Let’s recognize Paul Simon for his enthusiasm to embrace fans of his music. This in sharp contrast to the artists that discourage any covering of their music via takedowns and copyright strikes. I think we know which will have the strongest fan base in 30 years.
I love when an artist reaches out. Two of my favorite videos out there are from Paul Dean (Loverboy), and Flock of Seagulls where they do tutorials on their songs and say, ‘you guys have been playing it wrong’. The FOS video shows all instruments and aspects of the song. 😀
It is less often the artist, and more often the Record label and their money grubbing lawyers who issue copyright strikes etc. Most actual musicians appreciate covers of, and sharing of, their music.
Very cool of Paul Simon to do this, because he is not only setting the record straight on one video tutorial, he is giving us all the secret sauce so we can play it the way it was meant to be played.
You know you've reached a level of greatness and respect when the creator of the music appreciates you playing their music (even when it's played wrong) and congratulates you sharing their music. That's a testament of Paul Simon's gratefulness and your own heartfelt appreciation for his art.
Paul Simon is literally one of the greatest song writers who ever lived, highly revered but still somehow underated! The fact he took the time to recognise and support your lessons must be a great honour
I put Paul Simon shoulder to shoulder with Lennon McCartney, not only for the quality of his songwriting, but for the fact, Lennon McCartney had each other to lean on, but Paul Simon was on his own.
the songs he has written are indeed great songs. Most. Not all (or at least not in my opinion). But that is where he should have left it. Writing songs. Not singing them. Because in my opinion he can not sing. Or let me put it different: His voice is not the nicest for to sing. Luckily Art joined in and he can sing. And together they indeed have given us a huge number of wonderful songs. But in some of them i still think Paul should have just played his guitar and not use his voice. But that is just my opinion.
@svenjansen2134 Bridge over troubled water and Graceland are incredibly seminal albums of their time. He's definitely not overrated. You can not like his music, that is fine. But objectively speaking and in terms of numbers, he is a legend. Even beyond the two aforementioned seminal projects, there are some real gems in his catalogue. Revered by his peers and critics alone.
With 50 years as a recording engineer behind me I worked with Paul on a public service announcement for one of his charities. He's the only celebrity that ever intimidated me. He stood next to me while I was editing "Mother and Child Reunion" and couldn't have been more respectful of my skills. I've always thought that a hundred years from now people will study his work the way they study Mozart or Beethoven; he's that good.
" a hundred years from now people will study his work the way they study Mozart or Beethoven; he's that good." Perhaps. But Paul has clearly said on the Cavett interview that he finds his pop songs (and pop songs in general) harmonically simplistic as compared to the classical composers. So much so that that he finds the simplicity of the chords in his pop songs embarrassing. To be clear, those are Paul's words.
I’ll join in by saying as a 73 y/o touring bassist who has been lucky to be a full time pop/rock musician. I have toured all over the world playing with stars I never thought I could back up. My point today and everyday is the gentle yet professional attitude Paul speaks with. He is honest and yet so respectful of others in the music business. He is probably the kindest musician I could ever hope to be like. Thank you for being such a positive role model in this world we now live in. Thank you a thousand times sir.
@@Better_Call_Raul I am merely a guitar player with limited skills, but I can tell you that the chords covered in this particular video are way beyond those of typical pop.
The man is 82 years old; the song itself is 48 years old. He knows it like he knows his own name, and he finally has time to slow down and pay attention to random stuff on the internet like people talking about his music. Plus really good musicians love to talk shop. If you're giving them respect, they usually genuinely want to solve your issues or tell you where you went sideways. It's really cool that Paul Simon responded to the video. I think you should go ahead and expect it more; especially now that your heroes have the time and inclination to surf the internet and find people like you, that get what they were doing back in the day...and appreciate it.
I don't think he cares about his legacy per se. I think he cares about his music and why he has made music for all these years: for its intrinsic beauty. He wants the fans to hear and play these chords correctly because he understands the pleasure we derive from a piece of music: that's why he made it to start with! And as a musician, he wants to share that pleasure with as many people as possible. I admire Mr. Simon for being true to his art, above and beyond the basic commercial motivations other so-called artists (or their label) have. That said, I understand and support artists that don't want to be ripped off... but for channels such as this one, "rip-off" is never a term that applies.
As a fellow RUclips music creator, this blew my mind. An email from someone like Paul Simon is the ultimate accolade for all your hard work. Well done!!! 👏
This video has simultaneously increased by respect for both of you. It says a lot that you took Paul Simon's criticism well and that Paul Simon made the effort to reach out. It's nice to see that, despite its flaws, the music industry does shine from time to time.
wow...perhaps a bit of kettle calling the pot black here. The only 'ego' I see is yours for having the uncontrollable need to find something wrong where there really was nothing.@@krimpoo
Pure class from Mr. Simon. There are others who might have been affronted or try to get videos taken down. He goes out of his way to give you a lesson. Music is made to be shared :)
I am not a musician and I have never seen a video of yours before, but this came up on my feed and I absolutely loved it. First of all, I love Paul Simon and I especially love that song. But I also just loved your joy. Your sweet humanity came through and it felt reflective of the song itself. Just pure beauty. Thank you!
Paul (David’s) pure joy and adorable humility is so infectious and always a welcome breath of fresh air. I’m a musician but I mostly watch his videos for the positive vibes and emotional uplift. Keep doing what your doing Paul. We love you.
That is such a massive compliment from one of the all time greatest artists, which also speaks so much of the man himself. That despite his megastar status, he reached out to you in a very constructive and humble manner.
Not only does Paul not have an issue with fair usage of his songs but he cares enough to ensure people truly understand it. At his core, Paul Simon has a teacher's heart, I think. I'd hazard a guess that this comes from his lifelong interest in learning new and interesting music. I also believe it speaks volumes on how mature his writing was in his 20's and 30's. If only we all could have been so musically mature but ultimately it comes from being a good 'student' first.
