Easier Way To Play Stephen Stills' "4+20."

This is not the way Stephen Stills plays this song. Plus, his tuning is a different open tuning. I hope some day I learn how to play it like him. But fooling around one day, I simply applied this simple pattern that I teach on my channel and it seemed to work. Maybe this lesson will allow beginners to enjoy playing this wonderful song.
This video provides that pattern as well as the seven simple 2-finger chord shapes used for this song. I provide the chord shapes needed. For those who have already learned the pattern, this will be one of the easiest songs for you to learn.
My video, "Travis-Picking Made Ridiculously Simple: A Tutorial" may prove beneficial as a prerequisite to this video. It's what I refer to as "pattern" picking. True Travis picking requires more thumb and finger independence. Apparently, that comes later.
I hope these video lessons help those interested in expanding their musical repertoire by leaning how to fingerpick. Remember, music is the universal language that binds us.

[@ianson3]

A chilling, haunting song that has remained in my memory ever since it came out in 1970. Thanks for the tutorial, I'm going to give this a try; it will be my first attempt at any kind of open tuning.

[@DennisAnthonis]

Mitch Friedfeld .. once you get the guitar tuned, this song is not difficult to play. It helps to have two guitars, one tuned to standard and one for this. I’m sure you’ll get it. Cheers buddy.

[@ianson3]

@@DennisAnthonis So, it's been three days since I tuned a new budget Orangewood to DADDAD and I have to say: I can't believe i can play 4 & 20! Not quite to speed, but that'll come. Thank you very much. What other DADDAD songs would you suggest?

[@DennisAnthonis]

Mitch Friedfeld ..... that’s great Mitch! Remember, speed will come eventually. Continue playing it while singing it. I’ll check into other songs in DADDAD and get back to you. Remember too, it’s very easy to go from DADDAD to regular open D tuning (DADF#AD) which offers up other options too).

[@titanachilles7627]

i guess it is kinda randomly asking but do anyone know of a good place to watch new series online ?

[@declanthaddeus7786]

@Titan Achilles flixportal xD

[@stevemutchler1061]

I've watched and participated in many tutorials over about an 8 year period........but yours is the very best on a song I have been wanting to learn......Thank you....

[@DennisAnthonis]

@@stevemutchler1061 … You’re welcome. Thanks for watching. I’m glad the lessons are helpful.

[@PemaWangchuk12]

I've always yearned to learn Travis picking and did watch several videos on it. But now, while seeking to learn this song by one of my favourite musicians ever I found just the lesson, I seem to have come across just the teacher to learn the art from too. Thank you for taking the time and sharing your expertise with us all🙏

[@DennisAnthonis]

Thank you for your kind words Pema. Once you figure out that it’s just one measure you have to learn, it’s easy! You assign the pattern to muscle memory and learn to transition between chords smoothly and precisely. Keep me posted with how you’re progressing. Feel free to share my videos with like- minded musicians interested in learning this technique. Maybe even subscribe! Cheers my friend.

[@charitylouisa]

I can't believe how succinctly and beautifully you've taught this song that I LOVE! Thank you!

[@DennisAnthonis]

You’re welcome Nancy and thank you for watching and taking the time to comment. I must give some credit to my wife for creating the chord diagrams and picking patterns I ask for; it makes my part so much easier. I’m 2 weeks post-op trigger finger surgery on my fretting hand and I hope to start posting again soon. So stay tuned, maybe even subscribe! Cheers from St. Louis.

[@nancydevlin65]

Wow..... ehm..... yeah.... now which guitar am I going to tune DADDAD! I didn't know this song actually, all new to me, and my mind is just being 'squirrelled' with all the options available! It's both fantastic and daunting, actually..... Deep breaths.... Keep it simple..... Thank you, Dennis, for expanding my repertoire!

[@tbyrde53]

Thank you! I always played this for years in standard tuning using Travis picking, which doesn't sound quite right because I used some hybrid notes. I relearned it in 5 min with the D modal tuning, so much easier to play. Awesome!

[@DennisAnthonis]

tbyrde53 ...You’re welcome my friend. It’s actually probably easier to play it in DADDAD or DADGAD than in standard tuning. Because the “pattern” is played the same way for every chord shape. Thanks for taking the time to comment. I appreciate your support.

[@1dandy49]

I love your teaching style. I wish you were near Charlotte so I could take lessons from you. So many teachers want to show their skills instead of teaching. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[@DennisAnthonis]

daniel spencer ... Thank you Daniel, for stopping by and taking the time to comment. Truth be told, I’m not sure I have enough skill to show off. I was a teacher in a former life and I enjoy teaching; so you just paid me a wonderful compliment. And don’t forget, if you’re watching this, you are essentially taking lessons aren’t you?! I’ve learned a lot on KZbin. I’m going to upload another tutorial this weekend on the subject. Stay tuned! Cheers buddy.

[@davidossinger8183]

I came here to learn about Travis picking, and learned about D alternate tuning as well! Being able to Travis pick on the open strings is a great way to cycle that pattern and get it levelled out before I go back to worrying about chord shapes. I've got some light at the end of the tunnel here. Thank you. You're an absolute gem of a teacher.

[@DennisAnthonis]

David Ossinger ... You’re welcome David and thank you for your kind words. Travis picking can be difficult in the beginning. But once you learn it you won’t forget it. Stay tuned; I’m working on another TP lesson that I’ll post soon. Anyway, I appreciate your support.

