Ian Tyson - Four Strong Winds
A True Canadian Folk Classic.
Learn to play Ian Tyson's Four Strong Winds on Guitar and Harmonica
Lesson Info
Difficulty: Nice and Easy
Lesson Length: 12:25
Instructor: George Goodman
Help File:
Download the Chords, Lyrics, Guitar and Harmonica Tabs here: Four Strong Winds - for educational purposes only.
Gear Used
I am playing a C Hohner Special 20 but any good diatonic harmonica in C will do.
I am also playing my black Takamine G Series EG541SC.
Specs:
Top - Solid Spruce
Back and Sides - Nato
Finger Board - Rosewood
Electronics - TK40
Musical Challenges
The harmonica does not require single notes or bending.
There is one tricky guitar chord but other than that it is an easy rhythm guitar part.
The challenge will be playing both instruments together.
The Guitar Essentials, Harmonica Essentials, and Rhythm Guitar and Strumming courses can help with any difficulties you're having.
Video Timeline
Hey George here for harpnguitar.com, the website that helps you sound great on guitar and harmonica.
Today we're going to look at that old folk classic by Ian Tyson; Neil Young covered it and I had a subscriber say ‘hey can you show me how to play Neil Young's version of “Four Strong Winds”’ so that's what we're going to go through.
We'll go through the guitar chords and the strumming and there's a neat little kind of syncopated pattern that happens on the chord G which we'll go through.
Then we'll pick out a harmonica and demonstrate what we do on certain chords.
You know? If we're playing C, what do we do on the harmonica? What's the predominant thing? What do we normally, mostly do on these chords? Are we blowing or drawing? Whereabouts? So we'll go through that. We'll pick out the harmonica and go through that and also tab through the chorus.
Guitar Chords
Strumming Pattern
1 2 & (3) & 4 &
Down Down Up Up Down Up
Harmonica Tabs for Chords
C Major (I Major): 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
D Minor (ii minor): 4 -4 -5 -6 7 -8 -9 -10 10
G Major (V Major): -1 -2 -3 -4 6 -7 -8 9
F Major (IV Major): 4 -5 -6 7 -9 -10 10
Things To Note
This was recorded in Qualicum Beach, British Columbia in January 2021.
Join the conversation - Let me know how it goes - Leave a message below.
Right on. See you in the next one.
Peace,
George
5 responses to “Ian Tyson – Four Strong Winds”
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Thank you
You’re very welcome.
Peace,
George
Thanks George for doing this song. I love it and hope to drag out my guitar, put on new strings and learn to harpnguitar it.
What kind of rack are you using, don’t see it mentioned anywhere.
Hank H.
Yes! Get out the guitar, strap on a harp and play!
The rack I have is made by a company called HarpArm. They are unfortunately out of business.
The harmonica is held on with a magnet which makes it so easy to swap harps.
If I hear of any of the HarpArm racks for sale, I will let you know.
Peace,
George
Hi Hank. The harmonica holder is from a disfunct business, HarpArm. Don’t know where you can get one now. It uses a magnet to hold the harmonica in place. Maybe you could retrofit what you have?
Peace, George