At last, an artist engaging with his fans with a highly valuable breakdown of his harmonic approach to a song. What a unique event! Hats off to Mr Simon setting an example to his colleagues, too often unapproachable and lost in a far distant galaxy.. Thanks Paul for sharing this amazing exchange of messages.
Paul did that because you're so respectful of the art and the music, and he sees the honor you offer. Congrats on that connection - what a cool compliment!
Being kindly corrected by the legendary man who wrote a legendary song... I cannot begin to imagine how incredibly special that would be. Absolutely amazing.
Though Paul Simon's song writing is recognized by nearly everyone as brilliant I too find his guitar playing off the scale, he is truly a superb artist!
I first picked up guitar, not because of the Beatles, but because of Paul Simon! I wanted to be able to play and sing these amazing songs, so learned guitar, so I could…
I've always loved Paul Simon and his music. I've also had a positive sense of him as a person, but the way he handled this just took it to the next level. Many musicians are issuing takedown notices, but he cared to set the record straight and help future generations play his music. What an awesome musician and person.
I mean it would have been a little funny to have this image of Paul Simon as a humble, artsy guy and then suddenly he starts flaming people in the comments and trying to organise a cage fight.
I think the takedown requests often come from law firms and agents who own the recordings, not the artists themselves, and may even be against the artist's wishes. But yes, this was supper cool of Paul Simon, and a well deserved complement to Paul Davids.
I actually had an email from Bob Dylan! He was unhappy with a couple of his songs I had covered (and changed) on my RUclips page at the time. Copyright & performance rules meant I had to pay him $10,000 per song. But he said because he liked one of the songs he would only ask for $2000 in Steam vouchers.
Paul Simon is a legend. I've seen 50 ways to play this song on the internet, it's awesome to get it straight from Paul Simon himself. Thank you Paul Simon for sharing your music with us, and thank you Paul Davids for helping us to understand it better.
As much as this is a credit to both Pauls, it’s also a credit to how nuanced an instrument that guitar is, and that you can never stop learning any instrument if you keep your ears and mind open.
That's amazing! Paul Simon knew you'd appreciate the correct voicings if he told you them leading to you appreciating his song even more. What an incredible guy!
So, Frusciante heard Paul on Scar Tissue's tuning of the B string, Paul Simon has listened to Paul's 50 ways. What`s next? Do we even need a next? This must be crazy for you, Paul, to have this reach and these amazing musicians either reaching out, or acknowledging your work. In any case, I would suggest you doing a video on Elvis' Suspicious Mind and put the matter to rest if he reaches back.
@@PaulDavids funnily enough, i think in ricks interview with dominic miller, miller revealed that he saw paul's video about shape of my heart and actually decided to not "cheat" a particular chord because of it lol
I saw an interview of Paul Simon where he said “The listener completes the song” in which he explained how he doesn’t mind when people interpret the meaning of his songs in their own way or even hear different words than what he wrote.
He's a real artist. How sensitive! ☺️ I'm sure he has a young mind and an old soul, because he's able to lead us like a beloved father. I'm not a musician but i had a very creative phase in drawing with his music. It was a big inspiration.
It's fantastic to see the actual writer of a song communicating with someone who admires his work and is trying to show some of us less skilled people how to play it . Then the writer in a very nice way also trying to help getting his song played correctly. Very impressive video Thank You both Pauls for your help.
A true Humble Musician that recognizes and accepts his own mistakes is allready a great musician! Congratulations Paul Davids, excellent attitude, playing and video!
Imagine getting an email from Paul Simon, then learning he is every bit of as cool a guy as you always imagined him to be. I could just die completely content right there on the spot, nothing could top that
It's not often I get to about the three-quarter mark on a video and realise I've been grinning like a Cheshire Cat the whole time. Witnessing your joy is contagious! Thank you for sharing.
Paul, one thing that I really love about you is the way that you capture not only the playing and the complete musicality of everything you do, but also the feelings, the questions and the way a musician thinks about these things. You will certainly go down in history as one of the key persons in helping musicians move forward.
That's wonderful congratulations! Paul Simon is a gentleman who just "gets it" as far as sharing his music works. Other artists get all pissy and block happy which means less people hear their music, damn fools is all I can say about them. Thank you to both Paul's for being decent people and for all the inspirational amazing music.
How cool that Paul took the time to send you an email helping you learn how to really play the song. I've literally been listening to Paul Simon my entire life and played the crap out of "Still Crazy After All These Years" when it was released on vinyl in 1975. There are no bad songs on the album and the list of session players is long and iconic. One of my favourite albums of all time.
So classy of Paul to engage fellow artists and handle things in this way, unlike some who have this irrational hostility to their music being played. He's definitely one of the greats.
Congratulations, Paul! What an exceptional set of e-mails to have received. I totally understand your feelings of being on cloud nine. And great modelling of humility that you're excited to get critical feedback rather than simply praise (though Paul Simon, also doing it right, ensures including praise as well). No doubt he recognised your sincere love of his song and his approach to writing in the tutorial. You can feast on that - well deserved!
Agreed. What musician wouldn't be thrilled to get such an email from Paul Simon? Paul did well keeping this to 6 minutes and stepping through the email and the new chord progression.
It's the genuine reaction from you that makes the video. We all have our idols and it really showed through what it meant to you. Thank you for mr Simon as well. Reaching out to explain his favourite chord plus some shows what is the point in music and sharing it in the first place.
Paul Simon is a true good man , a gentleman! I’m glad you guys worked it out! Sounds beautiful btw! One of my very favorite songs ever… I love what Steve did with that drum part ! One of a kind .. lasting awesomeness 🥁😎
You have every right to feel 'tinglies' and be proud of this. Paul Simon has been one of my top musical heroes for well over 50 years; there is SO much to love about him and what he has accomplished for Western music.
