Rush - How To Play the Guitar Solo in Tom Sawyer

[MultiMinecraft123]

i could learn it if you slowed the fuck down not play it a like fullspeed and you know be a good teacher and fucking explain were to put youre fingers aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[snowdoguk]

@MultiMinecraft123 If you don't like the video spend a bit of money and buy the video that Alex Lifeson has made. Unfortunately I can't guarantee that you'll be able to play the solo after his lesson. I guess you only watched the first few seconds of this video since all the parts are slowed down to half speed. If you can't try out a few positions and find the right place to put your fingers, you must be a beginner and perhaps this solo is too hard for you anyway. Good luck!!

[Thatguyinphilosophy]

@snowdoguk

Or maybe you should just post the fucking finger positions like anyone who knows how to teach would.

[dave8594]

The like/dislike bar is a burning joint. Thumbs up if you agree.

[M3ltingP0t]

at 0:49 what finger is hitting and where exactly??? please someone

[PhotoGib]

@M3ltingP0t Open A to B, etc...

[TissueGhost]

Wow.

I can't play guitar, and it sounds plucky when I do play Ironman and Working Man in my sister's guitar ( she also can't play). So I want to try this. I probably will fail but that won't be until I absolutely can't do it. :D I'll do it on our clean 20 watt amps and then play it nicely on the fuzzy four watt.

I would LOVE to know what kind of amp you use!

[rushrules65]

He plays an open E string and yes E Myx.

[1manwithstick]

great version, I saw a guy play this at a bar and was blown away. You make it possable, thanks!!

[11181001]

Good stuff, keep it up. New music from Brandon Jarod coming soon!

[gazzas2112]

Not bad , but check my version. I hope you like.

[MrThunderbeast]

This is way off. Lifeson gives a great tutorial of the way it is played on iVideosongs. Check it out.

[ookie123]

good work

[Condortheburninator]

Sick guitar man. Great instruction too!

[powerman5000ca]

Nice

Thanks

[estinky]

great work freind..if you aint no guitar teacher...you should be... ; )

[Songslayer]

Not to be too picky and correct me if I'm wrong but it appears that, in section 3, your last 3 notes played from the front view (various speeds) are C# D & E but then (at 5:07 - fretboard only view / full speed) you omit the D and your last 3 notes are an arpeggio consisting of B C# & E. My ear sucks so I can't figure it out by listening to the original. Cheers and thanks for the vid.

[Eddielovemuse90]

Jdrocker any "TAB" book isn't actually written by the band. I have the book and many things are wrong in it, so like 'snowdoguk' learn to play by ears because the books wont get you anywhere.. Good job snowdoguk great cover, and I like when people mix there own stuff in covers.

[thejack1212]

do you know what scale this solo is based on

[snowdoguk]

@thejack1212 rumour has it that the solo was never composed exactly as it ended up, but was rather put together from the best bits of different solos recorded for this... I'm not a music theorist so hopefully someone else can answer that question for you about the scale.....

[HolyKatana]

@snowdoguk I can! It's E Mixolydian, even though it sounds completely random and weird. It's more the pinch harmonics and the really spastic phrasing that make it sound unique than the scale itself.

[Delgift]

@thejack1212 The solo in Tom Sawyer is based on an E mixolydian scale. The notes which form it are: E - F# - G# - A - B - C# - D. If you want to have other examples of mixolydian scales listen to the main melody of Summer Song by Joe Satriani, that`s pure A mixolydian ( A - B - C# - D - E - F# - G ). 

[IbanezNick75]

@thejack1212 I think its in e mixolydian

[simpletones1]

nice

[FartFilledBalloons]

if JDrockerDUDE knows how it's played, why is he watching a video on how to play the solo? does he really think the tab book is the way Alex plays it? the tab book is just someone else's interpretation.Compare the IVS video to the tab book and you will see JDrockerDude is the one playing it WRONG. keep up the good work

[thepianoaddict]

i know this one from chuck ;p

[JDrockerDUDE]

your an idiot to dude, fucking read my other comments, i apologised or being such a dick to him.

