Coming back from work yesterday I had my music on shuffle and up pops one of my favourite songs with one of my favourite solos. It's not a Vai, Satch, Srv, Kotzen thing, it was James Dean Bradfield and the track was La Tristesse Durera. IMHO its a masterpiece and serves the song so so well.
i have never though I was good enough to play it but I thought, sod it, I am going to put a session in and attempt it. After a few hours of working it out, building up the speed, at about 10pm last night I managed a rather scrappy, un clean play along with the track.
I an very chuffed with myself. Today's session will concentrate on cleaner picking and playing it faster (so that when I play at tempo it feels easier)
Great feeling to be able to play one of my favourite solos ever
An official Foo liked guitarist since 2024
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I remember the guitarists were playing their solos and my Dad says to me "you should be playing that".
I felt a bit crappy about it at the time but I forgot all about it. Then one day about a year ago I remembered him saying that so I went and learnt the solo note for note in an evening. I felt really chuffed with myself.
Currently working on Peaceful Easy Feeling for some open mic nights. Not that hard to do an ok version but it's always that last 10% which takes the effort.
There's a discussion somewhere on here about the problems of getting older. I'm 56 next week but still think my playing improves with every gig. I've played since schooldays but had a very long sabbatical involving children, business, and motorsport.
And sometimes it's simple songs that can stretch you and or your fingers. An example is Princes Purple Rain...yes its just 4 chords but Wendy Melvoin uses a wierd chord that requires an unusual finger stretch and takes some practice if you're not used to it...which I wasn't.
I work on the principal that we all have the same starting tools...fingers, brain and a guitar, and if someone else can do something, with the right mind set and practice I should be able to at least make a reasonable stab at it so at least it would be recognisable ....even if I can't replicate their mojo.
So the other day I thought I might have a crack at a few classic rock solos, just to see how they compared to modern shred solos.
So I sat my ass down and had a go at a few Led Zepp solo's, stairway to heaven and whole lotta love, Dire Straights sultans of swing, Eagles hotel california.
Really enjoyed it, much more than I thought I would. Loads of bending on the Zep and Eagles stuff and great finger style stuff on Knopfer's stuff.
Once I nailed them as they should be, I then decided to modern them up a bit and add and change a few things. Adding sweep picking to Hotel California was a blast and actually sounded pretty cool too. Adding a few jazz notes to Sultans was mad too. I highly recommend everyone try it if for no other reason than it's so much fun. Add in a backing track and there's a smile a mile wide.
Haven't decided what I'll have a crack at next though.
My band, Red For Dissent
Anyone remember the track that Guitarist transcribed or the mag it was in?
Love the manics too. There's a great video on YT of James Dean Bradfield going through his riffs on various guitars. It's a great watch.
https://sites.google.com/site/guitarmagsongs/
As for "when am I ready?" You'll never be ready. It works in reverse, you become ready by doing it. - pmbomb