Elliot Smith seems to be talking about some Sacred Geometry in this, especially with the first couple comments he made at the beginning of this. Man, he was so awesome. Hella inspirational stuff.
Also when he is talking about shapes, "like a sequence" and he seems to be just picking out a few random chords, he is actually playing a part from "Christian Brother"
He demonstrates coming up with guitar parts by not looking at your fingers "and just like...(start playing)" but he doesn't make something up, he starts playing Son of Sam haha.
After watching this video, I opened my project in Fruityloops that's been sitting there for weeks and weeks unfinished and causing me stress everytime I've tried to complete it. I just let everything I had flow out of my head, and within an hour it was done. It's a song I made for my girlfriend's birthday and she loves it. Thanks Elliott :) <3
"Although most of those are normal chords, this one is like some sort of like, some sort of D7 or something. But it has an E in it. I dont know what it's actually called. But I like it."
Hahaha that part made me laugh for some reason. Oh Elliott. Totally sick what he does with the inherent melodies within chords though. Makes even the full band songs sound really good on an acoustic.
what elliott doesnt realize is we arent all like him, geniuses lol, just think whatever you want and put it in the blender then see what happens, i believe hes the only person that could successfully do that
He seems incredibly incoherent, but his advice is absolutely spot on. Way too much attention is given to music theory. His advice is "Fuck it, just play."
@walkerped no, but it will allow you to enjoy what youre playing/hearing without the distraction of thinking about the chord name and what chords could possibly follow, thus possibly freeing you to be more imaginative. I think basically he was saying to not get too caught up in thought / theory all the time.
@walkerped That's not what he's saying. He's saying changing it up as a way to force your brain to not fall into the patterns of what it always does. Tom Waits and David Gilmour have said similar things...both of them have suggested writing songs on instruments that you don't normally play, because it keeps you from falling back on "the same old thing." Elliott's advice about not looking at your hands follows the same principle.
If you like Elliott Smith's dreamy chords and patterns, I think you'd also like Grizzly Bear. Daniel Rossen, the guitarist/songwriter, is very inspired by Elliott Smith and plays similar weird chords in his songs. RIP
The thing that strikes me the most about Elliott Smith from watching these interviews is that he was very modest. Like John Lennon, who actually was arrogant, Elliott was amazing enough that he could have bragged about his talent and gotten away with it. But he didn't have the egocentric nature or pretension that so many geniuses have . It makes him much more endearing in my opinion, and it is inspiring to think that you can be a great artist and still be a decent guy.
@breeeegs If you look at some geniuses, like Stanley Kubrick, they were actually really negative about their work. I remember him saying that Eyes Wide Shut was shit.
@Redsparrowe123 No problem at all. Epiphone makes a series called Masterbilt though, which has a well made, for lack of a better term, budget version of it though. All solid wood, called an AJ-500RE
Awesome..my compliments!!! I had a spell where I collected his video & radio interviews, plus, 40-60+ live shows somebody taped where I used to listen to his little crowd chit chat and some of his "elliottism's" & the "Thanks" he always said when the crowd cheered after a song, etc. ad infinitum. Of course, Elliott was tremendously intelligent (Either/Or was named 4 S. Kierkegaard's 2 vol. book) & loathed formula interviews.Just like his lyrics, he really could say so much in a few words.
When I was learning I'd memorise chords through the shape of my fingers, I didn't necessarily remember exactly what a chord would sound like before I played it, I just knew that a G was like holding up your middle finger to an audience.
at the end it says "produced by Adam St. James". reminds me of the line in Pretty Mary K..."...and talked to Saint James..." any corelation? I readily admit that I may be making connections that simply aren't there, but I had to throw it out there for others like me who obsess over tiny details of our fearless leader's life. cheers
Yup, I think of writing music as in shapes also, but inspiration is difficult, specially when you have kids. I would have to relax and hear my thoughts. tis hard sometimes
Genius songwriting can't be taught shown or forced out, you've either got it or you have'nt Just plain intuition and to be able to recieve melodys and lyrics from beyond.
I totally disagree, all you need is a language and a brain. I can name about 10 artists who say it's a fairytale that you have to wait for a devine intervention that gives you a creative idea, on the contrary they say it's all about sitting down writing writing writing working scrapping 90% and starting again. Of course sometimes you are 'in the zone' as with other things in life and it comes pouring out, but most of the times that aint the case.
Divine intervention is nothing to do with what im on about thats religious crap, good songs come from the soul, don't be fooled by artists who say they scrap 90% they just talking shit cause they don't want anyone to be better than them and they want you to bin the goods.
