I recently did a test recording for a DAW
I didnt intend to publish it since its just a test / WIP and wanted to re record it to get something better
But after some thoughts … I realised that striving for something perfect is pointless especially since Clapton himself does plenty of mistakes in the original recording
Perfection does not exist !
If I re record it , some little mistakes I made will maybe get better but I will probably create other mistakes elsewhere !
So here it is as it is !
The original is a live played at the Apollo in Scotland in 78
I played over the original song as a backing track
I tried to mix it so as the BT is quieter than my guitar but still loud enough to hear
clapton singing
Meaning you can still hear him play in the background
I sent the recording to my teacher and he gave me a 20/20
I worked a lot on this one this year so Im happy !
I originally started to work on it as a grade 3 song with only some bends and the rythm in open chords
Then I started learning the arpeggios with my teacher on the original radio version
In the end we started working on the live version as well which was way harder
All the arpeggios are differents , not 2 are alike !
It was a real challenge to memorize them all
Really well played, Deborah.
Congratulations!
(I’m not sure where your barriers go up for sound manipulation, but I find programs that remove instruments useful for this kind of exercise.)
Great tone as well as playing
Really nicely played Deborah - you have clearly spent a lot of time getting some of those double bends just right. Great feel.
This is where I draw the line learning ‘actual’ parts - If Clapton couldn’t bother to learn and repeat the same pattern, then I’m not going to copy his improv
Bravo Deb.
You’ve had extreme heat to contend with while learning this so it hasn’t been obstacle free.
Clapton was notoriously drunk through his late 1970s concerts. I won’t go into that here. The Glasgow Apollo concert was, apparently, better than most and some live tracks were released. But if the arpeggios were different throughout this song, I dare to suggest that it was not pre-planned and composed, but a result of playing while heavily under the influence.
Setting yourself the task of actually memorising every single variation is commendable but, in my view, an unnecessary one. The main arpeggios with a few variations here and there is more than enough. Clapton will not ever have played what you have just committed to memory ever again.
Bravo to you though.
ps
Dare I say that I really do not like this song …
I had seen this was on your practicing list for a long time!
Your endurance has definitely paid back with this great rendition!
To me the balance is just right to hear your playing on top and the original still in the background.
I had once started to learn this song a long ago (just the chord picking), but then was demotivated when I heard my nephew playing and singing it so well so I dropped it.
@brianlarsen thanks a lot
Im against AI and so is my teacher so we decided to do it the old way
Im glad you noticed the tone , the DAW is excellent
Im really glad of the result , I think I ll keep it
only for the finish line but recording in this heat was hard
I did it between 2 heatwaves and a fresh day was still 28°C
oh yeah we talked a lot about it with my teacher and had some great laugh while listening closely to the original song
most of it is clearly not planned at all XD
About the arpeggios , Im not at a level where I can do my own improv
I started learning this version at the same time I started BLIM
but learning them gave me some freedom to play
If I forget one while playing I can still replace them by any of the others and it often happened while practicing ^^"
the reason I learned them is also that I liked them a lot
I will be honest and say : I ve never liked that song XD
to be more specific , I like the music but hate the lyrics ( hey Im drunk , you put me to bed , you re so wonderful )
and I loved the music in live version so I tried to not notice him singing XD
That was really fantastic. I’ve been following your LL and so I know how long you have been learning and practicing this song. I think you have done a brilliant job. I’m sure it’s very difficult to play. I would never be able to memorise all that, let alone actually play it. And you have been learning “On the Beach” at the same time, which is from one of my favourite artists Chris Rea. Both probably very difficult to play.
Just a comment on covers, which follows on from Richard’s comment about the variation in arpeggios. Perhaps it would be better as a separate thread (or perhaps it already exists ! ): I’m always quite surprised that people want to play covers exactly as it was played originally in a recording. I don’t see the point in that. I like to sing and play guitar and when you sing, trying to get the singing just like someone else is impossible. But I think it would be a bit boring if all covers of songs were exactly like the original. Isn’t the point of a cover that it’s your own interpretation of the song, not necessarily that of the original artist?
Some covers are better than the original some are worse, but I think the least interesting are where someone tries to exactly mimic the original. I can’t see the point in that - unless you’re in a tribute band, of course!!
Having said all that, I do fully understand that you have undertaken learning this as a major step in your guitar playing development and the result is truly impressive. I’m not trying to do you down in any way - just a more personal offering about the point of doing covers exactly like the original.
Would be a good thread(s)
should a cover sound like the original?
covers that are better than the original
covers that are much worse than the originals.
After all that … well done Deborah. You can be proud of that recording.
Well done Deborah, this was wonderful! I can tell that you put a lot of effort in this and it paid off. I like your tone, the phrasing is really clean and bends are accurate - this is really a level above everything I saw from you so far. Keep going, I look forward to seeing more things from you.
[quote="Prof_Thunder, post:9, topic:416150”]
That was really fantastic.
[/quote]
thanks
On the beach still need practice though XD
[quote="Prof_Thunder, post:9, topic:416150”]
I’ve been following your LL and so I know how long you have been learning and practicing this song.
[/quote]
poor you , it must have been a bit boring ^^”
I dont post much WIP on my log
to answer your comment :
I never intended to do an original cover
My initial goal back in september was just to learn how to bend
Wonderful tonight looked like a good song to pick for that , I could play the rythm in open chord and add the lead guitar part in between
but once I ve done that it became a challenge : “ lets see how far you can go with this song "
I have a good teacher , Im glad he pushed me to always go farther
so as you say : it was just a major step to learn how to play and nothing more
to be honest Im already glad being able to do a good exact cover than a bad original one XD
As a person who does not really know the ins and outs of claptons work. That sounds amazing to me. I would not even sweat the small stuff unless you really want to for personal reasons and are playing to a crowd of Clapton fans. Honestly If you had not told me I would never have known there were errors.
A wonderful performance, one of the best I’ve heard on here. There are some subtle variations in the dynamics of your picking and beautiful tone throughout: your accompaniment is song like. You were wonderful tonight - and every other night you play it so well.
Just chiming in here to say that I listened to it all and I’m glad that you decided to share this “test recording”. It was very pleasing to hear.
Incidentally, I keep seeing such nice content from BLIM students here that I’m already sold on the idea. I just need to carve out some time to join a future BLIM cohort in 2027 or thereabouts
That’s a given. Why try to match every song note for note, especially on something like this, that sounds straight forward but is far from it. Get the basics and make it your own.
Your soloing is coming along in leaps and bounds. But the rhythm is also solid and fundamental to everything that follows. Great job.
BTW anything that comes out of the Apollo Glasgow from back then, is worth a listen.
Like this classic !!
Mac, that sounds pretty great to me! .
Can you play “Tennessee Whiskey”? I’d really like to learn that one in finger style (I can strum the chords just fine).
)
I can tell that you put a lot of effort in this and it paid off. I like your tone, the phrasing is really clean and bends are accurate - this is really a level above everything I saw from you so far. Keep going, I look forward to seeing more things from you. 
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