When I first brought this song to Fett near the end of 2025, he told me, “I could never play that song.” I suppose it has a fairly complex finger-picking pattern that I play with a pick, but it wasn’t complex to me, because I had been using this technique for about 60 years. It was 2nd nature to me, automatic, muscle memory stuff. But ask me to break it down, or teach it to someone else, and I’m lost. I used to joke that I had to come up with my own originals, because it was too hard to learn someone else’s!
Of course with anything that you’re passionate about and have spent years practicing, some things come easily; they’re in your wheelhouse. There are countless things that Fett does behind his magical sound board where I’ve said the exact same thing: “I could never do that.” I’m in awe of drummers, but I cannot coordinate more than one limb beating at a time.
Winter Waltz is a folk song with classical leanings, buoyed by Ron de la Vega’s gorgeous cello part. I heard Ron’s cello on this the minute I completed writing the song. Fett’s lovely bass part establishes the groove, with some very subtle percussion for an additional flavor.
I have tried my whole musical life to not repeat myself. I probably could have written a hundred more songs if I didn’t make an extra effort to change things up, try new rhythms, explore unique chord progressions. “Winter Waltz” is as different as they come.
Winter Waltz
©2025 Ned Andrew Solomon
Recorded at Azalea Studios, Nashville
Recording, Engineering, & Production: Fett
Acoustic Guitars: Ned Andrew Solomon
Bass & Percussion: Fett
Cello: Ron De La Vega
Videography: Bernie Lynette
Executive & Video Production: Gina Lynette
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