Musical bêtes noires

[noelford]

In another topic Ian (sixchannel) mentioned that the Shad's 'Genie With The Light Brown Lamp' was his bête noire, It's an interesting topic, I thought, deserving of a discusion on its own.
Do you have a particular tune that you always seem to mess up? It doesn't have to be a difficult one - that's often the most frustrating thing, it just seems that the tune is somehow cursed! Quite often, it's a tune that you play perfectly at home but falls apart if you play it in public. And, of course, once it happens, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

'Man Of Mystery' used to be mine and I only got over it by forcing myself to play it at gigs. More recently, 'Jessica' gave me a problem in the last part of the bit where guitar and bass do that repeated run-down in unison. It's a fairly easy run but I messed it up once and after that it was always an accident waiting to happen. I've got over that one, too, but even now, when it comes to that part, my fingers stiffen a little and my heart rate goes up!

So, what's your particular musical bête noire? – and don't say all of them!

[godzilla]

Hi Noel

My big problem is if I'm not concentrating hard enough I find myself drifting from "Midnight" into "Sleepwalk" and then I can't get back again. These two tunes are so similar in structure and fret position I find it soooo hard not to wander off.

Cheers

Keith

[timryland]

Mine is just playing with anybody around. When I'm on my own, I can play perfectly. I know I've recorded myself and am more than happy with the results. But if anybody else is within hearing distance, I can't do anything correctly.

Luckily, at my age, I'm never intending to do any more than enjoy myself. It's just annoying if anybody says "Play us something then", I just make an excuse and leave it.

Tim.

PS. The dog doesn't count, I can play fine when she's looking at me.

[mojolomjl]

Hi Noel,

My biggest problem is recording. I can play most tunes without any mistakes but as soon as
I hit the record button gremlins seem to crawl out of the woodwork and distract me.

Best regards,

Maurice.

[timryland]

That's interesting Maurice, I've no problem with recording audio or video.

Obviously proves everybodies different.

Tim.

[Ed Cornish]

I am OK when not under pressure to be "perfect". Whether recording or playing live I have to pretend that I am just practising.

[silvervox]

Hi
Hey i'm glad I am not the only one who has to do about ten takes when recording and then don't record, brilliant. Then same in front of people same thing catch a string.I think we want to be perfect and try to hard. Have seen the odd pub performer singing and then throw in a remination of Apache the applaud is a standing ovation, then I think I can play that maybe a bit more like the original but I am a bedroom player and never had the experience of playing with other musicians nerves has a lot to do with it,but hey if were happy knocking a few tunes out like our hero HBM well done to us all. Regards Peter

[mojolomjl]

We could start a whole new thread on nerves but you are either nervous when performing or not.


Best regards,

Maurice.

[noelford]

We're going a bit off track. I'm not really talking about nerves, that's a different thing altogether. What I mean is, what tunes do you have a problem with for no obvious reason? Not necessarily difficult ones, just ones that seem to be jinxed.

[sixchannel]

I LOVE to play The Savage and especially that middle section - BUT I am quite paranoid about that Bb "chord" around 11th/12th fret. So many times I have hit it full on, only to hear it ring out as B ! ! ! I got so twitchy about getting it wrong so often that I stopped playing it for a while. I even tried playing the Bb at 6th fret and sliding up for the last note on 11th fret. That worked but sounded incorrect. Nowadays I play it and if it goes wrong, it goes wrong. But I'm bricking it when playing it wondering IF I'm going to hit it right- this time.
I"ve got others!! Lol!
Ian

[allclaphands]

The Gallop in Apache for some reason it's alright most times I play it but occasionally
I just don't know why but I just make a right mess up of it in my head thinking about
about it coming up and rushing it.
There are others.

Pete

[bazmusicman]

I don't have any problem wondering about playing any of them wrong - I know they are going to be wrong before I start!!!

[Steve Reynolds]

Savage, Midnight and Sleepwalk grrrrr lol

[silvervox]

Sorry about going off the subject.one of my pet hates is the slide on the intro to Apache,it never sounds perfect!!!
Peter

[noelford]

Just going back to the jinx I used to experience with the run-down part in Jessica, I remember the day at a club meeting when, at last, I played it perfectly. At the end, one of our lady members rushed up and gave me a big hug!

[garyallen]

Hi Noel,my betes noires used to be classical gas ,one day I watched Glen Campbell on YouTube play it and it inspired me to learn it properly,very challenging and well worth it even though I forget some of the tune now.

[johnsmith]

Hello Noel, my Shads "Bette Noire "is the solo in "Man of Mystery". I know what I have to play and I can do it but in the heat of battle just when it matters something always goes amiss!!!
Oh and just for good measure after years of playing it with no problem "Kon Tiki" has recently started causing problems for no apparent reason. (the bit I call the solo)
Never the less we plod on!
Regards,
John.

[stratman49]

Fellow traveller. I have to concentrate to make sure I use the correct intro.

[jplegr]

hello every body

excuse me but i m just looking to know how to contact Charlie about to find a Zoom RFX with eftp
may i m not on the good way here ?
bests regards
jean pierre

[Charlie Hall]

Hi jean pierre,
My email is charliehallATntlworld.com (replace AT with @).
Regards,
Charlie