you hadn’t mentioned it and I would have thought there was a very small glitch in the recording .
Cut them low
Greetings
Anyone who sings and plays at the same time is impressive and you do both and then are playing the harp on top of it. Right on. Thank you for sharing this. Very very cool.
Nicely done Benji, I liked it. Vocal was pretty solid and a good tone IMHO.
I had a song that needs Harmonica and I was wondering weather to get one, never played one so not sure whether it’ll work out just a source of frustration that I don’t need.
Hi Benji
I enjoyed that, very solid, The nail thing will work itself out once you are aware of it. Having the long nail can be usefull to vary the strumming timbre. I dislike using Picks, too
Great cover! Very well done!
Yes, given you do it all very well and ar far from beginner, the icing on the cake would be to get rid of that unwanted noise.
I’d definitely try to go back and observe how that sound is produced. Is it really the thumb, or one of the other fingers?
You could strum in many ways, sometimes I alter the way I strum even sometimes being unaware of changing. Now I looked at my own strumming and the hand normally moves pretty much parallel to the strings so I usually don’t get so close to the top of the guitar. But that could possibly vary with how I’m placed in which seat?
Maybe hold your hand in a slightly different angle? Or I also like to strum having my thumb and first finger (softly touching) together and strum rather with the nail of my first finger.
Or reach out to Richard, he has probably some experiences with that topic!
All the best,
Dominique
Benji
Well played: very well done on the harmonica too. You were in time, in tune and I could hear the lyric so you’re probably 3 - nil up on Mr Dylan. Really enjoyable.
One thing you could try: hold thumb and forefinger together, almost as if you were holding a pick; it’s a strum technique Justin mentions. Forming that grip slightly changes the position of your hand and may eliminate any clicking off the guitar body.
Brian
Well played Benji, a great sounding cover…
What with plaing the chords, singing, and the harpoon, … using the pick would have been just plain greedy …
I wouldn’t worry about using the pick; your cover was just fine without.
Sure it has it’s place … kinda essential for flatpicking … … but you cover songs how you like to play.
Well done
I think the harmonica can add alot to a song, especially, if like me, you can’t really wing it with guitar solos. It provides a nice break from basic verse to chorus…
This was Dylan’s approach
Yup, that’s where I got the idea…
Good one, Benjy. In this, your tone sounds similar to Bob Dylan. So it’s a great fit for you in my opinion. I loved listening to the harmonica too. How hard is it to learn harmonica? I think you have the right idea in just keeping your nails trimmed just to the point they don’t hit the guitar wood and maybe with a little shift of how you place your thumb.
Love the positive driving rhythm, in time , good vocals and bonus harmonica!
Recording is good too - nice balance between the instruments and voice.
I don’t know how long you’ve been playing guitar, but re you question about strumming, what I would add is that you could find some places to vary the pattern to change the mood somewhere along the line , and that would give it some more texture and help tell the story of the song.
Very well done!
cheers
Ruaridh
Hey pkboo3, Thanks for the listen. I find harmonica really easy, as I keep it really simple. I just play a few notes and remember to blow out or suck in in generally the correct space. As long as the harmonica is in the right key, it’s hard to go wrong. If you really want to learn how to play a mean harmonica so that it stands on its own, that’s a different story.
Thanks Ruaridh, yes, I’m a little ways away from being able to vary rhythm and come back in time. I’ll get there someday though. I’m in intermediate 5 of Justin’s course by the way. Still focusing on the basics. Thanks for the listen and the thoughts!