🎸 Needle and the Damage Done • Guitar lesson w/ intro tab (Neil Young)

👉 View my additional resources for this lesson, including a play-along cover @ songnotes.net/lessons/397/
🎼 Buy my print-friendly sheet music for this song (available for individual purchase)
www.musicnotes.com/l/TKzMJ
***
Hey friends, new Neil Young lesson for you today! This one dives into his 1972 classic The Needle and the Damage Done, the second-to-last track from his album Harvest. This one is a bit challenging, but an absolute joy to play once you've fully learned it.
The entire song uses a single chord progression, but Neil puts together an amazingly distinctive riff you hear during the first 8 measures. It will require some mastery of alternate picking and "targeting" specific strings -- but as I said, it's a pure joy to play after you've put in the practice. I'll walk you through everything, step by step (including the verse strumming and the E-fill Neil plays at the end of each verse).
Video lesson timestamps:
- 0:00 Preview & Lesson Summary
- 1:24 Song Structure, Big Picture!
- 2:24 Riff: Chord Shapes Needed
- 5:34 Riff: Down-Up Strum Technique
- 7:20 Riff: 1st Half, as Neil Plays It
- 13:22 Riff: 2nd Half, as Neil Plays It
- 18:28 How to Strum the Verses
- 21:31 E-Riff (End of Each Verse)
If you want to view more of my lessons, visit songnotes.net which is my personal collection of lessons, tabs, and notes -- all created with care by me (David Potsiadlo).
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[@stevematthews7813]

I love this song and your tutorial is awesome! Your tabs & detailed explanation on how to play songs are the best of any site I've seen! Thank you!

[@songnotes]

Thanks Steve! So glad they’re helpful.

[@garymacdonald2549]

David... I had no intention of ever learning this song, but after watching and playing along to this video, I now have to. Keep up the good work! I also really enjoyed "The man who sold the world" and "Summertime".

[@jennifferrgilbertcollins4771]

So far the best utorial by far he teaches much more than the original one great I'm old I learned something new I 💕 e this

[@bruncy]

Your an excellent teacher David with great style

[@bobstark184]

Excellent lesson - thank you so much! I’ve struggled to get this song sounding right for ages and this has cracked it for me 😊

[@theroadking547]

Thanks for taking the time to teach us.

[@songnotes]

Sure thing!

[@unclexeres]

Nice, I'm always amazed at the quality of the tutorials on UA-cam.
You got it all goin on, thanks so much.

[@songnotes]

Thanks so much! Glad they’re appreciated.

[@brad361]

You have a real talent in the way you teach. Very helpful.

[@jagathantonswaris11]

David, you have done a marvellous job here.

[@user-cv4wr9kg1y]

Thank you so much for this lesson, superb tutorial.

[@fireheartstudio6423]

Very fine playing and excellent instruction. Keep up the great work!

[@Bronk-hn4sx]

Very good lesson! Your style is easy to follow. Much appreciated!

[@bridgetpollock6760]

I've wanted to learn this song for years Great lesson!

[@IanRamm]

Loved the structure of this lesson. You made it so easy to quickly pickup especially since I had always assumed it to be way more difficult. Keep doing what you do.

[@dennisjump7002]

Love it. Great job 🎸

[@kapnfuknkrunch]

UA-cam finally informed me of you after a year of watching guitar tutorials. Insanely detailed compared to others. Thank you!

[@richardgarzon977]

another brilliant lesson! thanks!

[@jerrybanks6601]

Thank you, David. I just purchased the download and PDF.

[@jameslong4929]

Awesome. Great song. Great tutorial.

[@songnotes]

Thanks James!!

[@hillers54]

Love it David

[@songnotes]

Thanks Keith 👍

[@predragsinko2513]

Great job David.

[@songnotes]

Thank you!

[@rennojoel]

parfait....you are also for this song my teacher....thanks monsieur....

[@johnwillard6198]

Thanks

[@RobertCabralDogs]

awesome job.. love learning from you

[@songnotes]

Thank you Robert!

[@waynecaswell5727]

Another great Neil Young song. Can you do "Like a Hurricane" ? Really enjoy your lessons.

[@jurroder]

Great job, I am using fingersstyle. It's much easier for me than with a pick.

[@terra4632]

Can you make a video on your process of learning a new song? Im relativly a beginer (only been playing for almost 2 months) and am getting into more intermediate(ish) songs like black smoke rising by greta van fleet and want to see what you do to learn songs so i can learn songs faster and easier. You content has been helpful to get me started off on guitar. Thanks!

[@rossdaboss8501]

Hey it would be amazing if you could try homeward bound by S&G or canter by gerry C

[@tenlittleindians]

Bill Goerdt's been playing that song since before we were in college studying music here in Iowa. Is he still in the Austin area? He finger picked it on a Washburn that he bought new.

[@garyrichard3545]

Can you do a lesson on a song called Funny how time slips away by willie nelson ?

[@craigirving4100]

Cool video could have been delivered in half the time thou

[@wadedeeds1738]

To much explanation causes confusion. Js.

[@songnotes]

Thanks for the feedback - I included the tab at the very beginning for folks who just wanna pause and rock with that - Neil can be tough to explain in a simple way! This is the best I could do.

[@carolyncurry9615]

@@songnotes There are those of us who are a little OCD and appreciate all your attention to detail. I look forward to your well thought out and explained lessons! Great work! 👍🏻