Eric Johnson on acoustic - Birmingham, Alabama

[TheGodzillaRobot]

absolutely amazing. It is jaw dropping and tragic in a way, since I don't think any amount of practice would get me to this level of expertise.

[guitarmaan]

Can't we have just one Fuckin video on Youtube without some moron mentioning B**ber!!

You are giving the idiot more publicity!

Anyway great playing, and awesome groove an vibe here from Eric!!!

[BandmasterPete]

I don't like EJ's Bieber hairstyle.

[danieleshapiro]

This remarkable song is: "Once Upon a Time in Texas"

[DaftFriendly]

The 2 people who disliked are trolls, this video is amazing!!!

[flatlandrory]

My favourite album is tones.

[VICJR98]

Alabama is blessed

[spcasazza]

What song is this? i cant find the name

[ejmusk]

This may be the best acoustic piece I've ever heard.

[Zappafan1980]

@ejmusk

I bet he wrote that song in 30 minutes or something

that how much of a guitar player genius Eric Johnson is

The CD s he made between 1990 and 1996 are Must Haves for Fans of great guitar music

[RocknRolSoldier]

@Zappafan1980 ikr? Eric wrote Cliffs of Dover in literally 5 minutes!

[Zappafan1980]

@RocknRolSoldier

Really ? Now thats genius

But i like songs like Venus Isle and Camels Night Out, Lonely in the Night, When the Sun meets the Sky

more then Cliffs of Dover

I dont understand why soo many people say the Via a Musicom is better then Venus Isle

[bbagginz]

Tommy Emmanel ain't bad on the acoustig guitar either: w w w.youtube.com/watch?v=3EQcMCDT­oJ8&feature=related

[keithjones1015]

When you get to that level, everyone is just as good as the other, steve vai, satriani, paul gilbert, all those guys... What sets them apart from each other are what they are known for.. Satriani extremely technical and phrasing, Steve Vai plays his notes way different than anyone along with extremely technical, paul gilbert techinical soul pioneer... Eric johnson technical tone. All are simply amazing guitarist. I listen to all equally and we all could learn so much from each of their styles.

[guitarconasor]

@Delgift I thought Cliffs of Dover proved he was one of the best guitarest on the planet.

[StrifeGuitar]

@guitarconasor This proves, he is good at a acoustic guitar too.

[06R6er]

The song is Once Upon A Time In Texas.

But its not on any cd...yet,at least.

[SinOfDrkness]

Does anyone know the name of this piece?! It's so amazing in more than one unexplainable ways. I couldn't find it anywhere.

[stevehogarth85]

he can play acoustic guitar...

vai satriani cant play...

sorry guys,this is a complete guitarist,unlike vai and satriani!

[Adrain30]

@stevehogarth85 boy are you wrong!!!..Both Satriani and Vai can play acoustic....search Satriani on unplugged...he did "I believe" and added some gorgeous harmonics on that solo!!....check it out. As far as Vai?

have you heard Sisters? It's not an Acoustic but can easily be played as it's a fingerstyle piece.

[stevehogarth85]

@Adrain30

i heard them and they are much far away from eric,expecially satriani!

[Adrain30]

@stevehogarth85 you can't dog Satriani at all....he plays his style better than anyone as Eric plays his. Joe is considered one of the best guitarist in the world..it's not because his guitars look cool. Make no mistake about it.The man can play...now if you notice I haven't said anything bad about Eric at all...so don't take it that way

[stevehogarth85]

@Adrain30

and so cause satriani is speedy in playing an ibanez elettrc guitar he is also good to acoustic?

so alonso is good with a f1 and he can drive better or the same in rally as colin mcrae?

u are idiot

there are millions acoustic guitarists that are far better than satriani

have u ever heard of steve hackett?

steve howe?

eric clapton?

[Adrain30]

@stevehogarth85 and you are just looking to argue wich is stupid!

