Nick Drake's Tone - An In-Depth Look
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- Опубліковано 6 лип 2024
- THE TUNING IS ACTUALLY CGCFCE CAPO 2. UA-cam doesn't let you d annotations any more, or I would have changed it in the video. Sorry!!!
strings: www.juststrings.com/dad-nb1253...
Please leave any comments or questions! There's definitely a lot of guesswork and inference involved here, but this is the best I've got. Just my little tribute to a (still) underappreciated genius. My guitar here is a Martin 000-28H. I'm recording on a Zoom H2 and have a little compression going on.
This is the niche nerd content I visit UA-cam for. Thanks for all your research!
You remind me of Ferris Bueller.. :) but yes, SO well done mate. very impressed you do Nick a great honor even just by being so in to his sounds!
@Captain Kirk What??
@Captain Kirk Is that supposed to be a joke or is it a reference I don't know about?
@Captain Kirk No, he does not have autism. Just because someone has a very deep and dedicated interest in something doesn't mean they have autism.
@robert wilson It's not really about political correctness, it's about common decency. it's quite a thing to assume that someone has a developmental disability just because they're done extensive research on something they're interested in. I'm sure it's an assumption you wouldn't appreciate were it directed towards you.
Me listening to sommeliers talking about minor details of wine: "that's all horse shit"
Me listening to this video: "Yes, precisely. Indeed, remarkable."
Ahahahahaha
The notes of leather and stone fruit in Drake's tone really appeals to me.
@@alfgwahigain5544 Precisely, stone fruit indeed.
kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk mt bom
@@Gabriel70402 kkkkkk verdade demais
25 years ago my brother and i laboured for months and months working out all his songs by ear and then basically played and listened to nothing else for the next 5 years.... Watching you play these and talk about his sound has given me a super warm fuzzy feeling. Spot on - you sound just like him. Thanks!
Drew Bray
Respect
Thanks. Somewhere... there's a warm summer afternoon, that never ends. In a slow bend in the River Thames there's a pub with a lovely lawn that slopes down to the river. Underneath an old oak tree there's a wooden table with fresh bread, english cheese and real ale. Nick Drake is sitting there, talking and lightly strumming his guitar. Then John Martyn joins in the musical conversation. Bert Jansch smiles and sips his beer. David Crosby interupts, he's the new boy at the bend int the river, and says that his tuning for Guinevere is really something.
I think you omitted the humidity of the room and the wind direction.
I also don't think he took the Coriolis Effect into account
I guess you shouldn’t forget the moon he used to record the tunes.
I think Josh is doing a great job here.
@@TheTheaterThug COD 1 lol
that will be in part 2
You’re a nerd and we love it. Thanks for this
perfect comment
@Arne Nilsen 絵うyryーzvgyて
Thank you Josh. I’ll make sure my kid and my grand kids will know you and Nick Drake
hi
Thank you Lord for nerds. I have often been described as one myself. I'm 70 and as nerdy as ever. Great job here, Josh. I've been a Nick Drake fan since a teen in the early 1970's. I always loved his music and still do all these years later. 👍👍
I appreciate you doing this more than you'll ever know! Impressive all around!
Josh is masterful at everything he covers. Nice of him to share it with the rest of us..
Brilliant Josh. I've been listening to Nick Drake since the late 60's when he was virtually unknown. You capture Nicks tone perfectly. All I can say is I would find it difficult to tell if it's you or Nick in a blind listening. I can pay you no greater compliment.
Oh wow, how was it back then? To just hear that he's dropped a new album, that sounds so amazing
@@Syfoll no idea what you mean - sorry
That's amazing. How did you get to know about Nick?
@@harshitkhanna7688 Friend of mine heard him in a pub in Henley in Arden and told us about him - must have been late 60's. So we sought out his records. Devastated when we heard he'd died. So young. been a fan ever since.
I agree. He sounds right there.. completely.
I honestly couldn't tell if the beginning of this video was the Nick Drake recording or you playing. When it faded up from black I was shocked. Your tone is pretty perfect.
So happy to see someone young that appreciates Nick Drake.He was an incredible talent.
@@marshabass9661 I'm not so young, but have loved Nick's music for many years. Happy I'm not alone. RIP Nick.
@Captain Kirk A snail's pace.
Exactly!
@Captain Kirk Someone's being a little toxic
I think Nick's troubled soul may rest a little easier knowing his music carries on like this.
