Still trying to play Hideaway...

[Angus]

Hi guys,

I've been on a kind of mission for some months now.

I'm trying to learn Hideaway Eric Clapton/John Mayall version rather than Freddie's, and I'm
at the stage where I can play through the whole thing - just not very
well.

(...and not necessarily in the right order). :)

I thought it would be pretty straightforward, once I'd got the notes
sorted out, to be able to play it over a backing track. That is proving
difficult though. This is basically 'cos I'm not very good, but part of
my problem is that the backing track I found has a lot of keyboards over
it which sort of blurs out the beat for my already dubious sense of
rhythm. Would any of you have access to another version of the backing
track, I think there was one on a major guitar magazine CD a couple of
years ago that was much more drums and bass oriented.

I have the licklibrary dvd which again is a bit too keyboard based.

And any relevant advice?

I like to think I can play along with a beat, but in something like
Hideaway where the guitar is so dominant, and kind of dictating the beat
I'm struggling to put it mildly.

[12bar]

Hi,

I think you have this one: http://www.guitarbackingtrack.com/play/ ... deaway.htm

Why not upload your current state? It's easier to give advice when hearing it...
A simple trick is opening it with i.e. Audacity and slow it down (without changing the pitch) until you can play it without errors, then slowly increase the speed.

And - despite all internet "learn guitar in a month"-sites, there's no easy fast quick way, just sit down and practice. Your fingers need to be trained as well as your musical brain.

[Angus]

Hi,

Why not upload your current state? It's easier to give advice when hearing it...

No chance! :)

I think I've got a pretty good idea what needs to be done, and I hope to upload my efforts at some point, but it needs to be better than this before I do. Trust me. If I can find a basic backing track without lots of (nicely played) but distracting keyboard playing, and then just work on locking in to that.

A simple trick is opening it with i.e. Audacity and slow it down (without changing the pitch) until you can play it without errors, then slowly increase the speed.

Thanks, I'll investigate that idea.

And - despite all internet "learn guitar in a month"-sites, there's no easy fast quick way, just sit down and practice. Your fingers need to be trained as well as your musical brain.

Agreed fully. I've been playing guitar a long time though, just not very well. :)
The sad truth is, I've been working away at Hideaway for about 6 months now.

[Angus]

Just to say, a kind soul sent me a suitable version of the backing track (less keyboard emphasis) so let me know if its helpful to any of you.

Cheers.

[Angus]

Hi,

I think you have this one: http://www.guitarbackingtrack.com/play/ ... deaway.htm

Why not upload your current state? It's easier to give advice when hearing it...
:

Okay, well its a long way from being right, but I have made some progress with it - if you think this is bad, you should have seen me try previously. :) Its only a work in progress and I'm working on getting it better, but I wanted to make a record of where I am at the moment.
Any (gentle) criticism welcome. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O357UOb1qHg

[MichaelRobinson]

To Angus

To be strait forward with you. You have chosen a very difficult song and I think you are a bit hard towards youre self. Try some easy stuff. And..........be you when you play. Not Eric Clapton. Every one is individuals and play in different ways. Play like you, not mimic someone else.
But if you realy want to play this song, you should.

[tytlblues]

Well Michael, just hang in there......you may think your progress is not great, but you ARE trying! Take it slow, and remember, no matter how the practicing is going, you are always learning something whether you realize it are not! I am sure as you are trying to learn some of those songs licks, I bet you accidentally came up with a few of your!

[VikingBlues]

I'll agree with what Michael said - it's a very difficult song and a big challenge. It's very up-tempo - I'd certainly be zapping the speed down to have any chance with it. It's a piece of music that I'd be very reluctant to challenge myself with, but then I do like an easy life!

I liked the tones you used a lot and there's much that does work well with what you played. It's so easy just to focus on the mistakes in your own recording when looking / listening to them afterwards.

But as you say - it's a work-in-progress - good luck with getting further to grips with it.

[Angus]

To Angus

To be strait forward with you. You have chosen a very difficult song and I think you are a bit hard towards youre self. Try some easy stuff. And..........be you when you play. Not Eric Clapton. Every one is individuals and play in different ways. Play like you, not mimic someone else.

Guys, thanks for the advice.

Michael, its not that I like to mimic people, this is the first thing I have ever attempted to learn note for note. But I think its a positive thing because it forces me to be disciplined (for once) and makes me learn Eric's licks which hopefully will expand my own playing. I am having to move my fingers in sequences that I've never used before and its challenging for me.

But its not art, at best I will only produce a pale imitation of Eric's masterpiece. Its simply a learning exercise that will hopefully increase my ability.

[BadBluesPlayer]

You're doing great! I still can't play Hideaway after 35 years of trying.

It's good to learn Clapton's basic licks note for note because they are building blocks and they will become part of your improvisational repertoire.

[Angus]

It's good to learn Clapton's basic licks note for note because they are building blocks and they will become part of your improvisational repertoire.

Thanks for the kind words BadBluesPlayer, and yes, that's exactly my take on it too.