Beautiful moment. An Email from one of the greatest songwriters in history about the creative process should give goosebumps to anyone. Take a bow Paul, both of you.
As a young child, I listened to “Simon and Garfunkel” records, as my parents had all their albums. S&G were my first introduction to music; I still can sing every one of their songs 50+ years later. I believe, early on, I recognized Paul Simon as one of the greatest artists of all time. His lyrics continue to slay and humble me. His talents are deep and rich. Thank you for sharing this. It underscores what a wonderful man he truly is. I wouldn’t cross the street to see any celebrity. But if ever I had the chance to shake Paul Simon‘s hand, I’d have quiet tears … of simple gratitude. May God bless Paul Simon for his humility, graciousness, and good old-fashioned class.
Wow!! This whole episode is so fantastic. First of all, you are such a talented teacher and so enthusiastic about loving beautiful chords and music. Secondly, my respect and love of Paul Simon's music has now reached staggering heights. The fact that he has no issues with other musicians doing "covers" of his music reveals that he realizes that this simply spreads the awareness of his genius and talent to many generations. And lastly, that he contacted you to share the "corrections" reveals that he truly cares about, and really loves, these beautiful musical creations he has written and performed. Thank you so much for making this presentation.
I used to cover 50 Ways in a band for a while back in 2008-2010. I too played it close but most certainly wrong. Great little video. So cool that the maestro himself reached out via email. What a surprising and thrilling correspondence between two Pauls...and now you (and we) know precisely how to play 50 Ways. It's the definitive tutorial. Congrats!
Haha, what an absolute legend. He is truly a gentleman and a very talented musician. Check out his interviews from 40 years ago on his process of writing songs. And his explanation of how he wrote "Still Crazy After All These Years", while he was in the midst of writing it. He literally asks the host "where do you think I should go next after this part?"
So wonderful, but in a way not surprising, He's a generous guy who loves music, you 're a generous guy who love music, he's amazing at what he does, you share what's amazing with us. You missed something, he brought it to your attention. You shared it with us. It's all so good. Thank you Paul and thank you to Paul Simon.
I can’t think of anyone better than you Paul to play Mr. Simon’s piece ….and be given the instructions on how to play it correctly. You truly deserve his praise. Well done.👍
Wow! What an honor and tribute to receive a note from one of the greatest songwriters of our time. As a 65 year old and huge Paul Simon admirer for over 55 years, I'm excited for you! 🙂 Well done, Paul(s)!
It's such a blessing. The result of your hard work and dedication i guess. I consider Paul Simon as one of the greatest if not the greatest singwritter and your video show us how beautiful a human being he is. Thanks and enjoy the hapiness
That’s crazy amazing that he would contact you, and so helpfully. I can imagine how that must have blown your mind. Paul is a legitimate legend! I would have been in the clouds. Not only is he a great guitarist, but he is one of the best songwriters in American pop music!
What a great guy for responding, being so polite and taking time to tell you the correct way to play it. I really love this song and the new voicings make a HUGE difference to my ears.
Not everyday that one of your all time idols just casually drops you an email saying he likes what you’ve done. AMAZING and congrats my man!!🤗 Well done and thank you for your great guitar guidance and for keeping us all inspired!!!🙏🏾🎸
2:58 this chord is harmonically amazing. It houses both the growing tension as well as the release from that tension at the same time. Which one you perceive as a listener is entirely up to the moment. It’s almost like the harmonic equivalent of one of these optical illusion pictures in which you can see two entirely different images.
it's amazing brother! I know why you're jazzed: one of your favorite musicians sent you a personal message about music. You've worked very hard for a long time and it's humbling. Rock on, Mr. Davids 🙌🏻
Paul Simon is intimidating in his quiet pursuit of excellence, as many great artists are, so to have him accept you means you have gone quite far in your pursuit of excellence. It is like a real life badge of merit. You caught his attention. That's great stuff. Paul Simon has a fantastic musical mind as evidenced by his life's work. He's just the best.
Those open strings add such beauty to the chord progression-glad that Paul wrote to Paul to make that correction! It takes fifty chords to please your lover….
UnfortunatelyI never learned to play the Guitar, but I still love watching your videos. More than a few of my videos were made after watching you playing the song :) I have only covered four Simon & Garfunkel songs. But love the hole evolution that is Paul Simon. And I must say "I am green with envy"... an email from Paul himself. WOW, that would b hard to top.
Hi Paul, for me this shows the class of Paul Simon to email you to show you the correct chords, his email was not patronising or rude but a true artist taking the trouble to show you how it is. It also shows humility and grace for you to share it and to bother to post to us to see. I learned to play the guitar listening to his guitar playing and along with the Beatles he was my biggest influence as a young self taught guitarist. Great upload and can I just say how amazing your uploads are, they are always a joy to watch. Cheers Tim
How cool is that! Kudos to you for almost getting it right. It sounded fine just the way it was and most people would not hear the differences, but just the fact he took the time to contact you is so awesome. Cool guy! Congrats.
I've just seen this . Your a awesome teacher / guitarists Paul with out a doubt. But this humbled side of you is why I'll subscribe to your channel. It's 90% about the person and 10% guitar chops ! Thanks
That chord literally shimmers…. What an amazing interaction for you and us by way of here. Truly beautiful and timeless composition from a generational icon.
You have a respectful approach to the author’s music and have an incredible talent. Getting that accolade from such a distinguished artist as Paul Simon is a deserved Award by itself!
What a terrific story. It actually brought a tear to my eyes, thinking of your exuberance of having an idol personally contact you, never mind giving you a compliment, as well as some handy-dandy tips. Congratulations, and keep up the good work.
Well I just have to add that this video, our host’s humble attitude, and most especially Paul Simon’s generosity in sharing his proper chords with the world are just wonderful. Blessings to all!
