How To Play "Walk Away Renee"

[cillajeanluvmayn]

As a teenager I bought the 45 by the left banke, and proceeded to play the shit out of it ! Don't know where that old 45 is today, but I have since listened to ricki lee jones version...just love her and again I am obsessed with this song! Wish I could play guitar . Thanks you do a great job of teaching!

[GrannyTenderstone]

thanks so much, I'm tickled to find this tutorial !!

[HenfieldWill]

@GrannyTenderstone Glad you found it useful. I did it as a request from another YouTube fan! :-)

[djtomfinn]

First of all get your facts straight. The Left Banke recorded "Walk Away Renee" in 1966

The Four Tops in 1968. Not 1964.

[Supercoolfast]

Thankyou So much!

[francinet11]

I like your way of teaching, please carry on. your so helpful

[Hughesed]

So beautiful, thank you ,

Eddie

[grantswede]

Thank you for that! Why are these notes so pleasing to the ear?

[dukehig57]

This song was not from the Four Tops, but "the Left Bank".

[lwood101]

A quick listen should clear things up. Cheers

[lwood101]

The last chord in the verse is a 2 NOT 5(D not G)

[HenfieldWill]

@lwood101 Debatable - I took the chords from the original sheet music... :-)

[evansakes]

@HenfieldWill The sheet music is wrong....listen again and trust your ears rather thah the dots. Those transposers the publishers used to use way back when were working under pressure (and notoriously cloth-eared). The last chord of the verse is indeed a major 2...to get the true sound in that key in my opinion you should play the D chord with an F# bass. Even better throw a quick C chord with E bass after the 4 chord (F). It continues the beautiful descending bassline....

[nylawyer55]

@evansakes Listen jerk, this guy did a great job of playing this fingerstyle. As someone who studied with some of the best and reknowned teachers in New York City, including Paul Simon himself by the way who studied under Howard Morgen who I also studied under, and have been playing since 1967, I feel I can tell you to SHUT THE HELL UP. Stop attempting to show off. It ain't working bud. Go play for your mommy. She will be impressed I am sure.

[lovegenderless]

@lwood101 - not debatable. It is definitely a D chord at the end of the verse, in this key, not a G. Ears don't lie.

[psychkoala]

Yes, very nice.

[kentcravens]

Very instructive and played exceedingly well...thanks

[aleecat75]

In the key of C! That'd be good for Scott Walker or Lou Rawls to sing along. Nice job!! Five stars. By the way, actually The Left Banke did the original version in A.

[HenfieldWill]

I'm sure they did! One of the things you have to do when arranging a tune for someone (and this video was done as a request), is to pick a key that allows the tune to fall reasonably well under the fingers - C fitted the bill here! :-)

[aleecat75]

Yes. An excellent key for your version, and played superbly by your good self I might add! I recorded it in G, which suited my aged voice better than the Banke's A. I sang along with your acoustic track though, and it sounded quite rich. Very Walker Bros.

[guitar962]

what kind of music is this?

[HenfieldWill]

well, it's sometimes called Baroque Rock. Left Banke were from New York City - but I think it has more of the characteristics of Detroit Soul. :-)

[llamov]

Hello Will. Very nice arrangement of a pretty tune. Thanks especially for the chord diagrams on the screen along with the music.

The tune was written by 16 year old Michael Brown, who was a band member of Left Banke.

[HenfieldWill]

Perhaps it's material for a "Part 2"... :-)

[HenfieldWill]

I've just done the basic theme for this one - going from the original sheet music. :-)

[HenfieldWill]

Note - contrary to my commentary in this video, the Left Banke version of this song was released in 1966, and the Four Tops version in 1968 - just before anyone else gets in with that comment! :-)