Ultimate Rhoads

...play it, it takes on a whole 'nother level. I think I need to spend a little more time in the woodshed. An hour every other day just isn't cutting it. See, when it comes to playing stuff, I'm a stickler. I'm not one for noodling or improvising anything when the original guitar lines are so good. Playing Randy's stuff is just a whisker's edge from...dare I say...impossible.

To think that this dude triple tracked all of these solos, it almost makes me sick how good he is. I can imagine lucking out and laying down one good one, but three?! Even the live stuff blows me away. The easier, more approachable solos (say, GTR and IDK) are still hard as hell. I've put a lot of time and effort into playing the guitar, but Randy's stuff is just about the only music that makes me put the guitar down out of frustration. Of course I'll pick it back up after a little break...I mean, that's what I assume Randy the teacher would want me to do.

All this comes after trying to play along to FHA but being too lazy to tune the guitar down a half step, then totally flubbing the tapping section at the end of the solo because I didn't know where my hands were supposed to be. Those fretboard markers sure do come in handy.

So, to pose a question, how do you go about playing his material? Strive for note-for-note perfection and spot-on feel, or just "good 'enough"?

NoQuattro wrote:...play it, it takes on a whole 'nother level. I think I need to spend a little more time in the woodshed. An hour every other day just isn't cutting it. See, when it comes to playing stuff, I'm a stickler. I'm not one for noodling or improvising anything when the original guitar lines are so good. Playing Randy's stuff is just a whisker's edge from...dare I say...impossible.

To think that this dude triple tracked all of these solos, it almost makes me sick how good he is. I can imagine lucking out and laying down one good one, but three?! Even the live stuff blows me away. The easier, more approachable solos (say, GTR and IDK) are still hard as hell. I've put a lot of time and effort into playing the guitar, but Randy's stuff is just about the only music that makes me put the guitar down out of frustration. Of course I'll pick it back up after a little break...I mean, that's what I assume Randy the teacher would want me to do.

All this comes after trying to play along to FHA but being too lazy to tune the guitar down a half step, then totally flubbing the tapping section at the end of the solo because I didn't know where my hands were supposed to be. Those fretboard markers sure do come in handy.

So, to pose a question, how do you go about playing his material? Strive for note-for-note perfection and spot-on feel, or just "good 'enough"?

Back in the 80's when I was a teenager, I HAD to play them note for note. I drove my guitar teacher nuts with requests to teach me the stuff on DOAM and BOO. I made sure to tune down to Eb to make sure I sounded like the real thing. There were times as I got older that I had them perfect & spot on.
After college, job, kids, life etc I have since forgotten much of the note for note stuff. I teach guitar to kids and adults, and if they want note for note, then I have to study the old tab books and break things down step by step.

Many young kids want to play those Ozzy songs. Black sabbath songs are still pretty popular among beginning players too.

I enjoy when 8 year olds ask to learn Crazy train. Randy's legacy lives on.

Im in a cover band. As far as leads go it just depends.. I always like to try and put my own feel into everything I play.. Its no disrespect intended to the original artists, but im simplly not them.. Even if you play something note for note, you will never capture the feel of the original artist..

So my approach is this, If its a very cool lead that I personally like, I will try and stick to it as close as possible.. If its a pretty cool lead that I can take or leave, but the general public knows it, I will stick to what I call the basic frame work. I will start the lead correctly, improvise, then hit the middle of the lead, improvise and then hit the ending of the lead.. If its a lead i just hate and that no one cares about I will totally improvise..

If Im playing Randy I always try to stick to it as close as I possibly can.. I always admired Zakk Wylde because he was so respectful of playing Randys stuff almost note for note.. And even Jake E. Lees stuff he played really closely..Just my 2 cents.


Matt