Cliffs of Dover

Bucket

I'm not being funny, is it actually possible?



I trust that Rick Graham has it right here, it's just everything about it is so bleeding hard. Once I get to the ascending hybrid-picked chord sequence in the free-time intro I'm stuffed, and the circular hybrid-picked lick where the drum roll begins is even more impossible.

Can anyone here play it? If so, what advice can you give?

axisus

I wouldn't dream of tackling a track like that, a million miles beyond my capability. It's a great piece of music though. I was pretty early on the EJ bandwagon, I bought Tones as soon as it came out (on vinyl of course!)

robinbowes

Now listen to how it should be played:

IvanMC

Eric is beyond amazing. And Rick is incredible. Have you heard how he tackled Manhattan and S.R.V.? Rick can easily make your jaws drop!

Winny_Pooh

I used to be able to play it all the way through... except for the hybrid picking section hahaha. Manhattan is more accessible and has some great chords and soloing

guitarfishbay

Rick is another level of player.

I used to know how to play the intro, but doubt I could do it any justice at the moment.

You have to be super light with your right hand and use the minimum tip, actually a thicker pick does help with this song (Eric used Jazz 3s IIRC).  There's a good shot of his right hand at 2:12 in the video @robinbowes posted

Also when hybrid picking you don't need to cause the string to slap, it's no different to finger picking an acoustic.  Some people pull up too much when hybrid picking, which will slow you down.

DLM

Not being funny, Bucket, but have you checked out Troy Grady's stuff on picking like Johnson? He gets very close to that sound in his demonstrations (though he uses a different tone with more gain). There's a Cracking The Code episode on it on YouTube, and bags of other stuff.

sev112

Red button green button, bit of yellow, followed by a hammer on or two of blue button. Add a bit of Trem here and there

knock that one out with just a bit of practice and you're ready for "through the fire and flames"

Hootsmon

what's the ms length of delay in this stuff?

EricTheWeary

axisus said:

I wouldn't dream of tackling a track like that, a million miles beyond my capability. It's a great piece of music though. I was pretty early on the EJ bandwagon, I bought Tones as soon as it came out (on vinyl of course!)

I had Cliffs of Dover on the Guitar Player flexi disc! 

Although, yes, somewhat beyond my capabilities as well 

cruxiform

EricTheWeary said:

I had Cliffs of Dover on the Guitar Player flexi disc! 

Oh yes I remember them! I had Paul Gilbert's 'Screaming Blues O'Mania', Satriani's Mystical Potato Thingy , a Vinnie Moore lesson and a Michael Lee Firkins track. Showing my age now!

octatonic

I used to have sections of it down a long time ago- there was a pretty accurate transcription of it in one of the American magazines- Guitar World I think.
I've never had the whole thing together.
I haven't played it in about 15 years at least.

Bucket

Actually getting through it. Done the first "verse" and "chorus"... A and B section perhaps.

Intro is still by far the toughest part.

DLM

EricTheWeary said:

I had Cliffs of Dover on the Guitar Player flexi disc! 

I've got at least two copies of that issue, with the disc.

I've dabbled with two transcriptions of the piece aeons ago, one from a Spanish-language guitar mag, and one in an official book I borrowed from a library somewhere. It was always clear that pulling it all off convincingly was going to mean a lot of work.

bingefeller

Eric uses a lot of economy picking on his ascending runs and uses a pull of to sound the last note on some odd note numbered groupings when he's changing strings.  These techniques help a lot when changing strings.

fnpt

Close up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BijTkVGAQU