At 62 I’m so happy Nick Drake has the respect & listening audience he always wanted. A whole new generation of to pass on his talent . Thank you for your insight into Nicks playing, I have shared it with my son who also loves Nick Drake.
We’re all better off for it, and you can already hear his influence in the sound of rising generational talents like Madison Cunninghaml
This is as close to the sound I’ve ever heard. You should be working in a studio and getting paid serious money if you aren’t already. You are a prince
The depth of your nerdery is epic. Very inspiring!
Yeah...
He is a prodigy
KingOfStratosphear .......is it “Nerditity”’not nerdery (pronounced ner-di-di-y).
Nah, guitar players can't be nerds; they're the coolest guy in the room
Be kind to nerds...one day, you’ll work for one!
I met Joe Boyd, Nick Drake's producer/mentor when I first moved to London, and we've stayed in touch - in fact he booked my band the Good Honeys to play at the Chelsea Arts Club a few years ago. I also know Nick's sister Gabrielle; she and Joe Boyd were good friends of one of my closest friends, Christopher Logue. I could ask them, if you like, whether they have any further information about Nick's guitar style and tunings.
You've replied long after he's uploaded this, so likelihood Josh won't see it, however me and everyone else here i'm sure would be very interested in anything you could find.
I'd very much like to know any details on this.
Bill Brand yes mate, do ask said details. ✌🏻🤘🏻
Bill Brand let’s make this happen.
I had a guitar magazine that had all his timings from Pink Moon, and for a few other songs, but I can’t find it!!!
He had so many tunings that it hampered him performing live.
There is an excellent documentary called A Skin Too Few, that is pretty thorough, with his sister in it.
Hi Josh. I'm a 54 year old guitar player. You have no idea how grateful, and I'm sure I speak for lots of other guitarists, that you care enough about your fans to share your ideas on music to talk about fingerstyle techniques and to try to help those of us with less talent to step it up a notch. Thank you man for being so real!
This is the holy grail of ND playing. You don’t even realize you actually unlocked the secret to his tuning and chords, tone notwithstanding. Thank you!
I almost fell out of my chair when you launched into 'Hazey Jane I" (6:12). It was as if Nick Drake had come alive!
Great videos - you are extremely talented.
Yeah I lost it at that moment as well. The guy knows his shit
ya but that tease of parasite killed me -- moar!
That was amazing, wish he would have released covers of Nick Drake's most popular songs with this setup to go along with this video.
Regarding the Guild guitar did he or didn't he?
I was a member of a club at 49 Greek St Soho called Les Cousins from about 1967 and for about 5 years. All the greats played there as it was THE foremost London folk club and I was lucky enough to see most of them. Cousins, as it was called, used to have all night sessions and I remember one night in about 1969 or 70, during a John Martyn set, John introduced Nick Drake as a guest during the break and we sat spellbound as he sang five or six of his beautiful songs, mostly from his forthcoming album Bryter Layter, and played that wonderful style. Yes! I was lucky enough to see Nick Drake play live in a small venue and can confirm that he played the very same Guild guitar and, believe it or not, he also had on the very same bumpers [sneaker type shoes] that appear on Bryter Latyter, which was released shortly after. Nick was very tall and extremely shy and sat on a stool hunched over his guitar with his head bowed and his hair hanging over the mike and his face, and did not look at the audience and spoke very quietly and did not a communicate much other than through his beautiful music,
With regard to what you suggest are dead sounding strings I would put that down to the dry sound of the all mahogany bodied guitar rather than dead strings. Mahogany is well known for it's dry woody tone and, of course, I could be wrong on the strings issue, and you have studied Nicks style for a long time so i'm not knocking your knowledge, just presenting the view that strings will differ in sound depending on the guitar they are played on as well as their age. You capture Nicks tone and his sound in your playing extremely well however another persons physicality can and will affect their ability to produce nicks sound, and for some it would be impossible, even knowing exactly how he did it. That's why I suggest that it's better to find your own style rather than copy someone else. I Know! iv'e done it myself.
Great stuff though! and thanks for putting it out there. It brings back great memories of the 60s folk scene.
That was inspiring just reading what you wrote about seeing Nick play. Thanks.
I've owned a couple of small bodied guitars. One was all mahogany and one had a spruce top that was very bright sounding. With the smaller body you can definitely hear the harshness of new strings even on the mahogany. There's just not enough wood resonating in relation to the strings to even out the harshness of new strings.
