I am confused by the opening lick to Purple Haze. Could you clear it up for me. When I see or hear someone play it with a slide and it sounds right. But when I play it like other people it doesn't sound or feel right. I learned to play it without the slide (arpeggiated or plucked)it sounds and feels more natural. But how does Jimi play it?
The Conjuring intro solo!! And the riffs of Black Friday. You're doing the work of the gods, Uncle Ben!! Can't wait to dive into this video with the ol' guitar tomorrow.
Y'know I'm not a huge Halen fan, they had their moments but just didn't appeal to me until 1984 hit. The obvious tracks Panama, Hot for Teacher really are awesome tracks but when I heard Drop Dead Legs for the first time, possibly a B side of one of the singles, wow what an unbelievable riff that is, so catchy, I can't describe it very well but it's a fantastic piece of invention particularly when you see how it's actually played and not the expected whammy bar treatment. Very much an overlooked high point in the Van Halen catalogue
It’s amazing how Eddie manages to keep coming up with completely original riffs that are still so signature that you know it’s Eddie as soon as you hear them without being told.
@@Chord_The_Seeker yeah he can take things people have played for 50 years, change a little and make them sound completely fresh. For example I use that 2nd A/D to B/E slide in my version of Dylan's Visions of Johanna, and I've heard it in a hundred different rootsy songs. (Also, Clapton definitely used it somewhere). Sounds totally countrified in that context.
Hey Mr. Eller. Thanks for all the good Lessons. It would be amazing to learn " Owner of a lonely Heart " the Real Way. Theres this one Chord just when he goes " owner " in the hookpart. No body teach this right. Would be a Dream to Play the Song like the Record.
It's true. After all, he started out on drums. And all of the tapping stuff too came from being a drummer. I mean, what do drummers do when they're away from their drums? They tap on shit. It's why he started tapping on his neck and thought, hey that sounds pretty cool.
EVH has SO MANY aspects about his playing that create an incredible force. His riffs AND many of his solos INSPIRE. That's where these other greats fall short. The inspiration thing is simply not even close and as consistent.
earache70 ......he did start out on drums true, but EVH gives a whole interview on finger tapping technique and it’s not from his drumming background. His family didn’t have much money so he was forced to make his ow unique sounds without all the peddles and effects that he couldn’t afford. Tapping was one of his inexpensive techniques he came up with in the absence of money to buy effects toys. Look it up.
PV5150II .........actually NO ONE doubts anything about EVH’s playing. EVERYONE knows how amazing of a rhythm player genius he is. Your comment couldn’t be more inaccurate.
This intro is funky, weird, smooth, and jammy all in one. Eddie’s mastery on full display and it still got such little airtime. I mean, Hot for Teacher and Panama are epic while Jump is totally pop-tastic, but Drop Dead Legs is just beautiful.
EVH was the most brilliant hook master in popular music. Every EVH instrumental and rhythm was designed to hook you into listening to the song. All their songs bring energy, excitement, and intrigue with an explosion of emotions. Thanks for showing us this mysterious guitar lick it is one of my favorites.
Happy guitars. Listen to 5150 on a hot summer night cruising with the windows down and you're perpetually jacked up in the best way. ❤ No matter what Eddie was into at the time, he always had a happy guitar sound. The Balance album has some stuff on it that just goes right up my spine every time I hear the notes.
I've always thought that 5150 was Eddie's best playing and it incorporates all the things that made him special as a rhythm/riff player. Those nuances, fills and chord voicings are all enormously present in it.
Okay well as an ex road crew member for Van Halen and watching Eddie play DDL's night after night. I can tell you that he Used the Shark Destroyer on the recording, So there was no Whammy bar used. Good Question Robert Blake
Cliff you should open up and tell them about the back lot when VH headline the fair grounds. I was the kid you guys kicked in the azz when I got too close but let me hide back stage and drink sodas week after week. AND NO not the sex drugs and rock and roll, gossip crap that's half lies anyway, You know the good stuff, the love between the brothers, the crazy meals, If Eddie was the motor in the band, Alex was the transmission. Ben, 2 things bro, Fantastic break down of the solo/intro, you caught 3 notes that everyone misses, the mistake was one of them. I can't tell you why but that 1 spot is where the guitars have to sync with the drums and not the other way around. Do you know why everyone loved Van Halen? Because it didn't matter if they were playing for 10 people or half a million. They were having fun doing exactly what they were meant to do, making music together. In your whole video there's only one thing I would disagree with you about. IMO you under estimate Alex's drumming. Most people do this because he's not as flashy as the others but if you watch 1 or 2 of their concerts with the volume muted, yo'll see things everyone has missed for decades. Y'all be safe.
I wouldn't be surprised if that open G at 5:45 was intentional, because Ed liked to play things just a tad differently each time around to make it interesting. It sounds awesome and he knew that! These very subtle nuances were part of Ed's signature playing. He had all kinds of tricks in his technique!
