Learning to Surf...with the Alien...

D

DocNrock

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Highly doubtful I can learn the solo, with pentuplets and septuplets at 168 bpm, so, I call this done.  Actually, I was surprised I could learn this much of it.  Total blast to play.  One minor mistake, oh well.  Never played with a wah pedal before.  What a hoot!

Back to the iPad for recording.  I figured out a trick that gets my guitar up higher in the mix.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTxDvNkdQ3E[/youtube]
 
Bagman67 said:
Dude, don't stop  now, you're killin' it!
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Thanks, Ian.  I'll futz around with the stuff going forward, but honestly, I do not see myself being able to do some of the stuff he does!  He truly is "Not of this Earth!"

 
You're doing fine. If you have the tab, just play the parts you don't know slow.
 
Cagey said:
You're doing fine. If you have the tab, just play the parts you don't know slow.
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Thank you for the kind words, Kevin.  Indeed, I have tab for it.  And I am slowing it down.  Just playing around with the section at 1:16 of the song,now.  Slowed down to 25%, LOL!!!  Never had to do that with anything I have successfully learned, before!  :laughing7:
 
If you're talking about that part where he starts in on that high-pitched warble, he's actually only picking half the notes directly, even though he's using the pick for all the notes. He holds the pick sideways and drives the pick back and forth across the string so when the pick hits the string, it acts like a hammer-on, and when it slides off it acts like a pull-off. You get two notes out of one motion, and he's moving in both directions.
 
Cagey speaks truth:  the gimmick shows up here at 1:09, and in the following bit you can see how much is legato pull-offs and hammer-ons.  He's not pickin' every note, nohow.


[youtube]tYThqD2pQbI[/youtube]


What I'm sayin' is, you can do this.


Edit - then again at 3:27, and you can see what's going on a little better.


Also, at 2:50ish, you can see the audience - a buncha middle aged white guys.  Shocker.
 
Cagey said:
If you're talking about that part where he starts in on that high-pitched warble, he's actually only picking half the notes directly, even though he's using the pick for all the notes. He holds the pick sideways and drives the pick back and forth across the string so when the pick hits the string, it acts like a hammer-on, and when it slides off it acts like a pull-off. You get two notes out of one motion, and he's moving in both directions.
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Actually, that part is pretty easy.  He's just using the pick to tap at the 22nd fret, then using his left hand to finger the notes going down from the 21st fret to the 7th.  The part I'm talking about is the legato part that immediately follows that pick-hammer part! 
 
Bagman67 said:
Cagey speaks truth:  the gimmick shows up here at 1:09, and in the following bit you can see how much is legato pull-offs and hammer-ons.  He's not pickin' every note, nohow.


[youtube]tYThqD2pQbI[/youtube]


What I'm sayin' is, you can do this.


Edit - then again at 3:27, and you can see what's going on a little better.


Also, at 2:50ish, you can see the audience - a buncha middle aged white guys.  Shocker.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Ian.  I guess given enough time, anything is possible.  I estimate the rest of the song will take me about a year.  :toothy12:

Seriously, though, I'll keep picking at it (pun intended). 

All those middle-aged white guys were like you and me when we first got the tape or CD!  :headbang1:
 
The part in question is definitely a legato part. It's fairly logical in its note choice so should be just a case of getting it under the fingers only. While practicing put you right hand away and play it with the left hand only to build strength and to avoid needless picking.

I'd also on the opening theme up around the 10th fret, I would play the note on the 9th fret, G string with the first finger. The bend has a different flavour that way and it sets you up for the next note 10th fret on the A string 3rd finger.
 
stratamania said:
The part in question is definitely a legato part. It's fairly logical in its note choice so should be just a case of getting it under the fingers only. While practicing put you right hand away and play it with the left hand only to build strength and to avoid needless picking.

I'd also on the opening theme up around the 10th fret, I would play the note on the 9th fret, G string with the first finger. The bend has a different flavour that way and it sets you up for the next note 10th fret on the A string 3rd finger.
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Thanks for the tip, John.  I'll give some of those things a try.  I started learning that legato phrase at 25% speed.  Got it memorized and up to 50% yesterday, but I'll be amazed it I can get it up to 100%.

Verne Bunsen said:
Nice! Sounding good Doc, keep it up!
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Thank you, sir.  Too kind!
 
stratamania said:
Either way it's good practice and another techinique to incorporate.  :rock-on:
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Great point! 

FWIW, I'm at 70% now, and my fingers are intermittently going on strike!  :laughing7:
 
Cool here is another tip. Once comfortable at 70% towards the end of the practice try a couple of bursts past that at 80-85% even if it's not totally clean tell those fingers you are going to go faster next time.
 
stratamania said:
Cool here is another tip. Once comfortable at 70% towards the end of the practice try a couple of bursts past that at 80-85% even if it's not totally clean tell those fingers you are going to go faster next time.
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Sounds like a good idea.  :icon_thumright:
 
Nice work Doc. Just keep with it. You'll get it down. It took me about two months to get the whole solo under my fingers as well.
 
MikeW said:
Nice work Doc. Just keep with it. You'll get it down. It took me about two months to get the whole solo under my fingers as well.
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Thank you for the vote of confidence, Mike!

FWIW, here is the legato section I was talking about...at only 75% speed.  That last 25% is going to take a long time.  :laughing7:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SmqCuIHkvI[/youtube]
 
Brent, you technique continues to just get better and better.
You're not coming off the fingerboard more than is necessary and much more efficient in placing the finger to the next note.  Your vibrato is getting wider at will, and you look very relaxed overall.  :headbang1:

I'm really enjoying watching these vids of you.  :eek:ccasion14:


PS, that flame on the soloist ain't bad either.  :glasses9:
 
TonyFlyingSquirrel said:
Brent, you technique continues to just get better and better.
You're not coming off the fingerboard more than is necessary and much more efficient in placing the finger to the next note.  Your vibrato is getting wider at will, and you look very relaxed overall.  :headbang1:

I'm really enjoying watching these vids of you.  :eek:ccasion14:


PS, that flame on the soloist ain't bad either.  :glasses9:
Click to expand...

Thank you for the encouragement, Tony.  I'm trying to stay relaxed, otherwise my hand cramps up!  :laughing7:  I've got that legato lick at 85%, now.  Not sure if I can ever get it faster than that, but I'll keep plugging along at it.

I know there are a lot of players on here (like you) who are way better than I am.  But I'm hoping my videos will be helpful to some who are just learning to play.

Thanks for the kind words on my Jackson USA.  Love that guitar. 
 
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