What's the most difficult song you had to face?

***Guv'nor*** · 10-03-2006, 04:17 PM

What's the most difficult song you had to learn to play in a concert?

I mean songs we all know, not your own songs

I'd say "Crying machine" of Steve Vai which I still play with my band but didn't take me as long as I thought.
However it is a song that I have to play from time to time to keep my fingers fast in public.

Billy The Mtn · 10-04-2006, 04:33 PM

"Hillbilly" - Scott Henderson. After that Vai's "For the love of god" wasn't all that bad to get together. Did a 2 guitar version of "Frankenstein" Edgar Winter that was pretty cool. Did all the parts on guitars. Worked out good.

subcity138 · 10-05-2006, 01:36 PM

my iron lung by radiohead
not all that tough technically but you have to tap dance like a mad man to get the fx changes

coldsteal2 · 10-09-2007, 01:03 PM

Roundabout by Yes,(was only 18) i played bass then, not that
i couldnt learn it but there is alot to learn in it. Also Brain Salad
Surgery by ELP.

69 plexi · 09-14-2008, 10:43 AM

Im the One,by the mighty VH.Very fast and lots of notes.Its a bunch of mini-eruptions all in one tune.Great tune to play thru the almighty plexi though!!!!

poeman33 · 09-14-2008, 11:13 AM

You'll laugh at this. It was "God Save the Queen" by the Sex Pistols. Not because it was technically difficult by any means, but because I didn't know it, and had to come up with the right energy and feel in an instant. We were booked in a place and word got out in town that we were a punk band, although we were not. We found out that the manager hires bands for the week, and then fires them on Mondays and kicks them out without paying them. When we went up on stage to play, the place was full of punkers (is that the term? ) Besides wanting to put on a great show to try and keep the job, I really didn't want to have a few hundred angry drunk people after me either. The rest of the band knew the song. I had heard it maybe once. I said just tell me the key and I'll play something. I just hammered out power chords and high notes on the old JCM 800 to try and match the energy of the song. It must have worked because the crowd went crazy and they loved the song, and the rest of our show that night. I don't think we ever put out so much energy on stage. We still go fired though so the bar manager couldn't care less how well the show went...

rocker67 · 09-18-2008, 10:13 PM

I would have to say the most difficult song I learned was "Seek And Destroy" by Metallica. I was just getting serious again at playing guitar back in 2003 when I met this guy who had a band and was looking for a rhythm guitarist. He was BIG into Metallica and he wanted me to learn the rhythm part of the songs he had already new from that band. It took a couple of weeks for me, to be honest, to get that song down pretty good. I would have to say that the song "ONE" was also kinda difficult for me at the time also.

codyfarmer · 09-19-2008, 09:39 AM

The first acoustic finger-picking song I learned about 6 years ago, Mood for a Day by Yes (well, Steve Howe).

spooky joe · 10-07-2008, 04:56 AM

Ritchie's solo from Child in Time on Made in Japan was a real challenge for me. Also very enjoyable to transcribe. It's got everything except tapping.
Whammy bar stuff , mad hammer on pull offs , unison bends , fast alt picking , great phrasing and tone.
Oh and Jeff Beck Led Boots. Aggressive as hell and a 7/8 chorus.
Rock on

stookiebhoy · 10-07-2008, 08:48 AM

I remember spending weeks learning Kid Charlemaine (The Larry Carlton version) for an exam at college which at the time was a bugger, but there were some Gypsy Jazz pieces which I got right into at the that time that seemed impossible to me such as Les Yeux Noirs. I was playing a lot of rock and blues at the time so this was new ground for me and it was intensely difficult.

Pie · 10-08-2008, 07:00 PM

For me, the solo in Holy Diver by Dio. It's a monster! This sums it up nicely:

lol!

10-03-2006, 04:17 PM	#1 (permalink)
*Guv'nor* Moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 243	What's the most difficult song you had to face? What's the most difficult song you had to learn to play in a concert? I mean songs we all know, not your own songs I'd say "Crying machine" of Steve Vai which I still play with my band but didn't take me as long as I thought. However it is a song that I have to play from time to time to keep my fingers fast in public.

10-04-2006, 04:33 PM	#2 (permalink)
Billy The Mtn Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: New York Posts: 58	"Hillbilly" - Scott Henderson. After that Vai's "For the love of god" wasn't all that bad to get together. Did a 2 guitar version of "Frankenstein" Edgar Winter that was pretty cool. Did all the parts on guitars. Worked out good. __________________ If its work, Why do they call it playing?