Joe is a good acousti player because iv'e heard him play acoustic not because he plays electric..that is retarded to say that. Yes there are better acoustic players out there...Joe focus is more electric but he can play acoustic and quite well. meanawhile I'm not bad mouthing Eric at all...he is one of my biggest influences so believe me I know what he can play. but joe and Steve vai are amazing Guitarist as well...

[stevehogarth85]

@Adrain30

ok!

now i am agree!

in fact if i wanna hear some acoustic guitar stuff i dont hear vai,satriani or johnson too...

i hear someone else!

[theguitartheif]

Just saw this guy live last night at the napa valley oprah house with Andy McKee and peppino D'Agustino and he blew my mind he's vastly talented at singing, guitar, and even piano.

[ryan9599]

awesome track 

[MagneticMetallica81]

Just saw Eric with Andy McKee today! Man they both were fantastic and man they both know an acoustic guitar better than anyone else out there

[unateyishfey]

why would you post crappy audio?? boo

[5688bd713]

awesome dude! thanks for the post :)

[danieleshapiro]

Does anyone know if he ever record this piece? If so, what's it called and which album is it on? Thanks!

[danieleshapiro]

This piece makes the hairs on th back of my neck stand up and tingle. Eric Johnson is a true master - technique used for artistry!

[DrWorm79]

Eric Johnson is comming to Dallas doing an acoustic set with Andy McKee !! Granda Theater Jan 26th.

[ecojot]

Scary good - I met a guy who lives in Austin, TX where Eric is based and he told me that Eric is just as well known for his brilliant piano playing! Not fair at all. I've been working on Song for George for 18 months and still cannot do it perfectly.

[sovesky]

@ecojot Tough song to play!

[josjRA93]

OMG!!

[makunouchi3]

Is this actual song or an improv? Cuz if its an actual song, I WANT IT

[cyrusjerome]

lol this has nothing to do with the bible or god... its simple, he practised his entire life that why he's good, because he practised not god.

[david254259]

Even if you dont go to church or have never cracked the bible open..even if you dont know whats out there waiting for us...listening to his playing makes you believe in a higher power. Skill like his is indeed hard earned, but there is something else there that defies the agnostic . We are blessed to have him here.

[fighterx]

breath taking

[Chiffoneire]

whats the tuning? can anyone tell me? cuz doesn't sound like standard.

[zr24X4ROCKS]

brilliant

[47TheSteve]

There is a definite and definitive aura surrounding Eric Johnson. He just oozes genius in every note he plays. How anyone doesn't like this guy is beyond me.

[synesthesia67]

yoda says, "awesome, he is"

[matreames]

EJ and McKee are going on an acoustic tour together! It has to potential to be better than G3, because acoustic appeals to a wider range of people. I am getting tickets when they go on sale.

[MattKimDemos]

@matreames I dunno. Acoustic with singing definitely, but I don't know anyone but me that listens to Acoustic Instrumental, while plenty of people I know listen to classic rock, which is what G3 always covers. And a lot of non Musicians end up thinking that ridiculous disortion and super fast playing is more skillful and appealing than lush acoustic orchestrations. I like both personally.

[MrMasonsPlacement]

@matreames

yo is this still happening? u think they'll play uk? i think its instantly better than G3 cosG3 is to me a cheesy demonstration of guitar skills. even though the acoustic playing here is mega technical, its still done to create an genuine, soulful sound. plus saw andy mckee before in a 50 person venue, very intimate, and he's is amazing storyteller, or raconteur if you will ;)

[countrysamurai]

@Delgift Yes he is...what an uncommon genius Eric is.

[zr24X4ROCKS]

sick!!!! amazing

[djfrank203]

My is he is very very very clean and accurate =O not to mention, hes got some very nice progressions going on

[mikevan12975]

amazing

[zr24X4ROCKS]

omg! yea that harmonic is crazy !

