Play a song badly or not at all?

[trevorus]

I've been really getting into lead playing, proper technique, dexterity exercises... all because of my severe lack of accuracy at anything above a crawl on the fretboard. I'm a passable rhythm player, really. So, there's a song my church gig always seems to try to get me to play twice a year, and I HATE it. I mean, the song is cool, has good energy, but the solo is way outside my skill set at the moment. I struggle to even get it at half speed. It's Today is the Day by Lincoln Brewster, and here's an example of someone playing it:



It just frustrates the hell out of me that I have tried this off and on for a couple years, and never could get it down. Now they want to play it again, and I'm about to say "no," to the whole thing because of this song. I mean, you wouldn't ask a singer to to try and sing notes that their voice cannot hit, why are my hands different? That's my "voice."

 

[LLL]

Instead of note-for-note, you could do a "condensed" version that fits your skill level.

 

[Mincer]

If you don't even like the song, simply say no. You shouldn't be forced to perform something you don't feel comfortable doing. I say, don't perform it if you don't feel like you can play it well yet. Or just write your own solo and play the hell out of it.

 

[Obsessive Compulsive]

If you can't even nail a solo to a church song, you should give up the guitar.

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[nexion218]

Break it down into smaller parts and play it slowly. Try to pinpoint the parts that are difficult and isolate the technique needed for that part and work on it. Practice the parts with a metronome at speeds where you can execute them flawlessly and gradually ramp up the speed. Then work on connecting the parts. Keep pushing yourself a little bit everyday but do not overdo it. 30-40 minutes of concentrated practice (not noodling, but practice, where you aim for perfect execution and stop and correct any and all mistakes in the process) a day will work wonders. And like others have said: if you don't like it, don't play it.

 

[trevorus]

If you can't even nail a solo to a church song, you should give up the guitar.

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Let's see you do it.

Break it down into smaller parts and play it slowly. Try to pinpoint the parts that are difficult and isolate the technique needed for that part and work on it. Practice the parts with a metronome at speeds where you can execute them flawlessly and gradually ramp up the speed. Then work on connecting the parts. Keep pushing yourself a little bit everyday but do not overdo it. 30-40 minutes of concentrated practice (not noodling, but practice, where you aim for perfect execution and stop and correct any and all mistakes in the process) a day will work wonders. And like others have said: if you don't like it, don't play it.

That's exactly what I've been doing. I can just about play it at 80 BPM, and the song is at 120. Though some of the faster bits are still rough, I'm still working. Is a song for this week, though, and as the thread title suggests, I'd really rather not play it on front of people if I can't at least make it work.

 

[nexion218]

EZ-PZ then, you don't play it this week but persevere with practice and do it the next time.

Since you seem to be performing regularly in front of people you probably know it better than me: confidence can make all the difference in the world. So you can't find a solution for that solo that you feel comfortable with, just don't do it.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Let's see you do it.


That's exactly what I've been doing. I can just about play it at 80 BPM, and the song is at 120. Though some of the faster bits are still rough, I'm still working. Is a song for this week, though, and as the thread title suggests, I'd really rather not play it on front of people if I can't at least make it work.

Ignore Obsessive Compulsive, he’s nothing but a troll.

Here is my suggestion.
Try to nail the opening few licks where he plays the same type of kick in different registers. Then when it gets to the faster parts, you don’t necessarily need to play note for note. Just pick the scale that corresponds to the key and play a few licks that are natural for you. Nobody and I mean nobody will have any idea that you didn’t play the recorded solo.
Essentially just compose your own solo for it. Make it melodic and be sure to end the phrases on chord tones.

 

[Obsessive Compulsive]

If you don't even like the song, simply say no. You shouldn't be forced to perform something you don't feel comfortable doing. I say, don't perform it if you don't feel like you can play it well yet. Or just write your own solo and play the hell out of it.

Might as well getting stuck in 12-bar blues for that matter. I think he needs to first get comfortable being uncomfortable, in order to improve.

 

[trevorus]

Might as well getting stuck in 12-bar blues for that matter. I think he needs to first get comfortable being uncomfortable, in order to improve.

That's a lot of assumptions on your part. I've been playing in front of people for probably two decades, and I am well aware of where my skills aren't, and where they are strong. This is just outside of my skill set currently, and I figured I would ask other musicians what their approach is to this situation.

Obviously, if I want to play it, I need to practice it, which I have been doing. It's just not something that's going to pop out of my hands flawlessly in 3 days.

I'm inclined to think gtrjunior is correct and you're just trolling, and I've not heard what you're capable of. Not that it matters, really, though because your skills are not my skills, and vice versa.

 

[ErikH]

Keep at it but don't give up. Learn the opening part and even the ending part, and then put something of your own in there that fits. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Keep the vibe, play within your ability, and don't be afraid to stretch out a little bit each time you play it. Before you know it you'll end up playing more of the original lead break because you've taken it in chunks here and there rather than one big bite.

 

[beaubrummels]

If they demand I play that solo note for note, I demand they keep all the songs in the original guitar-friendly keys; not modulated way out 6 whole steps off the neck to accommodate a single singer - it's not like the average parishioner can change their range week after week to sing along. After their stunned silence dies down, I'd write my own solo that is tasteful and fits the song.

Brewster is a pariah. You get 2 minutes of worship, then suddenly it sounds like someone changed the radio station.

