Who here nails Good Times Bad Times?

[NickInMesa]

I need some advice.

I can do the phrase on the mid D, which is repeated about 5 times at the top and then in the outro, but I have the hardest time doing the other similar one on the E, that is played towards the middle.

See my attachments (this is from Guitar Pro, for which there is a really good file for this song).

I am trying to nail this song, and I can't and I am simply just quitting on that second phrase.

I am thinking that I should switch my plucking technique. Right now I am anchoring the thumb on the E string and pluck with 2 fingers.

I am now trying with a different technique where the thumb plucks the notes on the A string, finger 1 on the D string, finger 2 on the G string, but I don't like the sound too much.

This is frustrating!

Thanks for the help...

[Toronto Bassist]

When I used to do this song with my band, I would change my plucking for the second phrases. The bottom note I would play with my thumb and for the rest of the notes I would alternate between my thumb and index finger. Lost some volume that way, but it worked.

[jmattbassplaya]

Why don't you just shift your hand down for the d part and play the a open?

[Bassist13]

I actually just recently decided to learn this song note for note in a sense, as for my left hand its basically just "power chord" style forms on that hand of E/D/A. My right hand just does the notes with my index and middle fingers.

[JimmyM]

do it slowly using strict alternation of index and middle and work your way up to speed, and don't raise the speed until you've mastered it at the slower tempo. some people like to lead with the middle instead of the index and that makes it easier for them. i'm not one of them but i dig how it could work out better for some.

[Winterpegbass]

I've been playing this tune off and on since 1982.

I use open "D" rather than 5th fret on the A string for the first riff.

For the second riff you are missing a note according to the music that I have. The eighth note in the middle of the first measure is actually 2 sixteenth notes, the "e" followed by an "a" above it (7th fret on the d string). Sorry as this makes it even more difficult to execute.

I have always found it easy for my right hand but hard for my left in terms of shifting position from the e position to the d position for that second riff as it is in the midst of sixteenth notes. If you play it as you have it written then it should be easier as the "e" eighth note gives you a moment to shift the left hand position from e to d.

[Chris K]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

do it slowly using strict alternation of index and middle and work your way up to speed, and don't raise the speed until you've mastered it at the slower tempo. some people like to lead with the middle instead of the index and that makes it easier for them. i'm not one of them but i dig how it could work out better for some.

+1

The 'lead' question (index or middle)... should IMHO be no issue. It's very important to play everything you do both ways and to develop your ability to play all your stuff not in standard plucking patterns for each 'problem', but based on a well-developed alternation technique.

[GassieBall]

I know that it's "correct" to use the alternation technique, but I for some reason have settled on index index middle (please don't flame me). I haven't played it for a while, but here's what I used to do.

m4v video, 5.8M, try opening with QuickTime.

http://idisk.me.com/ednguyen/Public/SS/GTBT.m4v

I'm working on the second phrase now.

[Jim Campbell]

Originally Posted by NickInMesa

I need some advice.

I can do the phrase on the mid D, which is repeated about 5 times at the top and then in the outro, but I have the hardest time doing the other similar one on the E, that is played towards the middle.

See my attachments (this is from Guitar Pro, for which there is a really good file for this song).

I am trying to nail this song, and I can't and I am simply just quitting on that second phrase.

I am thinking that I should switch my plucking technique. Right now I am anchoring the thumb on the E string and pluck with 2 fingers.

I am now trying with a different technique where the thumb plucks the notes on the A string, finger 1 on the D string, finger 2 on the G string, but I don't like the sound too much.

This is frustrating!

Thanks for the help...

it may be the fretting hand that is slowing you down....try using the open D for less string crossing......the dots i have seem to suggest that jpj used open strings to facilitate big interval leaps

[GassieBall]

Here's the way I do the second phrase. Sorry, a little sloppy. I need to practice.

http://idisk.me.com/ednguyen/Public/SS/GTBT2.m4v

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by GassieBall

I know that it's "correct" to use the alternation technique, but I for some reason have settled on index index middle (please don't flame me). I haven't played it for a while, but here's what I used to do.

m4v video, 5.8M, try opening with QuickTime.

http://idisk.me.com/ednguyen/Public/SS/GTBT.m4v

I'm working on the second phrase now.

gassie, no offense, but that was a real charlie foxtrot of a right hand technique force yourself to strictly alternate. it will not only serve you well for this song, but it will serve you well for any songs with difficult parts that have string skipping. you're just begging to be tripped up with your right hand technique. it will be tough for a couple weeks, but after that you'll sail through parts like this.

[Jim Campbell]

Originally Posted by GassieBall

Here's the way I do the second phrase. Sorry, a little sloppy. I need to practice.

http://idisk.me.com/ednguyen/Public/SS/GTBT2.m4v

according to what i have here there is an E and an A missing..as you come down from the E shape you hit the A string E,D string A, then D.....i try to shift down to the D shape after the E and catch the A and D with the ring and pinky respectively,and that lines up the index over the A string D

[GassieBall]

No offense at all, I also have been having trouble with that and see this as a great opportunity to improve. Whenever I try to do the strict alternating, I F up so bad. Ugh. I know someone said it doesn't matter, but what would you start with, the index or the middle for the first phrase in D?

[JimmyM]

i always use the index finger first for everything, but my former teacher dave larue usually leads with his middle. he said it's all good, so it's all good.

[GassieBall]

Originally Posted by Jim Campbell

according to what i have here there is an E and an A missing..as you come down from the E shape you hit the A string E,D string A, then D.....i try to shift down to the D shape after the E and catch the A and D with the ring and pinky respectively,and that lines up the index over the A string D

I'm pretty dense, but I'm not catching your drift. I wish we could iChat or something. The PowerTab version I have shows slightly different variations from measure to measure, so I might be missing a note.

[Jim Campbell]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

gassie, no offense, but that was a real charlie foxtrot of a right hand technique force yourself to strictly alternate. it will not only serve you well for this song, but it will serve you well for any songs with difficult parts that have string skipping. you're just begging to be tripped up with your right hand technique. it will be tough for a couple weeks, but after that you'll sail through parts like this.

what would you say would be best,fretting wise.....from thye last E it seems natural to barre the A and D but something is telling me to shift down earlier is the way...as a matter of fact i'm wondering if barre's on ther E shape tend to allow too much ringing....

[Jim Campbell]

Originally Posted by GassieBall

I'm pretty dense, but I'm not catching your drift. I wish we could iChat or something. The PowerTab version I have shows slightly different variations from measure to measure, so I might be missing a note.

as you descend from the high E, the last note in the shape is a seventh fret E,and from there it goes up to A and D... shift down 2 frets after that E,and grab the A with your ring finger.....your index will be right where it should be for the D shape

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by Jim Campbell

what would you say would be best,fretting wise.....from thye last E it seems natural to barre the A and D but something is telling me to shift down earlier is the way...as a matter of fact i'm wondering if barre's on ther E shape tend to allow too much ringing....

i thought we were talking rh, not lh.

[GassieBall]

As I descend from the high E, the last note is a (seventh fret) E, then the next notes I have in my music are a D, then an A, not vice versa (?)

[GassieBall]

Thanks a bunch, Jimmy. I was taking the lazy way out. I hate you and love you at the same time...

http://idisk.me.com/ednguyen/Public/SS/GTBT3.m4v

I just need to bring it up to speed. This is like a free lesson from a Dave Larue disciple. How cool is that?