I was wondering if there are any mere mortal guitar players that have got Never going back again under their fingers?!
Been on it for a week or so now and I’ve just about got the pattern down for the first 4 bars 
and playing up to tempo is another matter altogether!
I’m generally quite good with fingerstyle patterns and pick most things up really quickly but at this rate it may be a matter of watch this space next Christmas!
Any advice appreciated 
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Keep at it you’ll get it under your fingers and up to tempo.
Lindsey Buckingham has a way of making things sound really simple until you try and play them.
The good thing is there is really only two section to the song.
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Thanks Rick
Yes it’s 8 bars total but I’m not even looking at bars 5-8 until I’m happy with the first section.
I think there are easier ways to play it with detuning the bottom 2 strings rather than normal drop D but it feels like cheating to me!
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The good news is the second part is the easier part.
If you can say anything Lindsey does is easy.
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Jason - I like to encourage ambition and goals.
I do want to bring some kind of contextual check to your efforts here.
The song is driven by super-fast travis thumb work, the thumb plays every beat 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4 etc. going between strings 6 and 4 or 6 and 5 or 5 and 4.
Can you play, have you learned, any travis style songs with the thumb doing a long stint of alternate notes to build the stamina required just for that aspect of the song?
The fingers play super fast too and they play polyrythms running counter to the steady thumb. Have you learned any finger style songs with a steady thumb where the fingers do not only play on the beats and on the eighths between?
Never Going Back Again is a dreamer song, not a song to use as a vehicle for learning the techniques. It is a song to arrive at once the techniques are well established.
And I haven’t even mentioned some of the stretchy chord shapes.
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Hi Richard
I hope you’re keeping well.
Yes I’ve noticed it’s a very complex finger pattern and it’s definitely going to take some time to get it down.
I’ve got a good handful of fingerstyle songs in my repertoire and I’m quite confident with Travis picking.
Simon and Garfunkels The Boxer, Cathy’s Song and Spandau Ballets Through the barricades are my favourites.
I’ve also got a few Delta Blues style compositions I can play with the thumping base line accompanying the melody.
There’s no way I’d be taking on Never going back again as a novice.
I will endeavour to crack it and post when I’m confident enough.
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Good luck with it. By coincidence of timing, I watched a Paul Davids youtube video yesterday of him playing it and explaining why it is so, so difficult.
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Now that’s creepy. I was watching the exact same video last night!
He does make it look easy
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Yes, I guess he does.
He is very technically accomplished.
He doesn’t sing it at the same time though.
Jeez. Lindsay Buckingham, so good.
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The singing is where It usually goes wrong for me! I’ve got the intro and verse sections of Stings the Shape of my heart down fairly well but when I try and put my vocal on top it’s like I’ve never played it before.
Definitely utilises different pathways in the brain.
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At the risk of being somewhat contrarian, what is the appeal of playing a song like this note for note exactly like LB? He already did it perfectly a number of times. Doesn’t it make more sense to work on a different progression that incorporates some of his stylistic approaches? Take what you can learn from a master and re-apply it in a new and interesting way. Otherwise what did you really learn?
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VERY ambitious song to learn.
what’s next on your list? the live version of “Big Love”? 
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Hi Clint
A very interesting perspective.
But there’s always something amazing about being able to play a classic song like this note for note.
I guess you could ask why bother learning anyone else’s songs at all. Why not just use them as an influence and write your own stuff.
I know a lot of people do and I dabble myself with composition but i love playing the classics.
Each to their own I guess.
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Could be… 
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Not really. Songs are progressions with a certain melody and/or a certain stylistic approach to it. There are tons of cover songs that are very different than the original. In that case it can be fun to take a song that you like and apply your own secret sauce to it. I highly recommend doing this. That’s usually what I hear from most guitar players around here. It’s those deviations and nuances that make learning, playing and even listening to others play guitar much more interesting, much more than a carbon copy recording.
Be sure to check out players that are heavily influenced by Lindsey Buckingham such as Andy McKee:
He has some lessons on YT and TrueFire.
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Just wanted to add that “Big Love” might capture a more easily accessible bit of the LB finger picking style:
Andy McKee has a tabbed out mini-lesson on TrueFire for Big Love and Never Going Back Again. He talks about the style being close to ragtime piano! Go figure. TrueFire lessons can be purchased separately.
Thanks Clint
I’m really into Never going back again at the moment though.
Definitely eager to crack it.
I appreciate your advice and certainly agree that adding your own spice to a song is a very good creative outlet.
I’ve done similar and have recently arranged a nice slow fingerstyle version of Lady A’s need you now.
But this is one of those tunes that I’ll have to nail before considering any artistic improv.
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You go man! Nail it. 
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Hell no I’m not touching that thing! 
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Thank you Clint. I’m giving it my best.
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