Always my favorite from that album , that riff with DLR's voice is a match made in heaven . How many killer riffs has EVH given us ?? Then the bonus of all of his rhythm playing.
Song is in Drop D featuring Eddie's Legattos. Drop D Ed Legs. If this is the case that sounds like somethjng David Lee Roth would of come up with when he heard the riff and came up with a name for the song. Makes sense since David would be writting the lyrics so he would of came up with the name for that song.
Yeah, Uncle Ben is living the dream and not being annoying about it. I kind of miss his more juvenile antics and comments when he was a little younger, but that happens to all of us, I guess. I'm going to learn this to play at my next jam session with my snooty jazz sax player buddy.
Still one of the fattest sexiest riffs ever written .... take a hot summers day, driving down the highway ... crank that track loud as it gets and tell me you don't see the world in 6D ... ;-)
Duuuude... Ben, can't tell you how much I've loved this song since I was a kid! This album (cassette) was my 5th birthday present from my father and imo that is the coolest riff on the album. Thanks my man
I'm a bit late to the party, but of all the countless videos I've seen about this song, Ben delivers the most accurate sounding reproduction... technique notwithstanding, just listen to that TONE! It's perfect, with exactly the right amount of crunch (to my untrained but experienced ears anyway).
Agreed , he's seriously underrated as a guitar teacher. I watch another guy play the entire VH1 album but he missed so many nuances to Ed's style and what he's actually playing. The entire concert it took me out of the groove. Ed's sort of has the drunken master playing where everything has this sitting on the edge style. When players stick to just the notes it doesn't sound right. This song is a perfect example of that fake whammy part if you don't play just like this guy did it just doesn't have that Ed feel.
Sounds so beautiful. I'm an old guy at 55 and I remember listening and loving this song, as well as a lot of Van Halen songs, back in the '80s and 90's. Still love them today. Roth or Hagar...great band! I don't play any instruments, I tried trombone back in 1976-1979, I was not good. I bought an acoustic guitar, a lessons book, and watched videos. Nothing took. I'm in awe of the skill involved in playing with both hands but it's just not for me. Thanks for the video.
One of my favorite riffs of all time! I've always loved the timing and the bends and the cool arpeggiated arrangement. You are an amazing teacher. Thank you!
Man - 2022 is just getting started, and I am just seeing this. This is a KILLER Van Halen song. Killer riff. Killer technique. Killer song-writing. And just a great song. Excellent tutorial - one of the best I have seen on RUclips... and I've watched a lot. These licks and chords are unbelievable. There will NEVER be another Edward Van Halen. I miss him being with us in this crazy World.
Drop Dead Legs, and the really the whole B side of this album was just amazing. Hands down the best version of this I have seen and your sound is nice 'n brown. Good work dude, love it!
As always, you nailed it so well. The tone, the notes, the little nuances. We mere mortals go through and dissect his music, but think about him sitting there with absolutely nothing and coming up with that riff and those sweet little licks and phrases....that's the real magic. That's what makes him so special. Like the opening to Mean Streets. Who can do that shit from thin air and make it iconic? EVH, that's who. And for you to get into his head and explain it so well, you get a gold star. I know, don't thank me, you earned it.
Just wanted to say thanks again Uncle Ben for taking the time for all of us so that we can learn properly. Very much appreciated. Your the best teacher ever
I didn't know that I wanted to learn these opening bars of Drop Dead Legs until I watched this video ... and then I absolutely had to learn it! Not only is Uncle Ben a naturally gifted guitar player (and so friggin clean!) but you are such a natural teacher. I love the fact that you take the time for analysis of other important aspects such as rhythmic and tempo and picking nuances - you really dive deeply into everything and enjoy it. Every riff you teach sounds exactly like the original. Very professional. Thank you Uncle Ben.
My favorite Ed riff ever. Dare I say THE quintessential brown sound song. Thank you for your playing & your kick ass teaching🤘🏻 Feel like, Where have all the good times gone, would be a fitting song for the future.
This is amazing. Like everyone else, I was watching for how you would do the “whammy” part and I said, “What?” out loud when I got to that part of the video. You nailed it. It sounds perfect.
Jason Phelps I knew it was a bend because I'd read an interview many moons ago where Eddie said he used a Flying V on this song (and Hot for Teacher). What Ben does here, which no one else seems to have caught on to, is the slide up to the D and back to C.
Eddie Van Halen leaves a lot of accidents on the records. He stated in interviews that he was often intoxicated during recordings because he felt that his playing was looser and more natural when he was drunk. I think that explains why “Ain’t talking bout love” has that little mistake in the intro. You hear it on other songs too like “Unchained”.
I saw sooo many videos and so many tabs on this song. After seeing yours, I was totaly amazed. The Sound, the feeling, it was all there. Of course I went out and checked out numerous other videos again, but now they all sounded so bland. You didn't just nail the song, you nailed the performance, the production, all of it. Masterful!!!!
