Ponyman (G.Lightfoot) and Big Cheeseburgers (B.Foley) - two fingerstyle classics

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Here is a dreamer song finally come together :slight_smile:

The Ponyman is my absolute favourite Gordon Lightfoot song - the version he recorded for the “Sit Down Young Stranger” album. He recorded it again in the 80es but that version for me has no sparkle. It is my go-to-song I listen to on the way home after tough days in the office and it always takes me to happier places. So obviously it’s been on my want-to-learn list for a while.

I started transcribing the picking pattern at the start of last year - there are a couple of tutorials out there on youtube but none of them sounded like what I hear when I listen to the recording, especially when it comes to the sparkles on the D chords. So DIY then … it took me a while to figure out a core 20-bar pattern - there are variations for each of the verse as just so happens and I had to distill them into “my” basic version. And then learn and practise it.

A year ago I could not get to play the pattern at speed, let alone had the picking stamina to play through the whole song. I’ve paused practising the song a couple of times for a few months and worked on other songs. When I tried again in May this year it - finally - felt different so I went for it. It still took effort to get speed and stamina up - and then add the lyrics - but it was no longer mission impossible.

Hopefully this encourages some of you to not give up dreaming - get a good balance between keep chipping away at the dreamer and letting it rest for a while and you’ll get there in the end! (And if anyone wants to learn this song I’m happy to share a tab of my version.)

With the Ponyman under my belt I was on a roll and went on to learn another fast picking song that’s been on the want-to-learn-list for a while: Blaze Foley’s Big Cheesebrugers and good french fries - the quintessential summer song for me. Hope you enjoy, even with a couple of hickups in the lyrics. I’ll get there in the end :grinning_face:

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Get the heck out of my brain!! I am all over what you are dealing. Good stuff from some of my favorite artists. Love the finger picking goodness. You totally rock. Play on playa!

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Wow Molly! Fun songs, really clean, balanced picking and the stamina to keep it going. Your investment in hours of practice has paid off well. Do you know John Prine’s music? He has many great, entertaining fingerstyle songs. “Illegal Smile” is one on my playlist.

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Congrats, Molly, fabulous accomplishment to nail your dreamer. Picking is fabulous. Bravo

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Terrific fingerstyle there Molly, most impressive.
Nailing your dreamer too! Well done.

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awesome fingerstyle playing :open_mouth:

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Thank you so much Clint @CT, David @DavidP, Gordon @sairfingers and Michael @mfeeney0110 and Deborah @GrumpyMac ! :grinning_face_with_big_eyes: :heart_eyes: So happy you liked my songs!

And Michael, yes, I know John Prine! Such a treasure of a song writer! I’ve learned a couple of his songs already (have you seen this one here: Open Mic - John Prine ?) And for sure I will add more of his songs to my repertoire over time! Illegal Smile is so cool and sooo John Prine, although my personal favourite is the Happy Enchilada song, especially this version here at the kitchen table: https://youtu.be/cNu46mpJC60?t=111

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Great stuff, Gordon Lightfoot one of my favorite artists. And Blaze Foley!!!
Wow! The duct tape Masiah! Thanks for sharing.

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This is great!

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That song fits you like a glove Molly. I see it was a dreamer but you certianly cracked it now. Bravo!
Edit: oops! didn’t notice the second song first time around. Another solid finger pickin’ performance!