Madison Cunningham - "Pin It Down" Break Down

[@petergraham9267]

As an older guy who's been playing guitar for decades, I am forever delighted and utterly amazed that people like Maddie just appear fully formed with something totally unique! You have all 4 key bases covered right out of the box: Voice, Guitar skills, Songwriting and Performance............ just fantastic, and if there is any justice in this world you should be a huge success! 😎🙂👍

[@Cmusic989]

shut up pervert

[@AdamStachelek]

The opening groove is the simplest yet sickest thing I've ever heard on 6 strings. It's like it's been living on the fretboard all along but you came along and coaxed it out.This song has such an incredible vibe and feel. Thank you for sharing this breakdown. You are kind to do so.

[@Ralph2]

It's amazing to me that something so different can still be found in a guitar. Your are truly talented.

[@antvil]

Her melodies and voice are so delicious to hear, I wish I had a fraction of her talent.

[@brandonpost3448]

Wow. These riffs are so creative to start, but I was just blown away way even more by her vocal phrasing and melody. Whoa.

[@jeffroberts_tunes]

Wow hard to believe you're here teaching this as a freebie. I love this guitar part (and song!!!), and that final open low C note where it bottoms out on the frets on the original is such a cool moment. And OMG hearing you just sing the hook dry at 8:55 is just awesome. To see the tune deconstructed and hear you singing in a bouncy room with a room mic and be totally enchanted by the sound and the song even more than the studio version is just amazing.

[@frankboyd.]

Now I realize why I love this song. It has a lot of gears moving in the right place at the right times, with a golden voice poured over it to add sweatness. ❤️🇨🇦

[@justinberesford5881]

Please, please, please do more of these. Enjoyed it so much. How cool that we live in a time where we can learn songs directly from the artist that wrote it!

[@PaulHirsh]

Wonderful. 60 years playing guitar and always new territory to discover thanks to you

[@johnhensley6808]

This song is just perfect, lyrics, vocal, guitar, performance, all super stellar, and the best guitar lesson I ever had..Madison, this is a real privilege, much respect and appreciation..

[@philfitzsimmons616]

Seriously? Everytime I hear something by Madison, be it Paste Studios, Good Morning America, or a guitar tutorial I am completely blown away by her natural talent and voice. She sounds amazing no matter what. On top of which she has some sort of natural composure and intelligence that makes you feel like you're watching waves crash on the beach. How generous of her to do this.

[@violao206]

Hey Madison. I am a guitar player too. My twin brother (drummer) saw you live and turned me onto you. We both think you are amazeballs! I am floored (as a vocalist/guitarist/bassist) by how you are able to lay this funky groove down while singing. It is so rather impressive. We look forward to tracking all your future work because we are enjoying everything so far. Cheers!

[@MNGuitars]

hook after hook, what a truly amazing song

[@koho]

Found this (and Madison) by way of Tom Bukovac's Homeskoolin' session with Gordon Mote. Can't wait to try this out. So hooky and deeply grooved. It takes a real gift to write something like this.

[@cammunition]

Same here! Very true - can’t wait to learn it. Great song.

[@seangormley4332]

@@cammunition Same, That video and Toms channel are a blessing for musician, and Maddison too, such great stuff out there

[@krisrandall3086]

Me Too..

[@rodneychristian9834]

Same here.

[@helmanfrow]

I'm envisioning a whole generation of young players inverting their string numbers thanks to this video but if it spawns more talent like you then it's worth the confusion. 😁👍

[@andydixon2980]

Been listening to this song over and over, and also trying to figure out the tuning. Now i've got it, (great teaching) and wow it's a genuis riff/song that you wrote. Thanks ;) Great album, just love it.

[@jsnell126]

Your sense of timing and phrasing is impeccable.

[@zitruc]

Brilliant. Thank you so much. Such a fresh approach to guitar. It's like Daniel Lanois, XTC, Sheryl Crow and the Beatles got merged into one. Kudos!