I'd rather think it's you who's talking shit or you're still a bit naive, or frustrated because you are not creative enough so you blame it on the fact you're not a 'genious' songwriter and don't have 'it'. Oh and of course I diden't mean devine intervention in the literal religeous idea.
There's no need to be rude to people, and you can't judge others when you know zero about them, your written English grammer and spelling skills are apalling too. Farewell my confused friend.
In no way at all I've been rude to you, I made a guess, I did not SAY you were those things. But of course if you feel offended there must be something true about it. Oh and I think my english is perfectly fine, I can't rly make long sentences with the word count now can I? But if you want you can write in Dutch, French or German as these are my three native languages, OH bummer, I forgot, u'r from the uk, you only speak english and say bonjour and ola.Plz burn,OH&u were offending now.
Everything CCS says makes perfect sense it's one thing to speak a language and another to think in it you clearly do not, and just for the record your a complete and utter fucking diseased penis.
this is coming from someone who does this for a living, it is almost impossible to write a complete song in 5 minutes. Whenever I write, it is literally out of thin air, and then I would write it. It's something that just happens. Of course this is just me. I believe elliott is right.
Imo, most songs are not written in one magical spark of creativity, and anyone who thinks this is a bit on the naive side. Not to mention those kids a few below here are absolutely rediculous, I got the biggest amount of profanity spam on the front of my page, things even kids would be ashamed about. And all that for giving an opinion, also ty google for the built in censoring function, shows where you come from.
@esdenaze no they are not all written in a spark of magic, I wrote a song off of a girl walking past me, seriously it comes from anywhere else but from forcing, I always get my best songs like that, it's truth. And I don't understand the purpose of your ending comment in this conversation.
hey seigneurmec, personne ne t'apprendra à pondre des chansons, même pas lui. en plus il est tout défoncé ici... ouvre juste tes oreilles, écoute plein de musiques differentes puis fais ton truc... sinon regarde ses doigts, t'auras des accords gratuits...
This video is really important, please re-upload with the full audio. This video is encouraging, enlightening and could probably help a lot of people out.
I'ts a good idea ReallyOcean , i'm agree with you Thanks you if you can write what he said ( Sorry for the English , i hope you can undertsant what i said :s)
@inputmodule This is me reasoning with the suicide of a great person------------------------I think Why he took himself was because people had told him they loved him and knew his soul....and with most of these extensions he'd said to himself, "no, that's impossible, you don't..." instead of admitting that they really did---it would be as if he admitted they knew his secret, and they do! If ever music "touched" an unmusical person...from one to the other...they do!!
That isnt some dude. Thats Elliott Smith. Pick up the book 'Elliott Smith' by Autumn de Wilde. Thats how he looked about the time Figure 8 came out. You are probably thinking of later, or earlier Elliott Smith.
you know what? whatever... he just meant that Dylan admitted to "stealing" whatever it was he did to come up with a song. cut the Micha dude some slack, FFS.
contrary to what elliot says brian may said that he imagined notes in his head BEFORE he picked up the guitar. that way he could be sure he wasnt just following what his fingers wanted to do! as well you can map out in your mind where the changes should happen. likewise dylan said 'like a rolling stone' was the closest he got to realising the sound he had in his head. but dont take it from me! i dont know that much about songwriting! good luck!
Yeah, playing the guitar and piano well and writing a song at age 9 doesnt necessarily make you a genius, but elliot smith is a genuis, he may not know how to explain some things but thats whats great about his music, his lyrics are his heart... his music is unexplainable
lol, i will admit im not a HUGE fan of his singing, but when i hear it somthing clicks inside of me and it just... makes me happy, in a sad sort of way. They way he takes his life and hands it to you.
Makes a lot of sense songwriting is so hard to describe, I just got into Elliot Smith recently and cannot believe how much I have missed and will never get to see even with all these videos on youtube. RIP
I feel your pain, for I am just now being exposed to his music. On the bright side though, we are able to view his live performances at our leisure. As a fan, our love for him will lengthen his legacy
i know my opinion may not matter to most of u older folks, but in my eyes he is a Genius. How many people write a piano piece at age 9 and win at an art festivil. my brothers 9. hes not very good.
when this guy sings and playes it gives me chills. not many other artists have that affect on me.
he knows a lot of instruments and is very proficiant with them. i play drums guitar and piano and he was better than me at age 9. better than me in all of them. except for the drums.
