Riffs you want to play but even with practice

[carbz]

you just can't seem to pull em off... I'm not talking solo stuff cause we'd have pages of those but part of the composition of a song whether its just an opening riff or a main part in the song. My top two are

1. Van Halen's...Hang em High intro... I find this opener very challenging to do it right. I know what he's doing, Just can't get my right hand flowing right. There's got to be a trick with this one somewhere! Been working on this for years and still cannot play it..



2. Ratt's...Shame Shame opening riff... Ironically a similar kind of thing going on with the right hand on this one as the VH Hang em High though this one is much sliding with the left hand where Hang em Hang is virtually no movement of the left hand. Killer Killer riff by Warren on this one. Not as much time spent on this one as opposed to Hang em High but none the less I can't seem to get this one either... Check at about :57...

[sws1]

I don't find Hang em High nearly as hard as "I'm the One". Somewhat similar approach, but I'm the One has a swing feel which is hard to me to pull off consistently at speed.

[Blix]

Sounds like you need to loosen up your right hand, those aren't that fast really.
The hard thing about Hang Em High is staying loose and snappy, to get the rhythm right.
Remember the two first notes in the riff are both downstrokes.

[sws1]

Originally Posted by sws1

I don't find Hang em High nearly as hard as "I'm the One". Somewhat similar approach, but I'm the One has a swing feel which is hard to me to pull off consistently at speed.

OK - I'm quoting myself. But I listened to this isolated track all the way through. THIS GUY RIPPED!!!!!

Pretty sure this is all single take. No wonder people freaked when he hit the scene. Dear lord. Unbelievable rhythm and feel.

[Help!I'maRock!]

"Stash" by Phish.

[germs]

i can cop reasonably, but to nail "just" right?

recently, it's been:

"Darlene" main riff by T. Graham Brown

"Cult of Personality" main riff by In Living Colour

there's just a timing thing i can't get down on those to have 'em the way i'd be TOTALLY satisfied.

on second thought, maybe it's the drummer's fault...yeah...i'll go with that.

[GD1977]

It's odd this should come up. I rarely listen to any metal these days but, for some reason, I've lately been on a mission to play Master of Puppets at full speed as Hetfield intended – i.e., with downpicks – and to nail that crazy "spider" riff on the intro of Slayer's Reign In Blood. I'm beginning to doubt I'll ever manage the latter.

[blhm84]

This may evoke laughs, but I have F***ed up the opening and ending lick to "Zoot Suit Riot" the last three times I've been called upon to play it. I've practiced that thing innumerbale times, and still, everytime I have to play it, all you hear is "plink, plink, plink". Frustrating to say the least.

[smallbutmighty]

I can play "I'm The One" just fine, but "Hang 'Em High" and "Cult of Personality" are both ones I struggle with.

Another one I have a hard time nailing is the intro to "Satch Boogie". I can play it, but to nail the swing of it is tough.

[mikem]

Originally Posted by GD1977

It's odd this should come up. I rarely listen to any metal these days but, for some reason, I've lately been on a mission to play Master of Puppets at full speed as Hetfield intended – i.e., with downpicks – and to nail that crazy "spider" riff on the intro of Slayer's Reign In Blood. I'm beginning to doubt I'll ever manage the latter.

I'm right there with you, brother. I started playing along to Reign In Blood lately as I really wanted to play some thrash stuff and get back into fast metal. I couldn't keep up with it when I started, but it's coming back to me. Master Of Puppets took some time for me to get with downstrokes and is a bit of a test of endurance unless I'm playing that stuff consistently.

Keep playing- you'll get it! The one tune that pretty well consistently buggers me up is Blackened. I don't think I've ever played that one right.

Mike

[PVH5150]

Not really a riff, but no matter how exact I get the delay, I can never nail the intro to Women In Love.

[B Money]

"Cult of Personality" is really tough to play it the right way. I'm a slop fest when I try it (although to be honest, my playing is a slop fest all the time anyway).

"Battery" by Metallica is super fast and cool. Wish I could play it up to speed...

"Cliffs of Dover". I love it so much, yet I suck so bad at playing it. And it ain't for lack of trying, I have actually practiced this song and still can't do it. I'm just not good enough.

[stump]

I have a tough time with Satch Boogie but am finally getting it. I found that listening and listening and listening... was the key for me. I do I'm the One and Hang 'Em High just fine. I never tried Cult of Personality, I guess I will as I'm up for a challenge. As with anything "practice makes perfect".

[Dr. Tweedbucket]

Originally Posted by Blix

Sounds like you need to loosen up your right hand, those aren't that fast really.
The hard thing about Hang Em High is staying loose and snappy, to get the rhythm right.
Remember the two first notes in the riff are both downstrokes.

I have trouble with that too, I can do it a little slower ok, but not as fast as Eddie. I'm rotating every note, so maybe that's the prob!


Other things .... I can play the solo to Shook Me all night Long perfect on my bed, but if I get out in public, I always find a way to screw up the second half of it.


Alright Now. The solo to that isn't that hard, it's just getting that wild vibrato to sustain longer... I'm still working on that for about 3 years now!

[Phil M]

I haven't tried all that hard, but I've tried enough times to know I might NEVER get it right:

"Cult of Personality" by Living Color
"Hysteria" by Muse

I wanted to play both in bands at different points and then when I went to learn them at home, I came away frustrated.

That EVH stuff? I was never a hardcore fan like so many guitarists are, and I wasn't familiar with the riffs posted above. They sure sound hard as hell though! A lot of his stuff sounds off kilter or off time to me, but it always lands perfectly. That is one benefit to having your brother as the drummer and jamming together all the time!