I love how even a subtle change to a chord voicing, or an added note to create dissonance, can convey meaning and reflect emotions that even non-musicians like myself can hear and relate to.
Paul Simon is one of the best guitarists of our time. How generous of him to take the time let you know directly how to correct your errors...that's true class--and love.
The email from Paul Simon is an unbelievable endorsement of the hard work you have done over the years. You are right, in that, there could probably be no greater praise and acknowledgement for a guitarist. I loved your first video on "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover", and as I often do I copied down and even made diagrams of some of the chords I was unfamiliar with. I felt it was one of your best. But now, the man we all look up to, has given some gentle corrections that do indeed make the chord progression even more beautiful sounding and even a bit easier to play (I worked for hours on the stretch your B+ involved LOL). This video is wonderful and I feel like it is a gift from Paul Simon that is given directly to all of us through you, Paul. Thank you for your fine, fine work and inspiration.
super cool! Congratulations, Paul. Also, it's very big of you to share your mistake and be so open about it. You set a great example for all of us musicians.
It was very kind and complimentary of Paul Simon to take the time to interact with you about one of his songs like that. He's one of my favorite performers.
On a side note i saw his farewell tour a few years ago and it was fantastic, incredible, life-afirming... all the superlatives . I had never seen him in concert and it was unbelievable night of recreating a lifetime of his musical contributions. He performed for over three hours and one of the takeaways was how many hit songs he wrote. Definitely the soundtrack of my life. Well done sir! Thank you.
Wow! That really was amazing going through that song Paul! As a composer/songwriter for 50 years I am with you on what an honor there to have that happen to you!
Hearing interviews with Simon over the years... and of course loving his music...He is so freaking humble.... especially considering how massively talented he is. Nice work Paul.... both of you!
Nothing is more human than to see other people truly happy - smiling for real 😃. Thanks for sharing your joy! It makes a dark, rainy day in Stockholm more bearable.
Smart move on his part to engage with the community! I had not realized he had a new album out and now I'm checking it out and will probably end up buying it.
I've been a fan of your channel for a long time and it's so refreshing finding someone at your level that is able to take a correction so humbly while being so excited of learning and improving. You made our day! Thanks!
Great video Paul. Getting an email or encouragement from one of your heroes is a great feeling. I had that experience in a completely different context years ago and it helped set me on the path I'm on now. All the best.
Congrats! This is better than winning a Grammy! I had a similar moment many many years ago (not from PS!) and the feedback from one of your idols is really quite a peak to reach! 35 years on and I still have the voicemail saved on a cassette LOL!
You're admired by many, Paul. Your channel is powerful and reaches... whatever that giant number is. If anything, You bring people joy and peace thru Music as much as any song. You're blessed, my Man. Thanks -
You definitely deserve the praise Paul, and of course learning to do a classic Paul Simon song the "Paul Simon" way is definitely full circle here. Goes to show that learning and discovering in guitar never stops.
It's great to see that Paul, in spite of being a multi grammy winner and acomplished musician without anything to prove, can still level with another not as accomplished, but still great, musician and have a good conversation. This was awesome.
Let’s recognize Paul Simon for his enthusiasm to embrace fans of his music. This in sharp contrast to the artists that discourage any covering of their music via takedowns and copyright strikes. I think we know which will have the strongest fan base in 30 years.
Hasn't he just sold the rights to his music to some company who will no doubt start taking down and copyright striking soon?
@@MartijnHoverI was just wondering if that could happen.
I love when an artist reaches out. Two of my favorite videos out there are from Paul Dean (Loverboy), and Flock of Seagulls where they do tutorials on their songs and say, ‘you guys have been playing it wrong’. The FOS video shows all instruments and aspects of the song. 😀
He's always been in the upper echelon of song writers.
It is less often the artist, and more often the Record label and their money grubbing lawyers who issue copyright strikes etc. Most actual musicians appreciate covers of, and sharing of, their music.
Very cool of Paul Simon to do this, because he is not only setting the record straight on one video tutorial, he is giving us all the secret sauce so we can play it the way it was meant to be played.
Secret sauce from the master to come up with new ways to use it!
This
@@emilolguin3087 you might say 50 ways
You know you've reached a level of greatness and respect when the creator of the music appreciates you playing their music (even when it's played wrong) and congratulates you sharing their music. That's a testament of Paul Simon's gratefulness and your own heartfelt appreciation for his art.
well said
Paul Simon is literally one of the greatest song writers who ever lived, highly revered but still somehow underated! The fact he took the time to recognise and support your lessons must be a great honour
Paul Simon underrated???
I think he's hugely overrated!
I put Paul Simon shoulder to shoulder with Lennon McCartney, not only for the quality of his songwriting, but for the fact, Lennon McCartney had each other to lean on, but Paul Simon was on his own.
the songs he has written are indeed great songs. Most. Not all (or at least not in my opinion).
But that is where he should have left it.
Writing songs.
Not singing them.
Because in my opinion he can not sing. Or let me put it different: His voice is not the nicest for to sing.
Luckily Art joined in and he can sing.
And together they indeed have given us a huge number of wonderful songs.
But in some of them i still think Paul should have just played his guitar and not use his voice.
But that is just my opinion.
@svenjansen2134 Bridge over troubled water and Graceland are incredibly seminal albums of their time. He's definitely not overrated. You can not like his music, that is fine. But objectively speaking and in terms of numbers, he is a legend. Even beyond the two aforementioned seminal projects, there are some real gems in his catalogue. Revered by his peers and critics alone.
With 50 years as a recording engineer behind me I worked with Paul on a public service announcement for one of his charities. He's the only celebrity that ever intimidated me. He stood next to me while I was editing "Mother and Child Reunion" and couldn't have been more respectful of my skills. I've always thought that a hundred years from now people will study his work the way they study Mozart or Beethoven; he's that good.