this will probably offend many, but i'm just stating an honest opinion. I have not really looked into elliott smith too much and perhaps he is a genius, but just because he composed a piano piece at 9 and just because he played an instrument better than you at a certain age, it doesn't mean he's a genius.
you really should look into him, trevor. I wouldn't say thats a lame brain remark either... seriously what is 'genius.' That is something that definitely lacks a definition. But many will agree that proficiency at instrument playing does not make somebody a genius, even if it is at an early age. Impressive, certainly. Do they have a gift many lack? Of course. Some thing like that though, is just an ingredient. Something like 'genius' implies a whole lot more complexity and quality. <3 Elliott
some minor level of wikipedia knowledge adds very little colour to a comment devoid of worth. I know, I'm wasting my time too but fuck, have some respect you dweeb.
your comparison of my knowledge to wikipedia is illogical. unless, you have the wiki link that shows what I just said came from wikipedia, please, come up with better responses to comments that aren't meant to be offensive.
i merely stated that if one plays the guitar and piano well and writes a song at age 9, it doesn't necessarily make you a genius.
that might be why some people think he's a genius, but why I believe that he was a genius was because he helped thousands of people get through tough parts of their lives. Just my opinion.
Dexter Gordon, Tadd Dameron, Art Blakey, J. J. Johnson, Sonny Rollins, Jackie McLean,Freddie Webster, Besides Bird, Sonny Stitt, Bud Powell, Fats Navarro, Gene Ammons were all using heroin, not to mention Joe Guy and Billie Holiday, too.There were a lot of white musicians--Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, Red Rodney, and Chet Baker.
Miles Davis book refers to all of these people as having used heroin. And don't forget Miles Davis himself.
i'm in my early forties as well and i can't understand anyone my age thinking that a drug addiction would compromise genius... aldous huxley, ernest hemmingway, jimmi hendrix, previously mentioned mozart, bob dylan, marc rothko, jackson pollak... hell, find an artistic genius that wasn't a drug addict.
i wish i could have met him :(
Renneskid 2 weeks ago
Elliot Smith seems to be talking about some Sacred Geometry in this, especially with the first couple comments he made at the beginning of this. Man, he was so awesome. Hella inspirational stuff.
ihatecon 3 weeks ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Also when he is talking about shapes, "like a sequence" and he seems to be just picking out a few random chords, he is actually playing a part from "Christian Brother"
petezilla 1 month ago
Comment removed
petezilla 1 month ago
He demonstrates coming up with guitar parts by not looking at your fingers "and just like...(start playing)" but he doesn't make something up, he starts playing Son of Sam haha.
petezilla 1 month ago
Fuck yeah Question Mark!
NicoBleackley 1 month ago
The fact "beer" and "insecurity" are in the tags are just kind of a blow below the belt.
officialfootboob 2 months ago 3
you can pretty much tell if one's a true artist just by their way of talking
josh7910 2 months ago 2
What a sweet and genuine soul.
MegaCrasher3000 2 months ago 3
After watching this video, I opened my project in Fruityloops that's been sitting there for weeks and weeks unfinished and causing me stress everytime I've tried to complete it. I just let everything I had flow out of my head, and within an hour it was done. It's a song I made for my girlfriend's birthday and she loves it. Thanks Elliott :) <3
ACG123GFB 2 months ago
The resoltion on this is like 60p! hahaha
KillThrill103 2 months ago
This guy was such a big talent. What a shame ... I really miss his style.
harwicke 3 months ago 3
"Although most of those are normal chords, this one is like some sort of like, some sort of D7 or something. But it has an E in it. I dont know what it's actually called. But I like it."
Hahaha that part made me laugh for some reason. Oh Elliott. Totally sick what he does with the inherent melodies within chords though. Makes even the full band songs sound really good on an acoustic.
BeatY0kidz 4 months ago 2
what elliott doesnt realize is we arent all like him, geniuses lol, just think whatever you want and put it in the blender then see what happens, i believe hes the only person that could successfully do that
peacelovemusic2461 5 months ago
he's pretty damn coherent for fucking with crack and heroin on a daily basis.
cchar1es 5 months ago 4
He seems incredibly incoherent, but his advice is absolutely spot on. Way too much attention is given to music theory. His advice is "Fuck it, just play."
lysolbombs470 6 months ago 2
Oh, if you like Elliott, try out The AM - Michael Tighe, Jeff Buckley's former guitarist, heads the band.
IngridElkner 8 months ago
I'd love to compose with him.