[@drsmith4582]

I’ve been travis picking for many years but never got around to this one. It took longer to retune my guitar than it took to learn, thanks to your clear and concise lesson. Thank you fine sir!

[@DennisAnthonis]

... You’re welcome my friend. You’re right; tuning the guitar to the open-chord tuning is the hard part. It’s a fun song to play.

[@drsmith4582]

If you can already play songs such as “Dear Prudence”, the live version of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” or “Going to California” by Led Zeppelin, it’s not even the slightest issue to play it. I had my Takamine retuned and the song learned in time to accompany your performance at the end of the video.

[@bmfilmnut]

You, sir, are a fine musician and an outstanding teacher. Your demeanor makes a viewer think, "Wow! I can play that." I wish I had found your channel sooner. I used to know how to play this song and I found this video while trying to refresh my memory on how it's played. I found several videos but yours is, by far, the best. Your instructions are what all music instructions should be - clear, relaxed and unintimidating. Well done!

[@DennisAnthonis]

.... Thanks Bob, for your kind words. I think I’m a better teacher than musician. And I must give credit to my graphic designer for the illustrative chord charts and picking pattern diagrams. Stay tuned; I have two projects I’m about to upload that will be of interest to you. Cheers my friend.

[@winfielddixon5166]

God bless you for making such a great tutorial! Great song! Exceptional production value, you set the bar for guitar instruction!

[@DennisAnthonis]

Thank you so much for your kind words. I especially appreciate you recognizing the amount of production time that goes into these projects. Do me a favor and go to my channel and check out my lesson on “How to Finger pick’Just Like That’” by Bonnie Raitt. I feel it’s one of my better productions and might help you to better understand the concept of Travis picking and how to execute it. Maybe you’ll subscribe! Anyway, thanks a lot.

[@scotttoutant5344]

Thanks Dennis, I am an elementary 6th gr. teacher and I really appreciate your thorough and easy to understand tutorial. I was able to follow your instruction and play through the entire song in less than an hour. Singing to it will probably take a little longer ;) Thanks again for covering such an amazing song and artist! Scott

[@DennisAnthonis]

Thanks Scott, for watching and for taking the time to comment. I’m thinking about doing a similar tutorial for Dylan’s “ Buckets of Rain,” another song in an open-chord tuning (open D-Major, DADF#AD). It’s another song played with this similar pattern. Go to my channel and check out my cover of Buckets of Rain; you might be interested I that one too. Stay tuned. Cheers my friend.

[@joshuachappell5840]

Sir, you can teach. Thank you

[@stephenbouchelle7706]

Excellent tutorial. More like an in person lesson than a video. I appreciate how you keep playing while teaching instead of breaking the flow with long explanations. Very helpful graphics.

[@DennisAnthonis]

stephen bouchelle .. Thanks Stephen. I appreciate you taking time to comment. I agree, I think the graphics are key; that’s been an evolutionary thing (my wife helped me with that; she’s a graphic artist). Anyway, I hope the tutorials continue to help you get started with becoming a proficient fingerpicker. Cheers from St. Louis Missouri. Keep in touch.🤝👊

[@shadowtaz15]

Thank you so much. I have now with your help started to master this beautiful piece of music.

[@DennisAnthonis]

@@shadowtaz15 … You’re welcome my friend. Remember, 15 minutes a day until you assign the pattern to muscle memory, where you’re playing it unconsciously, it becomes an epiphany. You’re ready to soar.

[@shadowtaz15]

All I can say is .. thank you thank you. I can’t believe I’m playing my favourite song. All down to you

[@DennisAnthonis]

You’re welcome my friend. I’m glad the lessons are helping.

[@itsurgirlmelmel4486]

I love heavy metal and rock n roll. But recently i have been inspired to learn finger style guitar through Old school blues artist Rev. Gary Davis. Then I stumbled on to your channel. Thanks for the lesson! You’re a excellent teacher!

[@DennisAnthonis]

DAN SCHNEIDER ... Thanks Dan. I appreciate you stopping by and taking the time to comment. I’m mostly a folk guitarist but I do want to learn some blues too. Reverend Gary Davis was a wonderful artist and I’m looking at some of his works too. Cheers my friend.

[@davejive1]

Hi Dennis. Your lessons are reaching far and wide, because I live in the top end of Australia in Darwin. I really enjoyed learning this classically sad song and have been hugely surprised by how quickly I was able to do the Travis pattern. I guess this song is a great choice for someone who is just starting to do it. It took me about 30 minutes to get a handle on the pattern and about another 30 minutes to do a complete chord run through. I am now starting to do the sing along. I will certainly revise over the next week as recommended. I was very impressed by your really well sequenced and calm manner of teaching. I suspect you really enjoy teaching. The other thing I found out by looking at Stephen Stills performance is that he used vibrato when playing the the 10 and 12 fret chord shape and I am also doing that as well, because the sound is wonderful. Thank you so much!

[@DennisAnthonis]

Thank you Dave for your kind words. Once you get a feel for the pattern, it becomes a matter of repetition to engrain it to muscle memory. Then you’re home free. This will happen sooner if you devote a little time to it every day, even 15 minutes. Good luck my friend. Stay tuned, I’ve got a couple projects in the works.