As a musicologist, let me just agree.
As a composer who has studied other composers for my masters degree, let me say that we already ARE studying Paul Simon!
" a hundred years from now people will study his work the way they study Mozart or Beethoven; he's that good."
Perhaps. But Paul has clearly said on the Cavett interview that he finds his pop songs (and pop songs in general) harmonically simplistic as compared to the classical composers. So much so that that he finds the simplicity of the chords in his pop songs embarrassing. To be clear, those are Paul's words.
I’ll join in by saying as a 73 y/o touring bassist who has been lucky to be a full time pop/rock musician. I have toured all over the world playing with stars I never thought I could back up. My point today and everyday is the gentle yet professional attitude Paul speaks with. He is honest and yet so respectful of others in the music business. He is probably the kindest musician I could ever hope to be like. Thank you for being such a positive role model in this world we now live in. Thank you a thousand times sir.
@@Better_Call_Raul I am merely a guitar player with limited skills, but I can tell you that the chords covered in this particular video are way beyond those of typical pop.
The man is 82 years old; the song itself is 48 years old. He knows it like he knows his own name, and he finally has time to slow down and pay attention to random stuff on the internet like people talking about his music.
Plus really good musicians love to talk shop. If you're giving them respect, they usually genuinely want to solve your issues or tell you where you went sideways.
It's really cool that Paul Simon responded to the video. I think you should go ahead and expect it more; especially now that your heroes have the time and inclination to surf the internet and find people like you, that get what they were doing back in the day...and appreciate it.
You have done so much for the guitar community, it is nice and appropriate that people like the amazing Paul Simon are aware of you.
So sweet, Paul! All Professional, musicians and Music Lovers know, what you’re talking about
Yeah, like the wrecking crew...
That's an incredible reaction from Mr. Simon, given that other artists block everything that's using their work. Shows that he cares about his legacy.
Its not the artists that block it, it's the record labels that own the songs.
@@RJrules64
Don Henley does.
50 ways to be pedantic...
For me he is "Sir Paul Simon". As such, his elegant response, rather than blocking. Bless him.
I don't think he cares about his legacy per se. I think he cares about his music and why he has made music for all these years: for its intrinsic beauty. He wants the fans to hear and play these chords correctly because he understands the pleasure we derive from a piece of music: that's why he made it to start with! And as a musician, he wants to share that pleasure with as many people as possible. I admire Mr. Simon for being true to his art, above and beyond the basic commercial motivations other so-called artists (or their label) have.
That said, I understand and support artists that don't want to be ripped off... but for channels such as this one, "rip-off" is never a term that applies.
As a fellow RUclips music creator, this blew my mind. An email from someone like Paul Simon is the ultimate accolade for all your hard work. Well done!!! 👏
This video has simultaneously increased by respect for both of you. It says a lot that you took Paul Simon's criticism well and that Paul Simon made the effort to reach out. It's nice to see that, despite its flaws, the music industry does shine from time to time.
That wasnt criticism. If you see it as such you will have a hard time learning in the future....set the ego aside.
Oh, boy...this has nothing to do with music industry, this is about two people and their love for the music. And mutual respect, of course.
There was no criticism.
@henrykirsch7498 -- good comment. I don't understand the replies that seem to have found the need to complain about it for no apparent reason.
wow...perhaps a bit of kettle calling the pot black here. The only 'ego' I see is yours for having the uncontrollable need to find something wrong where there really was nothing.@@krimpoo
Pure class from Mr. Simon. There are others who might have been affronted or try to get videos taken down. He goes out of his way to give you a lesson. Music is made to be shared :)
This goes to show how much a real musician like Simon cares about every single chord. Great video and great story Paul.
Well it was his _favourite_ chord at that. But yes, there's something very endearing about this whole story 😊
I am not a musician and I have never seen a video of yours before, but this came up on my feed and I absolutely loved it. First of all, I love Paul Simon and I especially love that song. But I also just loved your joy. Your sweet humanity came through and it felt reflective of the song itself. Just pure beauty. Thank you!
Same here.
Love this
Paul (David’s) pure joy and adorable humility is so infectious and always a welcome breath of fresh air. I’m a musician but I mostly watch his videos for the positive vibes and emotional uplift.
Keep doing what your doing Paul. We love you.
He’s a beauty
I concur.
That is such a massive compliment from one of the all time greatest artists, which also speaks so much of the man himself. That despite his megastar status, he reached out to you in a very constructive and humble manner.
Man.....For them to acknowledge your work at all, especially enough to help you perfect it, says a lot about how good of a job you do.
Not only does Paul not have an issue with fair usage of his songs but he cares enough to ensure people truly understand it. At his core, Paul Simon has a teacher's heart, I think. I'd hazard a guess that this comes from his lifelong interest in learning new and interesting music. I also believe it speaks volumes on how mature his writing was in his 20's and 30's. If only we all could have been so musically mature but ultimately it comes from being a good 'student' first.
At last, an artist engaging with his fans with a highly valuable breakdown of his harmonic approach to a song. What a unique event! Hats off to Mr Simon setting an example to his colleagues, too often unapproachable and lost in a far distant galaxy.. Thanks Paul for sharing this amazing exchange of messages.
Was anyone else half expecting Paul Simon to just walk in?
Paul did that because you're so respectful of the art and the music, and he sees the honor you offer. Congrats on that connection - what a cool compliment!
You know you’re doing something right when people who make the songs comment on your stuff
Being kindly corrected by the legendary man who wrote a legendary song... I cannot begin to imagine how incredibly special that would be.
Absolutely amazing.
Exactly. I can only imagine the high from being recognized by one of your favorite musicians and songwriters.
So happy for you to have that happen. Speaks volumes about Paul Simon a true legend in many ways.
Hands down, one of the greatest song writers of all time. Very cool that he reached out to you.
