Tiny Dancer (Lesson) - Elton John

[@CCB6939]

hey James, you know I sit here and close my eyes listening to you play and I can absolutely hear Elton's piano and his vocals. Your guitar arrangement fits beautifully! Sounds great!!!! and I absolutely love that Guild. That is one sweet sounding guitar!!! I think it's my new favorite out of your awesome collection of guitars.

[@akgeezer]

Nice to see, or hear, some Elton John on guitar!!! He and Bernie wrote some great songs. Classic stuff! I am a big fan of the early material myself. Thanks and keep them coming. Nice guitar, too. I have a Guild F-65 that has the same fret-board inlays. Love it!!!!

[@kylebichler2258]

Clicked because I saw that gorgeous guild D55! Best guitar I own.

[@jamesjames9275]

Best I've ever owned. I have two of them, but this one gets the edge.

[@RollingStoneZzzzz]

Great job James!

[@donheller231]

At 52 years old your doing great . Rock on.

[@TrumanShirley]

Another great arrangement. Even with songs I’m not overly familiar with it really helps with composing original tunes to see the bare bones of classics. Thanks!

[@DougZbikowski]

We're close to the same age, and we have the same hearing. When I was a teen/early 20s I couldn't afford a monitor, so I stood in front of my Marshall half stack at every gig. Now...every conversation has at least three "I'm sorry?" or "Excuse me?" :D

[@funguy4utube]

Aye ... plus for me 24/7 tinnitus

[@paulgeorgia8013]

Thanks for this lesson, and for motivating me to pull out my D55. Sometimes I forget how awesome it is.

[@jerrys8691]

I love running across your videos. Thanks🎸🎸🎸🎹🎹🎹

[@ramant5576]

Fantastic! Thanks for taking the time to do what you do and then share it with all of us!

[@WysteriaGuitar]

That Guild is getting a work out! - Sounds great...

[@jamesjames9275]

I love it.

[@riadlo1]

I own a D-55 as well, it is an amazing instrument.

[@mikeshort130]

That is so cool! I'm workin' on this one. A Elton song? Are you kidding me? Awesome

[@raywark1136]

To this day, the chorus gives me chills. So good!

[@koho]

Just great - thank you!! Simple enough, yet spot on. I wish I could sing!

[@GreenManalishiUSA]

Classic song, great arrangement. Davey Johnstone is such a brilliant musician. Come to think of it, so was Elton's whole band.

[@sejsey]

Thanks James ,great version

[@wilhelmrogue1]

That guild sounds fantastic

[@greg7656]

Elton John and an Aleister Crowley/Jimmy Page reference all in one! You've set a high bar for the week James

[@jerrys8691]

Yeah, I caught that too!! 😊

[@miike48]

Haven’t heard from you in a while my friend. I hope all is well. I know you’ve had some physical challenges lately and hope you are recovering. Thanks for all of your wonderful videos! Best wishes!

[@zeelowsguys]

Sweet sounding gat ❤

[@andrewbowen8122]

That weird chord is very piano like, love it. The Guild looks and sounds like a strummers dream.

[@melroberts7987]

Love that EChord with the sharp on it. Cool jersey btw.

[@jimbertrand2499]

Loved this rendition! Thanks for sharing!!

[@davek7877]

Very nice full sound on the Guild!

[@LodovicoSabaco]

Linda!

[@YeTi2055]

love new strings nice work

[@montydaniels1054]

JJ, it's a Saturday morning, 3:39 am and stumbled into this lesson. Pretty cool man. Glad I was up... Great lesson...

[@123jozef]

The pace is perfect. These are MY KIND OF LESSONS! YEAH! Thank you brother! I just finished your "Yellow Brick Road" ... took me all day I know the song well.... the lyrics, I can just hear where to go but seeing the chords the way you hold your guitar... it allows me to sit outside up here in the High Sierras and watch my Tablet and jam along with you. I can barely see the screen because of the sun in all directions, but you would definitely see why I appreciate it so much. You actually "SAY" the chords even though we all kind of know when we hear, but it REALLY helps me with the way i like to learn and the exact way you teach. Dangit I wish I had found you earlier, but no regrets. I've not stopped playing music since the day I started. We are about the same age. Thanks again man. Can' t wait to nail this one to add to my setlist. So cool ... oh, ONE MORE THING.. THANKS for singing along. Sometimes I don't know all the words and by the time I've learned the song from you, I've heard the lyrics enough to (re) memorize them. Other teachers here could really learn something from you, but most of the teachers on here (unless you play the violin) are teaching the beginner and intermediate crowd. There has to be some GOOD teachers for ADVANCED players and thats EXACTLY what you give: lessons for the advanced. One more thing.. the movie... what was it? The kid writes for the Rolling Stone and travels with a band on a bus.... they all sing this together on the bus after the lead singer jumps off the roof into a swimming pool at a psychadelic party.. ten fo... what is the name of that movie? As soon as you started playing it I could see them They were all PISSED at eachother and then they just started singing this song. Too cool...

