Lately I got into Megadeth and started learning the “Tornado of Souls” solo. I don’t have all of the sweeps down quite yet, but I know when I get there it’ll be the most accomplished I’ve ever felt on guitar. What song is your biggest flex or accomplishment?
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messages that you can hear
I don’t even play guitar, and even I knew that riff immediately
meta post modern life yo
WHOA WHOA whoa ... 6?!?
Oh god not another prog nerd
From the planet Progrok, which is kept under a trapdoor in Hell's basement.
Which is under a crate that only characters with 18+ perception can detect. Any attempt to scour the room by burning furniture etc. immediately ejects you from the dungeon.
smoke under water!
the pliers and the flies
0-0-0-0-0-0-2… 0-0-0-0-0-0-1…
You guys play full songs?
I can noodle around part of the pentatonic
Look at mr. Rockstar over here flaunting his skill all over us plebeians who don't even know what a pentatonic is
I think it's like some kind of religion, man
Nah, isn't it that 5 sided star?
All the four 4 notes?
Yeah, thought everybody just learned the intro and the main riff, guess I’ve been learning the wrong way, maybe that’s why I suck.
My Dad knew an absolutely insane number of songs. One cover band he was in in the 90’s had several thousand songs listed on its website. That was just one band he had 3 at the time. Everybody would always comment on it “are there any songs you don’t know?” Even my friends who I played with that would come around were flabbergasted that he would just drop in on a practice and correct us on a song most people his age didn’t know existed.
I finally asked him one day “how do you know so many songs?” He said “unless you’re playing with an orchestra learning a song note for note is a complete waste of time. No one listening cares. If they wanted the original recording they can listen to it whenever they want. I learn the hooks, the structure, and the chord progressions then fill in the gaps by improvisation. In 40 years no one has called me out on it.”
🤘🤘☠️
Sultans of Swing
Solo too? That’s such an epic song.
Yup! That’s a song I’d take with me to a deserted island.
Congrats brother since you learned it now you can take it anywhere🤘
We’re not worthy! We’re not worthy!
Check out Guitar George...he knows all the chords.
Great choice, and to answer someone else's question, yes include solo. On acoustic guitar, transposing it down an octave is cool too.
It was amazing when I started
That second solo is such a blast to play. It feels so epic.
To me the best thing about that song and Mark Knopfler is how expressive and dynamic his playing is. I guess I'm hyper sensitive to that sort of stuff and know I would never be able to match him so I don't even bother to learn stuff like that
That intro rips, such an iconic sound
That famous solo lick can impress anyone! It’s actually not too difficult to play either once you get the hang of it.
Pride and Joy. That shuffle is easy to play wrong.
I saw this bar band try with three guitars and they still couldn’t pull it off. Lol
I can get the shuffle right, but the tone and some of those runs? No way.
I think I have it but, it was very tricky. I think I leveled up learning that. My fret hand is so much better at muting than it was before
Yea a lot more than just the notes being played going on with that one. I had a friend in highschool who could NAIL the SRV tone and some of his songs. Strat into a tweed blues deluxe w/ a tubescreamer and nothing else. Back then I was rocking a $100 epiphone into a zoom multi-fx with a tiny Peavey practice amp. Hearing his rig blew my mind.
I cringe when I see the intro played wrong
John Mayer - Neon
This song is a beast - better have a strong thumb
Very few people can thumb the stretched chords in the main pattern, like the final chord in the sequence is a beast. I certainly can't with my hands - but it can still sound good using your ring finger on the bass note.
Yeah that's how I play it, if you have tiny hands and/or short fingers it's practically impossible to play it with the thumb
Rn im stil trying to get that stretched thumb right, i can do the song but still need to perfect everything for sure. Its just crazy to me how nonchalantly John Mayer can play it, dude is crazy
I own six Neons and I listen to this song often while driving them.
Under the Bridge isn’t hard but I like to think it sounds nice to non-players
Under the bridge is hard. Anyone saying it’s not is either capping hard as fuck or is the guitar equivalent of drew Brees saying throwing a 60 yard bomb is easy
Yeah, I’ve known how to play Under the Bridge for years; but every time I play it, I find another bit that makes me go “damn that still needs some work” lol
Yeah exactly this. Being able to "play the song" is much different than a near perfect execution that actually does the song and Frusciante justice. Crazy he wrote that guitar riff when he was like 18 or 19!