[@rainamullen]

all of these guitar parts are completely incredible.

[@dm7542]

Madison, this is such an awesome song and you are so generous to share this lesson with us. I caught you at the Winnipeg Folk Fest recently and came backstage to say hi and ask you about your tuning and your pedal. All the guitarists in the crowd, including me, were "losing their minds". I love your moving melodic & rhythmic approach to accompaniment and your inspiring song writing talent. You have an original artistic voice. This is one funky groove. Take care of yourself. Lifelong fan, right here. Thank-you.

[@cromwellfluffington1627]

Saw your spot on the fender ad. Amazing. Keep killing it.

[@callmeroy2172]

So good, love your stuff Madison. Just heard you 10 mins ago and Im blown away. Never stop never stoppin'

[@ryanganaban8150]

More please, I want to learn more of your wizardry!!!

[@ellab536]

THANK YOU MADISON CUNNINGHAM!!!!!

[@alexaborstad8018]

I can't wait for you to explode and bring back real music!! Your talent is insane

[@missycoyle5706]

I’m not a guitar player, and I have a daughter almost your age. You’re one, funky guitarist. I love your voice, too. Keep it up, and keep doing the lessons. It’s great to see younger people playing real instruments. You go, girl! I’m a pianist, but those riffs are going around in my head so much, I actually sat down and just played around with it. I play by ear, always. But I love a great guitarist. I also love a great song writer.

[@eagawler]

oh Madison, you have such a beautiful brain!!!

[@alanshewitt]

Thank you for acknowledging the proper enharmonics.

[@daverice2426]

Hearing Beatles/Sonic Youth/Jerry Garcia/Tom Verlaine/etc., in the coolest, most imaginative, original ways, and then that ridiculously great voice. Discovered you on the JHS show this weekend, instant fan

[@Mirinmusic]

Madison you became to be my favorite artist of all times. I have never been inspired by any music/artist like I am from you, in every form! When I saw that video I was so excited! I learned almost every song you wrote , but to know the real transcription is beyond my imagination. Thank you so much ! I hope you will post more of those videos ,or anything else . You make my days better with your music, and brought a new light to my life.

[@babylonlarry]

This is great, made me break out the way too long idle guitar and learn this, play again. Madi has been a great inspiration since discovering her last fall. I was gonna see her live for the first time this Friday. I'm setting that day as a deadline to post my take. Note to self bridge riffs at 14:43 (2) 17:27

[@rdickinsondickinson]

Your progressions are futuristic sounding 🤟🏼

[@jamieknievel]

Great guitar playing, then BOOM! she starts singing and the magic happens! ❤

[@darwinsaye]

Never saw Kay/Tiesco pickups on a Telecaster before. very cool!

[@shanesweeney517]

Blinding riff, thinking you've heard it all and then a dropped C standard tuning with this amazing artful masterpiece

[@JoshNpublicgplus]

It's so cool to get this insight into how you approach the guitar!

[@jonboy4522]

!instruction and song Wonderful !more to forward Looking

[@1cleandude]

Thoroughly enjoyed the blessing of your lesson Madi!! You are truly gifted my girl; voice of an angel!!🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@kevindietz6470]

When you play the riff slow, your guitar sounds very similar to a cello playing pizzicato, or maybe an upright bass played up high. very cool.

[@aerixj]

Thanks for this. Just saw you last night in Chicago. One of the best shows I've ever seen. You are absolutely amazing on every level - songwriter, singer, musician, and performer. Wow!

[@ellab536]

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE YOUR MUSIC AND THIS IS ONE OF MY FAV SONGS OF ALL TIME

[@himanshusekharrout8121]

哦哦哦我们 我也也.j..ijnnjjn.nj.j...j.ji....j.jj.i.i.nj.jin.j.ii..ijn.j....

