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Most difficult song you've ever learnt..


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Well? Whats yours?

 

I haven't quite learned it yet, but mine would be good ol' Hendrix's Little Wing. Its not like fast or anything, but the reaches I have to do with my fingers are just harsh.. (He obviously had larger hands than me)

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I just can't seem to get the changes in "Deep Purple" well enough to suit myself! Currently fed up with working on "How High the Moon" too.

 

PPaul

[url=http://www.TiredIronBand.com

 

Fender Strat

Hamer Sunburst

Guild D-25

DeArmond Jetstar (Spel!)

Washburn HB-15C

Peavey C-30

 

blah blah ho hum etc etc

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wipeout...pure GENIUS. Seriously, probably a bluegrass or a jazz lick. I have an aversion to playing solos note for note as someone else might do on recording. Its like tab to me. All hats off to those who can and do, it just always reminds me of music store licks, ect. But who hasn't tried to learn a fave song? So whatever gives you a steely. :)
I don't give a........
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Uhhh...Tom Dooley. The Barney Song.

 

Nahh...I'm lazy. Some of the hardest things I have to learn are parts I hear in my head for my own songs. They usually don't sound technically difficult...but I have to learn them exactly as my brain hears them, so I do have to spend time on them.

 

I'll leave the "Cliffs of Dover" stuff for guys like Khan.

"Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine"
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it isnt on guitar but for me it would be "portrait of tracy" by jaco. The harmonics are brutal. and then getting harmonics to sound while there is a bass note under them is a completely different story.
If I was talking to the ice cream, I would be eating you.
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No Ab, the version I got is Les Paul & Mary Ford, very fast and all over the place, I'll have to edit out about half the chords!

 

I think I got "Gloria" worked out though!

 

PPPPPPPPPPPPaul

[url=http://www.TiredIronBand.com

 

Fender Strat

Hamer Sunburst

Guild D-25

DeArmond Jetstar (Spel!)

Washburn HB-15C

Peavey C-30

 

blah blah ho hum etc etc

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Every now and then I drag out Recuerdos de Alhambra - God I can't even say it - I've learnt (meaning memorised ) the first half but I keep putting off learning the rest. Before the whammy bar - this is what they meant by tremelo!

Re: Learning stuff note for note - especially Hendrix. I'm not crazy about this approach either......ever try to jam with someone who's learnt a Hendrix song note for note? I think back when I started playing in the 70's the general attitude was to interpret a song, not copy it. Now that I have reasonably decent technique I don't regard any songs as particularly hard - but classical stuff is a different kettle of fish. I was quite proud of myself a few years back when i learnt how to play Guardian Angel by John McLaughlin. So I'll say that one plus Recuerdos ;) BTW The hardest thing for me is not playing a song ....But memorising ? I'm shocking!

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Originally posted by PPaul:

No Ab, the version I got is Les Paul & Mary Ford, very fast and all over the place, I'll have to edit out about half the chords!

 

I think I got "Gloria" worked out though!

 

PPPPPPPPPPPPaul

Don't feel too bad about the Les & Mary version. He used tracking at different tape speeds to record it (you know, slow the tape down, match the new key, play the part, then speed the tape back up to normal speed). Les Paul was a good guitarist, but what he really excelled at was engineering.

May all your thoughts be random!

- Neil

www.McFaddenArts.com

www.MikesGarageRocks.com

 

 

 

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I get lazy and never want to learn an entire song. The final solo to "One" by Metallica is difficult. Starts off with two-hand tappping, not extremely hard, but to get the right dynamics and good tone in time is difficult, and then it goes into very fast arpeggios and ornamentals.

I actually just listened to "Cliffs of Dover" for the first time the other day. That solo rocks everything. Its probably one of the few songs in a major key I'll ever like. BTW - Props to anyone who actually can play it, especially in time.

Shut up and play.
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On the classical front, I've just about got "Canarios", Gaspar Sanz down. I've been working on it for nearly a year and plan to play it live in a few weeks. I saw a reference to "Recuerdos de la Alhambra" a few posts back, I had that one down a few years ago and it helped me get the tremolo technique in shape but by the time I could play the song I was tired of it. It's kind of like "Stairway to Heaven" that way,

 

Jim

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I saw a reference to "Recuerdos de la Alhambra" a few posts back, I had that one down a few years ago and it helped me get the tremolo technique in shape but by the time I could play the song I was tired of it. It's kind of like "Stairway to Heaven" that way,

 

Jim[/QB]

SHHHH ....Don't let on how easy it is. Most people go "Wow - look how fast those fingers are moving", 90% of what I play probably is in the same category, ie by the time you've learnt it, you're already tired of it.Most of my performing is as a busker (street performer)....to make money you have to give the people what they want. And that means playing things that they're familiar with, which is a drag but it puts food on the table. I do sneak in the odd thing by McLaughlin or someone like that though , or some blues.
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Originally posted by gotMYgitATtuppaware:

Re: Learning stuff note for note - especially Hendrix. I'm not crazy about this approach either......ever try to jam with someone who's learnt a Hendrix song note for note? I think back when I started playing in the 70's the general attitude was to interpret a song, not copy it.

