Off Topic Biggest PITA song you've ever learned

[sportlov]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihqT1aA4Q88]YouTube - Tosin Abasi with the EMG 808X[/ame]

This is a tune called "Song of Solomon" from Tosin Abasi.

I wouldn't normally play something like this, but I found this song to have such wonderful chord progressions and leadwork. It is a very fun and challenging song to play. Though I found it very rythmically and technically difficult to learn the patterns and such.

 

[fogman]

Tumeni Notes by Mr. Steve Morse...it's just TOOO MANY NOTES! I haven't been able to practice it as much recently, but that is an insane song to be able to pull off convincingly...which I have not succeeded on so far.

I think you do a fine job
(yes I know this vid is old)

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AP6ezSdgLQ]YouTube - Tumeni Notes by Steve Morse (attempted by ME)[/ame]



.

 

[nobozos]

**update**

Okay, I've changed my mind. Blackbird is no longer the biggest PITA song I've learned. It is now the acoustic intro to "Crazy On You" by Heart. Haven't mastered it yet, but I can play it all the way through about 60% of the time without messing it up. Took two weeks, and about 15 hours of string time so far.

As it turns out, Nancy Wilson is not just good eye-candy.

 

[Hendog]

Hmm, the hardest song for me ot learn so far was The Best of Times by Dream Theater
The solo kicks ass, it has virtually every guitar technique known to mankind in it (apart from tapping, oh well ). It took me ages to get those fast trills down, the sweeps are annoying too, Petrucci does sweeps so fast. If you know the song Stream Of Consciousness (also by DT), you'll know what I mean. He does like 2 or 3 sweeps in a second >.<

EDIT: A song I'm kind of "on-going" learnign is Take The Time by DT of course
That song is such a PITA, the timing absolutely kills you, assuming that you are playing every-single-little audible mute JP plays(which actualy makes a lage difference believe it or not). I guess I need to work on my "funk" a little more haha

Wow! You figured out the Solo on The Best of Times?!?

Amazing!



I was just about to say something about Stream of Consiousness but you beat me to it. If that is not the most amazing solo ever, I dont know what is.

 

[Hendog]

Damage Control by JP. *rips hair out*

Another absolutely awesome tune with a great guitar part.

Did you get it?

 

[straycat113]

Well to kind of sum up this whole post it is great to see so many guys striveing to play really complicated material as that is the only way you get better.Their are a number of songs I know I will never get down correctly at the speed they are played. I used to get really twisted about it until my wife put it to me the best oneday. She said to me , you are learning music by the greatest guitar players on the planet and their are reasons why they are the best so dont get so down when you cant pull something off. So I do not get so frustrated anymore if I cant pull off certain passages by players like Yngwie, Vai, Gilbert, Luke and the rest of the usual suspects, but I will take the same passages or runs and incorporate them into a tempo I can play comfortably and incorporate into my style which is hard rock/blues based. Speed is great to have and I never bought into the nonsense that guys who can shred unbelievably play without any heart, as that sounds like sour grapes from guys who cant do it, but it still has to be used in the correct context.

I see a thousand guys on youtube who can shred with amazing speed but are not really good players, as it seems that is all their goal is and it sounds like a pile of sh!t. But in the right hands of a player like Vai for instance on a song like For The Love Of God when he goes into hyper warp speed in the middle it makes the hair on my arms stand up as it fits the song perfect. I also love the guys on youtube who always have a stupid comment about someone else's playing. I saw this guy from Brazil really nail that song and his playing was just great. Then underneath you see the moron who post "You messed up on the run at 3:14 " or something retarded related to that, and when you click onto that person they have no music posted.lol

 

[nobozos]

I totally get what you're saying Stray. There's alot of judging between players regarding style and talent. I've met plenty of guys on each side of the arguement. Shredders looking down their nose at bluesy players, and vice-versa. There's probably a little truth in each camp's arguements, but for the most part, it takes alot of talent to be great at whatever style you choose, and we should stop knocking each other.

