# Have you ever had this problem...



## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Very simple pieces of music that you just can't seem to get to stick.
I'm playing in a classic traditional country band (and working far more gigs than I thought possible with this genre) and 2 songs I've been working on Merle Haggard "Fightin side of me" and Dwight Yoakam the solo for Honky Tonk Man". 2 very simple songs. The first phrase of the intro for the hag song sounds like its coming in part way through a lick. So feels awkward and I don't know why I had a mental block with the Yoakam solo
Anyway I have them now but it just seemed like I had to give it more time than it needed for the simplicity.
I've played far more technical pieces from old country, new country and classic rock with ease.
And my roots are originally in this traditional country.


----------



## dgreen (Sep 3, 2016)

sometimes the "simplicity" is deceiving. 
Songs can sound so easy to play only because the players play them so well and have been playing them for a very long time. Getting the feel down is often much harder than the technical side.


----------



## cboutilier (Jan 12, 2016)

dgreen said:


> sometimes the "simplicity" is deceiving.
> Songs can sound so easy to play only because the players play them so well and have been playing them for a very long time. Getting the feel down is often much harder than the technical side.


It's all about feel, and that's the hardest part of our craft. Those two players (Roy and Pete) were masters of feel.


----------



## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

Yeah, technically it's on the 2 & 4 or backbeats, which is the sound you seem to be familiar with. There is definitely a certain feel to both tunes that just requires a lot of listening and playing though. Same goes for some of the Jimmy Page acoustic stuff I like to play. Gallows Pole and Over the Hillls and far Away are good examples. Sounds like it should be simple but the songs take time to get the feel down.


----------



## Sketchy Jeff (Jan 12, 2019)

dgreen said:


> sometimes the "simplicity" is deceiving.
> Getting the feel down is often much harder than the technical side.


That's the truth. Try learning the guitar fills and solo on Percy Sledge's "Misty Morning" I'm not there after lots of trying but it's not technically that hard to play or complicated.

j


----------