[@shermananderson700]

Thank. You Dennis, very well presented. I play a custom fitted Pimentel left-hand cutaway, my sixth guitar. I regret I gave away my Sigma 12-string I restrung for left hand play but it went to a fine young man in my Church who had good potential.

[@DennisAnthonis]

Thanks Sherman for sharing your thoughts on this lesson. So, you have six guitars?! That means you can keep one in this tuning and still have a standard tuned guitar to continue practicing your other songs.

[@geraldhoffman7136]

Great lesson. Look for more lessons from you!

[@DennisAnthonis]

Thanks Gerald. I’m glad the lesson helped. I’m working on a couple lessons; I’ve undergone some hand surgery and waiting for the healing to be complete. Stay tuned. Cheers from St. Louis.

[@keeskoene626]

Hi Dennis, thanks for this very useful tutorial! I picked up the guitar at my 52 th and this is the first song I played succesfully with travis picking.

[@DennisAnthonis]

Thanks Kees! That’s great news. Once you learn the pattern, your whole world opens up. Thanks for listening and taking the time to comment. Cheers my friend.?

[@shermananderson700]

Dennis, thanks for writing. My memory is rusty at age80. I have had, not now have, four guitars. Silver-tone six acoustic, Sigma 12 string, Yamaha lefty acoustic, and now my Pimentel which I’ll restring today. It’s nice to meet you via KZbin. Keep picking’ brother!

[@DennisAnthonis]

Will do Sherman. I’m 75, so we’re contemporaries. I’m from midwestern America, St. Louis. We’ll keep in touch.

[@coreymihailiuk5189]

Thanks for posting this lesson. I did check out this same song on Jerrys Guitar Bar and he teaches a slightly different picking pattern which sounds completely accurate to my ear. Worth looking at it. Cheers!

[@helicoptera75]

Brilliant and concise, thankyou Dennis...

[@DennisAnthonis]

You’re welcome my friend. I’m glad my lessons are helping. Cheers from St. Louis, MO.

[@Windowswatcher]

I’ve always loved this song…thanks for the tutorial…wonderful!

[@DennisAnthonis]

You’re welcome Gil.

[@FedericoBorluzzi]

You can play this very well and you can also teach it well!

[@DennisAnthonis]

Federico Borluzzi ...Thanks Federico. I realize it’s not a song that many will even attempt because of the unusual tuning. I’m fortunate because I can designate this guitar as my DADDAD guitar. I have another I keep in Open-D tuning. Cheers to you, my Italian friend.

[@allanfry1914]

Very good lesson. Thanks Dennis!

[@DennisAnthonis]

You’re welcome. Thanks for watching. I appreciate your support.

[@DennisAnthonis]

You’re welcome. Thanks for watching. This was my first tutorial. Subsequent lessons are greatly improved. ❤️🤝

[@buckhenry2431]

Remarkably clear and great lesson. I've always wondered how he played this. Many thanks!!!

[@DennisAnthonis]

... You’re welcome Buck. I’m glad you found the lesson helpful. Stay tuned. I have another tutorial in the hopper, as well as another cover.

[@CEPAIVA]

Coming late in the years but gladly found your lesson and amazingly beautiful tutorial! Somewhat ok player but I was able to play along, however is challenging but with your guidance of Travis picking made me a up notch player! Have a great day ! 👏👍

[@DennisAnthonis]

Thanks for watching Carlos, and for taking the time to comment. Stay tuned for my next tutorial, how to play “Just Like That” by Bonnie Raitt, complete with chord diagrams, picking patterns for those chords with the order that the strings are played. Its a lesson that I know you’ll be interested in watching. Nice to meet you Carlos.

[@robertclymer6948]

Very nice teaching! You play awesome and teach really well. Thank you Dennis, appreciate it sir. Cheers from Michigan.

[@DennisAnthonis]

You’re welcome Robert. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment. Take care and stay safe. Cheers from Missouri.

[@rickitseven]

Great song and tutorial, thanks so much! North Georgia

[@DennisAnthonis]

Thank you for your kind words. I’m glad the lesson helped. Please check out my other lessons on this technique as I’m sure they will he. Cheers from St. Louis, MO.

[@hailekewedom7171]

thank you, Dennis it is good to learn different tunning of sound on the guitar. Easy way technic with excellent explanations.

[@DennisAnthonis]

Thank you Haile. Eventually, you wind up getting a second guitar so you don’t have to re-tune your only guitar. I love this song. Once you learn the picking pattern, it’s a very easy song to play. Cheers my friend.

[@68tri1]

Great lesson, great teacher. As a mediocre novice Travis picker, this lesson was perfect. I’m glad I stumbled upon you. Looking forward to checking out your other videos. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@DennisAnthonis]

68tri1 ...Thanks for listening, and thank you for your kind words. I’m glad you’re finding the lessons helpful. Stay tuned; more to come..

[@gregnelson5295]

Excellent tutorial! Thanks a bunch for posting this. It's a neat little song.

[@DennisAnthonis]

... yes Greg, I agree... it’s a wonderful little song, especially if you have a second guitar to keep in the open chord tuning of your choice. Cheers my friend. Please share my tutorials with your musician friends who may be interested in learning this technique. 👊🎼

[@anntravers836]

I can't play the guitar, but as a former teacher, this is very well explained. It's so cool that you do this!