 

[Mincer]

Might as well getting stuck in 12-bar blues for that matter. I think he needs to first get comfortable being uncomfortable, in order to improve.

He just may not want to do it.

 

[Gtrjunior]

If they demand I play that solo note for note, I demand they keep all the songs in the original guitar-friendly keys; not modulated way out 6 whole steps off the neck to accommodate a single singer - it's not like the average parishioner can change their range week after week to sing along. After their stunned silence dies down, I'd write my own solo that is tasteful and fits the song.

Brewster is a pariah. You get 2 minutes of worship, then suddenly it sounds like someone changed the radio station.

Lol....that’s crazy right? That’s one of the first things I noticed. The key changes are sometimes ridiculous.
I downloaded a pitch shifting software which allows me to modulate the pitch of the song by half steps, so I can play along while practicing.
And what’s with so many people wanting to sing in Bb??? I mean, really??
Lol

 

[ErikH]

Lol....that’s crazy right? That’s one of the first things I noticed. The key changes are sometimes ridiculous.
I downloaded a pitch shifting software which allows me to modulate the pitch of the song by half steps, so I can play along while practicing.
And what’s with so many people wanting to sing in Bb??? I mean, really??
Lol

Our church does that too. Some of the key changes aren't too bad. But yeah, Bb and Eb. WHY??????

 

[devastone]

Yep, welcome to the worship band world. There is no excuse for Eb or Bb!!! LOL I never use capos on electric, kinda defeats the point, but those kinds of changes change the whole feel of a song. Just shift it up or down a 1/2 and live with it, please.

We used to play Today is the Day, and I did learn the solo pretty much note for note, except for that little run before the end melodic part, I usually just threw a scalar run in there to connect the 2 last "sections" of the solo. It's not that hard if you break it down into it's logical sections and learn them separately. Unfortunately our church has now deemed it as "old" and we don't play it any more, but IIRC, the beginning section is melodic and doesn't move too fast, it has some greasy bends and slides, good stuff. The next section has some speedier repetitious phrases (again, it's been a long time), make each of those an exercise, and use hammer ons and pull offs, he isn't picking every note, not worth trying unless your last name is Morse or di Meola. My memory is a little fuzzy but I think it goes into a run in 5ths or something after that, you can just use a 3 note per string scalar run in A (again IIRC), then the ending is a slower melodic passage on the 1st and 2nd strings around the 12th - 14th frets.

Oh yeah, the biggest thing to pull stuff like this off, RELAX, if tense up it won't happen. That's why it's best to work up the little sections until they are automatic and you don't have to think about them, they just happen. I'll help any I can if you want to PM me. I think Lincoln even shows most of the parts on a utube video.

Also, as has been noted, it's worship, it's hard to refuse to play something, but you can tell them if you are uncomfortable. Also don't feel like you have to hold yourself to a note for note solo, that's not the point, play blues licks in F# if that works better for you (assuming you are still playing the song in A).

FWIW, I miss playing TITD, pretty much the only worship song with a solo that's ever been in our setlists. About all I do now days is play little sprinkle parts between words.

About pitch shifting, software is great and I use it even for learning "normal" stuff in Eb so I don't have to retune, but for the worship stuff, if you guys are using planning center or something they should be putting the songs in there already pitch shifted, I have had to shift songs in the past, but there are so many resources out there for the worship leaders now days there's not excuse for them not providing them in the right key. Well, it may sound like the chipmunks or Lurch, but still.

 

[ErikH]

Yup, we use planning center and it's all in there so I'm able to work it out. And it's in there not just in the key that it's done at our church but the original as well. It hasn't been too bad, just adjusting. But, since I'm new to pretty much all of it, it's not a huge deal. I adjust. But, ask me to play a Van Halen or Journey song in a different key other than the original and it's gonna get a look....LOL.

 

[devastone]

Yup, we use planning center and it's all in there so I'm able to work it out. And it's in there not just in the key the it's done at our church but the original as well. It hasn't been too bad, just adjusting. But, since I'm new to pretty much all of it, it's not a huge deal. I adjust. But, ask me to play a Van Halen or Journey song in a different key other than the original and it's gonna get a look....LOL.

Yep, that would definitely get a look!!!! I understand worship music, it's a different world and different way of thinking, it's basically a sing-a-long for a few dozen to a few thousand people depending on the size of the church, it's not for us as musicians to get our rocks off on.

We also have multitracks.com linked to our PCO which even has video lessons and isolated audio of the parts, although I usually find it takes longer to go through the videos than to just listen to the isolated parts. The videos are also in the original key, so if you are playing in another key you have to transpose.

So, again, I also wouldn't worry about learning solos note for note unless it is something you want to do for personal growth. To me it usually comes down to how much time I have to dedicate for the week, and again, there aren't really that many solos per se, it's more how deep do I want to dig into the music to find all the little hidden, over 'verbed parts. It also makes me thankful for learning some music theory, I can wing it and make something up in the right key really quick when I need to.

 

[Mincer]

Eb and Bb are very common if you work with horns, too. Learning to transpose is a great skill to have. Most keyboardists are better at it than guitarists. I've found.

 

[devastone]

Yes, horns are a whole different world, their "C" is different in the "real" world, C on a trumpet is Bb(?) on a piano, guitar, or other "real world" instrument. I never understood why they wouldn't just call C a C, but I wasn't around for anyone to ask when they were invented.