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Slow acoustic covers of fast songs


Bajazz

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Anybody else than me that get bored out of rock songs that gets destroyed playing very slow on acoustic guitar?

 

Example: [video=youtube;Ij3gIjTxNEE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij3gIjTxNEE&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PLE7DF91A98D72DFFE

 

It's well played, but lacks the kick butt power of the original. I search youtube a lot for getting inspiration and tips for playing rock songs on acoustic. Maybe some of you have examples of how it can be done while delivering the originals energy?

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No, I like hearing a different take on the song. It's kind of pointless to do another fast version of the song. When covering a song, a musician should put his own twist on it. For example, Ryan Adams covered Iron Maiden's "Wasted Years". Even though it's a fast song, there is a melancholy undertone to the lyrics that comes out even more in his acoustic version.

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I think some work and others don't - to save me time working out which is which for me rather than learning the song and deciding on a treatment then after all that not liking it, I tend to search youtube to see if anyone else has had the same idea and can usually tell within a couple of seconds if its worth the effort. Often I will look if Boyce Avenue has had a go first. There is a pop song out at the moment "Thats what makes you beautiful" (I appreciate its not a rock song, in fact the opposite) by a boy band called One Direction (Wand Erection?) I have never paid it any attention cos its just not my thing, but Boyce Avenue had a version of it the caught my ear, I reworked it and it goes down a treat with young and old alike.

I do a cover of Dead or Alive and the Chillies Under a Bridge, Stone Roses "she bangs the drum" and a couple of The Smiths (Morrissey). Have to say not that keen on the version of the Kiss song posted but do appreciate the effort put in

All the best Steve

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Yes, once in a while it would be nice as a variation, and vice verca.


But the rule is that any acoustic cover tends to be a slowed down boring version....
:bor:

 

i threw away the rule book years ago... what edition do you have to follow and who enforces it?

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It's well played, but lacks the kick butt power of the original. I search youtube a lot for getting inspiration and tips for playing rock songs on acoustic. Maybe some of you have examples of how it can be done while delivering the originals energy?

To me, this one seems faster than the original, and is far more interesting. It actually has a kind of mezmerizing feel to it, as opposed to the original, which is more nauseating. I do ROCK AND ROLL ALL NIGHT in Toad the Wet Sprocket's style.

 

[video=youtube;Jqzs_8lRW0M]

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Thanks for reminding me about the "Toad" version. I did it years ago and forgot about it.

 

Maybe I shouldn't let the secret out, but I just grabbed the lyrics and plopped them in my IPad for tonight. I know I know..I'm not a real musician. :facepalm:

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Thanks for reminding me about the "Toad" version. I did it years ago and forgot about it.


Maybe I shouldn't let the secret out, but I just grabbed the lyrics and plopped them in my IPad for tonight. I know I know..I'm not a real musician.
:facepalm:

but you're still getting paid, right??? :)

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but you're still getting paid, right???
:)

 

Reminds me of the guy who came up to me on break while I was working in the band for open mic night. He said he really wanted to play something onstage with us and it didn't matter what kind of music it was because he was a music whore.

 

I reminded him that I was getting paid and he wasn't.

 

That made me the music whore.

 

He was just a music slut.

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what about all those mtv unplugged shows. all those older rock stars restructuring their hit songs so they can play them acousticly.

 

and there is also eric clapton and layla. how many of you play the acoustic version? how many of you play the original version?

 

i think there is a market for re-arranging 70s-80s rocking songs so you can play them softer at different venues to fit the situation.

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My take: If they wanted to hear the song played like it is on the radio, why would they hire you? They could just slip a buck into the juke box.

 

It is your job to entertain, to bring something different to the table. If doing a cover, you need to make it your own song...

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To me, this one seems faster than the original, and is far more interesting. It actually has a kind of mezmerizing feel to it, as opposed to the original, which is more nauseating.

 

 

Faster? No, it's quite a bit slower. More interesting? Well, that's a pretty low bar. The original song wasn't very interesting. I'm not thrilled with this version---I didn't want to play the whole thing---but it's kinda cool. What's interesting and somewhat mezmerizing about it is turning it into a 6/8 waltz. But I think that only is interesting when your brain compares it to the original. I wonder how it plays for people who don't know the song. But I could see it going over well with people who know the Kiss version.

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Faster? No, it's quite a bit slower. More interesting? Well, that's a pretty low bar. The original song wasn't very interesting. I'm not thrilled with this version---I didn't want to play the whole thing---but it's kinda cool. What's interesting and somewhat mezmerizing about it is turning it into a 6/8 waltz. But I think that only is interesting when your brain compares it to the original. I wonder how it plays for people who don't know the song. But I could see it going over well with people who know the Kiss version.

I'd like to see a BPM comparison on this. I really don't think it is noticeably slower but then I haven't exactly seeked out the original since..... ever.

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Some of this comes down to "what is a song?" Some songs can be done in radically different ways and survive; other songs have to be treated more gently. Older songs--which were less tied to specific performances--might be successfully played at a tempo range of 2 to 1 (something like "Tea for Two" or "After You've Gone"). These songs exist as entities without a strong tie to a single version. "Smoke on the Water" on the other hand....

 

I think that, if you're doing a song, it behooves you to be familiar with as many versions as you reasonably can.

 

[video=youtube;zU4i5gyFK1s]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU4i5gyFK1s

 

[video=youtube;wZRaK0j8DMs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZRaK0j8DMs

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Related to pogo's post, I have more than one arrangement of certain classic songs worked up. For instance, depending on he crowd's mood, I might do "All the Things You Are" as either a crooning ballad, or as an up-tempo bebop tune.

 

I also do Dio's "Rainbow in the Dark" in the original metal interpretation, but I also have an acoustic ballad version I've worked up that people seem to like as a tribute to RJD. In fact, on average, the ballad interpretation gets better response than the "rawk" version.

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