[@DennisAnthonis]

Hi Ann. When I was an instructor at St. Louis Community College, I attended a seminar (mandatory for all instructors) that was very helpful. I learned that students learn in different ways.I try to apply those principles in my tutorials. Thanks for visiting again. I appreciate your support.

[@fabienbourdier9847]

Pretty late in the night here and i gave travis picking a gofor the first time and i feel very frustrated ! its harder thank it looks haha. I will try this tommorow i hope i'll do better, anyway thank you for this lesson, i'm very happy that i've found this, this is high quality teaching right here

[@DennisAnthonis]

.... Thanks Fabien. Learning the pattern is hard. That’s why I’m producing these videos. I remember when I finally figured it out. If was like an epiphany and I was elated. It takes persistence, practice and perseverance. Please check out my latest lessons on Travis picking. After each lesson, I follow them up with “exercises” where you can sit across from me and play, very slow at first. Then we repeat the exercises at increasingly faster speeds. Check them out. Good luck my friend.

[@stevendixon1339]

I have found a metronome to be very helpful. Just sitting and repeating the pattern, I find I speed up and slow down a bit. The metronome at 72 and now 80 and 84 beats per minute seems to help lockdown the haunting droning sense of the song. Thanks for the suggestion, Dennis.

[@DennisAnthonis]

... You’re welcome buddy. A metronome will help. It helps to have a second or third guitar to have in different tunings, especially if you have a proclivity to alternate tunings. Thanks for the comment!

[@neohiomale1947]

Thank you Dennis very imformative lesson! I had taught myself the chord shapes years ago, but your explanation of the picking pattern has brought it all together!

[@DennisAnthonis]

Mel Allcorn ... I’m glad the lesson helped put it all together. It’s such a wonderful song and it’s easier than you think. Cheers my friend.

[@ronandhisguitarcovers]

Very very good tutorial. Thank you.

[@DennisAnthonis]

Thanks Ron. I appreciate you watching and taking the time to comment. I’m glad you’re finding the tutorials helpful. Stay tuned; more coming. Cheers my friend.

[@bpgsontz1072]

Thank you for this, I have been wanting to learn how to play this since my early 20s. Now thanks to you, I can!

[@DennisAnthonis]

... You’re welcome Philip.

[@jeffsnyder3161]

Really nice and well presented. Respectfully I believe Mr. Stills tuned to D#D#D#D#A#D# for the CSNY Deja Vu Album, and used this tuning live on the Dick Cavett Show. He has played this live in DDDDAD as well.

[@DennisAnthonis]

Yes, thank you Jeff. I don’t doubt that more D’s in an open-D tuning certainly can’t hurt. I’ll have to try this tuning, particularly to see if the 2-finger chord shapes are affected?! Thanks for watching and thanks for sharing your thoughts. Sorry for not responding sooner.

[@gsciurano]

Hey man, beautiful class. Been playing Travis style for about a year or more and this is definetely my next song to try.

[@DennisAnthonis]

... Thanks Gaston. I hope the tutorials are helping.

[@jimbertrand2499]

Thanks for this Dennis. I've wanted, but dreaded, to learn Travis picking but your method seems doable! I'm going to try!!

[@DennisAnthonis]

... Thanks Jim. It’s very doable. Once you can complete the pattern repeatedly and have assigned the pattern to muscle memory. Start out slow, focusing on accuracy and timing. A metronome helps. Speed will come automatically. The key is to practice everyday, even if it’s for just 15 minutes. Good luck my friend. Keep me posted!

[@larry79687]

I like you teaching method very much...thank KZbin and you

[@DennisAnthonis]

You’re welcome Larry. I’m glad the lessons are helpful.

[@danielolson4465]

You have given me a new inspiration for my guitar playing!

[@DennisAnthonis]

Thank you for your kind words. Good luck with your efforts to learn how to play. Remember, 15 minutes a day!

[@ilovegitaar]

Love the sound of the tuning and Travis style,,thank you,good job.

[@DennisAnthonis]

... Thanks Will. Yeah, I also love the sound of open-chord tunings, especially when played with a Travis picking style. Do you play? Cheers from St. Louis Missouri.

[@ilovegitaar]

@@DennisAnthonis I play(,practice) Travis picking style

[@DennisAnthonis]

@@ilovegitaar ... 15 minutes a day for a week or two and you’ll be fingerpicking before you know it.

[@stanleykostrzewski7222]

I love this song and your tutorial is amazing , thanks .

[@DennisAnthonis]

... Thank you Stanley. Yes, it’s a great song, and actually pretty easy to play. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment.

[@ficheye00]

Very good! I've been approaching travis picking for some time and it eludes me, but I'm going to retune my guitar and learn this. Thanks. I'll check out your other videos as well.

[@DennisAnthonis]

Dennis Hastings Thanks Dennis. I appreciate you stopping by and taking the time to comment. Although each of my TP tutorials are necessarily repetitive, each one will offer something new to glean in terms of learning how to fingerpick this way. It’s basically the same pattern used by John Prine, Townes van Zandt, and Blaze Foley. My lesson “Learn to Travis Pick in 15 Minutes,” being color-coded, will get you there fastest. Try that; let me know how it goes. The thing is to practice every day, at least 15 minutes. You’ll get it my friend.

[@ficheye00]

@@DennisAnthonis - I found a way to play this in another key, but it's too high for me. I've been a working vocalist for years (jazz), but I've decided to record some things playing the guitar parts myself. I have always been a fan of CSN. I can play 'All along the lee shore' fairly well, but this classic deserves to be paid homage to. Thanks again.