[@gerardvinar]

Great tune .... you have a great knack for teaching!🙂

[@kelvynification]

Life According To Raechel is probably one of the most beautiful songs about loss ever composed. The live studio version is a masterclass in breath control and voice placement equaled only by Christine Aguilera’s live version of I Love You Porgy in terms of voice placement. It looks and sounds easy but the transitions of voice timbre in combination with notes, consonents, syllables and words is not something that’s easy to master.... all that and she plays amazing guitar. Mind blown!!!

[@tanyet]

I agree but the version you’re talking about is the actual album cut. Not sure why the video says it’s live. Absolutely beautiful.

[@MrBobrguitar]

Just had the good fortune to come across: "Pin it down" and , as a result Madison as well. I must say I was not expecting what I heard. I am impressed with her Guitar skills and sound and , of course, her voice. Her music is quite a bil more creative that many bands/artists in the same (similar ) ,general genre . Now, it seems I can't get past my morning ritual without listening to , at least, a few of her tunes ( and, "Pin it down" is always one of my favs that get played every morn... Thank You Maddison!

[@davitshishamanshvili8738]

Thank you Madison for your briliant music! great composition beautiful person u r!

[@leonardsrobert]

Great! You're an awesome player, Madison! Love it! The second to last chord of the bridge (before the breakdown) is my favorite. Awesome writing!

[@missycoyle5706]

Yes, I love that chord, too! I wondered if anyone would say anything about that. Nice!

[@williamtrakas3142]

Just the other day I made a mental note to figure this one out! How perfect lol thanks

[@division17]

Brilliant riff ... so original ... so catchy. Thank you so much for sharing!

[@ilovedbroccolionce]

mmhh yes... this is so good... you are fast becoming my favorite

[@telegaller8524]

Thank your for this wonderful song and this helpful video! I changed the strings of my Telly to Thomastik flatwounds, tuned down to C, really cool! Paul Stafford Cook mentioned your name on his channel and I was happy to find your live-studio-versions of "pin it down". Marvellous odd rhythm in the Refrain! I heard Joni in the 1980s and, yes, there is Joni-Style in your singing, but your music is unique, carry on!

[@ericjanson2955]

What a great breakdown, thanks so much. Since hearing Pin It Down on WXPN, I wondered how your talent has not been more widely discovered.

[@jada90]

This lesson lives in an awkward space between beginner and intermediate. Madison if you're reading this though, it's a freaking brilliant tune and I'm so grateful for this lesson. Tried doing it by ear but knew it was in an alternate tuning with a low C, and the rest of the band playing made it all hard to pick out. So big thanks again, I don't mind having to fast forward through most of this because it's such a treat to have a songwriter break down their stuff note for note. And who knows, maybe you've actually got some beginners watching who won't be able to play at speed but who can take it slow.

[@surf580]

I would say it’s way past beginner.. There’s a meter change in the middle of the song and ghost notes. Beginners don’t even know what those mean lol

[@jada90]

@@surf580 you're helping to prove my point. This is not a beginner song, yet she talks about some things like she's teaching beginners who barely understand the guitar. So, the lesson lives in that awkward place - beginners won't understand or be able to play it, but more competent players have to deal with boredom and frustration as the basics are given way too much attention. I don't think she thought enough about who this video's audience is.

[@dana102083]

@@jada90 yeah stretching 4 frets is not easy for someone new playing wonderwall and cant play hotel California yet. ✌

[@billpolits7594]

Love it, thanks. I taught countless lessons one on one, and appreciate your calm clear approach. Just suggest you consider naming strings opposite to your current method. That is, like everybody else does - violin, mandolin, guitar, any stringed instrument -where the strings go up in number as they go up in thickness. I know what you're saying and can deal, it's just when I try to communicate what you're doing to other people there's always that caveat "remember Madi does it backwards";-) and it slows the learning process. Whatevs, anything worth doing isn't easy

[@fodiddlediddle5015]

you and your band are complete bad a's! Such a fun and funky riff. Great song and beautiful vocals. Thanks Madison! ps. Gordon Mote and Uncle Larry sent me here. What a treasure.😅

[@geoffsides408]

Such a cool song and THANK YOU for showing the rest of us how to play it. You are awesome !! ..... FYI... Digitech makes a pedal called "Drop" that allows you to tune your guitar in standard tuning and drop the key in half step increments.

