Learn How to Play "Natural Beauty" by Neil Young on the Guitar

In this lesson, we'll learn how to play Natural Beauty on the guitar. This beautiful tune by the legendary Neil Young is a great piece to improve your chord progression skills and deepen your understanding of guitar playing.

The first significant element of this song is the double drop D tuning. This specific tuning is an essential part of capturing the unique sound of Natural Beauty. Besides, it changes how we'll be fretting the chords.

👉 Not sure about double drop D tuning? Check out this lesson!

The Intro and the Verse

The chords for the intro and the verse are an E minor seven, a C major nine, a D, and a C add nine. These chords create a lovely sound and form the foundation of the song. This repeating chord progression is simple yet effective, making it a great starting point for learning the song.

A good way to start practicing this chord progression is by doing four down strums to the bar. This helps you get comfortable with the chord changes before adding more complex strumming patterns.

The Chorus

The chorus introduces a G chord for one bar. This G chord is played differently due to the double drop D tuning. It then transitions to a regular C chord that sounds like a C9 due to the tuning. The chord shape is then moved up two frets, creating a D add 4 chord. This sequence is typical of Neil Young's style and adds depth to the song.

One of the unique aspects of the chorus is the double-time feel. This change in timing adds variety to the music and will challenge your rhythm skills.

Playing the Song

With the chords down, we can start strumming. A good starting point is doing four down strums to the bar. Make sure you're comfortable with the chord changes before moving on to more complex strumming patterns.

The most important part is keeping the strumming hand moving consistently. Neil Young is known for his fluid playing style, and this continuous strumming hand movement is a big part of that.

The Feel

One of the most important aspects of playing this song is capturing its unique feel. This involves keeping a continuous strumming pattern and synchronizing your playing with the original recording. This will help you absorb the time feel and make your performance more authentic.

Playing along with the original recording is highly recommended. This will help you understand the rhythm and feel of the song and make your performance more convincing.

Wrapping Up

Once you've got the basic chord progression down, it's all about feeling the music and bringing the song to life. Listening to a lot of Neil Young will definitely help, but don't forget to play by yourself and figure out how to make your guitar sound how you want it to sound.

Getting creative and adding your personal touch to the song is important. After all, music is about expression and having fun. So, remember to keep practicing, and most importantly, enjoy the process of learning this beautiful song.

Now, it's time to grab your guitar and start playing. Watch the video to see these tips in action, and follow along as we learn Natural Beauty together. You're just a few chords away from playing this fantastic song by Neil Young. Let's get started!

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