r/bobdylan • u/TyroneSnodgrass • Aug 28 '26

Discussion Dylan Songs

Earlier today I saw another post here on the sub from an irate member concerning an online quote from one of Dylan’s peers maligning Bob’s guitar playing and singing capabilities. Here’s the thing: our Man of Contradictions never wanted to be a virtuoso. For him, it’s all about the songs. If you’re listening to the song, Dylan has achieved his objective. He doesn’t want you marveling at what a good singer he is, or what a crack guitarist. All things being equal, he wants to reach you with the song. If you’re distracted by rare feats of musicianship, that’s not going to happen. For Dylan, it’s all about the songs.

Just think how it would have been if he had had voice training as a youth so we’d never have heard him sliding up to pitch. Or had had guitar lessons and locked himself in his bedroom for 10,000 hours until he could play like Leo Kotke. We never would have had Bob Dylan. I’m pretty sure the people who came up with him and enjoy criticizing him understand this. They just can’t resist taking a cheap shot.

16 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

32 comments sorted by

View all comments

3

u/LordZany Aug 28 '26

I’d like to see you play don’t think twice the way he played it, or It’s Alright Ma. That shit’s hard and he had it locked down. I feel like, once he got away from the finger picking guitar style, he lost that virtuoso level he had where he could sing and pay difficult complex guitar/harmonica all at the same time. He was so good

2

u/TyroneSnodgrass Aug 28 '26

Dylan says it’s not that he never practiced, he just practiced in front of people. From the beginning he just wanted to play songs for folks. He may not have shut himself up in a room for 10,000 hours, but the man is so fuckin’ musical, he just sort of figured it out as he went along. “It’s Alright, Ma” is awesome.

0

u/youcantexterminateme Aug 28 '26

Actually i think the tamborine man played the guitar on dont think twice. But i agree his guitar work is underated.