#1
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Leo Kottke's Stealing difficulty level?
Hi all, I've been tempted to attempt one of Kottke's piece, Stealing.
When I was uninitiated in fingerpicking, this type of songs seems pretty simple( "just chords and fingerstyle").. but now that I've been playing some delta blues and John Fahey stuff for about 4 years, this seems like a really intimidating piece to learn.. Could you people be kind enough to prepare me mentally or warn me for the difficulty ahead? On the scale of 0-10 and from beginner to insane/professional, how would you rate it's difficulty level? Many thanks in advance!
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#2
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Can't rate how hard a piece is going to be for someone else to play, however the mere fact that you are asking the question makes me think you are going to have to work on it a while before it clicks.
If you are having trouble, realize that the tune mostly has a repetitive picking pattern throughout. Practice picking the pattern until you are reliable up to a third or half speed. Go from there.
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#3
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Why not just make your own version rather than trying to copy Leo?
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#4
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I'd say the main challenge is the tempo. The RH patterns are stock ones, and the chord sequence is also fairly standard.
Would take a while to get it up to speed. And IMO, it would be easy enough to invent something of your own in the same style, throwing a few chords together with occasional spare finger embellishments. IOW, it's Kottke's chops that are the most impressive thing about this piece. The musical content is not especially original or interesting (IMO). (But I'm going to learn it myself anyway...)
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"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." - Leonard Cohen. Last edited by JonPR; 06-18-2015 at 05:31 AM. |
#5
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Quote:
Leo released a version of the tune on the Try and Stop Me Album entitling the song Stolen. It's just the A Major version with a improvised flavor. As far as difficultly level goes, it's probably an intermediate level piece, more or less. The Leo arrangment is harder to play than it sounds. Last edited by sdelsolray; 06-20-2015 at 05:39 PM. |
#6
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I think if you take it slowly and work at it long enough it will come. The time to get it up to speed will differ for eveyone, of course. For me, it takes a lot of repetition, and then, eventually, muscle memory does the work.
Here's my humble attempt....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVQP...kKsMLSCig5CmrT I think it's a fabulous vintage Kottke tune.
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#7
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Quote:
Quote:
Thanks for the useful info, I certainly can look up those other versions. I'm currently looking to learn the one from "My feet are smiling" album. That's the love/hate relation when I listen to Kottke.. that they're certainly harder to play than it sounds! bbrown, hey I actually came across your cover of Stealing months ago Nice guitar there!
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Taylor 516 Gibson LG-2 AE - sold Martin D-28 - sold Bb L13 - sold Yamaha FG700S (broken, not forgotten) Fernandes Strat |
#8
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Rick-slo has it right:
'....mostly has a repetitive picking pattern throughout. Practice picking the pattern until you are reliable up to a third or half speed." This tune is very similar to "Doc's Guitar" in the picking pattern. Doc's style and guitar makes it sound smooth and easy while Leo's version of "Stealin' is a bit thumpy and tight on his short-sustain guitars. Both are what I call Cotten picking tunes: http://www.guitarworld.com/hole-note...izabeth-cotten Her guitar may look a bit cattywhompus, but the playing style is hers. |
#9
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Blind Blake, Mississippi John Hurt, Blind Boy Fuller, etc... But "cotten picking" is neat .
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"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." - Leonard Cohen. |
#10
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Cotton plays her guitar upside down (backwards).
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Collings D2HG - German Spruce/rosewood Voyage Air VA-OM6 YouTube: http://www.YouTube.com/wfbrown1234 |
#11
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Indeed. Best not to copy Elizabeth Cotten's technique (listen, don't look).
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"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." - Leonard Cohen. |
#12
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But sometimes Blue likes to make some choices too! Speaking of choices, I'm trying some Kanye style 3rd person stuff...
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#13
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All the great ones do....
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#14
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Ooops... Changed my mind... puff daddy just got arrested visiting his son at college... I guess the same thing that makes you go third person also makes you think you can fight somebody much younger than you with the words "Strength and Conditioning" in their job title...
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I only play technologically cutting edge instruments. Parker Flys and National Resonators Last edited by blue; 06-23-2015 at 02:56 PM. |