Anyway - I’m moving all my guitar stuff to a new room in the house, and was playing around with an amp sim. Found a pretty nice low-gain tone, and wanted to record one of my favorite solos, from one of my favorite guitar players.
I think “Smoke On The Water” is sometimes being treated a bit unfairly… music store owners forbidding people to play it, the main riff being thought of as the ultimate beginners riff… the endless memes online, as response to when someone posts something cool on guitar - “yeah, but can he play Smoke On The Water? Lol…”.
In my opinion it’s still a damn fine song, and it’s actually not that easy to play it - at least to make it sound correct!
Richie Blackmore is playing this solo with a very low gain tone, it’s very staccato, it’s played very precisely with some picked runs that are actually pretty fast. Lots of bends, including pre-bends. All of that has to be on-point, or the thing collapses. In some ways I think this solo is at least as difficult to pull of as some of the more flashy ones I already covered (ex. Burn and Highway Star).
Anyway, enough rambling - hope you’ll enjoy this little clip. And have a nice weekend!!
That’s great, brilliant playing! And I completely agree about the unfairness with which the song is treated. It’s a banger and the more I listen to it the more I love it. Sure, the riff played alone can sound dull, but when you add drums and that unstoppable-sounding bass you have one of the greatest hard rock songs ever. And all of that even before Gillan starts singing.
Hi Kasper,
I hope all is well over that way. You are very good at play and tones. I was not sure about this tone though, via the sim. So I spun up a YT vinal copy and it has you very close. Sounded good to me anyway.
On that music store ban. I suspect that might be more the rhythm guitar part? I am not sure as I was not privy to the ban on this one. I know Stairway is likely the number one ban…
Sounded pretty damn close tone wise to me Kasper and you nailed the solo to my ears and I have spun this up 1000s of times (somethings are embedded in the soul).
As to the music store business, is it true or is it myth. Guess folks playing a one fingered version of the riff would grind. But my mission for you is to visit all the guitar shops in Denmark, browse around, ask to test drive a few models, Get plugged in and amped up and the say “Can I play Smoke On The Water?” then launch into this. Then just put the guitar down and walk out the door !
Delightful, Kasper. Jimmy Page seems to get more love and respect than Blackmore or Iommi, but have to say I think Blackmore is just so good. And you nailed it. Love to watch you play, to show us how it is done.
As for the riff, I have watched Steve Morse talk about how it is played, and it is not the one finger deal that most of us roll off.
Hello Kasper, that was such an enjoyable piece of music! So interesting to watch how it’s played .
I would never dare to call this a simple song. Thanks a lot for sharing it, and also for some background infos (I’ve never heard about a ban in music stores before, but I could imagine, that it’s the case for the riff ).
To be honest, I think there is more myth than reality to those stories about people getting kicked out. I have seen signs hanging in shops, saying that it’s absolutely forbidden to play those “cliché” songs… but in general I’ve found people working in music stores to be really nice people, so I doubt they would actually kick anyone out for playing those riffs. Would also be a pretty bad way to keep a nice and happy - not to mention paying and returning - customer base
Hi Kasper, I must confess I couldn’t resist to check in the thread from the title I can’t comment on the matter itself as I don’t play the electric guitar. Your playing is very accurate, clean and smooth and sounds awesome!
@DarrellW Thanks, yes that Suhr is my main guitar for use live. Great instrument, love it!
@Gonetoearth Thanks! Yeah blue was always my favorite color for guitars! Ever since I was a kid, all my main guitars have been blue. First I had a nice blue Fender Strat, then my trusty MusicMan Luke, then another MusicMan Luke 3… and now this blue Suhr.
And thanks to all the rest of you who listened, really appreciate the nice feedback.
That was very cool, Kasper. Maybe it’s a sign of love that people pick on it because it is such a great piece of guitar playing. Anyway, that was a great bit of playing.
Time now to take it to a guitar store and see how you get on.
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This was fantastic!
I can’t comment on the matter itself as I don’t play the electric guitar. Your playing is very accurate, clean and smooth and sounds awesome! 
. Very cool guitar as well - blue ones always sound better