One thing I've always wondered but never took the time to watch film to learn was whether Frusciante plays it 100% the same every time? I feel like I'd be way more impressed to learn he plays it precisely every time and way more humbled if I learned even he doesn't do that.
RHCP on SNL in 1992 is an example of him playing it different. And him uhhh... "singing" something not on the recording at the end part.
He doesn't play it exactly the same, but very close. I've noticed the studio version is different from how he plays live. But it's not for a lack of ability!
I recently got into an argument about this with one of the homies lol. It seems to me that when he plays it live he leaves out some of the embellishments. There is a video of him “teaching” the song the way HE plays it live. It doesn’t sound the same as the record (I think this may be due to being limited to one guitar live but people have found ways to do it that sound like the record). if you look up tabs they try and get as close to the recording as possible but it’s different from the way he plays it live. my friend swears that the instructional video John did is the only way to do it lol.
The fuck, I wasn’t aware he was that young when he wrote this. Such an epic song with so cool lines on the guitar, I still noodle it regularly.
Although I can appreciate this comment because the execution is indeed difficult, I can also understand the prior comment’s validity because if the song’s ease lies in the simplicity of its harmonic structure.
Or some shit like that… 🤘🤘🤘
bruv, it is hard. most of Frusciante's stuff is hard to play right. He is a well appreciated, but underestimated musician.
I still cannot play Snow for the full duration of the song. I just don't have the endurance for that.
Oh yeah Snow is hard AF no argument there. I use it as a warm-up exercise with no hope of playing it properly. What I meant was songs like Under the Bridge and Scar Tissue are quite a bit easier than the Hendrix stuff that inspired them.
Relatively, yes. They’re easier.
But I’ve never been able to play them the way Frusciante does. I know the notes, I can play the notes perfectly, but the feel is always different.
Low gain settings tend to bare all aspects of your playing, I feel.
that’s what loop pedals are for ;)
If I don’t get my hand just right in the intro I fuck up the hammer-on/pull-off every damn time. Damn intro made me raise my strap when I played it in a cover band a few years back.
It’s hard enough for me haha
playing it note for note is harder than people think, but you could get the jist of it down pretty quickly
under-estimated aspect
The Worst by Polyphia
So Strange for me
Literally came here to say this, and didn’t expect to see it
I knew how to play goat but it was a while ago so I've lost all the muscle memory 💀
That run (you know the run) is so fucked up
Tim Henson’s “how to write a riff part 3” for me
Hail to the King
Bat Country
Beast and the Harlot
Nightmare
Incase you couldn't tell by my username, I like A7X
Great band.
Underrated. Aside from the aesthetic, and the stage names, and a couple questionable creative directions with recent albums, they are phenomenal musicians. Syn is an amazing guitarist. And at their prime they made some fantastic rock and metal that sounded unique.
I will forever be an A7X apologist.
They’re in their prime musically.
Arguably brooks is the perfect replacement for the rev, syn is one of the best guitarists in the world. They’re experimenting with technology and really diving into songwriting more than just pumping out basic metal albums.
They’re artists in realty, and i appreciate artists who do what they want regardless of what a label tells them to create.
I don’t want 5 city of evils in a row, I want evolution of art as the artist age musically.
Cliffs of Dover
Taking the time to really learn this one benefited so many other aspects of my playing. It was a pretty significant jump even after fifteen or so years of playing.
Those five note groupings in those runs feel so clumsy when I try. It's hard to keep them separated evenly for me.
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This is mine too. Took me years of practicing. And I don’t know anyone that played that easy
I'm not good at the intro, but the rest of the song is so much fun to play!
Respect to you for knowing that one.
Even the intro is really impressive.
I think the intro is the hardest part
Little Wing by Hendrix
Hey Joe for me. Never quite got to grips with Little Wing - at least past the intro anyway!
Hail to the King
You fooled me with that pfp lol
It's a classic pfp
That song is why I wanted to learn guitar
Drifting by Andy McKee
I thought I was a God when I played this at the middle school talent show lol. Haven’t played it in years… well guess it’s time to go redevelop the callus on my right pointer finger!
I always preferred Ebon Coast. Took me literally years to learn it.
Btbam selkies sweeps
This is the peak of guitar. Man can go no further.
Except maybe the ending of white walls solos
Colors is still the ‘new’ btbam album to me, pretty sure it released in like 2008
Such a good album. Listened to it from start to finish so many times, wish there was an instrumental version though
This was my white whale in high school lol. Always chasing perfection on it. Never got it.
