There are a couple of songs written for (I assume) and played on piano that I'd eventually like to play proficiently on guitar (I can get through all or parts of all of them). Some translate very well from piano to guitar. They have pretty straightforward steady rhythms:
Lady Madonna
Instant Karma
Werewolves of London (oh, how complicated is that one anyway? :lol: )
Imagine
Let It Be
Bad Company (believe it or not). I just sussed this out last night, whether I got it wright or wrong (another thread).
But then there are a few:
Magic Mirror (Leon Russel)
That's All (Genesis)
and some others I'd need my song list to think of. But it's the same idea. Great on piano, seemingly difficult to translate to guitar.
They seem to defy my ability to understand how I'd play them on guitar. Is this something that really happens, or is it me? For example, this is a chord sheet for Magic Mirror I was able to obtain through someone's good graces. And I had to search the internet inside and out to find the one location from where I could contact the guy who transcribed it.
MAGIC MIRROR Leon Russell 1972
Intro, and riff between verses
Em Bm7 Em Bm7 Em Bm7 Em Bm7
Verse 1
Em
Standing by the highway
Am7 D Am7
Suitcase by my side
B7 Am7
There's no place I want to go
B7
I just thought I'd catch a ride
Em Bm7 Em Bm7 Em Bm7 Em Bm7
Verse 2
Many people look my way
And many pass me by
In moments of reflection
I wonder why
Em Bm7 Em Bm7 Em Bm7 Em Bm7
Verse 3
To the thieves I'm a bandit
The mothers think I'm a son
To the preachers I'm a sinner
Lord I'm not the only one
Em Bm7 Em Bm7 Em Bm7 Em Bm7
Verse 4
To the sad ones I'm unhappy
To the losers I'm a fool
To the students I'm a teacher
With the teachers I'm in school
Em Bm7 Em Bm7 Em Bm7 Em Bm7
Verse 5
To the hobos I'm imprisoned
By everything I own
To the soldier I'm just someone else
Who's dying to go home
Em Bm7 Em Bm7 Em Bm7 Em Bm7
Verse 6
The General sees a number
A politician's tool
To my friends I'm just an equal
In this world
Chorus
B7 Em7
Magic Mirror won't you tell me please
Am7 B7 Em7
Do I find myself in anyone I see
B7 Em7
Magic Mirror if we only could
Am7 B7 Em7
Try to see ourselves as others would
Em Bm7 Em Bm7 Em Bm7 Em Bm7
Verse 7
To policemen I'm suspicious
It's in the way I look
I'm just another character
To fingerprint and book
Em Bm7 Em Bm7 Em Bm7 Em Bm7
Verse 8
To the censor I'm pornography
With no redeeming grace
To the hooker I'm a customer
Without a face
Em Bm7 Em Bm7 Em Bm7 Em Bm7
Verse 9
And the sellers think I'm merchandise
They'll have me for a song
The left ones think I'm right
The right ones think I'm wrong
Em Bm7 Em Bm7 Em Bm7 Em Bm7
Verse 10
And many people look my way
And many pass me by
And in my quiet reflection I wonder why
Chorus (and fade w/ intro riff)
The line up is not the best, from the source, and he admitted it. edit: I tidied it up a bit, though I'm still not sure the alignment is correct. But you get the idea. Here's the original version...
It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.
this is why arrangements are created for different instruments. have you ever played around with a midi (or synth-) guitar or a midi keyboard? at first, a trombone patch sounds pretty cool. but after a while you might realize that there something about the sounds coming from the original trombone is much better no matter how good the midi patches. how the player "interfaces" and works with the physical instrument def affects how it is played, imbuing that instrument with some dimensions of its unique character. a good arrangement recognizes the unique character and strengths of the target instrument -- as well as the limitations, and uses these produce a version optimized for that instrument (or several).
I've yet to hear a good slide piano player.
-=tension & release=-
Hi Mino! Yeah, some of these Piano songs are right tough to do and get the same feel. Generally speaking of course, the chord switches seem double time and the chords themselves can get rather odd. Not too often you can get away with the standard D-C-G thing.
There was a thread I started about a year ago. The advice I got was pretty do-able. I'll try to remember. Suspended chords, 7th and 9th chords get used a lot. Do some partial chord strikes to break things up. (Like to a stand D chord, but just hit a couple of strings..top or bottom.
