Summer Nights by Van Halen

[mantis]

Ok,
So I went back to guitar lessons and I'm learning some cool new things like Classical Scales that move in 2 or 3 positions covering 2 to 3 octaves. Very nice.

My teacher asked me if I'd like to learn a song and I could pick anything I want. So in history I always found Eddie's Style intriguing to try and play as he plays so damn strange well at least to me anyway. Before you tube and all the resources we have today, I tried to learn by ear Van Halen songs when I was much younger. I never was able to re create it exactly like how Eddie does it. Yeah I'm not Eddie Van Halen and most guys are not but I shy'ed away from Van Halen songs after learning It was just not in me.

Well Here we are 25 plus years later and I picked one of my very favorite Van Halen Songs "Summer Nights". I felt it was the right song to give it a whirl as it sound hard as hell to play. And you know what? It is very difficult. I had to modify the beginning to something I can do well and still make it sound like that Bluesy Groove Eddie puts into his writing.

Anyone else play this song? Or any Van Halen? I'm a Dokken Metallica like player so my style is very different from Eddies but I'm eager to expand my skills.

[Hellbat]

Ok,
So I went back to guitar lessons and I'm learning some cool new things like Classical Scales that move in 2 or 3 positions covering 2 to 3 octaves. Very nice.

My teacher asked me if I'd like to learn a song and I could pick anything I want. So in history I always found Eddie's Style intriguing to try and play as he plays so damn strange well at least to me anyway. Before you tube and all the resources we have today, I tried to learn by ear Van Halen songs when I was much younger. I never was able to re create it exactly like how Eddie does it. Yeah I'm not Eddie Van Halen and most guys are not but I shy'ed away from Van Halen songs after learning It was just not in me.

Well Here we are 25 plus years later and I picked one of my very favorite Van Halen Songs "Summer Nights". I felt it was the right song to give it a whirl as it sound hard as hell to play. And you know what? It is very difficult. I had to modify the beginning to something I can do well and still make it sound like that Bluesy Groove Eddie puts into his writing.

Anyone else play this song? Or any Van Halen? I'm a Dokken Metallica like player so my style is very different from Eddies but I'm eager to expand my skills.

Do you have a Steinberger guitar? That song is in 3 different keys, using the trans-trem. It's a great song but you kind of need the gimmick to play it right.

[paranoid]

don't get scared buy the Hell bat! that song can be played easy enough on a standard floyd guitar. yes eddie uses the steinburg, but most listening audiences will never know the difference.

[mantis]

I use my first finger to do a lot of baring in order to hit the correct notes. In the beginning riff mostly. After that it's basically just standard tuning.
If there was a fast acting Capo, that would be better.