[@rajaramvideo]

Love this song. Thanks Dennis. You are an excellent teacher. Your instructions are simple and clear and the presentation is great. Outstanding tutorial. May I request one on 'Behind blue eyes' - The Who? Thanks

[@DennisAnthonis]

... Thanks very much for your kind words. I will look at ‘Behind Blue Eyes.” I’m playing it in my head now and realizing that it’s in 4/4 time, and although some songs in 4/4 time are better suited for Travis picking than others, it’s always a matter of choice. I also hear Pete Townsend arpeggiating the chord progressions, which probably works better than a “pattern” style approach. But I’ll look into it. Thanks for the suggestion. Cheers buddy.

[@keithaspinall3245]

Much appreciated for this really helpful tutorial. I shall be giving this a go real soon.

[@DennisAnthonis]

You’re welcome Keith. It’s an easy song and fun to play! Once you learn and memorize the pattern, you can add your own subtle embellishments. And of course, it helps to have a second guitar to keep tuned in that alternate tuning. Cheers buddy.

[@theelderskatesman4417]

great lesson on a beautiful song

[@DennisAnthonis]

Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. It is amazing how easy this song is once you learn the pattern. Another open-chord tuning song (DADGAD) is Bob Dylan’s “Buckets of Rain.” Check out my cover of that as well; it has simple chord shapes and the pattern is played the same way for each chord shape, just like 4+20. Check it out. Cheers my friend.

[@beemanrunning977]

Excellent tutorial! Very helpful and easy to follow. Ever try ending on a harmonic at the 12th string of the high E? Sounds right to me. Thanks Dennis.

[@DennisAnthonis]

Playing harmonics on a guitar tuned to any open-chord tuning always sounds sensational! Cheers my friend.

[@bobjanis24]

Great lesson, like your teaching style. Thanks.

[@DennisAnthonis]

Thanks for listening and taking the time to comment. Stay tuned; I’ve got another tutorial in the works with new chord charts and fingerpicking patterns that I’ve reversed for clarification purposes as per suggestions from subscribers and comments from other viewers. Cheers Bob.

[@nickyG7515]

Thankx man. I used to play this song a long time ago but forgot that Model tuning. Great vid, I am off with the riff now...20/21

[@DennisAnthonis]

... You’re welcome my friend. Remember also, this song can be played in DADGAD tuning as well, mostly because this particular pattern doesn’t pluck the 3rd string anyway. It’s easier to play than it sounds. Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. Cheers from St. Louis.

[@dmagnin]

so I love your tutorials!!!!! This song is so beautiful and killed me for a long time. After watching this video I got in a few hours with Great confidence. THANKS:)

[@DennisAnthonis]

... Glad to hear my friend. Persistence and practice will have you Travis-Picking soon enough. It takes some dedication and patience, but once you master it, it will change your music endeavors from here on out. Good luck buddy.

[@Lodgistics]

thank you so much for such a brilliant lesson

[@DennisAnthonis]

You’re welcome my friend. Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. I appreciate your support.

[@thebrassinator]

brilliant lesson - thanks

[@DennisAnthonis]

You’re welcome. I’m hope the lesson helped. Stay tuned. My hand is healing from the surgery and I hope to post another tutorial soon.

[@gazclint1]

Best lesson on you tube this is exactly how stills plays it

[@DennisAnthonis]

gazclint1 ... Thank you very much my friend. I appreciate your kind words.

[@johncaputo5538]

Sorry, but this is not exactly how Stills plays it. The tuning is correct and the left hand fingering is correct but some of the right hand picking misses some of the syncopated notes, especially the notes at the high fret position. Not a big deal though. Everyone has their own way of playing, and getting across the feel and emotion of the song are most important. My version isn't exact either. I play it in dropped D. Don't want to retune to that tuning because bringing guitar back to standard tuning (or drop D) takes awhile to get guitar to settle in. Not desirable on stage screwing with tuning issues. At least for me.

[@beemanrunning977]

This is awesome! Always loved this song but couldn't possibly figure it out. Thanks a bunch!

[@DennisAnthonis]

Beeman Running ... You’re welcome buddy. I’ve got one more tutorial coming out soon on Travis picking. Stay tuned.

[@superhepu]

Thx, you opened secret about this iconic song.

[@DennisAnthonis]

You’re welcome Heikki. I’m glad you found this lesson helpful. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers my friend from St. Louis, MO USA.

[@superhepu]

@@DennisAnthonis you have music friend in norhern Europa. Finland. I like/ can play merle picking but these alternative tunings open new door..

[@DennisAnthonis]

@@superhepu … I love alternate tunings. I know that drop-D tuning is not an “open” tuning, but it’s my favorite “alternate” tuning. Stay tuned; I’m about a week away from posting a lesson on how to play “Just Like That” by Bonnie Raitt. It might be right up your alley.

[@leilanirocks]

Love this, Dennis. Please also consider doing a video on my favorite Stephen Stills tune “Treetop Flyer” if get a chance.

[@DennisAnthonis]

... Thanks for tuning in. Yeah I agree, “Treetop Flyer” is one of my favorite Stephen Stills songs. But that song may be a little beyond my capabilities.