Too late? Well, not if you believe in spirit guides... :)
IngridElkner 8 months ago
As if just not looking at your hands while you play will make you come up with a really great chord progression randomly.
walkerped 8 months ago
Comment removed
oranjjjggg 5 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@walkerped no, but it will allow you to enjoy what youre playing/hearing without the distraction of thinking about the chord name and what chords could possibly follow, thus possibly freeing you to be more imaginative. I think basically he was saying to not get too caught up in thought / theory all the time.
oranjjjggg 5 months ago
@walkerped That's not what he's saying. He's saying changing it up as a way to force your brain to not fall into the patterns of what it always does. Tom Waits and David Gilmour have said similar things...both of them have suggested writing songs on instruments that you don't normally play, because it keeps you from falling back on "the same old thing." Elliott's advice about not looking at your hands follows the same principle.
NorthWriter 4 months ago 3
If you like Elliott Smith's dreamy chords and patterns, I think you'd also like Grizzly Bear. Daniel Rossen, the guitarist/songwriter, is very inspired by Elliott Smith and plays similar weird chords in his songs. RIP
uncccut23 8 months ago 2
its videos like these that make me wish he was still alive. very humble genius.
LeaveDenbyAlone 9 months ago 2
The thing that strikes me the most about Elliott Smith from watching these interviews is that he was very modest. Like John Lennon, who actually was arrogant, Elliott was amazing enough that he could have bragged about his talent and gotten away with it. But he didn't have the egocentric nature or pretension that so many geniuses have . It makes him much more endearing in my opinion, and it is inspiring to think that you can be a great artist and still be a decent guy.
breeeegs 1 year ago 35
@breeeegs If you look at some geniuses, like Stanley Kubrick, they were actually really negative about their work. I remember him saying that Eyes Wide Shut was shit.
AyahuascaSage 9 months ago
@breeeegs Totally agree m8
doughboycod2 3 months ago
I think it's just amazing how easily music came to him...he is truly a legend
R.I.P. Elliott, you are dearly missed.
ledzepandtapshoes 1 year ago
does ANYBODY know what type of guitar that is exactly?
Redsparrowe123 1 year ago
@Redsparrowe123 It's a Gibson J-45. Way overpriced guitar.
ChablesMan 1 year ago
@ChablesMan Shame. I am not a rich man. good to know though, thanks
Redsparrowe123 1 year ago
@Redsparrowe123 No problem at all. Epiphone makes a series called Masterbilt though, which has a well made, for lack of a better term, budget version of it though. All solid wood, called an AJ-500RE
ChablesMan 1 year ago
I love you Elliot Smith
hanusanus666 1 year ago
Thumbs up for "A Question Mark"! Oh yeah, and the great chord changes.
TheNewThirteen 1 year ago
420 likes at 10:45 pm nov 15 wooo
sandybandy45 1 year ago
christian brothers chords at 1:32 !!
FatherofMan25 1 year ago
@FatherofMan25
I'm with you on that! ;-)
baronmorris 1 year ago
"i think its our imagination thats the divine force, and if you just lock it up it'll come out and surprise you."
heyjude97 1 year ago
this is awesome, it's very close to my approach to writing songs
LittleBlackSparrow 1 year ago
ELLIOTT I LOVE YOU<3.
]':
shhmellshlikeasshhhh 1 year ago
interesting
skotxmeyerx9 1 year ago
such a good guitar player, holy shit I had no idea how complicated and brilliant question mark was
fishycrossit 1 year ago
ah what a nice guy
HerbySeas 1 year ago
this makes me wish i could play guitar
awad420 1 year ago
@awad420 There is no better time to start! I started at 30.
RevAshes 1 year ago 2
Awesome..my compliments!!! I had a spell where I collected his video & radio interviews, plus, 40-60+ live shows somebody taped where I used to listen to his little crowd chit chat and some of his "elliottism's" & the "Thanks" he always said when the crowd cheered after a song, etc. ad infinitum. Of course, Elliott was tremendously intelligent (Either/Or was named 4 S. Kierkegaard's 2 vol. book) & loathed formula interviews.Just like his lyrics, he really could say so much in a few words.
AnomicDeadDisciple 1 year ago
I totally know what he means when he talks about shapes.
Capriciou5 1 year ago
@Capriciou5
When I was learning I'd memorise chords through the shape of my fingers, I didn't necessarily remember exactly what a chord would sound like before I played it, I just knew that a G was like holding up your middle finger to an audience.
