Thanks Rob. I appreciate you taking time to listen and comment.
Thanks for that Brian. The problem is as you progress there is more opportunity to make the mistakes. As you say though it’s the little bits of progress that keep us going.
The high notes were a bit of a struggle I have to admit!
@RadekSiechowicz @RodC @skinnyt
Thanks so much for the listen and supportive comments guys. It means a lot.
Thanks Sandy it’s always been one of my favourites too.
Thanks Adrian. I appreciate the listen and helpful advice.
I found the little picking run difficult as it tended to knock my timing off. I’ll give your suggestion a try and see if I can improve. The original piano version had 5 notes in the run. I was trying for 3 with a bit of a slide to make 4. I say trying as it didn’t work all that well.
It is quite an iconic note sequence so the song definitely needs it although the original has it after every bar. I did it every second bar.
@SgtColon @mari
Thanks so much for taking time to listen and comment. I’m glad you enjoyed the coughing and muttering. It’s my inability to edit that you can thank for that.
Mari, you’re quite right. In a coffee house situation people cough and start again and no one really notices. In fact I was watching a Paul McCartney video last night on tv and he started a song again 3 times in front of thousands of people who had paid money.
You also mentioned the little note run. See my reply to Adrian above.
@Socio
Well now James youve got me intrigued! What is the wee Scottish song you have in mind?
Thanks for the listen and I’m glad you enjoyed the song and the full fat video too.
Marie’s Wedding ??
Gordon (@sairfingers) I was thinking along the lines of Sunshine on Leith or Caledonia (or the one you played at Marie’s wedding)
Robin Trower Calendonia cool ??
How did I miss this! I love this song so much, and I’m a big fan of your uploads as I’m sure you’re well aware by now Gordon!
Big props to you for doing one takes and as usual you did a wonderful job.
If I may, I got an idea for making it sound more piano-like, how about ditching the pick and plucking the chords? And for the little run you can just be lazy and hammer-on 2 3 on the G string followed by the open B string. You can take one more step to being even lazier (like me) and hammer-on the C chord while you’re at it. No one will notice, promise!
Edit: removed video because I don’t want to hijack your thread, sorry!
@sairfingers Gordon, I really can’t imagine there is no heaven, and don’t even want to think about it that way.
But thanks for this song. A nice job taking on “the boys” .
I enjoyed the performance a lot.
I agree with you that some of these one-takes can lack a little luster that might otherwise be there, but you seem to pull them off well.
I think you’ve been hanging out with Brian too much and the balladism is catching. I request something a little more up tempo sometime just for fun. Well done here, as usual.
@SS7 @oldhead49
Thanks so much for the listen and support guys, it means a lot.
Ivan. I’ll have a go at your suggestion of plucking the chords along with lazy hammer ons. I hadn’t thought of that approach. I’d like to see your video that you mentioned. Don’t worry about thread hi-jacks with me!
Dave. Yes I do seem to travel on the ballad side of the road. I’ll need think of something more up tempo in the future!
I find it difficult to get a full lustre performance as you put it. For the one takes, at the back of my mind I’m thinking if I go at it too enthusiastically I’ll make a huge mistake that can’t be covered up and that’s the end of the one take.
For songs where I have more than one go I suppose at the back of my mind I’m thinking this won’t be the one I’ll keep.
I don’t like Sunshine on Leith but Caledonia might have some potential.
Edit. @TheMadman_tobyjenner No not the Robin Trower song Toby. More Paolo Nutini or Dougie MacLean.
Man, that was FANTASTIC Gordon. It was so good that I found myself singing along with it. Such a great song and, man is it ever needed in today’s world.
Hey Gordon,
I enjoyed this. As I always say, I love your performances. I see you taking on challenges and excelling each time. Very inspiring.
I’ll record it for you again in a little bit and send you a PM Gordon. It’s your thread so there should definitely only be video of you playing!
Imagine no progression
It isn’t hard to do
No C or G or F chord
No quick-change chording too
Imagine Gordon’s fingers
Living life pain free …
Gordon
A fine effort.
There’s some tidying up and fine tuning that, with oncentrated work and tight focus, will allow you to play it at another level.
Get the riff spot on perfect. Forget playing the song just play the riff. Slowly, correctly one hundred times or more. It is such a vital and recognisable part of this song you want it true every time.
Notice that your strumming arm stops for the riff also- remember the pendulum.
You bring a good dynamic and change up by playing the barre chordvF andvG.
You drop in the quick C to Cmaj7 to E to E7 pretty well.
Good stuff.
As to the first three seconds.
It’s not the cough that carries you off it’s the coffin they carry you off in.
Oh ye of short memories…
Not that long ago you were singing songs of praise for my jam-kickin’ Sisters of Mercy mashup Strange Love
@sairfingers- We know where it’s at
at our level of skill (and time left) the most juice we’ll be able to squeeze out these lemons is strumming the acoustic and hollerin’ at anyone willing to listen
(It’s not as if we have balad-balanitis)
@frito @pkboo3
Joe, Pam, thanks for the listen and I’m pleased you enjoyed the song. It’s always been a favourite of mine and despite the original being a piano song it works well in guitar.
You’ll see I’ve been given lots of advice here on how to improve it so I may come back to it further down the line.
Richard. Thanks so much for the listen and advice. Yes the riff is the vital hook in this song. I was annoyed that the little riff part didn’t work as well as it might have. You’re quite right of course. Practise!
I also see what you mean about maintaining the pendulum whilst picking the riff. Quite difficult as it’s hard to hit the right note whilst keeping the arc going. What was that? Ah yes. Practise.
I do like your extra verse. Very good. Another collaboration with @brianlarsen and you could be onto a winner here. Just don’t squeeze his lemons too hard.