Gahhhh I forgot about Selkies. Having a major 2009 flashback right now. Thanks for this ❤️
This is my comfort song on guitar although admittedly I usually only play from the jazz part till the end. And the sweeps still aren’t full speed for me yet, but damn are they fun to play…
Seven nation army (but working my way around the solo still)
Are you going full crazy with the pitch shifter—and the open tuning, or adapting it to standard?
Dream Theater - Under A Glass Moon
For an entire song it’s either this or In The Presence of Enemies part 1 for me
The solo from Time by Pink Floyd, lol
If you can master this and get the correct pitch every time for each bend, then you're well on your way to a great ear. I see guitarists all the time bending shit out of key or shaking notes like they're jerking off instead of applying vibrato; it's a horrendous thing to be subjected to.
Honestly, playing this stuff slowly and at loud volumes without making people want to scratch their ears off is way more difficult than a lot of players think. There's a lot of subtlety and nuance to it. When you do it right though? Well, that's why everyone loves Gilmour.
This gave me a bit of a confidence boost lol, Time is definitely a solo I love playing and can confidently hit each bend, but boy did it take time (lol) and patience
Very well said!
Gilmour is a master at "easy" solos that are absolutely dripping in feels. This is in my top 5 of all time solos. It's not fast or flashy or anything but goddamn is it fucking perfection.
Not to flex too hard, but I can play the intro to Nothing Else Matters.
Yakety Sax
This and the cantina band song from Star Wars would be amazing songs to whip out on guitar.
Cult of Personality by Living Color. That song is a workout. It's basically guitar yoga. Used to play it in my old cover band.
Smoke on the Water
Little known fact, the main riff in Smoke on the Water is actually played by an Organ. 🤘. Deep Purple ftw
Glasgow Kiss by John Petrucci or Bloodmeat by Protest the Hero
glasgow kiss is such a rite of passage for every DT fan
The rain song by zepp
Stabwound by Necrophagist
Chapter four A7X But only in a good day and if I’m warmed up properly
Never see this kind of anthem talked about enough 💪 love chapter four
I'm happy to see that so many players here like me like to play a7x stuff.
I can play and sing the rain song.
EDIT: Here it is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNdgiL7H-JQ Aduio quality is shit though.
That’s a beautiful guitar part, I would play it more if I didn’t have to spend 17 extra seconds retuning my guitar
I tried learning that one and decided to stop before losing my mind
Pet Sematary by the Ramones.
Giant Steps, but I still think my improv over it is pretty vanilla and unhip
This Charming Man/Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others
It's not much, but it's honest work
I'm pretty close on Knights of Cydonia. It's my go-to when testing a new guitar as I hit notes all over the fretboard.
Waterslide - Chon
I can’t play anything flashy like sweeping or shredding, so this is is the best I can think of
Bubble Dream is a blast to play. You should check that one next.
This band is my bedroom guitar heaven; unfortunately I’m kinda ass, but if bubble dream isn’t super hard then that’s probably where I’m going next. So many bangers to choose from.
castles made of sand
Idk, solo wise I think deep purple highway star. I can downpick master of puppets? I play alot of Iron maiden with solo's.
Dude that solo is so fucking hard
Money for Nothing/Sultans of Swing the way that Mark Knopfler plays them. Not insanely difficult, but so many people dont use his finger plucking pattern and it really makes those songs.
The Trees by Rush. Classical finger style opening, nice rock chord progression, awesome weird timing instrumental part and really good really short solo. Perfect song IMO.
Ishimura by Jason Richardson. Took me about 5 months to learn it. By far, and I mean, BY FAR the most difficult shit I’ve ever played. Nothing even compares, not even the Chon and Polyphia I’ve learned.
Overture 1928
Such a good song
Scuttlebuttin’ SRV
Should I stay or should I go
All by myself - Green Day
(Flexing on the guitar is such an odd concept for me personally).
The same as you, OP. That and the solo to Painkiller. Those two are my holy grail of metal lead guitar playing. One day I'll be able to completely nail both but right now I'm about 85% there. Can't do ToS at full speed but I can get it all at 80%! It's only taken me 20 years on and off trying them.
Someone’s in the Wolf - Queens of the Stone Age
Big Love by Lindsay Buckingham.