10-09-2007, 01:03 PM	#4 (permalink)
coldsteal2 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Chico, CA Posts: 973	Re: What's the most difficult song you had to face? Roundabout by Yes,(was only 18) i played bass then, not that i couldnt learn it but there is alot to learn in it. Also Brain Salad Surgery by ELP. __________________ http://www.myspace.com/coldstealii http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...?bandID=678085 http://www.youtube.com/user/kroftkarl

09-14-2008, 10:43 AM	#5 (permalink)
69 plexi Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 5	Re: What's the most difficult song you had to face? Im the One,by the mighty VH.Very fast and lots of notes.Its a bunch of mini-eruptions all in one tune.Great tune to play thru the almighty plexi though!!!!

09-14-2008, 11:13 AM	#6 (permalink)
poeman33 Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 94	Re: What's the most difficult song you had to face? You'll laugh at this. It was "God Save the Queen" by the Sex Pistols. Not because it was technically difficult by any means, but because I didn't know it, and had to come up with the right energy and feel in an instant. We were booked in a place and word got out in town that we were a punk band, although we were not. We found out that the manager hires bands for the week, and then fires them on Mondays and kicks them out without paying them. When we went up on stage to play, the place was full of punkers (is that the term? ) Besides wanting to put on a great show to try and keep the job, I really didn't want to have a few hundred angry drunk people after me either. The rest of the band knew the song. I had heard it maybe once. I said just tell me the key and I'll play something. I just hammered out power chords and high notes on the old JCM 800 to try and match the energy of the song. It must have worked because the crowd went crazy and they loved the song, and the rest of our show that night. I don't think we ever put out so much energy on stage. We still go fired though so the bar manager couldn't care less how well the show went... __________________ --------------- Marshall JCM2000 DSL50 Avatar Vintage 4x12 cab Fender American Deluxe HSS Strat Ash body Last edited by poeman33; 09-14-2008 at 12:19 PM.

10-05-2006, 01:36 PM	#3 (permalink)
subcity138 Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 17	my iron lung by radiohead not all that tough technically but you have to tap dance like a mad man to get the fx changes

09-18-2008, 10:13 PM	#7 (permalink)
rocker67 Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: California Posts: 28	Re: What's the most difficult song you had to face? I would have to say the most difficult song I learned was "Seek And Destroy" by Metallica. I was just getting serious again at playing guitar back in 2003 when I met this guy who had a band and was looking for a rhythm guitarist. He was BIG into Metallica and he wanted me to learn the rhythm part of the songs he had already new from that band. It took a couple of weeks for me, to be honest, to get that song down pretty good. I would have to say that the song "ONE" was also kinda difficult for me at the time also.

09-19-2008, 09:39 AM	#8 (permalink)
codyfarmer Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 101	Re: What's the most difficult song you had to face? The first acoustic finger-picking song I learned about 6 years ago, Mood for a Day by Yes (well, Steve Howe). __________________ I play guitar and wakeboard alot...actually, wakeboarding is my job, guitar is my hobby. Current gear: Marshall JCM2000 DSL50 Marshall Silver Jubilee 2555 Marshall 1960BX cab Gibson Les Paul Standard (probably the heaviest one ever, 10.6lbs) Fender American Stratocaster Martin DM

10-07-2008, 04:56 AM	#9 (permalink)
spooky joe Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: North Wales UK Posts: 24	Re: What's the most difficult song you had to face? Ritchie's solo from Child in Time on Made in Japan was a real challenge for me. Also very enjoyable to transcribe. It's got everything except tapping. Whammy bar stuff , mad hammer on pull offs , unison bends , fast alt picking , great phrasing and tone. Oh and Jeff Beck Led Boots. Aggressive as hell and a 7/8 chorus. Rock on __________________ No One Came from miles around and said man your music is really funky. JTM45 JTM60 Carlsbro CS60 Carlsbro 60PA Sound City 50 plus WEM Dominator 50 head Selmer T'n'B 50 SV Linear Super 30 1912 1x12 Orange PPC 1x12 Laney 2x12

10-07-2008, 08:48 AM	#10 (permalink)
stookiebhoy Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 4	Re: What's the most difficult song you had to face? I remember spending weeks learning Kid Charlemaine (The Larry Carlton version) for an exam at college which at the time was a bugger, but there were some Gypsy Jazz pieces which I got right into at the that time that seemed impossible to me such as Les Yeux Noirs. I was playing a lot of rock and blues at the time so this was new ground for me and it was intensely difficult.

10-08-2008, 07:00 PM	#11 (permalink)
Pie Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: London, UK Posts: 8	Re: What's the most difficult song you had to face? For me, the solo in Holy Diver by Dio. It's a monster! This sums it up nicely: lol!

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