[@uncleandyguitarherbst1157]

Thanks, great video. I love the Stills performance video of this on You Tube of him on the Dick Cavett show.

[@DennisAnthonis]

Uncle Andy Guitar Herbst ...Thanks very much. Yeah I agree, that performance on the Cavett show was exquisite. Cheers buddy.

[@robwallengonzales190]

I loved the class Travis picking to 4 and 20 by Steven Stills. That one fun can you teach us more songs by Steven Stills please and thank you.

[@DennisAnthonis]

I’ll look into it. I’m waiting to see a hand surgeon to fix my trigger finger. I haven’t been able to play for two months now.

[@jennomore]

Great instruction! Thank you! 🙏

[@DennisAnthonis]

Jen Nomore ... Thanks Jen. I appreciate you stopping by.

[@mattlavin2677]

Thank you. Excellent lesson.

[@DennisAnthonis]

... Thanks for listening and for taking the time to comment. Yeah, it’s an easy song to play, once you get the guitar tuned. Cheers Matt. Happy independence Day!

[@kenklontz1945]

Thanks for helping us get through the COVID hope you are doing great

[@DennisAnthonis]

... You’re welcome Ken. I suppose that is one consolation of this whole Covid thing; it is allowing some of us to practice more and become more focused and more productive. I’m staying safe. Do the same my friend!

[@stevegaston328]

Awsome lesson thanks.

[@DennisAnthonis]

You’re welcome Steve. I appreciate you stopping by. I hope the lesson helped.

[@zepp2498]

Oh, the Tuning of string is something I am not used ( I sometimes do it just for one, from E to D). This is great lesson. I think that to play it ( like here, where we can see you palying it) in a way that is the best for us to learn it. Thank you Dennis, it's great. Big like 6 Joseph

[@DennisAnthonis]

Zepp my friend, Thanks for listening and for your continued support. I am enjoying putting these little tutorials together but it’s time to do some covers again. Stay tuned! I’m fortunate that I have 7 guitars so I keep some in alternate tunings. Right now, my Taylor GS Mini is staying in DADDAD. Cheers my friend.

[@zepp2498]

@@DennisAnthonis Yes, this is what I ike most; to sing. I never did a tutorial on my channel...there are alredy so many on KZbin. So I only put songs I play. 7, guitars....one for each day of the week, héhé.

[@uberjam-sam8512]

Sounds amazing. Great lesson once again!

[@DennisAnthonis]

Thank you very much.

[@gavintrent4818]

Great tutorial. Thanks!

[@DennisAnthonis]

Gavin Trent Music ... Thanks Gavin. I hope the lessons are helping.

[@bobloblaw8099]

Yes!!!! Thank you!!!!!

[@DennisAnthonis]

@@bobloblaw8099 .. you’re welcome. Thanks for watching.

[@da1698]

Thank you Dennis. Very succinct. On my list.

[@DennisAnthonis]

da1698 ... Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment. I hope you found it helpful. Once you get the guitar tuned (to either DADDAD or DADGAD) this song is easy to play. Cheers my friend!

[@eatonjohnrobert]

Such a great video Dennis. I’ve always loved that song. So now I have what I need the next time I’m feeling ambitious.

[@DennisAnthonis]

eatonjohnrobert .... hi John! Yes, you’ll need some ambition, or at least another guitar to keep in DADDAD tuning for a little while you learn it. Good to hear from you my friend. I appreciate your support. I’ll visit you soon.

[@janna1878]

This is an excellent lesson...thank you!

[@DennisAnthonis]

Janna ... Thanks for listening Janna. If you’re fortunate to have two guitars, you can elect to keep one in an alternate tuning like this one, DADDAD. That way you can work on this and still have another guitar that you keep in standard tuning. The thing I like about DADDAD tuning is that you can go back and forth between DADDAD and open-D (DADF#AD) and DADGAD by simply adjusting the 3rd string. Cheers Janna

[@oakdale65]

This is an excellent video. I am struggling with Julia by the Beatles, another Travis Pick song. Any chance you can do a lesson on that one?

[@DennisAnthonis]

... Thanks James. I believe a lot of people probably struggle with Julia, probably more from the fretting hand than the picking hand . The pattern is identical to mine except the thumb is playing these base strings per each measure, A, D, E, D. What’s difficult about Julia are the barre chords. The picking pattern, once mastered, becomes intuitive and automatic. You simply set the pace and go. But some of those chords are brutal. Again, thanks for watching my channel. I appreciate your support. I am currently suffering from trigger finger on my fretting hand 🖐 and can’t play the guitar right now. I hope to be back soon.

[@katokhaelan4881]

This was awesome. Thank you sir

[@DennisAnthonis]

.. You’re very welcome Kato. I love the sound of songs played on a guitar in open-tuning. When deciding to learn to play songs in open-tuning, one must also commit to purchasing a second guitar if you don’t already own one. This song is uniquely simple in that the the picking pattern remains the same throughout the song for all seven simple 2-finger chord shapes. Also, it’s a slow enough song to more easily facilitate success. In other words, it’s great song for anyone considering learning this finger-picking technique. Good luck my friend.

[@roykie007]

Thanks a ton, for me it’s a 2 in 1 lesson, the pick and the song 😎

[@DennisAnthonis]

Royboy ... you’re welcome. Once you get the guitar tuned (either in DADDAD or DADGAD) and memorize the pattern, it’s quite an easy song to play. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment.

