BPM for the opening lick in ''Hot Rod Lincoln''

[lowrider]

I just started learning it;



I've got a long way to go. I just started using the metronome this afternoon and I can only get up to 36 bpm. I start falling apart at 38 bpm

How fast would you say Bill Kirchen is playing on that opening lick.

[rick-slo]

4/4 at about 120 bpm (that's around 480 notes per minute for those 16th notes)

[lowrider]

I've got a long way to go!

But I've got lot's of time. I'm getting a new Custom Shop J-17 and want to play it on the new guitar. It will take at least 6 months to be ready

I can do it. I'll br ready for it!

[FwL]

I'd put it around 105. 120 is pretty fast for that riff.

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[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by FwL

I'd put it around 105. 120 is pretty fast for that riff.

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Check it out with a metronome.

[Riverwolf]

I Love George Thorogood's version the best

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

4/4 at about 120 bpm (that's around 480 notes per minute for those 16th notes)

For 4/4, I'd call those 8ths at 240. In fact more like 256!

Counting it at half that, though, (which makes sense!) would mean 2/2 (cut time) at 128, which is how sheet music has it. 8th notes still 512 a minute (over 8 a second)! (Actually one version of the sheet music puts the half-note bpm at 80, way too slow; not heard any version that slow.)

Still, not scarily fast IMO. 4 downstrokes per second is easy enough - it's the left hand that has the harder job.

[Bikewer]

Not sure if it’s true or not, but I recall hearing somewhere that the opening riff was “doubled” in the studio....

[lowrider]

Originally Posted by Bikewer

Not sure if it’s true or not, but I recall hearing somewhere that the opening riff was “doubled” in the studio....

I don't know what ''doubled'' means, but it's much faster on the live versions.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

Check it out with a metronome.

Yep sounds like 120 on my cheapy metronome . especially in the snare beat

Originally Posted by lowrider

I don't know what ''doubled'' means, but it's much faster on the live versions.

Not sure what Bikewer means, but usually "doubled" means "double tracked" (but that would not have any effect on the speed) only that it would sound thicker because it is two separate recording passes of the same riff being played the same way. Often done on vocals for more depth and width.

I am assuming thought that he is double picking (both an up and down stroke)

[FwL]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

Check it out with a metronome.

I did. Maybe we're not listening to the same tune.

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[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by FwL

I did. Maybe we're not listening to the same tune.

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Well the one lowrider embedded in his opening post. You don't see that?

[lowrider]

Woo-hoo, 60 bpm clean!

I'm half-way there!

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by lowrider

Woo-hoo, 60 bpm clean!

I'm half-way there!

Another 60 and we can call you Comander Lowrider

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by lowrider

I just started learning it;



I've got a long way to go. I just started using the metronome this afternoon and I can only get up to 36 bpm. I start falling apart at 38 bpm

I'll just add: 38 bpm is really slow. Personally I find it extremely difficult to play anything that slow and stay on the click. It's a little over one click every two seconds.

I'm wondering if you mean 38 bars per minute?? ("bpm" stands for beats per minute.)
The tempo of the version you posted is half-notes at around 128 per minute, which is 64 bars per minute (each bar with eight 8th notes).
If you set the metronome to 128, that would mean getting four notes (8th notes) in every click. They're played with alternate picking, so that means two downstrokes per click, a little faster than four downstrokes per second.

IMO, that right hand tempo is not really the issue (not too hard to play one repeated note that fast), it's the synchronisation with the left hand - getting all the right notes and getting them all clean.