Though Paul Simon's song writing is recognized by nearly everyone as brilliant I too find his guitar playing off the scale, he is truly a superb artist!
I first picked up guitar, not because of the Beatles, but because of Paul Simon! I wanted to be able to play and sing these amazing songs, so learned guitar, so I could…
I'm so glad you did not say "underrated artist" :D
I feel the same way. Hearts and Bones is like a tour de force
I've always loved Paul Simon and his music. I've also had a positive sense of him as a person, but the way he handled this just took it to the next level. Many musicians are issuing takedown notices, but he cared to set the record straight and help future generations play his music. What an awesome musician and person.
Exactly !!!!
I mean it would have been a little funny to have this image of Paul Simon as a humble, artsy guy and then suddenly he starts flaming people in the comments and trying to organise a cage fight.
I think the takedown requests often come from law firms and agents who own the recordings, not the artists themselves, and may even be against the artist's wishes. But yes, this was supper cool of Paul Simon, and a well deserved complement to Paul Davids.
I actually had an email from Bob Dylan! He was unhappy with a couple of his songs I had covered (and changed) on my RUclips page at the time. Copyright & performance rules meant I had to pay him $10,000 per song. But he said because he liked one of the songs he would only ask for $2000 in Steam vouchers.
Paul Simon is a legend. I've seen 50 ways to play this song on the internet, it's awesome to get it straight from Paul Simon himself. Thank you Paul Simon for sharing your music with us, and thank you Paul Davids for helping us to understand it better.
As much as this is a credit to both Pauls, it’s also a credit to how nuanced an instrument that guitar is, and that you can never stop learning any instrument if you keep your ears and mind open.
Pure class - from Paul S getting in touch, and Paul D in the humble and constructive way you responded!
That's amazing! Paul Simon knew you'd appreciate the correct voicings if he told you them leading to you appreciating his song even more. What an incredible guy!
So, Frusciante heard Paul on Scar Tissue's tuning of the B string, Paul Simon has listened to Paul's 50 ways. What`s next? Do we even need a next? This must be crazy for you, Paul, to have this reach and these amazing musicians either reaching out, or acknowledging your work. In any case, I would suggest you doing a video on Elvis' Suspicious Mind and put the matter to rest if he reaches back.
I'm just waiting for Rick Beato to drop the Paul Davids interview lol
It's a surreal time, there's a few more CRAZY things coming up before the end of the year
@@PaulDavids funnily enough, i think in ricks interview with dominic miller, miller revealed that he saw paul's video about shape of my heart and actually decided to not "cheat" a particular chord because of it lol
Rick Rubin really saw the video and talked with John about it in the podcast! Legendary...
@@jamess3509YES! We need this!
I saw an interview of Paul Simon where he said “The listener completes the song” in which he explained how he doesn’t mind when people interpret the meaning of his songs in their own way or even hear different words than what he wrote.
He's a real artist. How sensitive! ☺️
I'm sure he has a young mind and an old soul, because he's able to lead us like a beloved father.
I'm not a musician but i had a very creative phase in drawing with his music. It was a big inspiration.
It's fantastic to see the actual writer of a song communicating with someone who admires his work and is trying to show some of us less skilled people how to play it . Then the writer in a very nice way also trying to help getting his song played correctly. Very impressive video Thank You both Pauls for your help.
It was an absolute joy seeing how the email impacted you. That was seriously cool!
A true Humble Musician that recognizes and accepts his own mistakes is allready a great musician!
Congratulations Paul Davids, excellent attitude, playing and video!
Imagine getting an email from Paul Simon, then learning he is every bit of as cool a guy as you always imagined him to be. I could just die completely content right there on the spot, nothing could top that
If you watched SNL and various interviews you already knew he was a chill guy
It's not often I get to about the three-quarter mark on a video and realise I've been grinning like a Cheshire Cat the whole time. Witnessing your joy is contagious! Thank you for sharing.
Paul, one thing that I really love about you is the way that you capture not only the playing and the complete musicality of everything you do, but also the feelings, the questions and the way a musician thinks about these things. You will certainly go down in history as one of the key persons in helping musicians move forward.
That's wonderful congratulations! Paul Simon is a gentleman who just "gets it" as far as sharing his music works. Other artists get all pissy and block happy which means less people hear their music, damn fools is all I can say about them. Thank you to both Paul's for being decent people and for all the inspirational amazing music.
I do love Paul Simons music but he has "borrowed" too many songs without crediting the source to be precious about copyright
How cool that Paul took the time to send you an email helping you learn how to really play the song. I've literally been listening to Paul Simon my entire life and played the crap out of "Still Crazy After All These Years" when it was released on vinyl in 1975. There are no bad songs on the album and the list of session players is long and iconic. One of my favourite albums of all time.
So classy of Paul to engage fellow artists and handle things in this way, unlike some who have this irrational hostility to their music being played. He's definitely one of the greats.
Congratulations, Paul! What an exceptional set of e-mails to have received. I totally understand your feelings of being on cloud nine. And great modelling of humility that you're excited to get critical feedback rather than simply praise (though Paul Simon, also doing it right, ensures including praise as well). No doubt he recognised your sincere love of his song and his approach to writing in the tutorial. You can feast on that - well deserved!
Agreed. What musician wouldn't be thrilled to get such an email from Paul Simon? Paul did well keeping this to 6 minutes and stepping through the email and the new chord progression.
It's the genuine reaction from you that makes the video. We all have our idols and it really showed through what it meant to you. Thank you for mr Simon as well. Reaching out to explain his favourite chord plus some shows what is the point in music and sharing it in the first place.
his favourite*
Paul Simon is a true good man , a gentleman! I’m glad you guys worked it out! Sounds beautiful btw!
