Playing Eugene's trick bag?

[themaidenmaniac]

Hey guys, just wandering- you know the sheer speed of this song, well which picking technique should be used to achieve the best play?
Just straight alternate, or can you sweep it?

Also, is there a video of Vai playing it at all?


Thanks

[The Euphor]

I think it's too slow to sweep. I know Vai used alternate picking, and it doesn't sound like sweeping either. So that would be my advice.

[krizz]

You mean the first (and most impressive) part??

It can be played by sweeping, but beware for a lot of pull-off's and hammer-ons, you're off way better by just using alternate picking.

[JimmyJ]

the thing i find the hardest about playing this song is remembering the different arpeggio shapes, playing them isnt really a problem, i could pcobably play it as fast (maybe a little slower) than vai, no where near as clean tho, however it would rely on me remembering the darn shapes!

[Anton]

The truth is Vai never actually recorded it at that speed. He finger picked it at a slow tempo then sped it up , quite alot! He never alternate picked it , although i'm sure he probably could

[The Euphor]

Don't know what you mean with slow speed. But from what I've heard, he played it in A, then it's sped up to B in the movie.

Haven't heard he fingerpicked it. Are you sure? From pics when he played Eugene's in his solospot live, he uses a pick. I even think I've got some of that stuff on NTSC VHS. My VHS player can only playback PAL, so I can't be certain.

[hanban]

he probably plays it with a pick.. i never seen SV use his fingers for anything other than some short plucking. the fact that karate kid uses his fingers is somthing else, he cant play anyway , its just for show.

it dosnt sound like its finger picked to me anyway..

[davester1234]

Originally Posted by Anton

The truth is Vai never actually recorded it at that speed. He finger picked it at a slow tempo then sped it up , quite alot! He never alternate picked it , although i'm sure he probably could

really????

wow, i didn't know that. Where did you hear that?

[Rochus]

Those are lies, Vai played the Crossroad Duel live with Mike Keneally during one of the tours (Fire Garden?) in front of thousands of people. And Vai wouldn't have to speed things up, he'd practise untill he could do it.

*chants* LIEEEESSS LIEEESSS LIEEESSS

[The Euphor]

Nobody has said he couldn't play it at the right speed. But it's a fact that the "version" in the Crossroads movie is sped up, maybe to fit in the time frame of a certain scene or something else. Still he played it in A, and Eugene's is heard in almost B. So it is sped up.

[davester1234]

yeah, even if it was sped up, its not calling Steve Vai a farce or anything of the sort. If true, it was a creative approach to a difficult piece. Steve can play anything he puts his mind to.

Perhaps time didn't allow him to do a bunch of takes, so he had to get it done smoothly and as quickly as possible.

who knows, who cares. The piece is brilliant. I never heard that before, but the piece is brilliant.

[themaidenmaniac]

it cant possibly be finger picked surely?!

[davester1234]

it does sound kind of harsh with a pick compared to Mr. Martone.

But that could just be the way I play it.

[Papa_Shank]

vai finger picking it at a slow tempo then speeding it up makes sence, concidering 'eugene' didn't use a plectrum in the film vai obviously didn't want it to sound like it was played using a plectrum

[The Euphor]

Originally Posted by Papa_Shank

concidering 'eugene' didn't use a plectrum in the film vai obviously didn't want it to sound like it was played using a plectrum

Did Jack Butler use a plectrum in the film?