How Bob Dylan wrote the perfect folksong

A good folksong is two things: four simple chords, and then some unexplainable magic touch that only some folks seem to have. Dylan sure had it, and his song, Girl From the North Country, is one of those tunes that so perfectly executed this concept.

So whether you want to write your own perfect folksong, or are just looking to learn his, today I want to dig into how Bob Dylan took these four simple chords, and transformed them into musical magic.

Tab and Slow Play-Along for Girl From the North Country available on my Patreon!

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Kyle Orla is a Duluth-born folk musician who champions bygone tunes and instruments from the depression era. Kyle has a deep reverie for the vintage styles of playing guitar, and is constantly looking for new ways to create relevance for folks who feel the same.

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[kostringworks]

We recently cross 20k subs! Check out the most recent video here!

[lordofthemound]

Finally! Somebody on YouTube who knows how to correctly play “Girl from the North Country.”

[ErinJack]

This was a lovely video, feels like a friend just sitting chatting, rather than a lesson, or someone who thinks they know better, which I personally can often feel with learning music with a YouTube video. Thank you. You didn’t flex your muscles but you can tell that you have a mastery of the instrument and a true passion for what you are talking about!

[LuisBorba]

I swear...literally today I was thinking of looking up the chords to this song, and then this vid appeared in my feed. I am feeling spooked, yet grateful.

[julianforde]

I didnt realise this was missing from my Dylan repertoire and now I play it almost every time i pick up my guitar, thank you!

[DeltaBlues]

FOLK YEAH! This video is jam packed. Chord progression, chord shapes, picking patterns! Lessons within lessons, so dang good! Keep these coming.

[Simulera]

This channel was just pushed at me today, I hadn’t seen it before. I just wanted to drop a note and say I really liked it and thanks for your insights and effort as well as the player presentation and the guitar/ chords/ licks conversation vibe on this Dylan piece. The comments seem civil and knowledgeable and friendly, sometimes that is rare these days for some reason. All that. I’ll be back!

[colinrobert]

A guitar YouTuber from Minnesota, let’s go; I’m from the twin cities, great vid🔥

[davidwilliams]

Fellow folk musician here, glad to find this channel.

[blues]

Nice breakdown of this classic and beautiful Dylan song. You really nailed all the subtle chord choices he made. I picked the song up by ear and have been playing it for years, but I start with a C-chord shape slid up 2 frets for the first chord (technically a Dadd11 or, if you add the open low E string, an Em9). I don't recall how I came up with that first chord, but this video helped me understand why my first chord choice works - it's a substitution of sorts.

[Mrjustice]

The version with the B minor chord is from the version that Dylan did with Johnny cash on "Nashville Skyline." I think its a beautiful rendition and there is beauty in both recordings. I've noticed the B minor chord going to C is seen in Bob Dylan's "Oh Sister" and The Band's "The Weight" as well.

[josephr.lejeune]

Excellent presentation!
You have a wonderful presentation style! Thank you!✌️

[hakanaxlund]

Wonderful video. Heartwarming, low key but yet with passion. Good work. ❤
And great song too. 😊

[NotDevanGraves]

Duluth!! That’s so cool! Next time I’m down there I’ll try booking a lesson😎Seriously, this was one of most thorough dylan tutorials on youtube. Really got me in the mood for seeing him tomorrow (over in Mankato, MN) although I doubt he’ll play this song lol

[dereklong]

This is how I learned to play it, practically by accident. Great vid.

[aralunamusic]

Wauw, I love your videos ... thank you so much for this 🙏 Great teachings and amazing vibe 🙌

[ericpressler]

Thank you for posting these videos - I’m learning a lot from you

[ParhelionMedia]

Great tutorial on generally how to learn tunes the right way. I would add - before you look up a crappy tab on the internet, always look for a video of the original artist playing it first if you can. Try to figure out the chord shapes and strumming or picking from the original, looking at their hands on the guitar and listening to the nuances. This is the best way to get a song right. It bows my mind how many people publish inaccurate tabs, with the wrong chords, some with bizarre chord shapes, when the correct way can often be derived just by carefully watching the original artist. Often the right way is simpler and easier to play than the odd things people invent for any non-standard chords. This is true even of printed tabs in books sometimes too!

[hollylee]

This is perfect, I was figuring this out last week and your video breaks it down just the right way. Thanks sir!

[benmorgan]

Thank you for this very well-done, helpfully informative video. I spent many years in Hibbing, MN. i still preide in the North woods. My mother-in-law went to school with Robert Zimmerman, who is in her yearbook that she still has! I really appreciate how you focused on Dylans gift of song writing with innovative musical talent. Thank you.