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I'm on my way...

Not "by heart", "in" your heart.

I mean that both literally and figuratively.

If you are interested in doing a precise cover of the song, and if you haven't developed an ear for rhythm yet, then you will need someone to give you the rhythm.  However, my opinion on precise covers is that there's not a lot of point to them except sometimes as a tribute.  The original artist has already done the song that way.  Besides, even original artists change the songs they perform and don't do straight album covers all the time.  So the figurative part is that rhythm is in your heart.  Play what you feel rather than trying to cover the original artist with precision.  Play it the way you would have played it had you been the original artist.  Some of my favorite songs that I play were originally written for fiddle, hammered dulcimer, banjo, mandolin, and piano.  I don't make any attempt whatever to play them like I originally heard them on an album.  I take the song and play it from my heart, within my skill level and in a way that makes it fun for me and hopefully for anyone unfortunate enough to hear me. 

The literal part is that your heart is your guide to rhythm.  If you are healthy, at rest you're going to have a pretty steady heart beat.  Use that as a metronome of sorts.  Get used to feeling your own pulse and how it relates to music.  Get used to that PUMP pump PUMP pump PUMP pump PUMP pump.  As you listen to music, see if you can hear it.  ONE two THREE four ONE two THREE four (for common time songs) or ONE two three ONE two three ONE two three (for waltz time songs).  As you begin to hear the heart beat of the music then it becomes a fairly simple matter of listening carefully for how many strummies are happening in each beat.  I like Johnny Cash music, which has frequently been described as "the boom chicka boom sound."  BOOM (he hits a bass note and that's the only note for the first PUMP or ONE of the measure), then chicka (he does a down strum, the chick part, and an up strum, the 'a' part).  Both the 'chick' and the 'a' take place in the recovery 'pump' or 'two' beat.  Then he picks an alternating bass note and does another down and up strum.  He usually plays in 4/4 or common time, so each measure has four beats.  The full description of the four beats is ONE two THREE four, or BASS NOTE down and up strum ALTERNATING BASS NOTE down and up strum.  If you learn counting a measure it is ONE two-and THREE four-and ONE two-and THREE four-and.  It takes exactly as long to say ONE as it does to say two-and.  You have a steady beat.  Just like your heart. 

If using your heart is too difficult for you at first, and it is difficult, then purchase a metronome or use one on-line.  If you can, get one that allows you to set how many beats per measure there are and gives an extra strong click on the first beat of the measure.   

Soon, you will begin to pick up how many down strums (usually the stronger more full sounding strum) and up-strums (the higher pitched softer strum because many players only hit the treble strings on an upstrum) you hear for each click of the metronome or each beat of your heart.  There's your rhythm. 

Bear in mind that if you are listening to anything other than a solo artist playing only with an acoustic guitar, you are going to have to do as I suggest in the first part and modify what you hear.  You cannot make a solo acoustic guitar sound like full instrumentation with drums, bass, saxophones, piano, harmonica, lead and rhythm guitars, backup singers, etc.  A certain amount of bringing your heart to it (figuratively) is necessary.  Then throw in that you're a beginner with 1/2 hour per day to practice and you are probably listening to exceptionally talented professional players, precise covers are unlikely.  You would have to be a one in ten million natural player to be able to do that successfully.  Don't set yourself up for frustration that way. 

It just seemed quicker to suggest playing it from your heart as I did in my first message. 

Congratulations on your child.  I have two young ones at home myself.  I enjoy playing and singing lullabies for them.  The eldest is finally showing some interest in learning guitar herself. 

- Zurf

I'm glad you're safe TT.

- Zurf

Wowie- zowie that was fanTAStic!  I love your recordings.  Keep them coming.

- Zurf

On "American Pie" - I don't buy these explanations, but it's an interesting read.  I think some of it's right, and some of what the song includes is just lyrical license and not necessarily to exactly related to history as much as Don McLean's perspective on generalities. 

http://www.fiftiesweb.com/amerpie-1.htm

Still, it's kind of fun.

- Zurf

See if you can rig up some artificial lips and have the storm play your tuba for you! 

Kidding aside, I wish you the best of luck and hope you and yours come through safely.

- Zurf

Bye Bye Miss American Pie is about the plane wreck that killed Buddy Holly (among others).  The name of the plane was the American Pie.  Explaining the rest is a bit bizarre, but that's the topic of the song anyway. 

If you are looking for Native American songs themselves, then you're likely to be disappointed as many of them are chants and do not have chords and are not constructed as Western style songs.  If you are looking for music by Native Americans, then I'm sure you'll be able to find some. 

- Zurf

Detman - Next time we get together, I'll try and find the 'blue' scissors to cut through that tangle for you.   :-)

Dfoskey - Three Little Birds is one of my favorite songs.  The other day, my 8 year old was really excited and came to get me from my office to see what was on the TV.  It was some really cool animation on a children's channel she was watching, and the song playing behind it was Three Little Birds.  I've been stressed lately, and she wanted me to hear the message "It'll be allright...".  Good kid.  Anyway, we pulled out Legend and had a good time for a bit.  I'd LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to hear your country version some time.  If you ever put it up on Youtube or whatever, *please* let us know. 

- Zurf

Imagine...a gay bartender who insisted on "Shake Your Booty" selected as the winner of a wet t-shirt contest a girl who looked like a 12 year old boy.  Some jokes just write themselves.

- Zurf

Glad you didn't erase your hard-typed words.  It's some good stuff. 

My family attends a non-denominational church.  We're kind of anti-establish by nature - recognizing no formal structure or international leadership aside from Jesus, and taking only Scripture as our rulebook.  We aren't hung up on things like having bishops, archbishops, cardinals and whatnot.  Our pastors all go by first name rather than Reverend Whoziwhatzit.  There is a general understanding that ministry is to be done by EVERYONE, not just the paid professional holy men.  If a church could be "anti-establishment", I think we'd fit that description. 

You'd love the music.  The band totally rocks.  The lead pastor doesn't like country AT ALL.  He's a real-deal musician in his own right.  Me and my 1, 5, 1, 5, 1-2-4-5 bass lines are no longer welcome on stage.    Now I run the lights.  They won't let me at the sound board either.  I crank the acoustic and vocals and stick the electrics in the back of the mix. 

- Zurf

My eldest daughter had it.  Fortunately, hers was a mild case, but it still had her sacked out on the futon for about five days drinking tons of water and watching Barbie movies.  I never knew there were so many Barbie movies.  None of the rest of us caught it, thank God. 

- Zurf