2nd tune: Wish you were here

CanuckTodd · #1 February 17th, 2006

Hey folks,
All the positive feedback from my Barenaked Ladies tune prompted me to record this version of Wish You Were Here tonight. Solos are damn tricky, and I'm a long way from mastering string bends, slides and hammer-ons, so advice on improving this is welcome. I find string bends a challenge with my 12 string and also stopping strings from ringing when I'm trying to pluck individual notes. Well, what the heck, this was I came up with. A beer helped! With all apologies to David Gilmour who can make his guitar sing, this is my "interpretation" of Wish You Were Here!

tcliff · #2 February 17th, 2006

Love that song! Sounds cool on a 12 String.

nagukush · #3 February 17th, 2006

Hey that was too cool stuff buddy. Really beautiful !!! you must be proud of yourself !!!

chuckswood2001 · #4 February 17th, 2006

very very good keep up the good work

chuck

CanuckTodd · #5 February 17th, 2006

This is a friendly group. I appreciate the encouragement.
I think you take a risk when you post an amateurish version of a classic that everyone recognizes, but what the heck! If people think it sounds wretched, I guess they just don't comment!
I'm still intrigued by the comments from some members regarding adding melody tracks to tunes, and was trying to work through some of the finger picking lessons to get a handle on this. I had fun with Here Comes the Sun capoed at the 7th fret on my 12 string. It sounds awesome to play the general chords and also the melody track.
It seems this is a "finger picking" friendly forum, and me being a strummer at this point, we'll I'll just have to convert and see the light!
Maybe I'll throw away my pick and be liberated from the monotony of strumming!

Cheers,
Todd

allthumbs · #6 February 17th, 2006

Enjoyed that. You were struggling a bit with the double stops,hammer ons and pull offs. It is harder to do those cleanly on a 12 string so don't be to hard on yourself. You could do those parts on a six and punch them in to the mix instead. I saw SRV on video do Wham on a 12 so you can do all that stuff on a 12 ,but you would need a huge amount of practice to get to the same point he achieved.

CanuckTodd · #7 February 17th, 2006

Thanks for giving it a listen All Thumbs! You are right, I struggled with getting the solos to sound smooth. I think the 12 string is only part of the struggle, mostly it's just practice and talent! But I'm persistent and it will come one day!
One question: What's a double stop?
I saw Stevie Ray Vaughn open for Dire Straits in Toronto. It was the most incredible guitar playing spectacle I've ever seen. Mark Knoplfer wasn't so bad either!
For the younger folks here, I guess that dates me since SRV died about 16 years ago!
For those who don't know him, do yourself a favour, pay itunes and download a tune or two.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevie_Ray_Vaughan
Ciao

allthumbs · #8 February 17th, 2006

A double stop is just a fancy way of saying your playing 2 notes at the same time.

Kirk Lorange · #9 February 18th, 2006

That's a good effort Todd, and the 12 string is in tune ... a rare thing! Nice sounding guitar too, well recorded. Keep posting, we'll keep sending feedback. You just need to do it more and more and get that flow going, limber them fingers up!

nocat · #10 February 18th, 2006

I enjoyed it Todd...!!! Impressive that you did it on a 12 string.!!!

CanuckTodd · #11 February 18th, 2006

Thanks Kirk,
You have built an amazing resource and community here. All built around the idea of sharing the passion for guitar and helping others deepen their appreciation for music and self-expression. Congratulations, and .... thanks!
I've been working my way through some of your lessons and think I'll buy your book and fret slide rule. As someone who has been blissfully strumming away, playing the odd little lick here and there, your fingerpicking style with melody is introducing a missing element to my playing.
I have taken some guitar lessons and sometimes my instructor will play a melody line while I strum the chorus. But the idea of doing both at once and having it sound amazing as per your lessons, and as it appears in the postings from your disciples is inspiring me to put down the pick and get those fingers rolling! I've always wanted to play Tears in Heaven, but gave up as it sounded terrible. Now, maybe I'll give it another crack.

allthumbs · #12 February 18th, 2006

You might find Kirks lesson cd Pluck a Lorange worth picking up. It has more lessons like those here plus two in depth formerly paid lessons. The complete Desperado in dropped D and Somewhere Over The Rainbow.

Rockerbob · #13 February 18th, 2006

Good work. It's getting there. The 12 string sounds great!

seagull · #14 February 21st, 2006

Very nice, that solo is a bit tricky for us newbies, but you did a good job. I have worked on that one a little but haven't made it all the way through yet. Nice job. I have to get busy and post one. I just did Kirk's Kiss me alot and did it about ten times with no mistakes. Then I take the guitar in to let my wife here it, and start stumbling all over. Did manage to get one good one for her, and she really liked it.

LeeB · #15 February 21st, 2006

always a good measure of a performance is when I want to sing along ... almost immediately I started humming "we are just 2 lost souls living in a fish bowl year after year....
bravo.... fellow countryman