[@andreasschmidt4154]

Thanks for uploading this - your songs are sooo good!!!

[@PrivatePrivette]

Love this song! Thanks for opening the curtain and teaching us how it’s done!

[@ParkRoadGuy]

This woman is a fucking genius.

[@reutty1184]

Thank you for this breakdown! Such a pleasure to play this through!

[@kwittnebel]

Whoa serious respect for unpacking this. Not many people with chops can be bothered. But technique is so important. And teaching. I will listen more because of this vid. Didn’t know you were into odd time signatures etc. Reminds me a little of Rush. Dissonance and counting., interesting modes. Just got your cd in the mail. Love fingerpicking challenges. Thanks for sharing.

[@friedaspyder8485]

That was fun. What a beautiful voice and radiant personality.

[@solovids1]

Thanks for that comprehensive breakdown, it will take some time to master. You're a good teacher!

[@MICKEYISLOWD]

I came across you covering McCartney's song Arrow Through Me and was blown away by you beautiful vocals so full of soul. I used to play all day everyday and was in a cabaret band for money and various rock bands ect... I haven't played now for so many yrs and kind of fell out of music for yrs. I used to teach music and guitar but it never became enough money to pay all the bills back then. All my music gear stayed in storage in my spare bedroom and I have decided to start enjoying it again. I have Aplastic Anemia which is very dangerous for me as I have about 1 yr left of life. After practicing for a couple of weeks it all came back to me and I will try to write a few songs greatly inspired from your beautiful songwriting. I really love how you create melody and I can hear Joni Mitchell and Radiohead and a little Bjork in there like an inflection of style and sounds. I have a Gibson M-III which is a very gorgeous guitar with a wonderful tone and a Carvin Bell Air combo which sounds so beautiful. I am going to buy a Jaguar or a maybe a Tele hollow body type. You are a very unique artiste uncontrived and free and I really adore your melodies. Please keep up writing and making new songs because it's such an important thing to do. We live in dark times right now however music brings people together and lights up the inside so others can see we are light spilling out into the darkness. We are conscious beings and even in death we will still be conscious. If the lake is universal consciousness the people are whirlwinds upon the lake and after the body dies we disassociate and join again to the greater consciousness. Check out Bernardo Kastrup's work.

[@AussieExperiences]

This is completely nuts. I love it! 😅

[@JoelLavoieMusic]

A little late to the party. Coolest songwriter guitarist I’ve heard in a while :)

[@a_j130]

damn. you are so talented carry on is so good to find this bluesyjezzynes and voice ........... my pleasure THANK YOU

[@telecasteroil]

This is so great, Such a unique sound of the guitar, I really love this song.

[@ViniciusBuscacio]

Your song is amazing, thank you very much for this, wish you all the best.

[@zwsh89]

Awesome, thank you for doing this! Any chance you’ll be doing one of these for hospital any time soon??

[@brianelkins8604]

Such a killer groove to this song.

[@scottmartinezguitarandbass]

Madison, thank you for taking the time to go over this! By the way, I know you use a Whammy, and I know you use it to de-tune some of your songs - is there a reason you don't do that on this particular song? I'm wondering what tuning you live in the most, and/or if you just bring a bunch of guitars?! :) Thanks in advance!! You're so awesome and I wish you all the success and happiness for your future!

[@abaptiste]

Quelle belle générosité de dévoiler tous secrets musicaux, tous ses trucs et son savoir-faire ! Bravo ! Quel humanisme ! Merci à toi Oh Grande Dame !