I think that's what he means.
regularjon 1 year ago
"I don't really know what it's called, but I like it"
hanusanus666 1 year ago 48
I love you Elliott
magicalllydelicious 1 year ago
rad!
hotmetaldobermans 1 year ago
at the end it says "produced by Adam St. James". reminds me of the line in Pretty Mary K..."...and talked to Saint James..." any corelation? I readily admit that I may be making connections that simply aren't there, but I had to throw it out there for others like me who obsess over tiny details of our fearless leader's life. cheers
tatelabianca 1 year ago
what's the name of the piano song at the very beginning of the video?
Daggot 1 year ago
@Daggot "Junk Bond Trader", off of the stellar Figure Eight album.
tatelabianca 1 year ago
The song in the middle sounds alot like Eternal Life by Jeff Buckley
AnotherGuitarHero 1 year ago
What a guy.
LukasXO 1 year ago
6:11 i think he just told me to quit my job
mycultureisbetter 1 year ago 3
I wish he hadn't died. I wonder how many great songs he still had inside him. Look at the way he plays "Quesion Mark." Wow. Ease, musicality, rhythm.
heyanto 1 year ago
genius, genius, genius.
ethyyl87 1 year ago
his parents must cry, angel gone.
softstrum 1 year ago
I need a lesson on how to stab myself more than once in the chest.
strattgatt 1 year ago
@strattgatt Then maybe you should ask his ex girlfriend
mrdrprofessorsteph 1 year ago
He is so high in this video.
notaboutmike 1 year ago
is that really elliott talking? i feel likes its not
freedo791 1 year ago
@freedo791 ummm yeh thats definitely him. have u ever heard his voice? this vid is just really off in syncing
MrReverendgreen 1 year ago
maybe you can't steal chords, but you can steal chord PROGRESSIONS.
bjarnyg 1 year ago
@bjarnyg Not really.
BizarreHarper 1 year ago
@bjarnyg hardley
chazeman2 1 year ago
'i don't know what it's called, but I like it' :)
williampatrickcorgan 1 year ago 5
forget about all the bad comments. Just love Elliott because he's so lovable =]
Hooska 1 year ago
you ought not to frame this in the context of "his daily crack/heroin period" unless you want to degrade a sweetly sincere interview
littleboy555 1 year ago 6
the audio cuts off from minute 06:53
knd53 1 year ago
I think you have to have a spark or at least remember where the 'heart' of the song is coming from for it to sound any good.
you have to have a raw emotion/memory/story you want to tell.
thats the main thing with being a decent songwriter, i think, is just to be honest and mean what you you are playing. people appriciate that.
That's why I like ellliott smith so much as well, he fucking means it , and the tunes are amazing. Not to mention he's a great player.
pulpapple 1 year ago 2
Yup, I think of writing music as in shapes also, but inspiration is difficult, specially when you have kids. I would have to relax and hear my thoughts. tis hard sometimes
Chammy92243 1 year ago 3
so many approaches to songwriting
nicofitz 1 year ago
gotta love youtube comment fights... or debates in this case.
pocketfullofkush 1 year ago 2
what year was this interview from?
zoesterino 2 years ago
Considering the song played in the beginning from figure 8, and considering elliotts "look" here, I think this is in 2000 =)
sucramnormark 2 years ago
i agree about the chords having an implied melody
thecaboose555 2 years ago
Genius songwriting can't be taught shown or forced out, you've either got it or you have'nt Just plain intuition and to be able to recieve melodys and lyrics from beyond.
CCSofChocolatesvill 2 years ago 6
shutupshutupshutup
sp00nz0r 2 years ago
I totally disagree, all you need is a language and a brain. I can name about 10 artists who say it's a fairytale that you have to wait for a devine intervention that gives you a creative idea, on the contrary they say it's all about sitting down writing writing writing working scrapping 90% and starting again. Of course sometimes you are 'in the zone' as with other things in life and it comes pouring out, but most of the times that aint the case.
esdenaze 2 years ago
Divine intervention is nothing to do with what im on about thats religious crap, good songs come from the soul, don't be fooled by artists who say they scrap 90% they just talking shit cause they don't want anyone to be better than them and they want you to bin the goods.
CCSofChocolatesvill 2 years ago
I'd rather think it's you who's talking shit or you're still a bit naive, or frustrated because you are not creative enough so you blame it on the fact you're not a 'genious' songwriter and don't have 'it'. Oh and of course I diden't mean devine intervention in the literal religeous idea.
esdenaze 2 years ago
There's no need to be rude to people, and you can't judge others when you know zero about them, your written English grammer and spelling skills are apalling too. Farewell my confused friend.