[@jamesjames9275]

Almost Famous. :)

[@cbedwards8396]

Thanks, JJ. I took an inexpensive T style and made my version of an Acoustasonic. Has anyone here tried it? There are a few videos of people making one. Mine certainly doesn't have all of the electronics as the Fender (or the engineering, craftsmanship, etc.), but I'm pleased with it. I live in South Texas, so I put a mesquite cap on it. Minihumbucker for the bridge and some sort of Piezo thing attached inside. I even wired it correctly.

[@banba317]

Nice arrangement; great lesson! Thanks!

[@gabebercz6651]

You are the best on KZbin.

[@tyllyscab]

written, 1971, by Elton John & Bernie Taupin, inspired by Taupin's wife Maxine Feibelman, she was a dancer; Acoustic- Guitar - Davey Johnstone, Great Song and a Great Record, Madman across the Water! And at last a great Guild 55 !

[@Moogman13]

Great to hear you sing

[@kevinreilly8132]

Love this dude!!

[@robertparent2966]

Another gift...like the way you give alternative finger placements for playing the same chords.

[@BrianJDumas]

Awesome song and same on the the lesson! Btw, love the hockey shirts. Game on, eh?

[@AndyBigDaddyWilkinson]

Just found out that you brother performs in Boston....and does a great version of Hallelujah...being a Boston boy myself...Its on my bucket list to catch your brother live...when all this Covid BS is over... btw,....brillaint version of Tiny Dancer...beautifully done

[@jamesjames9275]

I'm his biggest fan.

[@AndyBigDaddyWilkinson]

@@jamesjames9275 the more I hear the Guild ...the more I want one....Sounds beautiful . ..must play like a dream...I need to hit the Lotto first...btw....Imagine a Man was fantastic...

[@charliedillon1400]

Cool to hear you sing!

[@glennfwilliams]

Good thinking James always played this without capo, but yeah you're right the fills are easier capoed on third, keep up the great work

[@yamaha28]

Great lesson...thanks, man!

[@mgrassopgh]

Great lesson. Thanks. Works fine. Blew the group away with this last Saturday night. First comment from me, but have been learning from you for a while. Keep it going.

[@zeelowsguys]

Nice one man 👌

[@grahamwest5719]

Thanks James, you make everything so playable.

[@tomkinnally9656]

Peaceful, Easy feeling …

[@mattmatthews3909]

THANK YOU JJ! I’ve struggled with this one.

[@hermanblume275]

Good arrangement.

[@gregoryvernak9325]

Dude... always a pleasure to watch you play! You always seem to give me instructions on songs I've been interested in playing. I've been playing for a long time, and have played in a number of bands over the years. Now that I'm 60 yrs old I can say... yes I can play that one! Lol

[@frodo261]

The strange chord could be called E/F#, maybe. Which is a G over A aint it for anyone who wants to precise. Your thoughts

[@leehelppie4544]

sounds perfect...

[@iwerning]

Songs without Keith-shaped suspension chords do not belong on this channel!

[@alonmo9]

11:55 guild shines on that chords

[@geo.cgeier3435]

That Guild is the BEST sounding guitar!

[@nuthinfancy78]

Love your style man! It’s so helpful for me getting to the next level. I love playing but my ear is terrible for figuring tunes out on my own. Just the way it is. This is an awesome arrangement! As usual. I’ve just about got Willin down. We spent the weekend together lol!

[@richardl3835]

Am I the first comment to mention "Almost Famous"? Great arrangement, I was literally just watching another video lesson on Tiny Dancer (with Elton's vocal track added), but yours seems much more fun. Thanks for all your videos and recent lessons; it's gotten me to practice a lot more, so much so that now my shoulder hurts. Whoops

[@geoffwatts1375]

Same hearing issue here! I had tailored hearing aids to add in the top end. Before too long the top end ‘muscles’ returned - result- no more hearing aid and can hear the top E string!

[@Markle2k]

6:30 That's just E over F#, usually written as E/F#. Chorderator's chord designer doesn't suggest any other option either. Which is odd because it says C/G could be Em#5/G. 7:44 Ooh, that's like that Horse With No Name chord (D6add9/F#) but with the D on the B string.

[@StellsBellz]

He’s in the 716! Go 🦬

[@reddog3566]

Sounds good! thanks

[@chrissnape9537]

I like this song hard to believe anyway good job

[@albertomartinez2479]

AWESOME!

[@TheMDGMobile]

Great stuff Thanks !!

[@doncharlesworth4748]

Great teacher but could you put on a Bruins jersey?

[@jamesjames9275]

Sure, send me one. :)

[@tomkinnally9656]

Wow, haven’t been on KZbin for years. What happened to Privatetricker??