[3p0y1]

hey LYRIDS LYRA..before you post ur opinion, might listen carefully first.. got the 1:10 position..he miss one note, and its so obvious.. nobody's perfect, i guess.. but though, johnson is one of my favorite guitar player,. and why he so clean playing the acoustic? 'coz he is a pro and a jazz player too.discipline i guess.. peace

[Derveregun]

Ha la straordinaria capacità di farti rilassare,qualunque cosa suoni...

semplicemente un mito!

[LyridsLyra]

When Eric Johnson is playing acoustic guitar.. as my opinion.. he plays it perfectly.. there were no badsound that we can hear coming from the guitar.. EJ, EPIC.

[bodhidarma1]

The progression in the chorus sounds a bit like a radiohead song.

I love this tune. eric's mad dynamic.

[5519scotty]

Always a inspiration...Eric is so melodius..

Scotimus

[kurerugi69]

EJ.

one of the worlds best guitar players ever

[piuhf]

whats the songs name??????? pleaseeeeeee

[AndreaSkill]

It's called once upon a time in texas, but i don't think you are going to find it becouse he has never recorded it :)

[piuhf]

@AndreaSkill oooh right thanks

[dfizzle33]

Joey isn't crazy. That's the thinnest sounding Martin I've ever heard. Thought it was a Taylor til I saw the description. Not a fan of acoustic/electrics, I am a fan of EJ and what he just did however. He fell apart for a split second toward the end but that was just sick nonetheless.

[jorari71]

Wow, a master with the spanish guitar!!

The Spanish guitar can be played in this way??

I didn't know!!

Thank you Eric, please, continue in this way.

[methodinsane]

It's not a spanish guitar and it's not spanish music. It's a Martin, check the info box. It is fingerstyle though. And it's very good.

[jorari71]

Ok ok...Thank you for your response. I saw the video some times more (I love his music) and I discover a litle cable for the low part of the guitar...

Of course is not flamenco or Spanish music. I com fro Spain and I know what knid of music is Flamenco and the sound of a Spanish guitar.

In fact, I prefer a Martin or a Gibson in terms of the sound that they produce instead of a Spanish guitar and its sound.

Thank you very much for your response.

[methodinsane]

No problem.

[tritonefascination]

i just bought one of these on ebay. ill post a video when i get the chance

[bjmcnamara009]

Awesome

[tbarnhart]

Wow! Kind of Michael Hedgy great!!

[JayRandom47]

What song is this?

[ShiffronLandren]

This is the result of over 40 years of dedicated playing...Anything is possible if you stay committed. EJ keeps me inspired.

[Joeey]

See the problems that emerge when someone puts a pickup in the bridge of an acoustic guitar?

[Greatguitarguy]

erm...no?

[gwp00]

I see a problem of posting after drinking...

[milcio79]

lol i agree with gwp00

[feelee15]

yes, the playing is great, but I agree, this should have been mic'd or have a mic instead of a pickup to give a more natural sound. the pickup is for convinence

[Greatguitarguy]

what a tone.

[kzargentina]

Can you imagine what a tortured life he would have had if his parents had said, "No, Eric,we will not buy you that guitar, this music business will get you nowhere; now wake up and find a decent, respectable job before it's too late!!!" ;-D

[jaidonnn]

lucky for him his parents were musicians themselves

[xSnoweyexp]

well , if you really want something nothing can stop you my friend.

[theshredmann]

eric ist auf meines obersten 5 Gitarristen

[yashiedoodie]

i love eric johnson,john petrucci,and steve lucater,,,,,,my 3 guitar hero.......

FUCK steve vai,paul gibert and joe satriani..SPECIALLY billy sheehan they'll all SUCK sorry just posting comment

[Phil7749]

Ah fuck you, cant you just enjoy music and shut up

[yashiedoodie]

i love you too faggot

[Phil7749]

and dont forget to go to hell piece of shit :D

[Greatguitarguy]

joe satriani, doesn't suck....he just doesn't

[brandage]

He is just simply incredible. Beyond talented... and his insanely detailed approach. Wow. He'll always be a fave.

