Julia

I just started learning this one. I think as long as you break it down into component pieces first it shouldn't be too hard. Nice lesson.

Slow and easy is the trick, I think. (I started on this one when David told me he was planning it, so I've been doing the Travis picking from the scores. Fancy that, me doing Travis picking! Didn't think I could!).
I love letting the notes on it ring out. Learning it has increased my appreciation of Lennon as a songwriter (if that were even possible!)
Tim

Just out of curiosity Tim, why didn't you think you'd be able to do Travis picking? I ask simply because I'm at the stage where there are loads of things I think I'll never be able to do. Hearing about someone else's success just may provide a little inspiration.

Slydog,
Lack of confidence. (And I find fingerpicking intimidating because I'm all thumbs no fingers!)

But I do believe persistence is the key to guitar. I find I play and play for long periods thinking I'm not progressing and then all of a sudden things fall into place and I feel like I take off. One of our members, who's not posted for a long time, Jazzarati, used to advise people to keep practice journals. It's a great idea. You can go back and really see that you have indeed made progress. I don't keep a journal, but I'll go back to things that used to seem too hard to tackle and find I can do them without a lot of extra effort. It always surprises me. So the travis picking thing was something that always intimidated me --as did "Julia" in general. Now I can play it -- not necessarily terribly well, but I'm getting there.

So hang in there. Persistence pays off.

I hope that made sense (and that it's helpful).

Tim

It made a lot of sense. Thanks. I know exactly what you mean. I know when I first came across this site I tried the 'For What It's Worth' lesson and just could not get the heel stroke. I went back a few months later and it was a breeze.

I guess it's something that will always be a part of learning this instrument. Rather than taking comfort in how far we've come, we fret (no pun intended) about how far we have to go.

this is one of my favorite beatle songs along with Dear Prudence. Both have nice fingerpicking guitar. Hmmh Dear Prudence sounds like a good idea for a lesson.

The White Album was, I always thought, very self-indulgent - this is probably one of the "purest" pieces of music on it. I've tried it a few times and am still struggling with the changes - but I think I'm geting there and more importantly understanding why I'm going there!!!

Keep practising Vic.............

I find I play and play for long periods thinking I'm not progressing and then all of a sudden things fall into place and I feel like I take off.

The exact same thing happens with me :) ... I must say, i've only recently stumbled across this site (by accident) and the new tips and tricks i've picked up from the likes of Julia (which i'm still trying to get to grips with) has rekindled my enthusiasm for learning. The Nowhere Man lesson in particular is the one i've played around with the most. I'm currently at the "things fall into place" part of the month :D

I meant to write this ages ago but I started this song not long after it was put up, and it was a great challenge at the time, the main thing to start with is that it revealed how weak my pinky was, it just folded over like a piece of spagetti, so I just practised the first few bars over and over for several weeks and gradually the pinky became more dexterousand stronger; next challenge was the bar chords, which took some weeks again, mainly when you had to add the pinky to the higher notes while playing the barre chord took strength away from the barre -it took several months to get that far but felt a sense of accomplishment - it's fairly enjoyable to play now, thanks as always :)

I just asked whether or not David Hodges songs are intended to be flatpicked or fingerpicked under another discussion on picking. I don't use a pick so I just wondered. And the 'less is more' picking pattern in Julia got to be too much for me so I'm arpeggio - ing it. Maybe in time David's pattern will fall in place. The A5 (x02255) and Fm6 (xx0114) slows me down a bit but the Am9 - I've had to 'make it my own' thus far as I can't follow David's pattern at this step. Is this picking pattern actually Lennon's version or David's?
I am so surprised that Lennon could make a song like this as I'm of the generation that has to hear about him from books and secondhand sources. I was embarrassed in front of some older guys when after hearing them mention that "George Harrison could really play bass or rhythm or ukulele or banjo or something" I asked in disbelief "Could George really play guitar?" because what I've read about him and John has been that they couldn't play that well. I find their songs complex but do-able. After a first glance at Lennon's 'Woman' I can tell that that song's going to take some time to grasp.

David's arrangement might differ somewhat from Lennon's in a few places perhaps, but even if it does it's still very close to Lennon's. Lennon and Harrison were certainly fine guitarists. Harrison is to my mind one of the finest rockabilly stylists ever and his technique on slide is unique -- he's influenced there more by Indian music than by delta blues. And listen to the guitar on "Something" -- beautiful. Clapton certainly held Harrison in high regard as a guitarist and a friend. And I love a comment Lennon made once in an interview with Jann Wenner of the Rolling Stone when asked about his playing -- though he never considered himself technically proficient, he could, he said make a band howl and move. And besides, he said, Eric (Clapton) thinks I can play.

'nuff said.

And, yes, "Julia" is meant to be fingerpicked. Lennon worked it up in Rishikesh, India while on retreat with the Maharishi. Donovan introduced Lennon and McCartney to fingerpicking techniques. "Julia" and "Blackbird" are the two fingerpicked songs on the White Album that really show that influence of Donovan's psychedelic folk style on them during that time. "Dear Prudence" is another great fingerpicked Lennon song. Harrison, though, didn't spend time working on fingerpicking in India. He was busy working with Indian instruments.

So John was thinking about Yoko when he was in India? I didn't know that. Unless I misunderstood the song I thought he's saying to Julia - his dead mom - that he's in love with 'Ocean child' who's calling him....sort of confessing to his mom that he's in love with Yoko. ?? I didn't know that he had met Yoko before India or that he was even thinking of her then. He didn't take her there with him so.....? I've read Goldman's and Elliot's books. I'm just amazed that he did so much all before age forty and he had the time to indulge in drugs and booze as well. Also my assuming that 'Julia' is about Yoko gives it a bad taste for my liking. I don't think too highly of Yoko at all. Otherwise it is a really lovely sensitive song. Is it Yoko who funds the John Lennon songwriting contest or is it a trust made in John's name by other people?

Yes, Ocean Child is Yoko. The relationship is just developing. Goldman's not a very reliable source on Lennon. If you want a better Lennon bio, read Ray Coleman's biography and Jon Wiener's great book on Lennon in America, Come Together.

But I do believe persistence is the key to guitar. I find I play and play for long periods thinking I'm not progressing and then all of a sudden things fall into place and I feel like I take off.

Not on your level of course, but, I couldn't play "For what's it worth" in the beginner lessons, only 2 chords(A & E) when I started playing. I couldn't keep the rhythm or match the lyrics.

About 3 weeks ago, I went back into the lesson and all of sudden, I got it! Just like that!

I always fell like I'm not progressing' but in reality, I must be. It's just BARR chords now and keeping time. It's funny, If I think about changing chords SLOWER, it sounds better. I guess I tend to rush things.

Bob Jessie