I think as guitarists, we could stand to learn alot from one another if we step out of our chosen style, and keep an open mind about other stuff. I know plenty of guys that can shred Vai, or Malmsteen that can't play Vaughn or Schon. I know guys that can play Vaughn and Schon that can't play Atkins or Knopfler. People tend to get into a niche, and beat it to death. They may be really good at it, but I think it handicaps them as a player. I've got a friend that can play every EVH riff perfectly. I mean, he has his style nailed. The problem is that every song he plays sounds like EVH playing the song.

As players we should always try to expand our abilities. We should try to learn styles that we may not be comfortable with, or even good at, to become more well rounded.

I don't think anyone would argue that Neil Peart is probably the best drummer in the world. At the height of his career with Rush, he took lessons that totally changed his approach to playing. Even with his incredible talent, he had the humility to recognize that he could still learn new things.

 

[Roubster]

Guitar players have this huge ego, and bash other styles that they may not be into or they see as inferior. For some reason guitar players are very critical of other players, instead of learning from them or giving some advice if anything. I find it pretty ridiculous, and I feel that I am becoming a better player being open minded and listening to other styles. Sometimes its even inspiring when you force yourself to listen to something that you might not be all that interested in...but you learn so many different things. I am primarily into instrumental/fusion rock lead guitar type of playing and listening most of the time, but it's so inspiring to NOT listen to that stuff for a while. I go off and listen to classical music, jazz, even new age like Mike Oldfield who is a brilliant musician and plays EVERYTHING. A perfect example of a humble and brilliant guitarist AND MUSICIAN is Steve Morse of course! This guy fuses so many different styles, and sets him apart from millions of other players out there that may become really great players, but I feel that they have sort of a limited field of music that they actually compose or come up with.

If you take a look at the video of me above posted by fogman, and go to one of the other videos I did years ago, some people just have ridiculous comments that dont even make sense, which kind of got to me at some point hehe. It's just meant for me to document my progress and see people's feedback...NO s**** I cant play it like Steve Morse lol...thats not the point.

Going back to the thread topic, I still cant get a lot of the Morse stuff down, but its all about the fun and it makes me a better player little by little by doing my best and forgetting the rest (stole that line from Tony Horton HAHAHAHA). I'm working on Mechanical Frenzy, Stress Fest and Heightened Awareness and from time to time back to Tumeni Notes. I think I can practice these tunes the rest of my life and not get bored .

 

[JMB27]

PITA songs(s)?

In the past, various parts of the Bonnie Raitt catalogue have given me some fits of frustration .... as have a few tracks from Doobie Brothers and a few tracks from Stevie Wonder .....

 

[Neances]

Well too many Mr.Big songs to mention

I guess anything by Paul Gilbert

 

[spkirby]

Now working on Cavatina by John Williams / Stanley Myers.... beautiful tune but really tough to play smoothly (and correctly) due to the chords and arpeggios. You wouldnt think it by listening to it though! Will get it nailed in about a month!!!

 

[paranoid70]

I've got a friend that can play every EVH riff perfectly. I mean, he has his style nailed. The problem is that every song he plays sounds like EVH playing the song.

I know a guy like that, except substitute Jerry Garcia for EVH.

 

[crazytodde]

I have been trying to play Cliffs of Dover since it came out lol. I get a part down pat, then it takes so long I get sick of the song and have to come back later.

I remember back in '95 when I decided to takcle the classical part on Jason Becker's "Air". It was really a moment of revalation when I looked at the tab and thought, wait, this is just 2 notes at a time, I can do that!

I came home and memorized a bar a day till I had the whole sequence down.

Speaking of competition, you play that thing and people shut up lol. I think the voice leading must seem pretty impressive because nothing gets a reaction like that.

 

[Slingy]

Every song is a PITA to learn for me. I'm terrible at playing other peoples songs. Thats why I make my own and I make them easy.

 

[spkirby]

Can anyone here play Neon by John Mayer smoothly? Those chords are for big hands only