Which do you find most difficult to play?

by **Mike Honey** » 06 May 2012, 11:53

Those of us who are slaves to the guitar are all of different standards and experience. I am curious to know which shadows number you find most difficult to play? I personally find the third 'verse' of kon-Tiki (where it basically goes up an octave), a b+gg+r to play!!!; I dont seem to have a problem with any other tune!! So whats your personal demon?

by **bazmusicman** » 06 May 2012, 22:20

All of them!!

Best regards,
Baz.

by **Rosemary** » 07 May 2012, 12:07

Hi Mike
I agree with Barry and find all of them difficult to play properly. Though I've now been playing two years and have 'learnt' quite a number of Shadows tunes I don't think I have any totally mastered as even the easier ones will have a phrase or a chord here and there or a technique that is beyond my current ability. I still don't have the beginning and gallop in 'Apache' right although I can play the gallop pretty well on the acoustic guitar but not on the Strats. Now I'm trying to tackle a simplified version of the solo in FBI and can't yet play it to tempo so it rates as very difficult as is the middle part of The Savage. The timing at the beginning of TFYL always throws me too for some very strange reason as I can play it when it's repeated later??? My double stops aren't good enough to play Kon-Tiki yet so it's on hold. I just play for fun though and am enjoying playing at our new club so there's no pressure and every few weeks something becomes a little easier to play.
Best wishes
Rosemary

by **bazmusicman** » 07 May 2012, 16:28

Hi Rosemary,

I understand your difficulty as a newish player, but I have been playing for 50 years in various bands etc.
My problem this last 3 or 4 years is that I have something wrong with my hands and fingers which has left them very weak, which makes it harder to hold
down chords etc. For almost 3 years now I have been seeing doctors and still haven't got a definite diagnosis.
As you can understand for a guitarist (or any musician ) that can be very frustrating.

Best regards,
Baz.

by **mojolomjl** » 07 May 2012, 22:03

Hi Mike,
My problem is when I record a number it seems as though my brain goes to sleep.
I can play several Shadows numbers quite well but as soon as I hit rhe record button
I find it difficult to finish the recording without at least on mistake :oops:

Best regards,
Maurice.

by **Uncle Fiesta** » 07 May 2012, 23:08

I find anything with double-stops in frustrating, as it seems to me the moment i manage to get one part right, the other one drifts off! Kon-Tiki is one of my bete noirs, another is the bridge in TFYL, also the harmony lines in GWTLBL frequently defeat me.

And it's not just the Shads. Fixing A Hole, anybody?

I suppose I'll get by with a little help from my friends (except I usually can't play that either).

by **Mike Honey** » 08 May 2012, 07:16

I am probably treading on halloed ground here, but it seems to me when i listen closely to some shadows tunes that Hank had a little problem with some of them. Of course it could be that what I take to be errors were actually supposed to be like that!!

mike

by **donna plasky** » 09 May 2012, 23:54

mojolomjl wrote:Hi Mike,
My problem is when I record a number it seems as though my brain goes to sleep.
I can play several Shadows numbers quite well but as soon as I hit rhe record button
I find it difficult to finish the recording without at least on mistake
Best regards,
Maurice.

Hi, Maurice. Thanks for helping me to feel that "it's not only me." I am new at playing and this is 100% exactly what happens to me. I've even waited to record my playing until such time that no one else is home but me, thinking that would help...but the "record" button is still my worst enemy. Then when I finally get through the beginning of a song without making the same mistakes I made on all the previous attempts, that is when I will suddenly draw a complete blank and forget what comes next. "Wonderful Land, Take 37"

Kind regards,
Donna

by **mojolomjl** » 10 May 2012, 16:40

Hi Donna,
I think most players experience a mental block at some stage, but what annoys me is that I have been playing since 1960 with about a 10 year gap
and must have played the likes of Apache, Wonderful Land, TFYL and Kon-Tiki hundreds of times on stage without any mistakes. Do you think that
if another person was to record you, without you knowing when they were actually recording would help ? Might be worth a try

Best regards,
Maurice.

by **Stratpicker** » 15 May 2012, 16:55

I have / had two personal Bete Noires - Stardust and Genie WTLBL.
I have cracked the Stardust and its as smooth as a Wrestlers Jockstrap now but for whatever reason I just CANNOT get Genie. Boy have I tried! Its a relatively easy tune too but somehow my fingers just wont play it.
Sob!! :cry:

cheers
ian

Which do you find most difficult to play?

Which do you find most difficult to play?

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