Songs you find tricky...but sound easy

Shrews · February 2023

I'm finding this one frustrating. I'm sure I will get it in the end but just wondered what other songs are out there that you've found tricky but sound like they should be easy to learn.

The Jam - That's Entertainment

The chords are easy but the strum pattern is a blood nightmare, and yet it seems like it should be really easy

and a 1 and 2 and 3 and 4
and a 1 and 2 and 3 and 4

with that 'and a ' bit being a quick 'down-down' strum

Wazmeister · February 2023

First song I ever learnt to play

Kebabkid · February 2023

Mr.Brightside

Initially, and a similar sort of thing going on, the main riffs on 'Reelin' in the years' and 'Life in the Fast Lane'

Rocker · February 2023

Johnny B Goode.

fretmeister · February 2023

Everything Malcolm Young ever played.

Quick listening just seems to show big chunky chords hit hard, but there’s so much more going on.

relic245 · February 2023

Kebabkid said:

Mr.Brightside

Yep, I've been practicing it almost every day for about 3 months and am now about ready to bring it in at rehearsal. Not polished but good enough to start with.

Found it really hard to play.

rustneversleeps · March 2023

Three blind mice.

Tannin · March 2023

Shrews said:

wondered what other songs are out there that you've found tricky but sound like they should be easy to learn.

Most of them.

Tannin · March 2023

Re That's Entertainment, now that I've listened to it I would have found that easy-peasy a few years back when I used a plectrum all the time, but would find it super-difficult now that I've switched to fingerstyle. I don't think I could do it at all.

lustycourtier · March 2023

First one I thought of (even thought Ive been gigging it for 20 years) is Mr Brightside and No one ever plays it correctly. Its a killer riff and timeless song. Our Generations SCOM.

munckee · March 2023

Bizarrely smells like teen spirit, one of the first songs I learned, I know what I’m playing is technically right just doesn’t sound like teen spirit to me.

ryanverbena · March 2023

1. Money for Nothing is is tricky to play properly
2. Every breath you take, the finger patterns - hard to sustain throughout a whole song
3. Neil Young is hard to replicate because of the (beautiful) imperfections

I would also add anything by Paul Kossoff because his bend-vibrato technique is so masterful and hard to replicate.

Yorkie · March 2023

fretmeister said:

Everything Malcolm Young ever played.

Quick listening just seems to show big chunky chords hit hard, but there’s so much more going on.

People think it's beginner stuff based on what they hear. The difficult stuff is what they don't hear

CaseOfAce · March 2023

ryanverbena said:

1. Money for Nothing is is tricky to play properly

It's got that slight hiccup part in the 2nd part of the riff that's very difficult to nail - everyone gets the whole diads / power chords bit...but the double thumb bounce thing / timing thing is the tricky part. Oddly enough that's one riff I would blag if I did it live - you can sort of get away with not being 100 percent on that one. I've heard Knopfler live versions where he doesn't do it either.

Mr. Brightside is just d*amn awkward - the intro riff in semi-tuned down guitar is nasty. The verse parts feature 5 fret stretches.
I'm currently playing this in standard tuning capo-ing at 4th fret.. but the intro riff just can't be replicated - you need those 2 b and e string notes bouncing around in unison for it to sound right.

Oddly enough a riff I struggle with is Judas Priest's Breaking The Law - the end part of that riff resolving back to the C catches me out if I haven't played it for a while.

Danny1969 · March 2023

There's one inversion on Brightside, the G add 6 pattern that's a bit of a stretch, the rest is pretty easy. I could never quite work out what was going on with Money for Nothing until I saw Knopfler demonstrate the thumb action then I got it.

Plug in Baby seemed a strange pattern at first and tripped me up a couple of times, now it's fine.

Sex on fire is easy enough but throws a lot of drummers ... as does Drive my car by the Beatles

I think sometimes I assume a simple riff has more going on and I complicate it myself for no reason. As ever the trick is to stop and have a really good listen.

Musicwolf · March 2023

Over the last couple of years I’ve auditioned more bass players than I care to remember. Since time has been limited we’ve asked them all to learn the same three songs and first up has always been Roxanne by The Police (which we do three semitones down from the original). The reason we picked this one is because, we thought, it was easy and it would be a good way to settle people down before moving onto something more challenging, but it just seems to trip people up for some reason.

As a former bass player I can just pick up the bass a play this no bother but it amazes me how many people struggle with anything that’s not on the beat.

RocknRollDave · March 2023

Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac.
The rhythm part, where it goes from the sus2 chord to the regular chord.

It never sounds right when I play along with the record, and I find it hard to play and sing it, or at least to play ot in a way that has the feel of the original.

darthed1981 · March 2023

munckee said:

Bizarrely smells like teen spirit, one of the first songs I learned, I know what I’m playing is technically right just doesn’t sound like teen spirit to me.

Exactly what I was going to say, so hard to get like the record.

stratman3142 · March 2023

darthed1981 said:

munckee said:

Bizarrely smells like teen spirit, one of the first songs I learned, I know what I’m playing is technically right just doesn’t sound like teen spirit to me.

Exactly what I was going to say, so hard to get like the record.

You probably already know this, but it seems to sound more authentic if the F5 Bb5 Ab5 Db5 section is played with a 3rd or 4th finger barre. Then strummed not too precisely, so there's a bit of a random 4th creeping in on the F5 and Ab5, by hitting the 3rd string.