[snowdoguk]

@JDrockerDUDE wrong? have you really just spent a part of your life trying to prove I play an interpretation wrong? Of COURSE it's not the same at the original... I learnt it as best I could by slowing down the audio ..because someone asked me to.. Tabs are by other people doing exactly the same thing...how do you know that your tabs are right? Read the info.. it's my interpretation..not my exact copy of Alex Lifeson.. I look forward to watching your video of the perfect take :)

[JDrockerDUDE]

yes, i know, im sry for being so judgmentive, im like that. and it is a good version, i cant play it at all, so im sry, and your good at playing guitar so keep rocking.

[snowdoguk]

@JDrockerDUDE no problem :) it takes a big character to come back and re-assess what they wrote so it's cool :) I actually downloaded the IVS video for this song sometime after I made this video, and some of what I show in this video is different to what AL teaches in his video. I recommend it though, only $10 and a lot of cool stuff. The response video above shows me playing it more or less as Alex does in his video.. cheers Mike

[JDrockerDUDE]

thanx man, didnt mean to be a prick. im just really observent and i like songs to be exact, sry, just the way i am. and when i notice something, even the tiniest detail, it bugs me. like you mist a few notes before the bend. lol so yeah man i'll learn it and we'll both see whos versions gets more veiws xD lol jk dude. you play really good.

[sixfingr]

@snowdoguk Glad that all got cleared up! Snowdoguk—great work, as always!!!

I never use tab myself. Those who do are at the mercy of the ear of the person who wrote them (rarely, if ever, the artist).

Alex has a how-to vid for TS. He covers that solo thoroughly. I see clips from it in the "relateds" to the right of this as I post.

Keep it up, SNODOGUK!

[21380]

@snowdoguk who needs tabs anyway ;) learn it by ear!

[godsmack1985]

dude your an idiot read the description

[sixfingr]

@JDrockerDUDE Tab is usually junk. Semi-close junk, but junk compared to the power of the finely tuned ear. snowdoguk has such an ear.

Great work, as always, SNOWDOGUK!!!!

Tabs. Tabs are for tourists...

[JDrockerDUDE]

i think you add a a.h on the bend in the beginning of the solo. idk, just his sounds higher pitch.

[audiomatrix2006]

Prettty Cool Dude Man you nailed it really close. YOu are a very good guitar teacher.

Peace Out

[poolandspamoose]

what a great video ! this is why i am just a singer and rythm guitarist. how hard is that ? everyone should realize how hard a really good lead guitarist like alex is.

[ustolemybeer]

tabs for part 3? you can't see the frets too well in this part, so i'm stuck until I know tab

[dvdfrnzwbr]

I wish I this tutorial twenty five years ago, but now being older I am less motivated to learn.

[n2meisner]

great solo. it really helped me out. you're good. but at the end, are you using a pull off, or playing all the notes indivudually? because i cant tell in the video, and i cant seem to get the timing down either way.

[snowdoguk]

@n2meisner Hi, I play all the notes individually with very fast picking, the timing is difficult and you'll need to practice it

[ACELLOFAWARENESS]

Lifeson is sooo good at composing solos that are not always insane with a flurry of speed but are arranged in a way that just makes you say 'who's yer daddy?' especially when out of nowhere he just drops down to low notes and grinds out some low end on his way back to shredding...damn...what a bad ass!!!

[WoWarcraftvideos]

The end was INSANEEE!!!

[snowdoguk]

@WoWarcraftvideos yep LOL

[videogameplayer08]

what kind of guitar was that and how much did it cost? I am getting a guitar but first i am getting an acoustic guitar than an electric guitar so i need to pick out an electric guitar and i choose the one you are using

[snowdoguk]

@videogameplayer08 it's a PRS CE 22, not one of the cheapest I must add but superb quality.. if you can afford one, highly recommended

[videogameplayer08]

how much did you pay for it?

[snowdoguk]

@videogameplayer08 you can look up the prices .. just go to the PRS website, or google it... I bought mine secondhand...

[videogameplayer08]

wow thanks!!!!!!

[satinsspell]

this part of the song is in 7/8 time : P

[sshannon74074]

Nice job! Hey what kind of software do you use for the loop?

[ACELLOFAWARENESS]

probably a Tascam guitar trainer.

[metalguitarist11]

THANKS SO MUCH BRO

[Thitavares]

Nice video. Perfectly played.

5 stars, no doubt.

And my friend... WHAT a hell of a tone you got. One the best so far.

Keep up the great work.

[jmdb1994]

really good.. teacher.. =D.. xD

[tangonoose]

great video ,and lesson style

-really appreciate it ,

thanks please do more songs,

[ctlala]

|

V hes a haxor!! lol. noone matches alex

[alexlifeson4pres]

How on earth do you get such an exact sound to that of Lifeson?