BYOB by soad a little
Metallica - One
Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata 3rd Movement's arrangement by Dr. Viossy.
The solo from My Sharona is INCREDIBLY satisfying to get down.
"Painkiller" by Judas Priest.
Can't Stop
Wax Wings - Periphery Are You Dead Yet? - Children of Bodom Goat - Polyphia
Fermented Offal Discharge
Either "Hybrid Earth" by Erra (with the solo), "Insomnia" or "Marigold" by Periphery.
We were trying to play “Lucretia” in like 11th grade. Pre YouTube. I was playing bass. We actually did it alright. It wasn’t perfect but we were definitely the best band in our school.
90s X-Men theme
“Mayonaise” by The Smashing Pumpkins
Dust in the wind 😁
I am definitely not a finger picker. Still managed to learn the wii theme (finger picking). Apart from that, some necrophagist songs seem to be a flex on guitar.
Masters Apprentices
Sails of Charon
Purple rain and I'm goddamn proud of it.
Angeles by Elliott Smith
If I like them, Hocus Pocus
If I don't, Dueling Banjos
Classical Gas
Europa Carlos Santana for me
Such a lovely song
Jim Croce songs seem to impress when played at speed…operator, time in a bottle, new yorks not my home, and say i love you in a song
This Charming Man
I can play Limelight by Rush and sing it while playing
I used to play Master of Puppets at 90% speed... downpicking. Eventually evolved tendinitis, and had to stop playing guitar for some months. Never got back to playing that bitch properly.
Now my biggest flex is Fear of the Dark, without the solos tho. Just rythm.
Drifting - Andy McKee
Or,
Falling for Twelves - Craig D’Andrea
Electric Eye - Judas Priest
Glass Faces by Corelia is by far the most difficult song I’ve ever learned, but most people have never heard of that band and those that do usually hate them, so my biggest flex is that at one point I knew every lead, rhythm, and bass part to all of the Master of Puppets album
Freewill by Rush
Probably “Far Beyond The Sun” by Yngwie Malmsteen or “Scarified” by Racer X.
If not shred stuff, probably a classical Bach piece or or an 8 finger tapping piece.
Lie in our graves & The Stone - Dave Matthews Band
Hot crossed buns baby
I do a mean Back to the Old House by The Smiths.
Reptile by Periphery for technical stuff
Angeles by Elliott Smith for singing and playing at the same time
NEONNNNN
Neon-JM
Sunshine of Your Love - full song
Ode to Joy...
I could play cliffs of dover note for note 20 years ago. I stopped playing for a few years and can’t play it anymore. Nowadays I just rip some improv, which is more what I’m into now.
I guess for me it’s charity by Courtney Barnett. I can’t play anything super flashy but this is the song that took me the longest to learn (which to be fair is probably just because i didn’t know how to play bar chords when I started learning it)
My claim to fame is being able to play the tapping section of Cafo by Animals as Leaders that starts at 2:30ish. That’s it. Otherwise I suck
I’m not a virtuoso. It used to be “Rumble,” now it’s “Marquee Moon”
Leyenda, or Bach’s Boureé
The solo of One, fairly simple technically but sounds really impressive. Had a mate come over once while I was playing it, told me to carry on so I did. Just before the solo, he said something like “bet you can’t play this next bit” and the satisfaction of nailing it was extreme.
“What song is this, I’ve never heard it before?”
can learn the chords in no time due to theory knowledge and instrument fluency
they’re impressed
The 1st song I ever learned was Dee probably my only flex because I play pretty casually now
Probably Capricho Arabe, or Gran Vals, by Francisco Tarrega.
I've been playing professionally for 20 years. Playing 30 years total. I don't think I've played or learned to play a song to 'flex' a single time. 🤷♂️ Although I'm a weirdo and don't really like to play other people's songs.
Maybe my flex is that I can tune my guitar real fast.
Ocean by John Butler Trio.. I can even tune to open c by ear at this point. Took about 6 months to figure out all the sections of the song. Doesn’t help that he changes it every damn time he plays it haha.
Call Me the Breeze (All three guitars.)
Marigold by Periphery. Maybe not the toughest song in the world, but it sure is a stretch on 27”
Too many people shouted “free bird” at shows to heckle us, so me and the band learned it note for note as a clap-back lol.
Blackbird by Alter Bridge. It sounds nice!
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or if the ladies are watching I don't like to show off so I like to do some lil Wayne style humble stuff