[@tonygram5414]

Looking. For your Travis picking made easy. Where is the link? Thank you, amazing playing sore throat and all.

[@DennisAnthonis]

Tony Gramazio ... Go to KZbin, search “Dennis Anthonis”. ... They should all pop up. Thanks Tony.

[@kevinbodnar448]

Hi Dennis , excellent tutorial thank you 😎

[@DennisAnthonis]

Kevin Bodnar ... You’re welcome Kevin. Thanks for the kind words. Cheers from St. Louis MO.

[@seanmann863]

Great lesson!! I love Stills tuning's. Song made me realize don't go into sales. lol

[@DennisAnthonis]

... yes Sean, I too have a certain love of open-chord tunings. I need to attempt recording some songs with this technique. Anyway, thanks for stopping by.

[@NukeDryDocker]

Thank you

[@joebustabade6806]

Great lesson! A lesson on Never goin Back Again by Fleetwood Mac would be amazing.

[@DennisAnthonis]

Joe Bustabade ... yeah, I wish I could play “Never Going Back Again,” much less teach it. But you’ve inspired me to learn it. Cheers buddy.

[@tonyarcuri8969]

Awesome thank you

[@DennisAnthonis]

You’re welcome Tony. Sorry for responding sooner. I hope my tutorials are helping you learn this fingerpicking style. Cheers my friend.

[@desgrenan9895]

Thanks so much Denis. This song is a classic. Great video. Any chance of a tutorial for Everything is Free by Gillian Welch. Thanks and Slán. Greetings from 🇮🇪

[@DennisAnthonis]

Thanks for listening and thanks particularly for suggesting "Everything is Free" by Gillian Welsh, an artist I hadn't heard of, nor the song. I have listened to it several times now and I am seemingly haunted by it. I'll work on something for you.

[@desgrenan9895]

Thank you so much. Lovely cover by Father John Misty also. She wrote this love tune due to Napster. Glad you like it. Slán

[@DennisAnthonis]

@@desgrenan9895 ….yes, it took me a little while to figure it out that she was talking about streaming. Great song, Thanks for turning me on to this captivating song

[@desgrenan9895]

@@DennisAnthonis my pleasure. Thanks again

[@DennisAnthonis]

Thanks Fabien. I appreciate the feedback. Give my tutorial “learn how to Travis pick in 15 minutes” a look. The illustrations are improved. There’s a color code to the sequence that might help you. Don’t give up my friend I struggled with this for three weeks when I learned it.

[@fabienbourdier9847]

Thank you very much i will check this ! not gonna lie i can't practice this 10 minute without feeling hopeless haha, but this song is so beautiful i won't give up !thanks again good sir

[@kmccjoe1]

Great lesson! Can you do Lee Shore now? Thanks for posting!

[@DennisAnthonis]

I’ve been a CSN & CSN&Y fan all my life and never heard Lee Shore. It’s amazing to me that this wonderful song somehow flew below my radar all these years. If it weren’t for my trigger finger, I’d jump all over this song as fast as I could. Once I get my finger fixed, I’ll tackle this. It’s a perfect song for applying a Travis style alternating bass fingerpicking pattern. It’ll be a lot harder to sing. I always appreciate when someone turns me on to a great song. Thanks my friend. Cheers from St. Louis Missouri.

[@kmccjoe1]

@@DennisAnthonis I lived in St. Louis for six years. It was a great place for live theater and music. I've seen Crosby and Nash a few times, (as well as CSN). I've heard Crosby play Lee Shore a couple of times. What a real delight! I hope your finger mends quickly. I've recently damaged the soft tissues in my picking index finger, so I''v had to change my style for a few months.

[@ffggddss]

Um, I think you've got the pair of treble notes in reverse order - the higher one comes first. And the hammer-on is actually a "hammer-off." But it can work just fine your way, too. Also, the song is in D major; it's the tuning that's neither major nor minor. Well, the song actually 'wobbles' between major & a kind of "minor" that's really an F modal chord, or maybe more of a G7/F, so, yeah, there's a fair degree of ambiguity there. Haunting & captivating. All in all, good show!! Fred

[@DennisAnthonis]

I do it the way I was taught by a friend of mine. However, as it turns out, this is how Kerry Livgren (lead guitarist for Kansas) plays “Dust in the Wind.” Also Eddie Vedder plays it my way in Tuolloome (spl ?) and “Just Breathe.” There’s no doubt any pattern can be expressed differently by manipulating the sequence played, and that’s all legal. Thanks for watching so acutely and for your very intelligent question and for how you articulated it so well. Cheers my friend. Please share my channel with your musician friends who may be interested in learning this technique. 🤝

[@ffggddss]

@@DennisAnthonis Yes, you presented this well and quite thoroughly; otherwise, why would I comment at all?! I especially like your attention to detail in showing the picking pattern while you play it. A very strong instructional method - do keep that up!! Incidentally, I picked up (pun?) Travis picking from my kid sister, when I was in college and she was in high school, and we were both just learning guitar, and were hooked on Peter Paul & Mary songs and the like (they used Travis a lot!). And two guitars picking simultaneously can make a really rich sound, especially if they are capo'd differently while playing in the same actual key. But I found learning Travis much like riding a bicycle - it takes a lot of struggle and concentration initially, but once you get it down, you have it for life, and it seems so natural! I always thought of 4 + 20 as some more "freestyle" kind of picking, but seeing this, I realize it really is Travis. I had it worked out, one or two dozen years ago, in DADDBD tuning, so we're pretty close there. I guess mine has the "advantage" of leaving 3 strings in their standard tuning, instead of just 2. It's also interesting to see/hear a little different accompaniment, so I hope you don't take my comment as criticism; I just thought it worthwhile to bring up the way it was done (I think!) on the original recording. Variety is good! Fred

[@GtrGeo]

Thanks! A well documented lesson that makes learning the song very enjoyable! I like playing in DADGAD and I'm thinking that you really don't need to de-tune the G string for this song?

