Steve Vai's Ballerina

[richard1973]

I started to learn this last night, anyone know how many effects he uses? I can hear delay and chorus, what else does he use?

I'm also finding the opening section (besides the first few bars) I can only keep up to speed if I finger pick rather than use a pick, which is fine for that bit, but as the song goes on I want to jump to a pick but theres no breathing space for me to suddenly change.

Anyone have any tips for learning this tune?

[dannymills]

He uses a $2000 harmoniser.

Not easy to replicate!!!

[richard1973]

*checks pocket* hmm £15 quid plus bus fair

[kennydoe]

that song is almost entirely Eventide harmonizer. He plays one note and two others play delayed and panned.

Here's the letterman video http://youtube.com/watch?v=7BFzZoa2vq0

[richard1973]

ah sweet i'll check that video out when i get in from work, you know I was listening to the song and following the tab, and especially half way on in the song onwards I thought theres more than one guitar there! I'll stick with it though and follow the lead, but it's obviously not going to be the same and sound quite flat in comparison. Especially with my skills

[richard1973]

Out of curiosity, has anyone else learnt this tune? and if so how did you get around just playing one part? did you just use the main part given in the tab book? and if so does it still sound pretty good? and what fx set up was used?

thanks in advance

[GilkyBear]

I learned it off some tabs on the net, but I still have never figured out how to set up my Digitech 2101 to get the harmonized parts in there. I bought it used without the manual like a douche (back in 96). Anyhoo, how I did the fingerpicking was to still hold the pick between my thumb and index and just use your middle, ring, and pinky, along with the pick. Kind of a Travis picking thing. It is a little awkward at first but if you get the hang of it you will find numerous applications for it down the road, I highly recommend giving it a try.

[kennydoe]

why don't you try Sisters instead?

far more passionate

[richard1973]

Gilky, thanks for that idea, may take a bit of practise training the pinky but your right I can see that benefiting for lots of new style playing for me.

I was thinking of Sisters but I think that maybe a bit too hard for me at this stage, but it is a very cool instrumental and I do plan on tackling it one day, it's also over 4 mins too so that's a lot to learn, and Ballerina is my first Steve Vai track I've attempted, even though I've been into his music since 92, but I played way too much Metallica and such in the 90's, still fun though).

I recently just finished learning Midnight by satriani and that took a couple of months and tears in the rain again a small tune took me a good month to learn (mind you that had several chords i'd never seen before so my fingers had to learn the positions throughout constant repetition).