[st stephen]

Ok...i feel like this will create some great responses and a great debate so lets here your opnions.

Now that i have been playing guitar for 12 years and basically play GD type material through my whole guitar career my question is this.

When it comes to musical composition, who do you think wrote more difficult and creative songs?? NOT talking about lyrics, not even talking about riffs.
Strictly chord progression of songs. So for example its just you on stage with an acoustic guitar, which tunes overall are harder to play Jerry G's or Bob Weir's??

Jerry or Bob??

Though overall i like jerry tunes better, i think bobby wrote the tougher more challeging songs to play.

example: victim or the crime, weather report, lazy lighting, playing in the band, music never stops just to name a few that always gave me problems to play on my own.

[spacehead333]

id have to say Bob. His rhythim is so hard to reproduce. Ver different approach on rythim guitar that Bob has.

[gratephulphish123]

bob, jerrys chords are often alot simpler except a few like crazy fingers

[lostsailor8782]

Definately Bob ... if you want some really deep insight into Bobby's style take a look at Bop Pianist McCoy Tyner, Bobby names him as his biggest influence as far as phrasing and so forth

[Shaggy]

On average Bob wrote more challanging songs in terms of chord changes and difficulty to play. Though Jerry wrote a few himself, not all his songs were simple and Bob did write a few simple ones too.

But, that doesn't make it more creative, I think creative is a different matter.

Jerry was a more natural songwriter than Bob, although he claimed to hate writing(I take that with a pinch of salt!). And wrote more of the songs. But because of this it might be fair to say that Bob's songs were more original sounding.

The best thing was they were both very different and came up with such different songs, it wouldn't have done them both turning out similar type songs.

And also Bob would find neat and original ways to contribute to Jerry's songs and likewise Jerry would play some of his best leads on Bob's songs.

I could go on rambling but you get my drift! I hope!

[astroman99]

Doesn't Phil rate an option on this one,
anyway, I totaly admire Jer's playin ,but Bobby has the more intricate chords, even if you consider his solo stuff like Heaven Help The Fool, but Jer has some different stuff , like Slipknot, Terrapin Station. Bob though wins this one, however intricasy does not a song make. An example
Phish has some very intricate songs I don't like

[JackORoses]

yea id definately say bobby, jerrys songs tend to have be based more on the melody than the chord progression imop

[winston]

Bob wrote the more complicated progressions into his songs, and he also choses more complicated chords than Jerry would to fill a given rhythm - he puts in more extended notes, a lot of 6ths for instance, for subtle color. Makes sense, he's a rhythm guitarist.

When I am solo finger picking, I agree that Bob's complicated progressions can be more fun to play. When I take up lead, though, I am happier to be on a Jerry tune!

Some Jerry-tune exceptions with complicated chord progressions that work great for solo finger picking: Crazy Fingers, Black Peter, High Time.

[jackr]

When it comes to musical composition, who do you think wrote more difficult and creative songs??

The difficulty has to go to Bob. But creativity I would give to Jerry if you are talking about songs. His melodies are imo better.

If you are talking only about chord progressions it is Bobby.

[Tennessee Jedi]

I love how some of the best Jerry jams come during Bobstar tunes.One of the best guitar combos ever.Jerrys ' tunes follow the Vocals while Bob tends to go for a more rhythmic thing.All in all Bobs tend to be the more complicated of two in my opinion.The most complicated tunes are the ones the band wrote together
like St,Stephen,though.

[BlobWeird]

Shaggy I could be mistaken but I believe him saying he hated writing songs meant he hated writing lyrics. As for the post Id have to say Bobby.

[IamDocWatson]

bob overall...jerry is meldoic and bob is rhythmic so mostly all jerry tunes are simple in fashion with relatively traiditional chord changes..most of the time there no suprise chords in a jerry tune its all stuff youve heard before...but they are laid perfectly for jerry to play lead on so theyre just as creative as a whole song but just chord progression wise bobs are way more creative and different with the exception of a few tunes both ways

[Scary Pete]

Doesn't Phil rate an option on this one,
anyway, I totaly admire Jer's playin ,but Bobby has the more intricate chords, even if you consider his solo stuff like Heaven Help The Fool, but Jer has some different stuff , like Slipknot, Terrapin Station. Bob though wins this one, however intricasy does not a song make. An example
Phish has some very intricate songs I don't like

I really like the example of Heaven Help the Fool. This post is a great answer. Jerry's is more simple (and I like it more), but Bobby was more complex.

[st. stephen]

I remember Jerry saying that a great and complicated chord progression isn't worth anything without a good melodie.....
I think you can hear that in his music as above mentioned, but that doesn't mean that Bob didn't have good melodies.

To answer the question I agree with the other ones:
Bobby

[st stephen]

this is my topic and i apoligize for not putting phil in...i just feel like he did not have enoigh material to compete with jer and bob...but he did write the most beutiful masterpeice of them all.

UNBROKEN CHAIN