My playing style would adapt to whichever guitar I was playing to bring a little more shimmer out of the hog or to cut some of the brightness from the spruce.. If I recorded them and you also factor in the characteristics of the room and microphone, you'd have a hard time deciding which guitar I was playing. I preferred to use nickel strings which were deadened as well. So in my opinion, the strings and the small bodied guitar were more of a factor in the tone than the type of wood in the guitar.
Also as you said, it's good to find your own style rather than to copy. Putting some nickel strings on a small bodied guitar and seeing how your playing evolves is an interesting way to develop your style though. It's worth doing the experiment even if you don't end up playing like Nick or Josh. (Most of us don't.)
Nick suffered a lot with depression...Maybe he played on old strings because he just could never be bothered to change them...Just a thought.
mick gosling I don't think Josh is trying to copy Nick Drake sound, he's trying to discover how Nick Drake made his sound.... that is very different.
Ken Johnston
Fair comment Ken Johnston
mick gosling Yea
I cannot get over how incredibly accurate your tone is! I don’t play an instrument, I am a vocalist, but I have been a huge Nick drake fan for 20 years and I’ve lost count on how many times I’ve listen to every single one of his pieces. And tears flowed when you would demonstrate all the elements together and play the passage of each piece. Thank you for this. I really needed it today.
A 9min video that spawned one of the most insightfull, indepth, informative and interesting conversations i've heard in 40 years of listening and playing (trying to perfect) Nicks music. You're a genius Josh, made me feel like a teenager again, that 'lookin forward to puttin different strings on my guitar' feeling all over again, try a new sound. The ability to instill that in so many ppl is a gift. Fine musician too. Thankyou so much my man, and dont stop doing it.👍
I'm only 6 mins in and I had to stop and comment that this is the best video on the internet. amazing work. thanks!!
I don’t know anything about guitar playing but I’m captivated by this
one of the best videos on youtube. The accuracy of his tone is unbelievable
One of the biggest reasons why nick drake was so depressing and sad is because he was promised that he is going to be a star but nobody heard of him as he expected. he barely sold his music... if he would still be with us today, I'm sure that he would be more than happy to see how of an appreciated artist he became... he was such a sensitive young man and a gentle soul. ahh such a loss to the world.
No he was never going to survive
Realise he wasnt eating but ‘Living on Solid Air’ and he was unable to get out into the biz of music touring and adulation
I was a radio DJ when I was much younger and as a result got to meet a lot of relatively famous, and not-so-famous musicians. The music industry is toxic... the musicians are generally the creative vulnerable types, often with mental health issues... and the industry was built specifically to exploit them for profit, often ruining what the musician was trying to do in the process. Most of the musicians you think of as "super stars" are actually poor in real life. Even big name musicians barely make a middle class income from albums that sell millions of copies internationally. It's only the ultra-mega stars like Taylor Swift that have enough pull in the industry to just barely escape the trap. Ironically, she almost didn't. The rest live in poverty and obscurity, with their label dressing them in rented clothes they have to return after the awards ceremony. It's really sad. The image of the wealthy rock star is exactly that, an image. It's not real.
The ol Charles Manson story too
His guitar playing his the best of the best, but his lyrics and vocals are ABSOLUTE dog crap. Thats a big reason, among other things, he never did take off.
The fact that you have considered all of this so thoroughly is absolutely heartwarming... cheers...
This is TREMENDOUS!!! Great work man!
Bandrew is a Nick Drake fan?
@@thebreakfastmenu Nick Drake is amazin.
my BOYYYYYYY!!
Dude as a Drake fan you nailed it, Nick would be proud of you..
I've waited 20+ years to see some insight like this. You are spot on, I think. Thank you! More!
Thanks gor making this! Nick Drake is massively underrated and really influential artist. For instance, everyone just assumes that The Tallest Man On Earth's greatest inspiration is Bob Dylan, but Nick Drake is really at the root of The Tallest Man's own style
It would be fair to say that you don't like the Tallest Man on Earth. Saying he sucks isn't. He is an incredibly talented guitarist and song writer, and I personally love his vocals (his singing is typically what people don't like about him)
How can you say that such a talented musician sucks? He is not my cup of tea by any means but the man is most definitely very talented. It is almost certainly you, that is pretentious.
Cameron Armstrong Music hmmmm interesting never knew that and I'm a big fan. Any tunes you'd say show this?
who the fuck is the tallest man on earth?