CCSofChocolatesvill 2 years ago
In no way at all I've been rude to you, I made a guess, I did not SAY you were those things. But of course if you feel offended there must be something true about it. Oh and I think my english is perfectly fine, I can't rly make long sentences with the word count now can I? But if you want you can write in Dutch, French or German as these are my three native languages, OH bummer, I forgot, u'r from the uk, you only speak english and say bonjour and ola.Plz burn,OH&u were offending now.
esdenaze 2 years ago
Everything CCS says makes perfect sense it's one thing to speak a language and another to think in it you clearly do not, and just for the record your a complete and utter fucking diseased penis.
beatlesmasters 2 years ago
plz quit sucking his cock and shut it when grown ups are talking kiddo, or ill tell ur mommy.
esdenaze 2 years ago
@CCSofChocolatesvill
grammar, appalling
hint: use spell check when correcting other peoples spelling
jzurnieden 1 year ago
this is coming from someone who does this for a living, it is almost impossible to write a complete song in 5 minutes. Whenever I write, it is literally out of thin air, and then I would write it. It's something that just happens. Of course this is just me. I believe elliott is right.
coyotl18 1 year ago
Arent you contradicting yourself a bit here?
Imo, most songs are not written in one magical spark of creativity, and anyone who thinks this is a bit on the naive side. Not to mention those kids a few below here are absolutely rediculous, I got the biggest amount of profanity spam on the front of my page, things even kids would be ashamed about. And all that for giving an opinion, also ty google for the built in censoring function, shows where you come from.
esdenaze 1 year ago
@esdenaze no they are not all written in a spark of magic, I wrote a song off of a girl walking past me, seriously it comes from anywhere else but from forcing, I always get my best songs like that, it's truth. And I don't understand the purpose of your ending comment in this conversation.
coyotl18 1 year ago
nice. he was genius and lives on in his music what more could he want. amazing dude. can you please please.. fix the sound!
bobolonglegs 2 years ago
to be alive?
manrantas 2 years ago
i like it, too, Elliott :) so glad you live on...
notp1nk 2 years ago
Will do.
:)
Anassuir 2 years ago
someone please fix the audio
BeatFaceBass 2 years ago 2
what a great person RIP Elliott
gomode301 2 years ago
hey seigneurmec, personne ne t'apprendra à pondre des chansons, même pas lui. en plus il est tout défoncé ici... ouvre juste tes oreilles, écoute plein de musiques differentes puis fais ton truc... sinon regarde ses doigts, t'auras des accords gratuits...
hondolferr 2 years ago
Elliot Smith is a great song writer full stop.
it would be nice to get a better copy of this up with the audio in the right place!!!
tim0090 2 years ago
This video is really important, please re-upload with the full audio. This video is encouraging, enlightening and could probably help a lot of people out.
curs1ve 2 years ago 3
the audio went away : ( FIX IT
gabinete227 2 years ago
I'ts a good idea ReallyOcean , i'm agree with you Thanks you if you can write what he said ( Sorry for the English , i hope you can undertsant what i said :s)
seigneurjp1 2 years ago
Does anyone have the audio for this interview in really high quality?
reallyocean 2 years ago
It's difficult , i'm french , i don't understant everything
seigneurjp1 2 years ago
Do you want me to write what he said?
reallyocean 2 years ago
LOL apprend la langue :-)
kennybis03410 2 years ago
I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe you can migrate elsewhere and start to understand things. Being French can be difficult.
mikeusat 2 years ago
god, elliott was so cute. i wish he could know how many people love him.
inputmodule 2 years ago 37
@inputmodule This is me reasoning with the suicide of a great person------------------------I think Why he took himself was because people had told him they loved him and knew his soul....and with most of these extensions he'd said to himself, "no, that's impossible, you don't..." instead of admitting that they really did---it would be as if he admitted they knew his secret, and they do! If ever music "touched" an unmusical person...from one to the other...they do!!
JesuitFarmer 1 year ago
Comment removed
DeeDubStyle619 1 year ago
Comment removed
atmosmurs 2 years ago
Comment removed
atmosmurs 2 years ago
the quality of this video is really bad.
royalredsvans91 2 years ago
That isnt some dude. Thats Elliott Smith. Pick up the book 'Elliott Smith' by Autumn de Wilde. Thats how he looked about the time Figure 8 came out. You are probably thinking of later, or earlier Elliott Smith.