I feel the same way. What fun is learning a solo the entire way through? I look at learning a song as learning the rythym and the guitar hooks and faking the solos. It's part of making the song yours.

BlueStrat

a.k.a. "El Guapo" ;)

 

...Better fuzz through science...

 

http://geocities.com/teleman28056/index.html

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maybe the opening to `long distance runaround`, but I was only interested cause the guys I was playing with wanted to do it.

`be happy` by McLaughlin & co was a workout. Not that intricate but a killer on the fingers.

Sometimes I include little bits of classical pieces but can`t remember the title or composer at the time. I should be better at keeping notes that way.

 

Actually one of my songs has an extended riff that`s still giving me fits-I`ll have to remember to practice it every time I pick up the guitar

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I once tried to learn Eugenes Trick bag (Steve Vais guitar duel with the karate kid at the end of Crossroads) but the arpeggios tied my hands in knots and after getting about half way through it gave up!

 

I did learn a couple of cool tricks by accident through doing it though!

 

I'll just stick to three chords and a smile!

 

Mark Borland

Growing old is inevitable....Growing up is optional !
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Toughest to learn or toughest to play??

 

To Play, "King Kong" Frank Zappa

 

To Learn, any of the Alan Holdsworth stuff, his chording is so unique with huge stretches. If you can find his book "the uncommon chord" it's pretty cool. It might be called "Search for the uncommon chord" I don't remember.

overheard street personality on Venice Beach "Man, that Bullshit is Bulllshhittt...."
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Originally posted by Mark Borland:

I once tried to learn Eugenes Trick bag (Steve Vais guitar duel with the karate kid at the end of Crossroads) but the arpeggios tied my hands in knots and after getting about half way through it gave up!

 

Mark Borland

I did actually learn a section of that solo. Its awesome. I never played the whole thing, but I was inspired by him to write a spin-off using some the arpeggios @ 0:25, I ended uup with a cool baroque sounding Steve Vai riff plus a couple parts me. I still like to play it.
Shut up and play.
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DEE by Randy Rhoads.

 

I've known the song for almost ten years and still I can't get it perfect!!! But then again... maybe that says a lot more about my playing abillities than on how difficult the song is. After all, I have heard much more technical pieces than this, and I hear it's really concidered a novice rather than advanced piece.

 

Still this has to be the most difficult song I know...

Jeg kan alt i hele verden, jeg bare gidder ikke...
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The hardest solos I've ever taken the time to learn are both Steely Dan, My Old School and Reelin' In The Years.

 

I still can't get that last riff on Reelin' near the end fade out up to speed, though... you know, the one that goes, diddly a diddly a dada, diddly a diddly a dada, diddly a diddly a diddly a dada dada da...

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Boy, you guys are ambitious! I think mine was a transcription of Lenny Breau's version of "Londonderry Aire" (sounds like "Danny Boy"). I got it down, but it required so much practice for maintenance that I don't play it anymore.

Jamie

But never fear, you're safe with me... Well maybe. - Les
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Originally posted by Dan Barnes:

The hardest solos I've ever taken the time to learn are both Steely Dan, My Old School and Reelin' In The Years.

 

I still can't get that last riff on Reelin' near the end fade out up to speed, though... you know, the one that goes, diddly a diddly a dada, diddly a diddly a dada, diddly a diddly a diddly a dada dada da...

Thanks Dan - now I've got that solo stuck in my head. Tonight's homework:learn that diddly diddly a dada da solo.......
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  • 3 weeks later...
Originally posted by thrashole369:

DEE by Randy Rhoads
I don't know who thinks it's a beginners piece. I don't. listen to the outtakes on tribute and even the great randy had some mishaps playing it. of course he played it multiple times with different guitars and did exact overdubs.
Well, I don't think it's a beginners piece either. Anyway it's just something I read somwhere. Probably some pretensious prick who wrote it. I don't know. However... I started to learn Zakk Wyldes "Speedball" the other day, so now I have found an even more difficult song to play. Well, it's actually the speed that represents the challenge here. I'm not sure I can even pick that fast on one string without any finger movement at all :freak:

 

Anybody having some facts on how he plays it? I.e. what kind of guitar, fingers or pick etc. Anybody who knows the song at all? :confused:

Jeg kan alt i hele verden, jeg bare gidder ikke...
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