Sympathy For The Devil

mike0033 · #1 08-29-2003, 07:52 PM

I have been preparing for a while now for a wedding reception that I am playing in but I've hit a snag with Sympathy For The Devil by the Rolling Stones. I used the tab from the archive as a starting point but I can't quite get the fingering down. I can play the song at a slower speed just fine but when I speed up to play with the song I can't get it to sound quite right.

I have been playing a modified version of the song lately just to get by. It is kind of a slower/groovier sound than the chopping sound the Stones get. But anyway, if anyone can help, great. Thanks.

Microbass · #2 08-31-2003, 02:41 PM

well hey mike, if you like your version, I'd play that, always good to have some 'customization' to a cover!!

if not, practise slowly, and build up your speed.
keep practising the lines you make a mistake on, then play the whole thing form the beginning...

gluck..

Blues Bass 2 · #3 09-02-2003, 11:19 PM

Kieth Richards played bass on this on the studio album,that's why it has a more picked guitar vibe than if Bill Wyman would have done it.It's one of my favorite Stones bass riffs and not real easy to get.Take it slow and try it with a pick,It's pretty tough fingerstyle.Wymaan does it justice on the later live Get Your Ya Yas out album but it was Kieth that did it on the studio version.

Paul A · #4 09-03-2003, 04:55 AM

Listen to the bassline on the newly released "Remix" version of Sympathy.
Track 2 (remixed by Fatboy Slim) it's easier and sounds amazing!

secretdonkey · #5 09-03-2003, 08:24 AM

Save the etched-in-stone precision for the Beatles covers -- Stones stuff almost demands loose interpretation...

**Thor** · #6 09-03-2003, 09:03 AM

I have always gone with the Get Your Ya'Ya's Out version. Compare this with the 'Love You Live' version. Don't bother to emulate the studio version of the song.

Put on the CD, and play along.
Over and over. Till you have it down.

Then, as the Donkster says, start it slow and then build it up with interpretation. You can take a real LOT of liberties with the E-D-A riff.

As long as you nail the B changes on the one, it
will work.

Happy practicing!

Thor

mike0033 · #7 09-03-2003, 01:27 PM

Thanks everyone for the advice, I greatly appreciate it. I have made some big steps with the song since I posted this thread and greater steps as the replies came through. I have been using a loose version of the song and it sounds really good along with my buddies guitar. We'll test this song out this weekend in front of our home crowd at a wedding reception. I'm really looking forward to it. Thanks again everybody.

Mike

**Thor** · #8 09-03-2003, 01:42 PM

One final note.

It's a great song, but for a WEDDING reception it might skirt the edge... depends on how religious the parents are. Think about that.

I once went to a wedding where the music was an acoustic guitar player in the balcony. He proceeded to play Spirit's 'Nature's Way [ of telling you something's wrong ...] Not the best choice of material for that guy.

Save it for the end of the set at least.

mike0033 · #9 09-08-2003, 06:51 PM

Well, believe it or not but it was the first song we played and it got the house rockin'. Of course we didn't start playing until one, the reception started at like five so you can imagine how drunk everyone was. But everything went great. We had a couple of surprise guests on stage and they played awesome.

mike0033 · #10 09-08-2003, 06:55 PM

Well I might as well give you the set list:
Sympathy for the Devil - THe Stones
>Take The World by storm - The Big Wu
Hide Your Love Away - The Beatles
Fire On The Mountain - The Grateful Dead
Knocking On Heaven's Door - Clapton version
Franklin's Tower - The Grateful Dead