[@jamesj7444]

I love everything about this song: the riff, the vocal performance, the groove and the way the song breathes. Brilliant stuff. Where's your Patreon, Madison?

[@Chris.Wiley.]

That is fantastic! I love all the dissonant chords :-)

[@Rostanl]

Madison so happy for your success. You are unique and have your own style. First saw you on Josh Scott’s vlog for JHS pedals. All the best as you hopefully gain even more exposure and greater success. Thanks for such a thorough break down gives so much insight into your composition talent.

[@flyguyty33]

God given talent.So young and knowledgeable of music and also just happens to have a wonderful voice. I’m amazed and inspired. Might just be my favorite musician. 👏

[@SamLowry_DZ-015]

You are a great teacher, which is not surprising. Shared with my daughter, who is also playing guitar. =

[@matonguitar]

Thank you for the lesson and for wanting to help people play guitar. I've never heard the song before. As a newcomer to it, it would be a help to hear it all the way through once at the start to have an idea of the whole before examining the different parts. This would make it more accessible. Keep up the good work. M.

[@gurs.2320]

This is absolutely brilliant! Thanks a lot and greetings from Germany!

[@Gguitarist1]

Nice! A fresh breath of individualism inspired by so many interesting influences. ✨️ 👍✌️

[@Richard6767]

You’re amazing! Your music is soooo groooovy!

[@kaileyconner1123]

Thank you for this! I love this song and it’s awesome to see how it all comes together on guitar.

[@Dan_Bautista_Sounds]

Wonderful song! Great woman!

[@thecrarion4102]

I just discovered you like 5 minutes ago and I am completely obsessed! HUGE talent, and you’re also super cute. ❤️

[@Casey3-P-O]

I didn't feel like dropping my Strat's tuning down 2 steps (although I could because I have the trem set to dive-only, so I can change tunings). Instead, I just put a capo on the 8th fret and now the riff starts on the 13th fret, and it's just an octave higher. Works well enough for learning the riff. The syncopation is the real lesson here, in my opinion. Thanks for the lesson, btw. I love these riffs. You have a great voice. Cool song.

[@casenowie]

Love this song! Already bought a set of thick strings to downtune a guitar after hearing you play in standard C. Thanks for the great lesson!

[@chenxi8633]

What gauges are you using! Trying to do the same

[@artwerkmedia8616]

So good! I enjoyed the interview you did with josh of JHS. I was surprised when you said you liked Radiohead over the Beatles (that is my personal choice for sure) and the fact that you like Fiona Apple. Always thought I could here that influence in your material. Cheers.

[@benjiholiday]

Sorry to say that, but I have been trying to write this tab down the whole day. Could someone be as kind as to upload the tab to this breakdown? Some of the really important parts are really hard to figure out...

[@bartpike441]

Thank you so much. I know you were dropping down to like a baritone. Now I'm probably going to spend anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks trying to figure out how to play lol

[@michaelharris7030]

thank you for this! time to slap the capo on my baritone lol

[@thebluhatter721]

Thank you for taking the time to explain this great song. Appreciate it much. 😁

[@brucenlittlepictures]

Smooth as silk! Killer playing!

[@han36solo]

Thanks Madison! Brilliant song.

[@dorhirst3604]

Thank you 🙏 this is awesome!!

[@paulstaffordcook8799]

That was awesome! Thank you for your generosity 😊

[@charlesortiz5388]

Wow thank you !!! JUST AMAZING

[@studiomonster2012]

Wow! Great song and vocals. The guitar parts really stand out for me though. It seems simple but is tricky at the same time. Thanks for breaking it down. I would have never gotten certain parts right if you didn’t break them down. 🎸🤩👍🏼

[@greglamb4079]

Awesome. Thanks for doing this.

[@freddypyotr3771]

Bro, I still haven't pinned down Neon and now we have this? No wonder John likes you

[@madelineblais]

This tutorial is amazing! Thank you