[MrErikJ]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

Any of my You Tube videos are "live", it's tough to edit takes together in video. Just play a few times until I think I have a good take, and live with any remaining mistakes.

When recording audio-only, it's much easier to edit. The usual approach is to record multiple takes, until I get one that feels good and is mostly right, then fix a few places that maybe could be better. Usually I just a have a few, if I start getting into a lot of edits, I take it as a sign I should just do another take.

I'll use a click if I plan to have others overdub, it's nice to not force others to follow my tempo changes, and time becomes more important when it's an ensemble piece. For solo tunes, not usually. I probably have listened to a metronome or something before starting, but generally by the time I record something I have it down well enough that I know the tempo I want. For instrumental fingerstyle guitar, I think it's hard to play expressively to a click while recording. But I practice to a metronome frequently. if I can't play to a metronome, then it's not really ready to record (or perform). But in a real performance, I want to be able to vary the tempo if I want it to vary and not feel constrained by a click. In any case, I don't think a click track is a "must have", it depends on if you want/need it. It does make editing a lot easier.

Thank you, Doug! Sometime ago, I used your Christmas Fingerstyle book as the the basis for some brief Instagram performances. I changed the key of We Three Kings but kept Auld Lyn Sang identical to your arrangement. I tagged you for proper credit as well