For the musicians out there: The trickiest, toughest song you learned to play

I don't spend an excessive amount of time learning other people's stuff unless it really rings my bell. The last thing I really spent some time on was a nice arrangement of Mason Williams Classical Gas, which fills in a lot of holes when playing it solo with no backing.

 

Genesis' The Lamb intro, Firth Of Fifth and Colony Of Slippermen

 

I learned to play Steve Howe's showpiece "The Clap" from the Yes album note for note. Played it at a high school talent show and LOST to some girl who was lip-synching!! It took me a month to master it, literally practicing every day!

 

"Wild Thing" by The Troggs.

It was all downhill from there...

 

I also learned "The Clap" though I'd need to brush up on it as I haven't played it for at least 20 years. Kudos to you for getting through it...it is NOT an easy tune.

The hardest piece for me personally on guitar has probably been learning "Zap" by Eric Johnson...note for bloody note (keep in mind that this was pre-internet and I transcribed it myself as the only available sheet music at the time was VERY inaccurate). I've tackled a lot of EJ tunes but always approached them like he does...with lots of improvisation. But for "Zap" I for some reason decided to learn every....stinking...note...and it drove me nuts. The obsession that kicked in for playing it perfectly was crazy. But...I learned a TON of cool licks doing it...and like anything else bits and pieces creep into my own playing through osmosis, which is probably the BEST reason for transcribing and playing something in the first place.

From a band standpoint one of the toughest songs I've ever pulled off was Heart Of The Sunrise by Yes. None of my individual guitar parts were terribly difficult, but getting the entire band tight on it was a whole bunch of work. Also was in a jazz outfit that did Stevie Wonder's "Contusion" and that one was tough as well.

 

I've considered many times giving it a shot. Perhaps I will. At least it's in standard tuning isn't it?

 

Did you at least learn the open B string hammer-on pull-off lick at the end of the solo?

 

From one of Fripp's diary entries in 1998:

"Fracture" remains one of the hardest pieces I have ever played in public. During the moto perpetuo, in the middle of the piece, if the group's time drifts the guitarist is hung out to dry. Often, the time drifted in the group. The guitarist is stuck with an endless (it feels) series of equal semi-quavers at 124-136 with cross-picking over two and three strings. Twenty-five years later this continues to provide technical challenges. The musical challenges remain, but more so for an American: the piece is distinctly European. Very little power rock is uncompromisingly European and convincing. Crimson metal of the early seventies is a rare exception.

Fwiw, Fripp now uses what he terms "New Standard Tuning" to play this.

 

OK. Let's hear your version then.

 

Nope.

Nice cliché but totally fact-free.

Where did Paul Simonon end up? Playing with Damon Albern, same as Mick Jones, to the same amount of kudos.

 

1952 Vincent Black Lightning - Richard Thompson
Guardian Angels - John McLaughlin
Black Waterside - Bert Jansch
Mood For A Day - Steve Howe

 

I had it all down at one point, but today I'm not sure how smoothly I could, er, pull off the pull-off lick...but that would be a good weekend assignment!

 

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on my Irish tin flute.

 

Years ago I was in a band with some folks from work and we decided to tackle "Under Pressure" by Bowie / Queen. Never would have guessed beforehand just how tricky that arrangement is to play live! I'd also give the nod to some of Living Color's tunes - not easy arrangements to pull off live.
--------- Chris

 

Have you seen Pete Thorn's 5-part series on how to play Eruption note-for-note? Pretty dang impressive. I went through the whole thing and I can play now, or at least get through it. Still have a LONG way to go to nailing all the nuances.

 

I've been playing guitar for over 20 years and still haven't really worked anything out...I really don't have a musical bone in my body though, so that makes it tough.

 

Many years ago my piano teacher taught me the piano intro to Firth of Fifth but, honestly, I was rarely ever able to play it 100% right from start to finish.

 

I don't learn anything particularly complicated, but I nearly always try and learn what I do by ear.

I've spent the last few years playing along with John McGeoch guitar parts from Magazine and Siouxsie and the Banshees. After twenty years of playing, his work has helped move me along that bit more.

Really enjoyed learning this and being able to approximate the pull-offs in the solo:



Also particularly enjoyed getting to grips with some Derek Forbes bass lines from the earlier years of Simple Minds.

 

" La Villa Strangiato" or "Cygnus X1" on bass.

 

on the piano, Rocket Man maybe.

 

oh..........and Bert Jansch's arrangement of the traditional piece Reynardine...........learned that all the way through............

......and actually some of Keith Richards' rhythm parts- he's usually in open G so the left hand fingering is easy but you have to have a good right hand to get the accents in and out of the drums.......and the drive.........and the swagger............

 

Guitar wise, I sweated bullets trying to learn Thin Lizzy's "Black Rose" for a band I was in. I finally got it down, but trying to copy Gary Moore is not easy (to say the least).

A lot of technical thrash is hard to get down in terms of all the stops and starts and subtle changes in rhythms.

 

Being a very good but certainly not virtuosic self-taught guitarist myself, I'd have to say either The Count Of Tuscany or Constant Motion by Dream Theater.

I can't learn solos by anyone as my brain literally can just not remember all the notes, but as far as complicated as hell rhythm playing that's really fun too, DT are my boys.

 

The Lords Prayer (Larry Carlton arrangment)



And after 20 yrs Im still trying.

 

Bach "Prelude From 4th Lute Suite" for guitar. Not too bad at first but turns fiendish.