Also, the rhythm is quite different. Doesn't have to be, no, but it's gotta be sometimes to get the same feel of the song. I am learning Billy Joel's "Just The Way You Are". I kind of get that same piano vibe by reducing strums, slowing the attack a little bit to let the strings ring some. The song is full of 7 chords, but does have some odd ones like:
Bm6 = (X-2-0-1-0-2)
Gmaj7 = (3-X-0-0-0-2)
Gm6 = (X-X-0-3-3-0)
E7sus4 = (0-2-0-2-0-0)
A7sus4 = (X-0-2-0-3-0)
Dsus4 = (X-X-0-2-3-3)
I've used the bottom three in songs before, but not so much the top three. They all sound like crap on their own, but in the context of the song they sound pretty good. None of 'em are hard to do, so it's just memory and muscle training. Notice also the suspended chords (the bottom three). I learned all about them when I learned Tangerine by Led Zeppelen. (nice song to learn, btw. Has it all.)
Here's an example of one that came out of that thread I mentioned. I do it a lot better now, but this still serves as an example. I did mostly simple chords and accented them with some pinky work. An example would be to strike the standard open D chord a time or two followed by a couple strikes with my pinky on the third fret (making it a Dsus4 as shown above). Also notice that there was no typical strumming going on. That was a stretch for me at the time. http://soundclick.com/share?songid=6685873 The irony of this one is that some Country singers played a faster version with the 'ol Cowboy strum going on. I just liked the piano vibe better.
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
this is why arrangements are created for different instruments. have you ever played around with a midi (or synth-) guitar or a midi keyboard? at first, a trombone patch sounds pretty cool. but after a while you might realize that there something about the sounds coming from the original trombone is much better no matter how good the midi patches. how the player "interfaces" and works with the physical instrument def affects how it is played, imbuing that instrument with some dimensions of its unique character. a good arrangement recognizes the unique character and strengths of the target instrument -- as well as the limitations, and uses these produce a version optimized for that instrument (or several).
I've yet to hear a good slide piano player.
I haven't played around with that stuff, but I get your drift. I use power tab to get an idea of a song, but it's true it's not the same. I'm glad to know this is something that's not just my limitations of being a beginner. Thanks.
It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.
Hi Mino! Yeah, some of these Piano songs are right tough to do and get the same feel. Generally speaking of course, the chord switches seem double time and the chords themselves can get rather odd. Not too often you can get away with the standard D-C-G thing.
There was a thread I started about a year ago. The advice I got was pretty do-able. I'll try to remember. Suspended chords, 7th and 9th chords get used a lot. Do some partial chord strikes to break things up. (Like to a stand D chord, but just hit a couple of strings..top or bottom.
Also, the rhythm is quite different. Doesn't have to be, no, but it's gotta be sometimes to get the same feel of the song.
I'll check out that link. Thanks.
I've found that songs like Imagine translate pretty well because the d u d u strumming pattern mimics the piano, which is a fairly simple rhythm. I use to be able to play it many many summers and winters ago on piano. It's a back and forth/up and down feel. Magic Mirror is quite different. There are some individual notes he has in between the chords, like the little riff between lines in the verses of Imagine, but seemingly more complicated. I've thrown in an Am7 after the Am in Bad Company. It gives that extra note sound you can hear in the piano.
I know that after all this, I'm going to learn something. ;)
It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.
Bm6 = (X-2-0-1-0-2)
Gmaj7 = (3-X-0-0-0-2)
Gm6 = (X-X-0-3-3-0)
E7sus4 = (0-2-0-2-0-0)
A7sus4 = (X-0-2-0-3-0)
Dsus4 = (X-X-0-2-3-3)
I've used the bottom three in songs before, but not so much the top three. They all sound like crap on their own, but in the context of the song they sound pretty good. None of 'em are hard to do, so it's just memory and muscle training.
GMaj 7 does NOT sound like crap :P. My question is why are u muting the 5th string ? You could just play B in there ( 5th string 2nd fret ) or play A which would make it Gmaj 9, eh but you can barely hear the difference in that voicing .
Just a random observation.
I wanna be that guy that you wish you were ! ( i wish I were that guy)
You gotta set your sights high to get high!
Everyone is a teacher when you are looking to learn.
( wise stuff man! )
Its Kirby....