[snowdoguk]

I use a Line 6 POD XT Live to get the tones... a few basic ones and then tweak the parameters as necessary. The most important thing is to keep the distortion levels down.. use chorus, reverb, delay tailored to the bpm of the song.. that's it really

[Lordofthenerds88]

I have no idea how to play part 3... When you're slowed down you're zoomed out, so I can't see. When you're zoomed in, you're way too fast.

Can you help me out?

[snowdoguk]

The part is so simple I didn't think a slow visual close up was necessary, just listen to the notes and look at the position of the fretboard. Alternatively you can spend $10 and download the lesson given by Alex Lifeson himself (you get the whole song). Hope that helps :-)

[lifesgoodnot]

it goes 9th fret 3rd string---7th on 2nd string---9th on 3rd string---7th ,6th ,7th on the 3rd string---9th on 4th string----9th on 3rd string and u slid up

[toneguru77]

Hey what kind of amp are you using? Tube or SS? I'm wondering how you set up your tone stack (Gain,Bass,Mid,Tre) so I can get the song good.

[snowdoguk]

Hey toneguru.. I don't use an amp as such, I direct inject my POD XT Live so the sound you hear is directly from the output of that.

[ToothDecay7758]

Thanks to you, I won't fail my English class project :D

[snowdoguk]

I don't quite understand why but I'm glad you won't fail :D

[redwhitencrue]

great video! what settings do you use for the amp?

[tgcko123]

Thanks a lot. If only learning licks were this easy 25 years ago...

[chuckdubdubdub]

That's great. thanks very much! I really appreciate your video -- have been a huge Rush fan for some nearly 30 years now.

[chuckdubdubdub]

Ok, so how do you get that super high pitch harmonic sound in the second section?

Thanks for a great vid!

-Chuck

[snowdoguk]

Hi Chuck... you have to hold the pick so that you hit the strings with the tip of the pick and the tip of your finger, pinch the pick so that only the tip is showing, then pluck the strings so that your finger also hits the string.. hard to explain but give it go... you'll find that a whole new world of sounds open up to you

[keekster100]

thank you so much my ability to play guitar really has widemed with this one trick, great vid

-Keiran :)

[silverblood36]

u should do "YYZ"  !rush rules!

[ultra353]

really ,really good job on both the playing and instruction!

[vineyardedge]

This rocks- hey you know what- after playing TS ALL DAY LONG- I went into a convenience store to get a drink and guess what song was playing? TS! OUT OF ALL THE SONGS IN THE WORLD...LOL! HAHHA

[rushlessons]

awesome thanks!

[zdefinexnormal]

awsome job. even though u saw u dont teach, u really should. im gonna subscribe in hopes u read my comment and take me up on this offer.

[chucktrafton]

snowdog, very very helpful, thx for breaking it down like this. never seen anyone use the loop on a youtube vid before, that was cool. i need to get the amazingslowdowner ive haerd thats the only free looping sw out there? anyway great job and thx

[baranater1]

great job breaking this song down it could be tricky if u just learn it by ear. very accurate great job

[saiyanteam]

sick first time ive ever heard it basically i was bored and i really wanted to learn more on guitar so thanks alot its really cool!

[plasticbag80]

Where you say for the pinch harmonic part, every note in that section is a pinch harmonic, correct?

BTW awesome video :)

[snowdoguk]

Hi plasticbag, that's how I play it yes, pinch every one in that section. Of course you don't have to, and if you miss one or two it's not a felony either, it just keeps the feel of the original Moving Pictures track, where Alex pinches all (or most) of them. Funnily enough, since I made this I've bought the Alex Lifeson How To Play TS and he makes no mention of pinch harmonics during this part at all. Many thanks for your comments and watching, it's appreciated

[stratboy1000]

Thank you for doing this. You cut my learning time by about 75%. Good to see another 40 something still at it.

[KrankyFinn]

Hey great video - this really easier for the brain when its in slow motion. Nice work...

[moses132049]

this was prety helpful but the first 2 minuets were the exact same part over and over

[snowdoguk]

Well, you know it's the old saying, you can't please all of the people all of the time. Thanks for dropping by to watch.

[MulletFacePro]

hey great video could you possibly do one for the solo of "what your doing" its off rush's first album.