ShtB4ng3r 2 years ago
Comment removed
karnerflies 2 years ago
i think its not another track its just that the audio is messed up and and delayed or something
greenapplebubbletea 2 years ago
lucky for you... you are wrong. the audio is off throughout the entire video.
yousuperpussy 2 years ago
wtf are you talking about?
macgyver12345678 2 years ago
That's Elliott. The audio's messed up.
wheresgeorge1025 2 years ago
Dude, that is Elliott Smith..
leokasper7107 2 years ago
Comment removed
olbutchuro 2 years ago
i dont know what it'd really called strum* but i like it" HAHA
coleS17 2 years ago 3
That part made me laugh, too. "but I like it" So cute.
tuezmoi 2 years ago
Hey TomUK7: I think Dylan once admitted that he had stolen the chords of like a rolling stone frome la bamba
Micha200388 2 years ago
You can't steal "chords."
Praetorian308 2 years ago 15
you know what? whatever... he just meant that Dylan admitted to "stealing" whatever it was he did to come up with a song. cut the Micha dude some slack, FFS.
darklordmtt 2 years ago
lol! yeah! it would be like stealing music history
coldplayrocksearth 2 years ago
yeah you can! just run in there with a weapon, yell "hands in the air!" and throw them chords in your bag and RUN!!!
yousuperpussy 2 years ago
@Praetorian308 yet apparently you can still steal riffs which I think is dumb.
Sukuraidogai 1 year ago
i thin k its hard to right different songs sometimes i think that everything sounds the same that i write
can someone help me?
or know some kind of solution
diango73 2 years ago
contrary to what elliot says brian may said that he imagined notes in his head BEFORE he picked up the guitar. that way he could be sure he wasnt just following what his fingers wanted to do! as well you can map out in your mind where the changes should happen. likewise dylan said 'like a rolling stone' was the closest he got to realising the sound he had in his head. but dont take it from me! i dont know that much about songwriting! good luck!
TomUK7 2 years ago
thx i try that
diango73 2 years ago
A complete departed genius ! We all miss him definitely !
He was that kind of top composer musician such as Sufjan Stevens these days ! So long!
bwyd 2 years ago
doomstinkflnnlshrtgy, you are a wise person.
poopcan123 2 years ago
Goddamn. Why did he have to die?!!? Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit. Fuck everything.
AnastasiaExpert 2 years ago 5
I wish the audio and visual did synch up though. It's kindof hard to understand what he's talking about with nothing matching up.
zeofart 2 years ago
what year was this recorded? obviously after figure 8 but what year?
oscarkev190 2 years ago
still 2000 i believe..can tell by the hat and facial hair
Transmissionwould 2 years ago
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top five indie bands
1. elliott smith
2. bright eyes
3. mountain goats
4. fleet foxes
5. kevin m. kirker
but elliott smith will always be #1! we miss you and love you elliott! we'll never forget you! rest in peace
astonishing00 2 years ago
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i dont know about you guys...but Elliott doesn't look to well in this video :{
probably did a line and injected before the video.
poor Elliott :[
may he rest in piece
wescHP 2 years ago
i think you may be unwell - posting videos of emilie simon on your youtube page. cocksucker
rjgriffiths26 2 years ago
you really wasted your time posting that comment, seriously.
So what if i have a video of Emilie Simon on my page? I think she has some really good music. I'm open minded and listen to all sorts of music.
and how could you even use the word "cocksucker" on Elliott Smith video?
I love Elliott Smith to death man, how dare you think i would be insulting him in some way.
wescHP 2 years ago
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I wonder what would Youtubers think about my first writen song, that I've recorded and posted at my channel...
MiloKamilo24 2 years ago
grok.
jerichosalt 2 years ago
To TrevorKingKwong:
Yeah, playing the guitar and piano well and writing a song at age 9 doesnt necessarily make you a genius, but elliot smith is a genuis, he may not know how to explain some things but thats whats great about his music, his lyrics are his heart... his music is unexplainable
lol, i will admit im not a HUGE fan of his singing, but when i hear it somthing clicks inside of me and it just... makes me happy, in a sad sort of way. They way he takes his life and hands it to you.
jizzy00jarsh 2 years ago 7
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get the audio sinc right fuckwit.
frissonknives 2 years ago
don't be such an ass friss, it's a great video.
Soiyak 2 years ago
is the song he plays in the middle "A Question Mark"?
gmorakis777 3 years ago
"that song was called a question mark" (he says in the video) so i think you're right :-)
Elimnio 2 years ago
Makes a lot of sense songwriting is so hard to describe, I just got into Elliot Smith recently and cannot believe how much I have missed and will never get to see even with all these videos on youtube. RIP
Crispeeee 3 years ago
Same.
I JUST got really into him and it's like ahh!
Why did I have to be a late bloomer Elliott fan. Now seeing him live is never going to happen.