One of my very favorite songs ever… I love what Steve did with that drum part ! One of a kind .. lasting awesomeness 🥁😎
You have every right to feel 'tinglies' and be proud of this. Paul Simon has been one of my top musical heroes for well over 50 years; there is SO much to love about him and what he has accomplished for Western music.
Beautiful moment. An Email from one of the greatest songwriters in history about the creative process should give goosebumps to anyone. Take a bow Paul, both of you.
As a young child, I listened to “Simon and Garfunkel” records, as my parents had all their albums. S&G were my first introduction to music; I still can sing every one of their songs 50+ years later. I believe, early on, I recognized Paul Simon as one of the greatest artists of all time. His lyrics continue to slay and humble me. His talents are deep and rich. Thank you for sharing this. It underscores what a wonderful man he truly is. I wouldn’t cross the street to see any celebrity. But if ever I had the chance to shake Paul Simon‘s hand, I’d have quiet tears … of simple gratitude. May God bless Paul Simon for his humility, graciousness, and good old-fashioned class.
Wow!! This whole episode is so fantastic. First of all, you are such a talented teacher and so enthusiastic about loving beautiful chords and music. Secondly, my respect and love of Paul Simon's music has now reached staggering heights. The fact that he has no issues with other musicians doing "covers" of his music reveals that he realizes that this simply spreads the awareness of his genius and talent to many generations. And lastly, that he contacted you to share the "corrections" reveals that he truly cares about, and really loves, these beautiful musical creations he has written and performed. Thank you so much for making this presentation.
I used to cover 50 Ways in a band for a while back in 2008-2010. I too played it close but most certainly wrong. Great little video. So cool that the maestro himself reached out via email. What a surprising and thrilling correspondence between two Pauls...and now you (and we) know precisely how to play 50 Ways. It's the definitive tutorial. Congrats!
As a guitar player who grew up (physically and musically) with Simon's music, this left me breathless.
Haha, what an absolute legend. He is truly a gentleman and a very talented musician. Check out his interviews from 40 years ago on his process of writing songs. And his explanation of how he wrote "Still Crazy After All These Years", while he was in the midst of writing it. He literally asks the host "where do you think I should go next after this part?"
So wonderful, but in a way not surprising, He's a generous guy who loves music, you 're a generous guy who love music, he's amazing at what he does, you share what's amazing with us. You missed something, he brought it to your attention. You shared it with us. It's all so good. Thank you Paul and thank you to Paul Simon.
Such a cool moment of recognition. You did great work and it is nice to be appreciated, as well as to receive constructive feedback. Way to go!
I can’t think of anyone better than you Paul to play Mr. Simon’s piece ….and be given the instructions on how to play it correctly. You truly deserve his praise. Well done.👍
Wow! What an honor and tribute to receive a note from one of the greatest songwriters of our time. As a 65 year old and huge Paul Simon admirer for over 55 years, I'm excited for you! 🙂 Well done, Paul(s)!
It's such a blessing. The result of your hard work and dedication i guess. I consider Paul Simon as one of the greatest if not the greatest singwritter and your video show us how beautiful a human being he is. Thanks and enjoy the hapiness
Dominic Miller and Rick Beato also discussed "this Dutch guy", and how you actually were right, when Dominic wasn't! Quite the accomplishment!
not exactly what they said
It kinda was right. Miller does play it differently live for simplicity. That was SUCH a cool video and knew immediately who they were talking about.
It kinda was right. Miller does play it differently live for simplicity. That was SUCH a cool video and knew immediately who they were talking about.
I commented and it was removed hahahah
Dutch guys are always right ;)
That’s crazy amazing that he would contact you, and so helpfully. I can imagine how that must have blown your mind. Paul is a legitimate legend! I would have been in the clouds. Not only is he a great guitarist, but he is one of the best songwriters in American pop music!
Lovely anecdote, thanks Paul for intervening and giving us another heartful interesting episode here!
What a great guy for responding, being so polite and taking time to tell you the correct way to play it. I really love this song and the new voicings make a HUGE difference to my ears.
Paul, thank you for being so harmoniously frank and sincere in this little video. I feel proud for you having this conversation with the Maestro!
You have every right to feel thankful, proud, grateful, ecstatic, and more...
Not everyday that one of your all time idols just casually drops you an email saying he likes what you’ve done. AMAZING and congrats my man!!🤗 Well done and thank you for your great guitar guidance and for keeping us all inspired!!!🙏🏾🎸
2:58 this chord is harmonically amazing. It houses both the growing tension as well as the release from that tension at the same time. Which one you perceive as a listener is entirely up to the moment.
It’s almost like the harmonic equivalent of one of these optical illusion pictures in which you can see two entirely different images.
Indeed. And its function entirely complement the lyrics.
@@martifingers Indeed! It’s so refined, so smart and so human.
The F# throws you off, but it's a A7sus2 I think
it's amazing brother! I know why you're jazzed: one of your favorite musicians sent you a personal message about music. You've worked very hard for a long time and it's humbling. Rock on, Mr. Davids 🙌🏻
Paul Simon is intimidating in his quiet pursuit of excellence, as many great artists are, so to have him accept you means you have gone quite far in your pursuit of excellence. It is like a real life badge of merit. You caught his attention. That's great stuff. Paul Simon has a fantastic musical mind as evidenced by his life's work. He's just the best.
Those open strings add such beauty to the chord progression-glad that Paul wrote to Paul to make that correction! It takes fifty chords to please your lover….
That was a clever comment--even Rick Beato-like.
UnfortunatelyI never learned to play the Guitar, but I still love watching your videos. More than a few of my videos were made after watching you playing the song :)
I have only covered four Simon & Garfunkel songs. But love the hole evolution that is Paul Simon.
And I must say "I am green with envy"... an email from Paul himself. WOW, that would b hard to top.