[@DennisAnthonis]

... yes George that’s correct. You can play this song in DADGAD, DADDAD, or open D (DADF#AD). That string isn’t picked in the pattern for this song.

[@henknouwens6908]

Is the strumming patron in this song the same as the regular patron? i do missing the trump by the g string.

[@DennisAnthonis]

I’m not sure I understand the question? This song is picked, not strummed. As an instructor, I only suggested strumming it, to get an understanding of the pace of the song. The chord shapes remain the same and the timing remains the same. I hope this helps.

[@weednlogic]

Beautiful

[@DennisAnthonis]

weednlogic ... Thanks for visiting and taking the time to comment.

[@tbaydealer4476]

Thanks,, means so much,, your awesome, my wife died 11 years ago

[@DennisAnthonis]

... you’re very welcome my friend. Sorry about your loss. Hang in there.

[@Edward-MTBKR]

Hi Dennis, great job. Been playing electric guitar 2 years and wanted to learn Travis Picking. Can you recommend any songs that aren't as emotionally depressing as 4+20 that I might actually want to play in front of friends and family?

[@DennisAnthonis]

Ed ... My wife tells me constantly that I need to cheer up. I don’t exactly know why but I’m strangely attracted to melancholy songs. If I think of any, I’ll let you know. Cheers buddy!

[@samzalta1450]

This is my first time learning a song I love using fingerpicking and your video made it so easy! Thank you! I was wondering though why stephen stills’s guitar sounded higher tuned on the dick Cavett show. Do you know how I can get a sound closer to that? Thank you! Can’t wait to start learning more from your videos!!

[@DennisAnthonis]

Sam Zalta ... I’ll have to review that footage. Sometimes musicians change their tunings sometimes but rarely up because it puts undue pressure on the bridge. Musicians usually tune their guitar down.

[@samzalta1450]

Dennis Anthonis I believe he used the tuning D# D# D# D# A# D# . Sounds identical to the performance. It’s a really great performance; I highly recommend watching it. Anyways, great video and thanks for everything!

[@songstress2508]

Thank you for your information, Dennis. Your guitar is, however, out of tune when you're in open tuning versus when you're fretting. When fretting, it might sound in tune yet not so when open strumming, and vice versa.

[@DennisAnthonis]

Thank you. The strings were old and it was difficult to keep it tuned. I probably should have waited before uploading. This little Mini is due for a setup and some fret work. Thanks for listening though and taking the time to comment.

[@DavidKeener-jf8xb]

I am 70 never knew Travis Picking . For 4 and 20, I just listened to my singing and I sounded o.k. at small clubs? But playing it with standard is not good. But can we spend time on Travis P. ? Yes Mr. Dennis

[@DennisAnthonis]

Yes.

[@dusanpogacar1399]

Strum patern is just like Dear Prudence, Happines is a warm gun and Julia of Beatles White album.

[@DennisAnthonis]

Except this song is not strummed. Mostly fingerpicking here; particularly Travis-style pattern picking.

[@rayray8212]

DAD is a common tuning for mountain dulcimer as is DAA. Interesting...

[@DennisAnthonis]

Ray Ray ... Exactly... all root notes and fifths, no thirds. It produces a beautiful droning sound. Some suggest that D-modal tuning had some influence in Celtic music

[@mrtambourineman6107]

Thanks for this lesson, this is one of those songs I found at random that just makes me fucking ball my fucking eyes out, I can relate so much at this moment in time. I needed this to make a bit of sense of things. Big love and respect man

[@DennisAnthonis]

... yeah mate, it’s a song that tugs at your heart strings. It reminds us of the importance of hanging in there. I felt like this a couple times when I was in my late twenties in the mid seventies. Life is pretty hard to beat. Thanks for visiting my channel and taking the time to comment. Do you play?

[@mrtambourineman6107]

@@DennisAnthonis yeah just been learning this today, nearly there! But yeah this is one of those songs where the goodebumps go crazy with each chord change. The lyrics are just amazing too

[@TheGuitarMan71]

Great vid

[@DennisAnthonis]

ZeppAllmanBros CSNY ... Thank you very much.

[@SteveMiller-yw7kv]

Wow.. I've never heard that song before.. unfortunately, it's literally where I've been the last eight months, is that a smaller body size guitar? Sounds good 👍

[@DennisAnthonis]

...Thanks Steve. The guitar is a Taylor GS Mini. It’s a smaller scale guitar. You can really get your arms around it and it really projects well for its size. I think that has to do with the arched back. Anyway, thanks for listening.

[@mkrnp]

Nice.

[@DennisAnthonis]

Mark DiGennaro ... Thank you Mark. I hope you find my lessons on how to Travis pick helpful. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Cheers.