Apparently, he's some douchebag who sucks. I just looked him up. It's confirmed. He sucks. He reminds me of one of those guys in the Van Wilder movie when they were eating those pastries.
You should read Nick Drake Remembered, it actually has all this information, so not on the internet but in a book haha. They actually have receipts of the guitar strings he bought (Marlin medium), his guitar was a Levin bought in 1966 for 63 pounds and the he talks about belonged to Eric Clapton who left it at the photographers house. Amazing book!
I'll have to check that out. Thanks!
marlin or martin?
what kind levin thank u!!!
ten years of researching down the drain
@@CliffhangerClub No way- when you work something out for yourself, you gain immeasurably in ineffable ways- no wasted time here for Josh! A labor of love.
Closest I've heard anyone come to replicating Nick Drake's guitar sound. Excellent work man.
The Late Great Nick Drake. I always knew Nick was gifted but you have just taken my admiration for his playing,and yours for that matter, to another level. Thank you Josh for this insightful and informative tutorial. ✌🏾
"timbrally"
God I love you so much.
I must say "Things behind the sun" sounded absolutely fantastic there!!!
i’d say you nailed it bro. each note you’re just idling about on is so spot on.
Sweet, could watch you work all day. Thank you.
After watching this, I have to change my opinion about who I'd want to sit next to on a transatlantic flight. Josh has amazing talent, but he's also smart and articulate and funny -- and generous in sharing his knowledge. Sometimes, not often enough, people find what they're meant to do in life while the rest, like me, are perpetually restless and sadly content to lead lives of quiet desperation. Love this channel.
jeeeeeez
you've been listening to too much Nick Drake
@@avit719 "Lives of quiet desperation." Clearly Floyd. Also, here's somebody who is sharing a little bit of how they feel beyond the façade we all put up for the world, and I think we need more of that in the world, not less. Hang in there, Fußgänger!
einfussganger Another cleverly written, insightful comment from einfussganger. Great job. And no, I’m not your mother - this is a legit compliment.
@@StefanGBucher Thoreau (as in Henry David). I think Nick Drake Syndrome could be a thing. I know when I listen to Pink Moon more than once in a week, I am slightly more prone to throwing myself out a window. That said, there are few albums as cohesive and consistent in tone, mood, and expression that are so dynamically beautiful and inventive in melody from song to song. Each song takes a bite out of my heart, and yet I feel touched by his spirit with each. As a fan of many genres and styles of music, there's really no one quite like Nick Drake. I can't think of an artist who could bare their soul with such fidelity through lyric, melody, and a highly stylish and studied approach to guitar, from tuning to picking. Like someone else remarked here, he was his music. Trying to chase his ghost is unnecessary though I understand why people do it. He hated performing, hated touring, didn't give interviews, wouldn't promote, and eventually disappeared - first socially, then mentally, then bodily. But the music survived and I think you can find him there whenever you want.
This might be my fave video yet. Thank you!
So enjoyed this. VERY nicely done, Josh.
I really enjoyed this. Thank you for taking the time to share this.
I have never left a comment on UA-cam before, but all I can say is I’m flabbergasted! I was just curious about his tuning, but you broke down his whole style and approach. Bravo!
Excellent work, I think you've pretty much nailed it. Great video and superb playing as well.
Damn, that was beautiful! 😭Excellent job!
Beautiful vid man. Love Nick's music, thanks for taking the time to make this!
Pink Moon & Time of No Reply are so beautiful. For finger picking, Elliott Smith is incredible as well. Lyrics are poetry and filled w too much wisdom considering his age when he died.
Parasite & Been Smoking too Long are beautiful songs by Drake as well (Whole Pink Moon album really)
Dude this video is fantastic... The depth of your ~obsession~ analysis is amazing. Thanks!!!
Utterly amazing Josh. Thank you.
Well done. Excellent work. Love Nick Drake’s work.
Do more videos of you playing Nick Drake!
This is absolutely amazing. You have an astoundingly articulate ear. Thank you for posting this!
Holy.... that was flippin amazing Josh!
What an incredible vid and the piece at the end sounds magnificent.
This was mind-blowing. Thank you!
Nice one Josh glad to see Nick is continuing to influence. His music is timeless and could have been recorded yesterday you've nailed the tone
Absolutely stunning analyzes, Thank you for all the details...
Superb detective work Josh. Love it!
Perfect cherry on the top there, with Things behind the sun. What a gift that was to hear after the build up. Thank you!
