#1
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Those songs that should be easy but just never sound right?
I'll go first, after six years of daily playing and practice
1- Heart of Gold ( I can play this several ways but none sound like Neil) 2- Bad Moon Rising Three more that are taking forever - 1- Wild Horses (this one at least is up to a good campfire version) 2- I walk the Line 3- Ring of Fire Last edited by Kerbie; 06-27-2019 at 10:31 AM. |
#2
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I've been working on a 2 page arrangement of Planxty Irwin which is now on its 2nd guitar. I started learning it on my Guild D-120 and even recorded it, but I was unhappy with mic position/gain issues so I scrapped it. I found it more comfortable and quieter to play on my Larrivee OM for whatever reason. I'm still undecided on some small details - should I stretch for that note first and then leave position for the next or do it as a intermediary position, etc.
Makes a difference when you tend to be a noisy player. Add to that tune other pieces I've been slowly learning. I'm trying to "raise the bar" on what recordings I post publicly so my whole learning/recording process has slowed down. Fortunately for the world I don't sing (and know I can't) so you are all spared the nonsense that can sprout from someone that "thinks" they can sing. It's bad enough I impose my "playing" on everyone,
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Barry Sad Moments {Marianne Vedral cover}: My SoundCloud page Some steel strings, some nylon. |
#3
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I've been working up an acoustic rendition of the Pretenders' Back on the Chain Gang, which sounds awesome until the key change at the last verse. There's just no good way to play the Amaj7 to B7 that allows the G# to A notes to be played cleanly on the high E string, and the verse really benefits from those notes. Otherwise, the song is a breeze and sounds good.
I am, however, happy with my "campfire" arrangement of the Faces' You Wear it Well. |
#4
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I've got an original that seems to resonate with a lot of people -- they say it's my best song, which of course I take as a slight on all the others. It's a simple song, easy chords, easy tune, and I hate playing it. I can never seem to keep the tempo steady, my guitar intonation is always a little off, and it just seems like I have to work really hard to get myself through it.
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#5
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All things must pass, though some may pass like a kidney stone. |
#6
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Quote:
That technique is used on several other CCR songs - Fortunate Son and Run Through the Jungle come to mind. If you watch videos of John Fogerty in concert, he usually plays a black Les Paul on the songs that feature a guitar tuned down a full step. CK
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----------------------------- Jim Adams Collings OM Guild 12 String Mark V Classical Martin Dreadnaught Weber Mandolin |
#7
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...first off...if by right you mean sounding as close to the actual recording as possible...that’s a tall order for any player no matter how good they are...we all have our musical fingerprint that is unique to us...yeah there are some “impersonators” that are remarkable at copying other musicians but they put a lot of work into it and although they may be entertaining to some they are not genuine or interesting because there is nothing there that wasn’t there already musically speaking...
...if otoh you are expressing your own dissatisfaction with your personal renditions and wish to get closer to the original versions there could be any number of factors preventing your progress...without actually hearing you play that’s difficult to assess... ...if you are just asking who else feels this way about certain tunes they attempt I would venture to say most of us...I find there are certain artists and songs I admire and would like to work up my own arrangements of but just can’t find a way to pull it off....I don’t switch a dead horse though and just move on to something else rather than invest too much time and effort... ...as far as the tunes you have cited go...Neil Young and John Fogerty have two of the most unique and identifiable voices out there...I personally find any renditions of their stuff require a really different take than the originals to come up with something i’m comfortable and pleased with...and Johnny Cash and Mick Jagger are also quite distinctive... ...my only advice is to keep at it and focus on developing your own voice and style.....learn lots of new songs...identify what you do best and work on that....the rest will come.. Last edited by J Patrick; 06-27-2019 at 01:31 PM. |
#8
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I can relate to the OP's frustration.
This morning I was working on "A Rainy Night in Georgia". I subscribe to a YouTube Channel by Morrisman Smith who does a great job as a teacher with this R&B stuff, i.e. chord inversions, triads and the like. The subtle parts that are going on with the guitar are not hard to play but the timing and touch are. Then top that off with singing it...whew! We do a couple of the songs you mentioned at our gigs. The hardest thing is fine-tuning these songs to get the original true "feel", if you will. Try playing Mr. Bojangles or Amie the way they were recorded. At some point, we find a comfort zone playing these types of songs and let it go at that. Life's too short. Anyway try a little of this:
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Nothing bothers me unless I let it. Martin D18 Gibson J45 Gibson J15 Fender Copperburst Telecaster Squier CV 50 Stratocaster Squier CV 50 Telecaster Last edited by rokdog49; 06-27-2019 at 11:28 AM. |
#9
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Mike's comments on the Art of the Guitar are well taken, by me, at least. I have had much the same kind of enlightenment over the years about how difficult it can be do to a really good job on what seems like a simple 3-chord song.
Recently in Show & Tell I put up my rendition of Tom Petty's Free Fallin' in the style of John Mayer. Someone had recommended this to me, so I listened, I thought, cool!, I should be able to do this! And then after about 2 weeks of working on this I realized that it was not all that easy to do a passable job on this song. There is so much more than just 3 chords! I think supposedly easy songs take more effort than we expect because there is more to these songs than we realize on a first listen. - Glenn
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#10
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I've been wrassling with "The Song is Love," a Peter, Paul and Mary piece, for close to 50 years. It moves from a fingerstyle verse to a driving strum in the chorus, and the intense tempo of both sections makes it difficult to sing at the same time. I've played it fingerstyle, strummed, flat-picked, and every sort of hybrid. Every time I think I've got it, I change my basic approach, or at least my tempo.
Fortunately, audiences are less critical of the piece every time I perform it. These days, few remember the original.
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1 dreadnought, 1 auditorium, 1 concert, and 2 travel guitars. |
#11
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#12
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#13
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Quote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5_SmAlnJcc&t=25s
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#14
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Which means I never play along with the record either. On the other hand, I strive to be very close in some parts to keep the song's vibe. A lot of songs I slow way down, sometimes my version will be several minutes longer. I had meant that some songs even if played very close and cleanly just don't sound right to me. Heart of Gold seems to be liked by whoever I play it for, except me. Thanks for your reply. |
#15
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Same goes for transcriptions of songs; very often they are, tbh, not quite correct. Even if I don't know how to play it myself, I can hear that's not actually what is on the recording. |