[mocmanvegas]

Love this idea. Love that Cort guitar too!

[snowdoguk]

Hi.. thanks for your comment, appreciate the feedback.. (the guitar is actually a PRS CE22)

[odstwarhead]

Can you post your tab for this? Near the end I am having trouble seeing exactly what frets you are on.

[snowdoguk]

Hi... I don't use tabs for solos, only software which allows me to slow a track down while maintaining the correct pitch. If you tell me the time in the video where you're having trouble, I'll be able to help you.

[odstwarhead]

After part 4, because there aren't anymore slow close ups of which frets you are using.

[LandBolts]

awesome! this was very helpful to me. very nice job. i was wondering if i could make a request of Fade to Black opening solo. by metallica. anyways thanks for the help :)

[snowdoguk]

Not a band I know a lot about but listened to the intro and it sounds nice. Would have thought there would be a million covers of this flying around. glad to have helped on this one :-)

[liowik]

I like that you include the thought process of how to break a solo down into distinct parts. Any thoughts in general on how you chose where to break? Did you include playing the entire solo to speed (or just the parts)? You should include the entire solo too. :-) Thanks for the vid!!

[snowdoguk]

Hi liowik, usually it's pretty clear where to break because of the natural flow throughout the solo and the structure of it but I guess it's a matter of personal choice too. As to the entire solo, well I simply ran out of time on this one, although there is a full length on one of my other videos. Thanks for your constructive comments.

[jave12345100]

can you please make a video of how to play the whole song because this is one of my favorite songs.I also can't find a good video tutorial.

[snowdoguk]

Hi jave, do a search on YouTube or the web for ivideosongs Rush. Alex has made 3 tutorials Limelight, SOR and Tom Sawyer. Who better to teach you than the great man himself!!

[RCRacer]

okay...how do you do a pinch harmonic?

[snowdoguk]

Hi RC, from Wikipedia: "A pinch harmonic is produced when the thumb of the picking hand lightly touches against the string immediately after it is picked. This action is sufficient to silence the fundamental and all overtones except those which have a node at that location. This is generally accomplished by holding the guitar pick so that very little of its tip protrudes between the thumb and forefinger (about 3-5mm), allowing the thumb to brush the string immediately after it is picked"

[ChiefDouce]

kool

[stratopicker]

I had to learn this tune quick for a pickup gig recently---couldnt really find any tab that was good---probably could have learned by ear, but not in two nights that I had to prepare...THIS VID IS FANTASTIC...thank you for your work...saved me a lot of time and it was very well done...

[snowdoguk]

I'm chuffed to bits with a comment like that from an accomplished guitarist like yourself. Thanks very much indeed and am glad it helped you.

[GutiarFag]

vibrato lol... :(

[JUCEBOXXXXXX]

nvm oops my mistake thats a paul reed smith

[JUCEBOXXXXXX]

wat kind a guitar is that BC Rich??

[thefuzz2142]

Im really stumped at the riff starting at 5 08

Its a little to fastt =((

but ive picked up everything else man, great job!

[snowdoguk]

Hi Fuzz... 4:30 onwards is dedicated to this part, at 4:55 it is slowed down to half speed, and starting at 5:08 it's played a few times over and over at full speed. Hope that helps a bit.

[EddieBear631]

Even before watching it, I appreciated the way you put the disclaimer about "according to my ability" up front. Great job on the fretwork. 5-STARS :)

[fretboarder]

good video i liked how you did the slow mo..do you have anymore of these?

[paulguitarplayer]

excellent video!

great playing 5/5

[Docca3]

could have done with that a while ago!!! good lesson - I'll have to compare it to the way I play it now and see where I go wrong!!!

[patman2112]

Thanks for showing, you know if you add &fmt=18 at the end you can hear this in stereo.

Your guitar sounds killer. Love the effects you're running.

[snowdoguk]

Thanks for the info. about the stereo sound. The combination of PRS and POD XT Live gives such a wide variety of sounds and effects, sometimes I wish I only had a fuzz box like in the old days :-)

[luckyspirit07]

great job again snowdog! i am speachless with admiration again... never have seen this kind of lesson before ;-) it looks very easy to understand how to play and encourages to try it ...wow. i love the definite instructions and the loops :-)

i shall try it. you are realy an exeptionally giftet teacher! thanx for sharing :-)