Remarkable. Hearing you play actually brought chills to me. A very well thought- out dissertation and thank you!
Top video Josh. Just what I needed.
That was just sublime to watch. Thank you.
God damn man. I legit thought it was the recording in the very beginning. Spot on to my ears. I'll have to give his tuning a try sometime.
This is really helpful and "Things Behind the Sun" sounded fantastic.
Thank you so much! These details help so much to understand Nick’s music. This was fascinating!
that was fab. so happy to geek out on Nick Drake with you! Thankyou
Hi..You have done intensive work on our dear Nick's approach..Bless you for that..Well done for letting his music live on..
I've listened to a ton of Nick Drake over the years, and watching you play these songs was just so dead on. If I focused on just your guitar I could totally see Nick sat there playing it. Amazing.
So many goosebumps throughout the video. Loved it. Thank you so much for this. You're the best!
Fantastic job! Been a Nick Drake fan for many, many years and you’ve nailed it.
I am extremely impressed!!!
This is a labor of love that brought me to tears (literally).
The result of your work is astonishing, in a blind test I would barely recognize the original!
I hope you will release other covers of the wonderful Nick Drake!
This video makes me so happy
Haunting and sooooo informative- amazingly done.
What incredible detailed forensics. Thanks for putting this out.
Thanks, Josh. I have no hope of ever playing like Nick Drake, but this is fascinating, and you've done some brilliant detective work.
Nick Drake was overlooked and under-appreciated.Thanks for exploring his sound.👨🌾
Amazing video. 10 years well spent !
I recently found Nick Drake. Thank you so much for this tone analysis. Love his music.
So good to see someone so young with such an obvious interest in, and respect for, Nick and his music. And your playing is right on the nail. Bravo!
Josh, this was brilliant! I and I’m sure many many others would instantly buy an album made by you of covers of Nick Drake, or simply playing guitar in Nick Drake’s style, etc. This was a beautiful homage to ND, good on you. Merry Christmas to you!
So well done, Josh. Absolutely fascinating to watch - as close as it's possible to get to seeing Nick Drake live.
Thanks for all the time you've invested both in exploring Nick's unique and amazing tone! And thanks for sharing it here as well ~
Brilliant! Brilliant Brilliant! For so long I have invested my intellectual efforts and time in pursuit of Nick Drake tone, feel and passion. So glad to have discovered your channel. Thank you for giving me inspiration to continue my efforts to sound authentic and true to Nick’s voice.
Nick Drake's music means the world to me. And seeing you bring his music to life brought tears to my eyes. You're incredible.
Incredible analysis. The best I have ever seen. Thanks for this.
WoW, I'm geeking out right now! You really nailed it. So good at recreating his sound and so well played, fantastic. now to go and check out the rest of your content
Thank you Josh for taking the time to deconstruct Nick's sound and sharing. He had a style of playing and singing that was haunting and filled with soul. Keep up the good work and sharing of your own excellent talent.
Wow! I’ve been listening and attempting to play Nick Drake for almost 30 years. I have seen many tribute artists play live performances over the years. This is on another level. Thank you for posting and sharing this fascinating information.
Keep the Nick Drake stuff coming, please!! You have it nailed. Super impressed
You've recreated his tone, style and playing exceptionally well. Thankyou.
Gorgeous playing! I am not even a guitarist, but I love that the music that is holy to me for over 25 years now, still puzzles and inspires musicians. Marvellous work! Thank you.
This is incredible. Even though I'm not at this level of guitar, this was still so nice and interesting to watch
Excellent work putting this together. Thank you very much.
Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video and share your experience and knowledge. So very much appreciated. ✌️
I like this style of video
Thanks for this - an overlooked genius who, sadly, went to his grave before being recognized for his brilliance. You captured the sound and feel remarkably well.
It's been a long time since I learned so much in just ten minutes. Thank you!
This was beautiful. The subtle differences in the fingering styles is extraordinary!
You have nailed his tone so precisely that I cannot tell the difference between your playing and Nick's. Nick Drake would have been so proud of you, especially since his style and tuning is so unique and challenging. Thank you for all your research. I really enjoyed watching this many times.
Just stumbled across your video. Having seen Nick Drake live ...yes there are a few of us still here, I was compelled to say what a thoughtful and engaging piece it is. Beautifully presented and obviously researched with love and devotion. A joy. Thank you.
@setheral that's cool. where did you see the great man?!
seriously one of the best videos ever dude
Love this. I've been fascinated by his tone for years.