[onlinhe]

Awesome

[rusd19]

If this doesn't give you chills, nothing will....some people were just 'meant' to play.

[LucaPette]

I love him, really.

[babarry1]

Guitar God!

[feral1404]

It's called "Once Upon a Time in Texas," but it's never been on any of his albums. Like some of his other acoustic pieces, "Song for Life" or "Dusty," he only plays this live... Never been recorded anywhere that I can find. Awesome song. He played it in San Diego in 2003, brought the house down.

[sochx]

Dusty is in 'Souvenir', and 'Song for Life' is in 'Seven Worlds'.

[JonP1961]

great CD. this and "Song for George" are two of my favorite acoustic pieces from EJ.

[icelemoncoffee]

i want the tab !!!

whats this song name ???

[jcblon007]

WOW he is the man just WOW

[masterplan94]

this was unbelievably beautiful...

[Manny1222]

A main influence of Andy Mckee is Eric Johnson. Everyone needs to stop saying one person is better than the other. They are both great musicians.

[Korane0]

@Manny1222 That's the thing with EJ, he has a lot of influence and he don't deny them. SRV, Song for Georges and some others are all tribute to these. BUT EJ just play all these styles with class and always add his own personnality, full of passion and musicality. He is a GREAT guitarist because of that. If your heard Yngwie Malmsteen on Nylon strings, you should understand what I mean.

[Manny1222]

@Korane0 To that I can agree. Malmsteen on Nylon would be a nightmare for him and everyone around him while he is playing it.

[123jozef]

FIrst thing I thought of was Andy...

[PunnishTheWeak]

THIS GUY RULES! i love the riff that features at about 20 secs n the harmonic way of playing at about 1:26ish

[piuhf]

what's the name of the song?

[NuggetmanCy]

Once upon a time in texas i believe

[clueworm82]

Simply the best. EJ never lets me down.

[n2motocross]

I was Here!! Birmingham Alabama. City Stages

[dionecarlosdamota]

que som é esse velho!!

esse violão é dimais!

e o eric toca um pouquinho sim..

hehe

[mrsexsymbol]

eric is just fucking amazing, one of the best (if not the best) musicians to ever live

[m0nj3]

august rush is a copy of eric johnson this guy is the shit, he owns the guitar

[xSnoweyexp]

Damn i would love to have a studio version of this song . I really love eric johnson

[angeloberdugo13]

what's the title again? or better yet, can u give me a tab of this... thanks! ^_^

[makunouchi3]

Is this an actual song or him just improvin?

[omallm7]

Song is called "Once Upon a Time in Texas". Sadly, it does not (yet) appear on a studio recording, though has circulated in bootleg form as Eric Johnson -- "Acoustic Bootleg" from his solo acoustic tour in (I think) winter 2005.

[mydreamline]

where can i get the guitar tab for it? it's awesome!!

[racateador]

ERIC IS GOD!!!!

[littlepignumber3]

It's official Eric Johnson>Eric Johnson. It's the same as dividing by zero, but better. The Universe just exploded.

[sevensix7]

superb experimental technique , nothing compares. much fluidness and such. hail...

[pitriplex]

i wish i could compose songs like he does :( i guess ill keep practicing

[babis1p]

does anybody know what kind of technique he uses between 0:16-0:19?Thanks

[theSzpilman]

harmonic slap...u slap on the 12 fret from where u're freting.

[GB00K44]

Slap harmonics are much harder on acoustic...  beware.

[jesdome]

he discusses that technique in one of his instructional videos...

[IntoTheDistance]

Slap Harmonics.

Listen to Preston Reed, Don Ross, Antoine Dufour, Andy McKee (..and many others) to learn it ;)

[IronTrooper]

Or just Eric Johnson :)

[annula89]

real magician.

[Manny1222]

Thats what I would like to know. I remember listening to a song were he plays like a Spanish style. It was beautiful. It was back when I had limewire to search for songs you can't normally find at stores.

