Hardest song I'm playing now is Divided Sky by Phish. Have it all down, just struggle w/ that palindrome part - it's soooo fast and tough to keep up with. I can do it at a slower speed, but not in real time. I'll get it, though. I also have Stash down, but although it seemed real hard in the beginning, it doesn't seem hard at all now. Also practicing Lizards and Julius currently. Julius isn't theoretically hard, per se, just technically hard because it's very precise and repetetive and quick. Constant flow, can't miss a note type thing.
As for GD, I guess the hardest song I play by them would be Eyes, based on what you guys say, but I don't find it all that hard. That doesn't necessarily mean I'm kicking it's ass J-Gar style, but I think I'm adequate at it at the least. You know, I don't find GD to be all that technically "hard", but more creatively hard. I mean, the songs are fairly simple and straight forward, for the most part, and maybe that's why so many of us love playing it. Even when they get into theory and the technical stuff, it's all pretty much surface level. The stuff that I find hard is the solos Jerry does (in terms of well incredible he puts his phrases together), Bob's chord comps/styles/rythms/just the way he plays and accents, and the comination of them all working as a band and one unit. That's the amazing and un-replicable part to me.
But for Phish, for instance, I look at their music and find it much harder and more broad in terms of what's going on and how much there is to think about. A lot of their stuff is very technical, and I wonder if maybe that's why more people don't give it a shot on guitar. Now, I know some folks don't because they can't get with their music, but for those of you who don't mind Phish or even (gasp!) like Phish, do you challenge yourselves and try to tackle some of their stuff? I've learned a lot by doing that. Kinda like having a music teacher, but you end up being your own teacher by studying the music, if that makes any sense.
Back to the Dead, I don't think Eyes is the hardest song, just the hardest song I play, I guess....maybe WRS > Let It Grow - that get's pretty hard in spots. I'd put King Solomon's, Unbroken, Terrapin (which I play, but not consistently....and not really hard...just a lot to remember), Victim, Sailor > Saint, Dupree's, Help > Slip, and maybe even Lazy Lightning > Supplication in the category of being the "hardest songs to play by the GD". I'm probably missing a few, but it's 12:20 a.m. and I've had a few after watching the Pats trounce San Diego!
G'night!
As for GD, I guess the hardest song I play by them would be Eyes, based on what you guys say, but I don't find it all that hard. That doesn't necessarily mean I'm kicking it's ass J-Gar style, but I think I'm adequate at it at the least. You know, I don't find GD to be all that technically "hard", but more creatively hard. I mean, the songs are fairly simple and straight forward, for the most part, and maybe that's why so many of us love playing it. Even when they get into theory and the technical stuff, it's all pretty much surface level. The stuff that I find hard is the solos Jerry does (in terms of well incredible he puts his phrases together), Bob's chord comps/styles/rythms/just the way he plays and accents, and the comination of them all working as a band and one unit. That's the amazing and un-replicable part to me.
But for Phish, for instance, I look at their music and find it much harder and more broad in terms of what's going on and how much there is to think about. A lot of their stuff is very technical, and I wonder if maybe that's why more people don't give it a shot on guitar. Now, I know some folks don't because they can't get with their music, but for those of you who don't mind Phish or even (gasp!) like Phish, do you challenge yourselves and try to tackle some of their stuff? I've learned a lot by doing that. Kinda like having a music teacher, but you end up being your own teacher by studying the music, if that makes any sense.
Back to the Dead, I don't think Eyes is the hardest song, just the hardest song I play, I guess....maybe WRS > Let It Grow - that get's pretty hard in spots. I'd put King Solomon's, Unbroken, Terrapin (which I play, but not consistently....and not really hard...just a lot to remember), Victim, Sailor > Saint, Dupree's, Help > Slip, and maybe even Lazy Lightning > Supplication in the category of being the "hardest songs to play by the GD". I'm probably missing a few, but it's 12:20 a.m. and I've had a few after watching the Pats trounce San Diego!
G'night!
Play music, expand the mind, inspire...
"We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey" - Japanese poet Kenji Miyazawa
www.myspace.com/heavydime
"We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey" - Japanese poet Kenji Miyazawa
www.myspace.com/heavydime
