Annoying, Frustrating? How about changing strings for the first time on my acoustic 12-string guitar, and finding out that it has something called bridge pins at the bridge that very easily get jammed and makes it incredibly difficult to change strings, it took me two hours today to change strings and i ended up breaking one bridge pin and one string, but I guess it was a good learning experience.
Steve-0
I agree, bridge pins are annoying. My first thought after taking the pins out was 'these stupid pieces of plastic are supposed to hold the strings in place, yikes'. On top of that is not having enough cash to get proper maintance on my acoustic guitar or any guitars for that matter. I don't trust myself to put 10 gauge strings one of my guitars after what I read around the forum.
"If I had a time machine, I'd go back and tell me to practise that bloody guitar!" -Vic Lewis
Everything is 42..... again.
Vic makes a real good point, one that I had kind of assumed the whole time, the difference between a bar band and someone releasing a cd, I think it's great when a bar band plays a song note for note or if they make it their own it's good too but not everyone will appreciate it... but if you are including a note for note cover on your cd, you are, not fit for description in these forums but it's bad. Of course, a note for note cover could sound radically different, I just mean playing it and singing it and everything being extremely close to the original, might as well just dub the original in there.
One person peeing their pants, mission accomplished!
This might be an exaggerated example but it's like when you go into some cocktail lounge and there's a guy on a piano and all of a sudden he does a cheesy lounge version of " Feels like Teen Spirit"....and that's supposed to be better than someone playing it note for note?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJqWiI5cZqk
Sorry, couldn't resist.
OWA,
Not sure what to say.On it's own it's pretty good and he definitely has skills on the piano so there's no knocking that. Is he a good player, I don't but I'll assume he is. Is his version bad, not at all it's actually pretty good, would I want to hear that if I was out in a bar, NO absolutely not. I'm sure some people would but I want to hear some long screaming guitars it's just not the same played on a piano and it loses so much of the intensity. There might be certain times I would enjoy listening to that but not when I am expecting soemthing else. I know your a big fan of Curt and Nirvana, if you went out to see a band would you want to see a guy playing a piano version or some band being true to the original spirit of the song?
Now this is not what I would consider a lounge type player where they play everything at a slowed down tempo and every song ends up sounding the same.
But after getting beat up on this board over my comments it's obvious that I am the only person that holds this opinion about playing things note for note so as of today I'm not going to even look at the notes to any of the songs I play and just make it up as I go along.
I stand corrected.
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
CNev, if sticking to the note-for-note copies works for you, then if it ain't broke, don't fix it! I've done a few songs on the ESD that have had a fairly simple solo - I've attempted to copy them note-for-note. Take for instance "Hi-Ho Silver Lining" - not the first song that springs to mind when you think of Jeff Beck, yet surprisingly, it's his only solo hit in this country. I've tried to tab the solo out note-for note, because it's pretty recognisable. But looking at it, and listening to the original, it seems to me he's using a lot of delay and chorus in there......
But there's another thing to take into consideration - do you think Skynyrd, for example, played Freebird exactly the same every night? Nah, they'd tweak it here and there so they didn't get bored with it! Springsteen never plays "Thunder Road the same way twice running. In the early days of the Kinks, Ray Davies was famous for mucking about with "Louie Louie" - he'd mess with the tempo, the riff, use different instruments, anything he could think of to keep the song interesting.
And what about a song like "Sympathy For The Devil?" How many Stones live albums is that on? You'd be hard pressed to find two identical versions, though. So which version do you copy? The original recorded version? Or the classic live version? Which is the classic live version, anyway?
Like Arjen said, no two musicians will play the same piece exactly the same way - it's those subtle touches that make all the difference. Copy a song by all means, but always try and put something of yourself in it.
Last year, me and a friend worked out a version of "Wonderful Tonight" for the pub. It was pretty much a copy of Clapton's song, for instance that intro and the solo's are recognisable. We manged to pull it off - I played rhythm, chords are pretty easy, and my mate played lead - acoustic slide! Sounded good, everyone joined in singing, and everyone knew the song. And we felt good about it because we'd done something a little different. Same with Maggie May - everyone knows the song, everyone joins in - we've had about 5-6 guitars playing together at times! But I always play with a capo, 7th fret I think - I've got it all written down somewhere - and that adds something. OK it's not a mandolin, but it sounds different - yet recognisable!!!
