Gordon Lightfoot

Hilch · #1 November 8th, 2007

Anyone know where I could find a backing track to Gordon Lightfoots "If you could read my mind " ...

A brilliant song in my opinion ...

Here he is singing the song , one of my all time favorite songs ..

YouTube - Gordon Lightfoot - If You Could Read My Mind

wjp01908 · #2 November 8th, 2007

Hi Hilch

I couldn`t find one on the web but I`ve got a bt that I made from a MIDI file - Drums, Bass & Strings.

Can e mail it if you`d like - it`s quite a big file (5mb)

Best not post as it`s prolly copyright.

Let me know if you want it.

Will

W

Hilch · #3 November 8th, 2007

Thanks Will I Pmed you

Cheers

Trev..

Lcjones · #4 November 8th, 2007

**

Hilch,

I don't know of any backing tracks of Gordon Lightfoot at all. There may be a few somewhere.

In the meantime, I have played this tune off an on over the last 30 years. GL is on my short list of influences. I have *all* of his albums except the Songbook compilation. Let me know what you're trying to accomplish and I'll try to help out. I will say this, if you're working on the intro, it's a difficult pattern to reproduce and it *is* two acoustic guitars, not one. None-the-less, Lightfoot's sense of timing is impeccable and absolutely immaculate.

**
LC

carol m · #5 November 9th, 2007

Does anyone know or work out what his picking pattern is on this? You can see and hear the chords pretty well, and the basic pattern goes more or less all the way through.

I haven't seen or heard him for years and was shocked to see how old he is now (unlike me of course). Does anyone know when that video was recorded?

Interesting how he still has a fine singing voice and hits every note exactly but he seems not to be able (or not willing) to sustain his notes and clips them off. Maybe because he has more of a wobble (not really vibrato) now. Also it gets better towards the end and he looks happier too. Can it be that such an accomplished artist had nerves ??

eddiez152 · #6 November 9th, 2007

Carol m,
A capo on the second and try it with C,G,D,Em,Am
These are some of the chords in the tune. Not in that order, but there when you listen to the original.
Also some walking down chords or strings in the mix.
Gonna look into it a little deeper and see what works.

carol m · #7 November 9th, 2007

Thanks Speedy....aka Eddie

eddiez152 · #8 November 9th, 2007

Carol m
OK no capo.
The tune starts out on an A then Em back to A then Em D, E, F#m. Now that s a start you will also use a Bm in a couple of spots. Now these chords are mostley used but I have to tell you there will be some "sus" chords and string runs. Some of those crazy add9 stuff
but this is a good start. Play along with the original while trying these chords. If anyone knows what a Em/G thats in there too. Later in the tune you will find the G used.
Trev, you can try these also.
eddie

Hilch · #9 November 9th, 2007

Whoo Eddie

Me ??? Try this

Umm I have and it don't sound anything like Gordon Lightfoot , my version sounds more like a couple of cats fighting ....

Finger picking and changing chords with me just don't work ...

Thanks though Eddie

Appreciate the time and effort you put in

Trev..

Lcjones · #10 November 9th, 2007

**

GL is capo'd on the second fret on If You Could Read My Mind. That is one of his trademarks. Many, many of his tunes are played capo'd on the second fret. The key of A has always been GL's home.

Below is about a minute of the intro of a similar picking pattern on this tune. It's broken into two parts. Part one is about 30 seconds of the core finger picking pattern. This includes the alternating thumb and associated finger roll. After that is about 30 seconds of the core picking plus the singular hammer on and pull off that make IYCRMM one of the most beautiful tunes every written. You can play along with the recording to work on the picking pattern.

Picking Pattern - 1.7Mb @ 1:07

Capo'd 2 - Key Of A - G Chord Position
Core Alternating Thumb Pattern
This pattern repeats throughout the tune.

|-------------------------------------------------
|------0------0-----0-----0-------0--------------
|-------0------0------------0------0-------------
|----------0------0------------0------0----------
|-------------------------------------------------
|---3------------------3------------------3------

Capo'd 2 - Key Of A - G Chord Position
Including the Hammer-on and Pull-off
It's not a hard hammer-on. It's a soft hammer-on
Emphasis is placed on the first A and the last open
D note. They are hi-lighted on Red

|---------------------------------------------------
|------0------0----------0-------0-----------------
|-------0------0----2--------2------2---0----------
|----------0------0------------0------0------------
|---------------------------------------------------
|---3------------------3--------------------3------

************
I think I have the tab right but if you have any thoughts or questions, holler at me.

**
LC

eddiez152 · #11 November 9th, 2007

Thanks for bringing that up. Seems like many hesitate to use the Capo, and perhaps see it as a crutch. I say, if its good enough gor Gordon, its good enough for me.
And it is definitly one of his all time best. Love the tune.

Hilch · #12 November 9th, 2007

Thats brilliant Mr Jones

I just have to learn how to do it

carol m · #13 November 10th, 2007

Thanks Les for taking the time and effort to do that, its much appreciated.

carol m · #14 November 10th, 2007

Slightly off topic, but how do you post tabs like that?
Whenever I try to post tabs in a post (or in an email from a Word doc), when the post appears on the thread it all gets scrambled and out of alignment.

Lcjones · #15 November 10th, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by carol m

Slightly off topic, but how do you post tabs like that?
Whenever I try to post tabs in a post (or in an email from a Word doc), when the post appears on the thread it all gets scrambled and out of alignment.

Carol,

Use the Courier New Font.