[@mcguitar69able]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@imannonymous7707]

I love guild acoustics....I want one.....that looks new how old is it? ...its sweet

[@jamesjames9275]

1992 - it’s in perfect shape.

[@JayjayWalkers]

Nice. I capo the 5th fret and play a G shape. The bridge is a problem so I changed the bridge 😂 That's a fantastic guitar

[@Jaycnordean]

❤ you dude

[@gregoryvernak9325]

Saves me a lot of time sitting listening to the song!

[@chewycenter7690]

I don't know if you mean the same thing, but a lot of the time I check out James just for the listening experience without pickung up my guitar.

[@Danman911]

Does the capo go between the fret or right behind it ? Eltons super piano album that broke into the guitar scene and opened up a new slot for other musical genre. IMO.

[@jamesjames9275]

People say you should put it as close behind the fret as possible, but because of the way I grab the neck, I like a little space for my fingers. I’ve never noticed that it makes a difference.

[@toddhumann3825]

Coooooool!

[@funguy4utube]

Brilliant - as always - and figuring out that E with and F# took you ten minutes .... I couldn’t do it in my lifetime. Side note ... you say generally to match piano you put the capo on fret three (which I often find works but not sure why) ... would you please explain for me why that is?

[@jamesjames9275]

Because C is a typical key for piano songs, and with a capo at 3, that gives a guitar player a foundation to play with A shapes, which makes for a fairly simple arrangement.

[@kennethshort2016]

​@@jamesjames9275 And the chord shapes are easier to play too

[@kalvino67]

Thanks James! You’re almost famous too! 🙃

[@TypicalGirls]

"I'll be your Tiny Dancer. A dancer for money, do what you want me to do..."

[@gopeacetrain]

Singer !

[@donwhitman1118]

you may have seen it but that guy Rick Beato just released a video discussing his loss of Perfect Pitch. might not be standing your standing next to amps just a natural thing that happens

[@DoniCulien]

This is Great thanks!

[@TheJipino]

According to a "guitar chord finder" that weird chord is a gmaj9sus13 (5-5-5-4-3-3 right? Without capo)

[@thepaulmacfarlane]

1:12 DWTW and 93 to you too Frater James

[@thepaulmacfarlane]

it's like we're two buds sitting across from each other trying work it out.I'm manning the tonearm...... oops SCRRRCH---

[@sailingrumrunner]

I dont want to offend, far from it. But in the chorus the A is missing something that my ear wants to hear but doesn't. like a change when the er comes for the word CLOSer maybe a hammer off? I love that you take a piano arrangement and do it on guitar. Thanks.

[@kennethshort2016]

Nice arrangement. I think the E chord may not be correct in the chorus at "On the highway" I think the chord is basically right but it has an inverted bass note of some kind. Keep working on the mystery chord. Maybe look at the sheet music.

[@jamesjames9275]

For starters, I didn’t play it as an E chord. I added a bass note, just as you said I should. Second, if you don’t like the way I play it, don’t play it like that. I think you are the one who should spend more time working on the mystery chord. Lastly, I don’t use tabs, I play by ear. You do you, I’ll do me.

[@koho]

Isn't the funny E a "mu chord" ala Steely Dan? The 2nd in the bass ....

[@Nick-vm2ut]

John Frusciante from the Chili Peppers did a breathtaking version of this song too. He’s no Elton, but an Incredible guitarist and singer nonetheless

[@doyouwannaparagliding]

Where can i find this ?

[@Nick-vm2ut]

@@doyouwannaparagliding kzbin.info/www/bejne/hoGtoGmBeJdgf80 It was really just a brief break in between songs, but John’s arrangement and vocals are incredible

[@terrellgruber]

I think John lives in L.A. the local radio plays the hell out of Tiny Dancer and Under The Bridge , the L.A. feel.. great songs!!

[@renzosalazar4942]

Man, that's great. I've been following you since 2014 I think, do you have an Instagram account ? Greetings from Lima, Peru

[@g.gorrell2088]

Hey Private Tricker...errr I mean James, I'm in SW Ohio, can we start a freekin' band!? :-) Where in Canada are you man...I mean eh'?

[@michaeltobin643]

Dave Grohl does a great solo-acoustic version also...

[@richarddelgado2723]

Good job the way you achieved this I always thought out of all the great E.J. songs this one was the most bizarre It’s almost like he just threw the verse and chorus together but didn’t set it up very well I believe there’s another version from perhaps a kind of a country band and they made it fit together a little better .....🤔...?

[@alanneale3657]

Guild D55 me thinks £££££ 🙏

[@jamesjames9275]

Yes, Guild D55.

[@alanneale3657]

@@jamesjames9275 I know it would be impossible to say as you own quite a few as to any favourites .. I’ve never played a guild , I had a crazy session once and played Gibson custom shop d41-42 etc and I wasn’t tempted ..

[@jamesjames9275]

@@alanneale3657 The J200 is definitely my favorite. No contest. :)