Anyway - it's all music, and it's all in the ear of the beholder.
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Well, if I didn't want to hear a lounge-version of a song then I probably wouldn't go to a lounge bar. Same the other way around: what are you doing in a rock arena if you want to hear the original of P. Canon in D? People should just play what they want and listen to what they want. What more is there to say?
Oh cnev, you didn't got 'beat up on the board', you posted an opinion and some disagreed. It happens. If you don't like it either don't have opinions or don't express them. I don't hear King saying he got beat up on here by you, you people just have a dfiferent opinion. Nothing too dramatic as far as I can see.
I agree, bridge pins are annoying. My first thought after taking the pins out was 'these stupid pieces of plastic are supposed to hold the strings in place, yikes'. On top of that is not having enough cash to get proper maintance on my acoustic guitar or any guitars for that matter. I don't trust myself to put 10 gauge strings one of my guitars after what I read around the forum.
Yeah -- stuck bridge pins are annoying ... lots of broken fingernails.
BTW, the pins only hold the strings indirectly, pushing the ball-end to the side of the hole so all the ball end force in mostly against the bridge plate inside the guitar. There is only a little sideways force against the bridge pin itself. On many guitars, one can remove the bridge pins on tuned-to-pitch strings and the strings stay anchored. But I don't recommend trying this ...
-=tension & release=-
Vic,
Your right I've heard artists play versions of their own songs but I've been disappointed many times especially when I see them in concert and they play a version that "I" don't like. As for Freebird I think you are 100% correct and here's where I don't even agree with myself. The solo in Freebird isn't really as difficult as it sounds or I thought it was and there are several parts that pretty much repeat so it's very easy to change the notes and still sound pretty true to the original.
Sleu,
That was humor about beating me up, I know it's my opinion and I'm not sure I even believe myself always on this, but I had to take a position somewhere. I have a fairly thick skin and it doesn't bother me that someone disagrees, I value people like gnease and King's opinion, they are 100x the musician I will ever be and I realize and understand that and I'm OK with it. Actually note for note is a lttle to literal, I realize it's necessary to play any song note for note it's when the song changes drastically from the version I have heard and loved is more what I am referring to.
All of these forum posts usually only come down to opinions anyway so it's all good...but if you haven't noticed I like to push buttons.
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
Or to get back to original post how about changing strings the first time on a Floyd Rose and forget to unloosen the clamp at the nut and breaking them!
And it's more annoying when you do it again!
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
Cnev...you button pusher!!! :lol:
Just to add to the debate......take a very great classic like Imagine....Lennon wrote and performed it on the piano...are we therefore wrong to perform it on a guitar?....it certainly wont be note for note in that case....then if you decide to sing it and your voice isn't quite up to scratch....does that mean you would never play it??? just a thought 8)
BB,
There's a lot of room to argue against me like I said I don't even adhere to my own principles, when I say note for note that's not totally correct. I probably wouldn't even know if only one or two notes were changed.
But my argument really wasn't with someone changing the song even though those are the examples I used to defend my position, my argument if you can call it that was that there was something inherently wrong playing a song note for note making for an android guitarist.
And I understand or at least understand where King and gnease are coming from, but I am no where near there level of expertise on the instrument so playing a solo note for note is still a big accomplishment for me. when and if I ever get to the point that regurgitating note for note solos become second nature then I'll gaurantee you that I will be adding my own twist.
After playing songs hundreds of times it gets old doing the same old thing.
But the real reason I decided to push buttons was to see how long it would take before someone responding to this post about annoying things replied: cnev! Then I 'll know I made it.
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
I like that cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit, it takes the same song and adds a new dynamic to it. It's like A Perfect Circle's cover of Imagine or DMB's version of All Along The Watchtower.
Steve-0
Just losing plectrums; I used to lose them in the soundhole of my mandolin a lot as a child - speaking of which just reminded me of an annoying thing about my mandolin teacher - if I got the lunch time slot, sometimes he'd eat his sandwich and bits of it would spit out onto the sheet music, ewww!
Sorry if the above comment from me offended anyones sensibilities :oops: in recompense here's a fantastic photo of a Japanese firework display,
the annoying thing is that I wasn't there to witness it!
