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Nick Drake Home page | Discography | Lyrics | A-Z | Interviews | News | Links
Nick Drake Home page | Discography | Lyrics | A-Z | Interviews | News | Links
Nick Drake A-Z
An exploration into the world of the English singer & song-writer Nick Drake.
A B C F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
G, H
Guitar tabs
Guitar tabs by Chris Healey, Andreas Gastel and Harlan L. Thompson
Guitar technique
Tom Hanson about Nick's guitar and guitar technique
Nick's quite unique guitar technique is as far I (a modest amateur guitarist) am concerned basically a result of three co-operating factors: he is to a large extent using different tunings and open strings (not unlike the early works of Joni Mitchell), thus creating combinations of notes that always sounds original, often beautiful and sometimes haunting.
He has a great sense of rhythm and timing, that provides him to play rhythm and solo guitar simultaneously, often making his guitar sound like there were two of them.
Last, but maybe not least, Nick's hands are said to have been very big, not to say huge! If true, this is of course a great advantage for a guitarist. And, if you look close to the cover photo of 'Bryter Layter', you can actually have a glimpse of this assumption: Nick, holding a guitar in his lap, can easily grip over five frets on the guitar.
Robert Kirby on Nick's guitar technique:
"His style was unique. Actually, I haven't met anyone that comes close to the way Nick plays some of his songs. Listen for instance to a man like Robert Johnson, and you will soon discover that numerous guitarists has learned a lot from him. But nobody - as far as I can see - has tried to imitate Nick. Why? Perhaps because it's so damn difficult. You could easily spend a couple of days in trying to figure out what bizarre tuning the man has adopted. And the tuning differs from song to song..." (Rasmussen p.50-51)
Rasmussen: "These strange tunings (where a high string for instance can be tuned one or two notes below a low string) is the secret key to Nick's peculiar harmonies." (p.51)
Chas Keep calls these open tunings "mutations of open-ended D and G chords." (Keep p.71)
Examples of Nick's tunings (low to high):
D A D G D F#: Time Has Told Me, Three Hours, 'Cello Song, Pink Moon, Northern Sky, The Thoughts Of Mary Jane
D G D D A D: Fruit Tree, Road, Things Behind The Sun
D A D G A D: Fly
D G D G A D: Joey, Clothes Of Sand
C G C F C E: Hazey Jane II, Which Will, Free Ride, Hanging On A Star
C G C F C F: From The Morning
Some songs, like River Man, Know and Black Eyed Dog, are actually played in standard tuning... Note also that Nick often uses a capo on varying frets for heightening the key.
I, J
Influences
Although sounding unique and original, there are of course influences to Nick's work as well as any others. On a home-made tape dating back to 1967, he can be heard interpreting artists like Bob Dylan (Don't Think Twice, It's Alright and Tomorrow Is A Long Time), The Youngbloods (Get Together), Jackson C. Frank (Blues Runs The Game) and Bert Jansch (Courting Blues).
Other favourite artists include Traffic, Tim Buckley, Donovan, Van Morrison (especially Astral Weeks), Randy Newman and JimmyWebb's work with The Fifth Dimension.
Lyrical influences include William Blake, Rimbaud, Verlaine, Baudelaire and the French Symbolists.
Interviews
As far as I know, only one (1) attempt was ever made to interview Nick - by Melody Maker in 1970. It turned out to be a non-event, producing few words and only an enigmatic smile. You can read this interview here
K
Kirby, Robert
Made the arrangements for 'Five Leaves Left'. Nick met Kirby in 1967 when both of them studied at Cambridge.
L
Last years - 1972-74
In 1972, after the making of 'Pink Moon', In April, Nick checks himself into a local psychiatrist hospital for five weeks, then checks out. He says he doesn't understand the point of living. Every few weeks he will drive to visit Sheila and John Wood, where he sits silently for hours. At one point Sheila has the courage to ask provocatively: "If you're so unhappy, Nick, why haven't you killed yourself?". "It's too cowardly", he replies.
Once again he can't write music. The actions he now undertakes can in hindsight be looked upon as quite confused and desperate. He visits an Army recruiter, but doesn't (not surprising) get past an interview. He comes up with an idea of becoming a computer programmer and through his father Rodney's assistance he is taken on by a company. But he is for this work sent to London, to stay alone in a hotel room, and he walks right off the job.
Nick's despair is slowly beginning to turn into anger. He is criticizing his old friends with different accusations, several concerning money - he can't understand why his royalty checks never grow bigger. That the record sales are practically close to none. In another fit of anger he turns on his admired friend and fellow musician John Martyn, who he accuses for becoming insincere and commercial in his music. He calls him 'devious' and drives away. On the way home he rans out of gas and has to walk the remaining miles. When he arrives at a friend's house, he is so upset that he wants to drive back immediately to apologize.
In 1974, Nick is able to record four final songs (included on 'Time Of No Reply'). When writing the songs, he is morbidly depressed. After the recordings, Nick tells John Wood:
"I can't think of words. I feel no emotion about anything. I don't want to laugh or cry. I'm numb - dead inside." (Lubow)
The recording of these four songs leads to preparations of making a fourth album. They get into the studio, but Nick has serious problems with his voice. He drastically decides to drop his singing career for ever.
After making this decision he appears to be cheerful again. He goes to Paris, lives in a house-boat by the Seine and falls in love with this new life so completely that he takes on a Linguaphone course in French. He still won't make any more records, but maybe he can write for others. Perhaps for Francoise Hardy who once asked him to write for her. Then he was too depressed, but maybe now...
Another idea is presented to Molly. He wants to play the violin. He says he will be going to London the next day to buy one. Molly is very pleased with her son's new found sparkle and offers him her car. The next morning she hands him her car keys. He looks puzzled at her. "Violin...?". He has no idea of what she's talking about...
In November 25 1974, Nick Drake is found dead in his bed. See Another witness of Nick performing live is David Sandison, at the time a press agent at Island Records. Sandison, who is in the audience when Nick plays at Queen Elizabeth Hall on 21st February 1970, describes this somewhat tragi-comical scene:
Lubow, Arthur
The author of the fine article included in the 'Fruit Tree' box-set.
Lyrics
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