"Into the Mystic" Strumming & Rhythm Guide (Van Morrison Guitar Lesson)

🎸 Get my print-friendly strumming & rhythm guide for this song @ songnotes.net/lessons/506 ... practice tracks and strumming samples also available!
🎸 View my full tutorial for this song @ songnotes.net/lessons/513/
🎼 Buy my licensed song sheet for Into the Mystic (including lyrics and chords) @ www.musicnotes.com/l/2tgNQ
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In this week’s lesson I’m excited to dive into the strumming & rhythm of Van Morrison’s 1970 classic Into the Mystic.
At a quick glance this song might seem relatively simple, as you only need four chords without any quick changes - but it’s the strumming where things can get quite complicated. This is due to a few things: the sixteenth-note rhythm, Morrison’s hammer-on from Csus2 to C, a percussive slap on the 2nd beat of some measures, and the way the intro strum quickly evolves before settling into the verse & chorus sections.
But fear not, I’ll walk you through all of it - showing a few simplified versions of things along the way. Let’s get into it!
0:00 Summary
1:14 Chords & Progressions
2:13 Rhythm 101: 16th Notes
4:05 Strumming Basics
6:44 Strumming the Verse & Chorus
9:56 Strumming the Intro
12:31 Farewell & Final Tips
👇 LESSONS I REFERENCE 👇
How to Strum with a Percussive "Slap"
• How to Strum with a Pe...
Slap strumming basics (percussive rhythm technique)
• How to slap strum (per...

[@WahrheitMachtFrei.]

I love how incredibly satisfying this is to play with such simple ingredients. It's similar to the way Damian Rice can take three chords, break them apart, and turn them into magic.

[@user-iw3mr2lv6f]

David. You look rested my friend Great Lesson! 😀👍❤️🎸

[@treygilmore2141]

One of my favorite songs. Thank you for covering this!

[@aspenx1304]

yaaaa way cool David.

[@2024TD]

Brilliant work!! Thank you

[@jamesbrandon2698]

Great lesson David today, can you in the near future Handle with care by The Traveling Wilburys one of my favorites thanks !

[@gpowerpack]

Very Cool Sir, I appreciate your hard work. Namaste

[@markhopkins8674]

thanks david. this will help me clean this song up. its very freestyle but keeping the rythym and tempo is key to good execution.

[@SuperWaynethepain]

I come from an Irish/Italian neighborhood in Brooklyn--best pizza shops in the world--and my brain shivered when I thought about cutting a pizza into 16 slices. :) Anthony refused to do it once, the people walked out. Pour a can of pineapple on a pizza, to each his own, but 16 slices just isn't done in normal society. That said, I'm becoming a better guitar player in big part because of your lessons. You're an excellent teacher. I'm trying to do this song with the capo on the first fret so I can go into it from Free by Zac Brown, but the strum is the same. This lesson is helping a lot. Thank you Stick to apples though, no one cares how many times you slice an apple :P

[@leylastatin8563]

Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaank youuuuuu❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉😊

[@PaulJohnson-ey4ui]

Fantastic. Very helpful.

[@user-tl9oy9kq4h]

Freaking gold. Appreciate the lesson David! #GreatHabits #BabySteps #CoolSong

[@johnmitchell8651]

Thanks!

[@Crypto-Mainframe]

Go TERPS! Thanks for the great lesson!

[@sandraniederwieser7836]

Thanks a lot for all great tutorials could you do tears go by the Stones intermediate level with some picking and strumming thanks so much ❤Sandra from Germany

[@pigpug_214]

Flying or sailing?? I always thought it was about dying. And yes, it’s the song set to be played at my funeral. I wanna hear it, I don’t have to fear it.

[@GPM116]

It's all about the strumming

[@mehrdadmak4537]

Please teach ( Outlaw state of mind by chris stapleton )

[@HailRider]

You say the first chord is C. Why isn't it D#? Sorry for a stupid question. I know a little bit but clearly not enough. What is happening here?

[@julesdegiulio2565]

You are right, the first chord is really a D#. But it's the CAPO that raises it. It plays exactly like a standard open C, hence it's typically referred to as a C, rather than a D#.

[@kulluker]

I’d say Eb, Van is a sax player too. Please internet guitar guys, say the actual chords so guitar players will learn their fretboard. I’ve played for years with guitar players who don’t have any idea what key they’re actually playing. All they know is capo third fret, for example, and play cowboy chords. Ask them what key and they’ll say “C” with capo on the third fret. Extremely frustrating that KZbin teachers dumb down music to the point that nobody ever learns the things that matter and start to move a players ability to the next level.

[@roostercogburnmusic]

Song is about dying, brother.