Hi Paul, for me this shows the class of Paul Simon to email you to show you the correct chords, his email was not patronising or rude but a true artist taking the trouble to show you how it is. It also shows humility and grace for you to share it and to bother to post to us to see. I learned to play the guitar listening to his guitar playing and along with the Beatles he was my biggest influence as a young self taught guitarist. Great upload and can I just say how amazing your uploads are, they are always a joy to watch. Cheers Tim
How cool is that! Kudos to you for almost getting it right. It sounded fine just the way it was and most people would not hear the differences, but just the fact he took the time to contact you is so awesome. Cool guy! Congrats.
I've just seen this .
Your a awesome teacher / guitarists Paul with out a doubt. But this humbled side of you is why I'll subscribe to your channel.
It's 90% about the person and 10% guitar chops ! Thanks
The joy in this video is so contagious. This world is such a beautiful place when we listen to each other. Thank you for this, Paul. ❤
That chord literally shimmers…. What an amazing interaction for you and us by way of here. Truly beautiful and timeless composition from a generational icon.
You have a respectful approach to the author’s music and have an incredible talent. Getting that accolade from such a distinguished artist as Paul Simon is a deserved Award by itself!
What a terrific story. It actually brought a tear to my eyes, thinking of your exuberance of having an idol personally contact you, never mind giving you a compliment, as well as some handy-dandy tips.
Congratulations, and keep up the good work.
You're gentleman and a scholar, Paul. You deserve all the good that comes to you, including recognition from a legend. Top man.
Well I just have to add that this video, our host’s humble attitude, and most especially Paul Simon’s generosity in sharing his proper chords with the world are just wonderful. Blessings to all!
Can we have those beautiful chord progressions videos back?
Literally my video before this one 😉
@PaulDavids Dang you're fast 😉
@@jamess3509that's what she said 😉
@@PaulDavids I hope I can get to the point of being able to follow this video type without slowing them down to x100 speed! Thanks for your work.
I love how even a subtle change to a chord voicing, or an added note to create dissonance, can convey meaning and reflect emotions that even non-musicians like myself can hear and relate to.
Paul Simon is one of the best guitarists of our time. How generous of him to take the time let you know directly how to correct your errors...that's true class--and love.
It's always incredible when someone who you've admired reaches out to you in a positive way. Kudos and thanks Paul Simon... for everything
Love your enthusiastic admission of "guilt" and your infectious joy at receiving an email from an unequivocal genius. You too are a solid citizen.
The email from Paul Simon is an unbelievable endorsement of the hard work you have done over the years. You are right, in that, there could probably be no greater praise and acknowledgement for a guitarist.
I loved your first video on "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover", and as I often do I copied down and even made diagrams of some of the chords I was unfamiliar with. I felt it was one of your best.
But now, the man we all look up to, has given some gentle corrections that do indeed make the chord progression even more beautiful sounding and even a bit easier to play (I worked for hours on the stretch your B+ involved LOL).
This video is wonderful and I feel like it is a gift from Paul Simon that is given directly to all of us through you, Paul.
Thank you for your fine, fine work and inspiration.
super cool! Congratulations, Paul. Also, it's very big of you to share your mistake and be so open about it. You set a great example for all of us musicians.
It was very kind and complimentary of Paul Simon to take the time to interact with you about one of his songs like that. He's one of my favorite performers.
Two of my favorite Pauls sharing great music! Thank you! 👏👏👏
On a side note i saw his farewell tour a few years ago and it was fantastic, incredible, life-afirming... all the superlatives . I had never seen him in concert and it was unbelievable night of recreating a lifetime of his musical contributions. He performed for over three hours and one of the takeaways was how many hit songs he wrote. Definitely the soundtrack of my life. Well done sir! Thank you.
Wow! That really was amazing going through that song Paul! As a composer/songwriter for 50 years I am with you on what an honor there to have that happen to you!
Hearing interviews with Simon over the years... and of course loving his music...He is so freaking humble.... especially considering how massively talented he is. Nice work Paul.... both of you!
Nothing is more human than to see other people truly happy - smiling for real 😃. Thanks for sharing your joy! It makes a dark, rainy day in Stockholm more bearable.
What a nice thing to say. Greetings from (yes, sunny/warm) Florida...
Oh man, good for you! I'm sure it feels amazing to be gently corrected by the master songwriter himself. The new voicing on that first chord is magic.
Smart move on his part to engage with the community! I had not realized he had a new album out and now I'm checking it out and will probably end up buying it.
Its really good
That man is 80 something years old but the genius never left him
I've been a fan of your channel for a long time and it's so refreshing finding someone at your level that is able to take a correction so humbly while being so excited of learning and improving. You made our day! Thanks!
Admitting your mistakes is a massively underrated thing these days. Good on you for being humble enough to do it.
Great video Paul. Getting an email or encouragement from one of your heroes is a great feeling. I had that experience in a completely different context years ago and it helped set me on the path I'm on now. All the best.
Congrats! This is better than winning a Grammy! I had a similar moment many many years ago (not from PS!) and the feedback from one of your idols is really quite a peak to reach! 35 years on and I still have the voicemail saved on a cassette LOL!
You're admired by many, Paul. Your channel is powerful and reaches... whatever that giant number is. If anything, You bring people joy and peace thru Music as much as any song.
You're blessed, my Man.
Thanks -
What a joyful video, I can't wipe the grin off my face! Love it. And the two corrected voicings are so beautiful.
Brilliant; I love the way you conveyed the excitement of receiving the email
I loved this video. Your joy in telling it and you heart shining through it all. Those chords were lovely
You definitely deserve the praise Paul, and of course learning to do a classic Paul Simon song the "Paul Simon" way is definitely full circle here. Goes to show that learning and discovering in guitar never stops.
It's great to see that Paul, in spite of being a multi grammy winner and acomplished musician without anything to prove, can still level with another not as accomplished, but still great, musician and have a good conversation.
This was awesome.