Sob.
NakedSalad 3 years ago 3
I feel your pain, for I am just now being exposed to his music. On the bright side though, we are able to view his live performances at our leisure. As a fan, our love for him will lengthen his legacy
caimanobrethren 3 years ago
same heree :)
supermaaannnn1 2 years ago
Elliott Smith is a hero. He seems so nervous sometimes I find it strange. He is naturally gifted for songwriting
AcousticMusicianESWS 3 years ago
does anyone know which song that is being played in the beginning??
e1leeny 3 years ago
Junk Bond Trader off of Figure 8
and then Son of Sam also off of Figure 8
Badunkawank13 3 years ago
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cripplekid25 3 years ago
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cripplekid25 3 years ago
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mmcilroy821 3 years ago
.. :O
rchammer90 3 years ago
At 2:42 what chord is that? Best I can get is Daug.
valleyshrew 3 years ago
Words to live by - "if you like it," then there must be something nice about it. Put it in a blender and see what comes out. I love this guy so much.
Wodey25 3 years ago
This is the best video ever on YouTube.
Wodey25 3 years ago
i know my opinion may not matter to most of u older folks, but in my eyes he is a Genius. How many people write a piano piece at age 9 and win at an art festivil. my brothers 9. hes not very good.
when this guy sings and playes it gives me chills. not many other artists have that affect on me.
he knows a lot of instruments and is very proficiant with them. i play drums guitar and piano and he was better than me at age 9. better than me in all of them. except for the drums.
chaosblast321654987 3 years ago 2
Dude i 100% agree with you, he is my idol
iamlikereallykooll 3 years ago
this will probably offend many, but i'm just stating an honest opinion. I have not really looked into elliott smith too much and perhaps he is a genius, but just because he composed a piano piece at 9 and just because he played an instrument better than you at a certain age, it doesn't mean he's a genius.
TrevorKingKwong 3 years ago
Well do look into him before making such a lame brain remark...
binzing 3 years ago
i believe that the comment i made contains more background knowledge than the one chaosblast made.
TrevorKingKwong 3 years ago
you really should look into him, trevor. I wouldn't say thats a lame brain remark either... seriously what is 'genius.' That is something that definitely lacks a definition. But many will agree that proficiency at instrument playing does not make somebody a genius, even if it is at an early age. Impressive, certainly. Do they have a gift many lack? Of course. Some thing like that though, is just an ingredient. Something like 'genius' implies a whole lot more complexity and quality. <3 Elliott
doomstinkflnnlshrtgy 2 years ago
well said. i have looked into him and i'm starting to listen to him now.
TrevorKingKwong 2 years ago
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i believe that the remark i made contains more background knowledge than the one chaosblast made.
TrevorKingKwong 3 years ago
some minor level of wikipedia knowledge adds very little colour to a comment devoid of worth. I know, I'm wasting my time too but fuck, have some respect you dweeb.
defectdie 3 years ago
your comparison of my knowledge to wikipedia is illogical. unless, you have the wiki link that shows what I just said came from wikipedia, please, come up with better responses to comments that aren't meant to be offensive.
i merely stated that if one plays the guitar and piano well and writes a song at age 9, it doesn't necessarily make you a genius.
TrevorKingKwong 3 years ago
that might be why some people think he's a genius, but why I believe that he was a genius was because he helped thousands of people get through tough parts of their lives. Just my opinion.
Johnsoniscoolandya 3 years ago 2
Dexter Gordon, Tadd Dameron, Art Blakey, J. J. Johnson, Sonny Rollins, Jackie McLean,Freddie Webster, Besides Bird, Sonny Stitt, Bud Powell, Fats Navarro, Gene Ammons were all using heroin, not to mention Joe Guy and Billie Holiday, too.There were a lot of white musicians--Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, Red Rodney, and Chet Baker.
Miles Davis book refers to all of these people as having used heroin. And don't forget Miles Davis himself.
JiubLink 3 years ago
People just calm down..jesus.
Elliot Smith was an amazing songwriter, and it's very sad that he is gone. Now don't fight.
thatspud 3 years ago
i'm in my early forties as well and i can't understand anyone my age thinking that a drug addiction would compromise genius... aldous huxley, ernest hemmingway, jimmi hendrix, previously mentioned mozart, bob dylan, marc rothko, jackson pollak... hell, find an artistic genius that wasn't a drug addict.
unsightlybuttox 3 years ago 3
Charlie Parker, Billie Holiday, Miles davis. All on Heroin.
JiubLink 3 years ago