[feral1404]

Could have been either "Desert Song" from Tones or "Ciel" from Bloom... both of those are done Spanish-style on a nylon string acoustic. Both are supremely beautiful.

[psychopathtoine]

what song is this? :)

[bytor1975]

The song is Once Upon A Time in Texas, and it's not on any of his CDs. Yet.

[psychopathtoine]

thanks for the fast reply ;)

[glandwich]

dang man, eric johnson's guitar notes are just so nice.

SUCH nice guitar notes!

[guitarman069]

his tone comes from his fingers...nobody else can ever sound like that..EJs the best

[Krumboltz]

Agree, his tone is by far the best! I can't get the same sound he gets, damn

[danielwarlow]

andy mckee can.

[sbald82nd]

Andy McKee can most certainly match the tonal quality in this. I don't know why everyone gave you thumbs down.

[cmstmp]

I remember a letter to "Guitar for the practicing musician" i think it was:

Question: I got the same guitar as Eric Johnson, same Amp, same Effects with Duracell Batteries, same Cables, same Strings and same Settings, but it doesn't sound like Eric Johnson.

Answer: You AREN'T Eric Johnson

[orangewizard]

Yeah,pretty much! lol

[Kmh5494]

Hahaha. Exactly.

[takineko]

HAHAHA that's great.

[IntoTheDistance]

Muahahahahah!! Great cmstmp!

The best comment I've ever found here!

LOL!

[j0bski]

walang kupas!!!

[lonewolfshogun]

very nice

[marschmall]

amazing i love it!

[dingorex]

Saw him at 5 point music hall in 90s. He's great live. Thanks for posting.

[bytor1975]

I saw him there during the Venus Isle tour myself.

[GB00K44]

Thanks for posting the master at work. Pretty good sound too.

[afridge902]

whats the name of the song he is playing??

[bytor1975]

Once Upon A Time in Texas, and it's not on any of his CDs.

[afridge902]

Damm its such a Nice song!! thanks for replying!!

[luduwanda]

oh man if i could play like this i would play songs with a beautiful melody..cause he doesnt. of course i sounds profesionel, but there is no special melody

[feral1404]

Yeah, I guess one of the only winners ever of a Grammy for an instrumental song (Cliffs of Dover) is totally clueless about melodies...

[cironsmith]

If you can't hear the melody in those chord changes, that's on you, not him. Technical mastery and narrative expression aren't mutually exclusive.

[Jptoutant]

Good!!

[dentblue]

Great! Never seen~~~EJ.

[bobwho1986]

Uh ... suh-weeeeeeet! EJ is amazing!

[glennguagmire]

Two places called Birmingham??? What a stupid idea! Everytime it says Birmingham I think it means here in England but noo... Its all the way in Alabamy.

[s1914]

No...! EJ never comes to the UK it seems boo hoo hoo :(

[bencantona]

In the UK its Birmingstan

[glennguagmire]

Hahahahaha! So true!

[Gromeul]

Great!

[TheTrueFortress]

Eric Johnson is utterly fantastic. I own all his recordings (and DVDs) and his music brings so much joy to my life it's amazing. Thanks, Eric.

[Powerslider]

for me exactly the same! his works are therapeutic for me!

[simonerichsson]

oh yes!

[TWandDM]

think theres any possible way to get this song.. it's amazing like EJ himself is.

[speedy94519]

Hey does anyone know what this song is called?

[bytor1975]

Once Upon A Time in Texas, and it's not on any of his CDs.

[speedy94519]

aww man i like that song, well thankz for telling me :)

[tymcginty]

Very Michael Hedges...One style I haven't seen much from EJ.

He really can do it all.

[jondunnproject]

EJ is king.

[evergreenrocks]

goddamn right!!! man that was sweet!!!

[mikeyblobs]

Does anyone know what this track is called? I wannit!!!