SRV's Lenny.

zepp76

I'm thinking of giving SRV's Lenny a go, are there any hints or tips you chaps can give me to help with the learning process please? I'm aware he tuned down a half step, does the Polytune clip on tuner allow you to tune flat? Any help is greatly appreciated, thank you.

bingefeller

Yes the Polytune will let you tune flat.

There are loads of tabs available for Lenny, Ultimate Guitar has some good Guitar Pro ones. 

If I was learning this tune I would learn all the rhythm parts first and then the solo last.  I would use a slow down programme, such as Transcribe or Audacity, and try to play along with the recording. 

Good luck.

guitars4you

You can easily play this with an E flat or E tuning - obviously if you are playing along with SRV's actual recording, as you are learning the song, then you'll need to adopt the e flat option

Not sure what guitar you use and how it is set-up, but if you have a guitar with the trem and it is raised of the belly of the guitar then it probably will need a slight tweak on the trem and set-up between E flat and E - will be fine if trem is set flat as I believe SRV had his like this

Are you planning to learn this by ear, or by tab, or by a mix of both - I'm never quite so sure you actually need to nail the song down to the nth degree, as against take on board most of the song, but you own interpretation can be allowed as required - After all, like most players, they don't play it note for note the same on every recording/performance - A classical player might have to, but the perk of jazz/blues/rock etc is an element of working around the theme as required

Jalapeno

It sounds deceptively simple, and it isn't that hard to get the fingering nailed, but the timing is the hard bit

photek

Stunning song and great fun to learn. Plenty of tutorials on youtube to pick through. I learnt it watching Live at the El Mocambo, fooking immense version.

guitars4you

forgot to add - I've never learnt Lenny - but play Riviera Paradise and play it in E - obviously an issue if I play along with any SRV recording, but I don't, so for ease I've just left it in E, as per all my guitar tuning's and set-ups and it is fine

photek

guitars4you said:

forgot to add - I've never learnt Lenny - but play Riviera Paradise and play it in E - obviously an issue if I play along with any SRV recording, but I don't, so for ease I've just left it in E, as per all my guitar tuning's and set-ups and it is fine

Another superb track to learn, so very nice phrasing in that one as well. Must remind myself how to play that tonight

guitars4you

photek said:

guitars4you said:

forgot to add - I've never learnt Lenny - but play Riviera Paradise and play it in E - obviously an issue if I play along with any SRV recording, but I don't, so for ease I've just left it in E, as per all my guitar tuning's and set-ups and it is fine

Another superb track to learn, so very nice phrasing in that one as well. Must remind myself how to play that tonight

not sure which tab I initially used - I've played it for so long now that I dare say my version is no longer 100% correct to his first recording, but you clearly know what it is and after a while your own 'incompetence' and phrasing ensures that you add/subtract a note or two as required - still clearly his song played by me - Much the same as SRV's interpretation of Little Wing is obviously still Little Wing but not an identical 100% replica of Jimi's

jonnyburgo

I've learned lenny off youtube, my version is a little simplified and it is on a Tele, so no whammy, have to admit I dont know it all the way through just the main bits. hmm dare I post a video?

zepp76

bingefeller said:

Yes the Polytune will let you tune flat.

There are loads of tabs available for Lenny, Ultimate Guitar has some good Guitar Pro ones. 

If I was learning this tune I would learn all the rhythm parts first and then the solo last.  I would use a slow down programme, such as Transcribe or Audacity, and try to play along with the recording. 

Good luck.

That's a good idea slowing it down, I have a Boss BR80 that I've not really had much use for till now, I can load the song onto it and slow it down and loop certain parts that I'm Stuck on.

guitars4you said:

You can easily play this with an E flat or E tuning - obviously if you are playing along with SRV's actual recording, as you are learning the song, then you'll need to adopt the e flat option

Not sure what guitar you use and how it is set-up, but if you have a guitar with the trem and it is raised of the belly of the guitar then it probably will need a slight tweak on the trem and set-up between E flat and E - will be fine if trem is set flat as I believe SRV had his like this

Are you planning to learn this by ear, or by tab, or by a mix of both - I'm never quite so sure you actually need to nail the song down to the nth degree, as against take on board most of the song, but you own interpretation can be allowed as required - After all, like most players, they don't play it note for note the same on every recording/performance - A classical player might have to, but the perk of jazz/blues/rock etc is an element of working around the theme as required

I'll be using my new Classic series 50's Strat, I'm hoping the 7.25" radius doesn't cause me too many issues as it's my first guitar with such a fretboard.
I'll be using YouTube and my Boss BR80 to loop certain parts of the song for learning, it couldn't hurt to get the tab for all the chord shapes I suppose. I'm really looking forward to getting stuck into this but I think I'm going to fall down when it comes to the fast chord changes (not my forte!).

Thank you for your help so far, ''tis much appreciated.