As per my last music blog, I made a slight change of plans regarding my Musical Growth Plan. This change being switching from the song Mary Jane’s Last Dance by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, to Heart of Gold by Neil Young.
So far the song itself is very fun and challenging to play. Essentially the song is broken down into three different components; the chorus, solo one, and solo two. The chorus is extremely straightforward and I have been able to play the notes consistently so it sounds almost identically to the actual song which I am pretty proud about. However, the two solos are much more difficult.
What makes the solos a lot higher in difficulty is the unorthodox nature in which the notes are played after one another. For example, in other things I have played a draw (or breathe in) is normally followed by a blow (blow out) to make it easier for the player to breathe while playing the harmonica. But in some of these solos – because Neil Young is quite advanced – there are numerous blows or draws in succession, sometimes up to 5 in a row. This makes the natural breathing that would normally occur when playing the harmonica obsolete. So this makes the solos quite advanced and tricky, but my practicing has made it easier and easier as I keep playing.
In addition to the awkward breathing patterns in the solo, the way the notes are played are difficult to hear if I am playing it in the correct fashion. Because they are solos, they naturally do not follow the original pattern of the song, they are meant to add some flair and creativity to a vocal portion of the song. So this being said I have found it quite difficult to be able to check in on my progress and determine if I am playing the song as Neil Young does. Again, I find myself getting better the more I practice and repeating the parts I find tricky.
Here is the link to where I found the most simplified version of the notes I have been following in hopes of learning this song.
Riley
