Carolina on my mind James Taylor challenging!

Cecil6243 · #1 05-17-2024, 02:28 AM

So I'm on a roll learning James Taylor songs Fire and Rain, Sweet Baby James, right now Carolina on my Mind my next one will be Something in the Way She Moves.

I got cocky with Sweet Baby James as I thought it was pretty easy with the only fingerpicking the intro, the hardest part for Fire and Rain is the intro, but I'm finding Carolina on my Mind a bit challenging with the timing. Anybody else? Thank Goodness I have a good guitar instructor!

Bob from Brooklyn · #2 05-17-2024, 04:51 AM

There is a lot of movement with the bass notes on that one. My biggest challenge is to make it not seem rushed.

Glennwillow · #3 05-17-2024, 08:29 AM

I have found that James Taylor songs are challenging because he does a lot of off-beat stuff on the bass strings. His stuff is not easy to do well.

Carolina on my Mind is a really good song to learn.

- Glenn

Cecil6243 · #4 05-17-2024, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob from Brooklyn

There is a lot of movement with the bass notes on that one. My biggest challenge is to make it not seem rushed.

You can say that again!

Cecil6243 · #5 05-17-2024, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

I have found that James Taylor songs are challenging because he does a lot of off-beat stuff on the bass strings. His stuff is not easy to do well.

Carolina on my Mind is a really good song to learn.

- Glenn

Yes and yes.

Glenn,

He's also a piano player and well versed on music theory isn't he? Could that be at least part of the reason with the off beat bass strings and complicated accompaniment ?

Ryan51 · #6 05-17-2024, 11:42 AM

In case you haven't seen it here is James Taylor's tutorial on how to play Fire and Rain. When I first started learning this it seemed impossible to do his chord fingerings but it gets easier with practice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTjd4sna_4o

He also did a lesson for Carolina In My Mind which I haven't tried yet but will probably get to now that I live in SC.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8-5czYJvPM

Rudy4 · #7 05-18-2024, 04:33 PM

A small detail, but it's "Carolina IN my mind".

Cecil6243 · #8 05-19-2024, 04:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rudy4

A small detail, but it's "Carolina IN my mind".

You're so right! My apologies to James!

rmp · #9 05-19-2024, 06:03 AM

James Taylor is one of those guys that until you start digging into his songs, you'd probably never realize how good of a guitarist he is.

With this one, I just try to keep the bass line steady while I chord through the progression.

Some of the vocal lines are a challenge to keep them sync'd with the picking pattern. Just keep at it, it will come

Jamolay · #10 05-19-2024, 06:38 AM

I think it is very cool that he has well put together free video tutorials for his own work!

If only Don Henley would be so kind…

Cecil6243 · #11 05-22-2024, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jamolay

I think it is very cool that he has well put together free video tutorials for his own work!

If only Don Henley would be so kind…

If only the Eagles wouldn't black out videos of people doing amateur covers of their songs on Youtube. It's not like these people are going to profit to any significant extent by doing that. I've seen instructional videos blacked out just for mentioning the song's name. I think it's ridiculous.

If I was the Eagles I would be flattered if someone was doing an amateur cover of my songs.

Cecil6243 · #12 05-30-2024, 08:18 PM

I feel defeated. The song is giving me fits regarding the timing. Doesn't matter how may times I listen to it or count it out. It's a real blow to my ego. I have an instructor but...

Perhaps I need to take a break from it. It seems the more I try the more frustrated I get.

Bob from Brooklyn · #13 05-31-2024, 03:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cecil6243

I feel defeated. The song is giving me fits regarding the timing. Doesn't matter how may times I listen to it or count it out. It's a real blow to my ego. I have an instructor but...

Perhaps I need to take a break from it. It seems the more I try the more frustrated I get.

Have you tried playing with a click track?

Cecil6243 · #14 05-31-2024, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob from Brooklyn

Have you tried playing with a click track?

No. What's that?

Bob from Brooklyn · #15 05-31-2024, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cecil6243

No. What's that?

A drum machine or similar device where you can practice against a steady beat. I sometimes use one to get me to slow down.