Danny1969 · March 2023

stratman3142 said:

darthed1981 said:

munckee said:

Bizarrely smells like teen spirit, one of the first songs I learned, I know what I’m playing is technically right just doesn’t sound like teen spirit to me.

Exactly what I was going to say, so hard to get like the record.

You probably already know this, but it seems to sound more authentic if the F5 Bb5 Ab5 Db5 section is played with a 3rd or 4th finger barre. Then strummed not too precisely, so there's a bit of a random 4th creeping in on the F5 and Ab5, by hitting the 3rd string.

Yeah this is it .. most people play it too cleanly, it strumming is fairly accurate but the fingering is a little sloppy and that gives it the attitude.
One thing I learnt playing covers for 40 years is give yourself a moment to get into the vibe. A moment to remember how the riff or song sounds in terms of how it makes you feel rather than what notes it comprises of. Because that's what enables a decent player with an Epi LP and a cheap amp sound more like Brian May / Slash / Jimmy Page than some other guy with 4K's worth of gear. Play the right notes but get the feel. You can cop a Van Halen riff / solo note for note but if it doesn't have that aggression then it doesn't sound right and that applies to all music.

CaseOfAce · March 2023

stratman3142 said:

darthed1981 said:

munckee said:

Bizarrely smells like teen spirit, one of the first songs I learned, I know what I’m playing is technically right just doesn’t sound like teen spirit to me.

Exactly what I was going to say, so hard to get like the record.

You probably already know this, but it seems to sound more authentic if the F5 Bb5 Ab5 Db5 section is played with a 3rd or 4th finger barre. Then strummed not too precisely, so there's a bit of a random 4th creeping in on the F5 and Ab5, by hitting the 3rd string.

Correct! If you play it with precise F5 and Ab5 power chords it doesn't sound the same.
You've got to play it using Cobain's sloppy barre technique to get the sus 4s in.

It's one of those simple riffs everybody assumes is stupidly easy but there's a bit more going on.

See also Metallica - Enter Sandman - most people don't know the way Hetfield actually plays it holding down sustaining notes...

roberty · March 2023

Yorkie said:

fretmeister said:

Everything Malcolm Young ever played.

Quick listening just seems to show big chunky chords hit hard, but there’s so much more going on.

People think it's beginner stuff based on what they hear. The difficult stuff is what they don't hear

I was randomly watching some videos of the Darkness live a few weeks ago and was really impressed with Dan's rhythm playing. He's no slouch, always up to something, rock solid. Not super fast but relentlessly detailed and considered

stratman3142 · March 2023

Boys Of Summer for me.

We play it a tone lower than the Don Henley original; like the Eagles in the clip below, which I use as my benchmark.

The excellent Steuart Smith absolutely nails it. I have to occasionally remind myself of the section at 2:14, which I find a bit of a tongue twister. But his picking, groove, time and feel throughout is immaculate. I can play it, but it doesn't sound as good as that. I guess that's why he's with the Eagles and I'm playing in a pub band. He's an incredible player.

hollywoodrox · March 2023

Always loved this song , I used to think it was called Poison summer at first lol

Stuckfast · March 2023

Purple Rain -- only four chords but that Eb9 is a stretch.

stickyfiddle · March 2023

Danny1969 said:

stratman3142 said:

darthed1981 said:

munckee said:

Bizarrely smells like teen spirit, one of the first songs I learned, I know what I’m playing is technically right just doesn’t sound like teen spirit to me.

Exactly what I was going to say, so hard to get like the record.

You probably already know this, but it seems to sound more authentic if the F5 Bb5 Ab5 Db5 section is played with a 3rd or 4th finger barre. Then strummed not too precisely, so there's a bit of a random 4th creeping in on the F5 and Ab5, by hitting the 3rd string.

Yeah this is it .. most people play it too cleanly, it strumming is fairly accurate but the fingering is a little sloppy and that gives it the attitude.

One thing I learnt playing covers for 40 years is give yourself a moment to get into the vibe. A moment to remember how the riff or song sounds in terms of how it makes you feel rather than what notes it comprises of. Because that's what enables a decent player with an Epi LP and a cheap amp sound more like Brian May / Slash / Jimmy Page than some other guy with 4K's worth of gear. Play the right notes but get the feel. You can cop a Van Halen riff / solo note for note but if it doesn't have that aggression then it doesn't sound right and that applies to all music.

VIBE VIBE VIBE 100%

I keep stressing this to my lot. Every song has to feel right and that's way more important than getting the minutia of timing and tone exactly per the record. Every song and every player has their own swing or bounce or groove or whatever but all of them have something that makes them unique.

JerkMoans · March 2023

Stuckfast said:

Purple Rain -- only four chords but that Eb9 is a stretch.

Satan's own chord. PR in E is more or less easy peasy. So Prince decided to do it in F

DaveJames · May 2023

Don't worry about the goverment, talking heads..

Bellycaster · May 2023

Siouxie and the Banshees - Spellbound. It does sound easy but it is quite nifty playing. Well worth trying to get your fingers round that one.

guitartango · June 2023

A Design by life by the Manics, how the hell does he play it and sing at the same time ?

Open_G · June 2023

Brown eyed Girl. So much tougher and intricate than it sounds.

On a similar note I also manage to frequently make a mess of the ballad of John and yoko.

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Songs you find tricky...but sound easy

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