Nice one Ben.That funky bendy thing at 8:00 absolutely confounded me for years,I've seen so many tabs for this that are wrong.I am 'between jobs' at the mo.so I'll have plenty of time to woodshed on this..
I've been playing this SO wrong. I can't wait to check it out when I get home. Seeing these videos helps me hear notes I didn't hear before, and it gives the songs a new coat of paint for me, so to speak. Thanks Ben!
The clue is that the original is played on a Flying V. He uses a similar idea at the beginning of Little Guitars. That's how I stumbled on how to play this without the whammy.
"Captain Nemo" by Michael Schenker is quite an interesting set of riffs that would be excellent to know how to play. Cheers uncle Ben! Your lessons are inspiring me to play again.
Great lesson!!! I was trying forever to learn One Day Remains from Alter Bridge. Mark Tremonti is wicked on this track. Maybe some time you could do a lesson on that song. Fingers crossed : )
dude when you play that lick at the start of the vid I am just so happy. I can't help but say YES!!! You sound exactly like the record!!! I love this thanks for posting it.
Thank you for this. I've been a die-hard Van Halen fan since the beginning up until Sammy. I was at the US Festival and almost had my bladder explode. Finally urinating on myself and got it over with. Deep in the crowd I witnessed Eddie Van Halen. The entire band was so tight that there are no words and I have since gone to 300 concerts at least and nothing has ever compared. The exaggeration of David being high is exaggerated. So now to the point, you have an elegant playing style that helps me and I'm sure many others get it inline while we play. Not just moving through the chords and notes but actually feeling it. Thank you
I'd really like to see you do the whole song including the solo. I swear this is one of those songs that I thought was simple to learn but I never got it right. Wish we had RUclips back in the late 80's when I tried to learn it lol. Thank you for this.
I find it unimaginable that 'screw up' in the intro was a screw up. Those are the most basic of chord shapes possible. More likely an incredible rhythm player inserting a 'passing tone' in a riff of basic chords to make it more interesting and have more character. Those subtle touches, even if you don't 'hear' them, they still connect subconsciously and give it it's unique flavor.
Thanks! This vid taught me that I was wrong in one part. The A major arpeggio right after the volume swell. I was pulling off from the C# on the G string to the A note. I listened to it back and yea you're right. There is a big difference. Thanks, Ben.
That's where Eddie is so unique. No one has a feeling for beautiful melodies and at the same time puts riffs and solos with so much feeling that will turn in to rollercoaster of pullofs and tapping as it is breathing fire,, Eddie stands alone, way on top of the mountain.
Glad I found your channel @BenEllerGuitars ! I get so mad at the inaccuracies of so many videos for various songs. Finally someone as OCD as me on guitar!
Though he does admit to liking this song, he actually puts this much effort into all of his instructional videos/uploads. If u like this, check out his other lessons. Amazing!!
Thank you Ben! After losing Eddy I was rolling thru some tunes to learn- when I heard Drop Dead all of the tabs I found didn't do it justice- you brought it home! Thank you brother!
Imagine being so good at making music that people spend decades deciphering and duplicating it, which seems far easier, but it is a huge tribute. I thought it was magic, Thanks for helping make it look mortal.
Nice lesson as usual. You need 500k audio taper pots in the LP. That is one of the first things I do to my Gibson guitars. They continue to put 300k linear taper pots in the volume position. Those are useless if you use your volume knob. Which pick is this one now? You turned me on to the Dunlop Flow, and the BHL picks. What is that one?
@@theophany1770 Yes, you should use (my preference) CTS 500k audio taper pots. Epiphone uses the smaller Asian pots. You would need to carefully bore the holes out to fit the CTS pots.
I had to put needle to the groove to learn songs back in the day... Now, I have to put glasses on to watch killer instructional videos... Great job, man!
Yes back in the day, it was ....play, listen and check your fingering, rewind , repeat... 4000 times until you got the song so completely in your brain, you did not have to worry about the verse, bridge, chorus after so many tries that yhou just then played the tune until you got up to speed with the recording. A looooong process, no you tube, no tab, just you in your room and your guitar 6 hrs a day. Today there are 13 year old shredders. Wow! Problem is that most...not all....are without any soul or mojo. Where are the screaming vibrato bends like Joe Walsh and David Gilmour, Brian May? So many other greats that I can`t list em all.
That lick (probably my all time favorite rock lick) has been a mystery to me since the first time I heard it. I spent some time working the riff using your instruction, and have it down cold. Gives me chills. You are awesome, Ben. Thank you!
Hey Unc, Thanks for all the wanks, I'm armpit deep over here. Not necessarily for #200 but could you help us understand what the FAQ is going on with the time signature of Me Wise Magic by the Van Halen corporation. That thing has driven me nuts since the first time I ever heard it. Muchos gracias.
DIng, the intro to Me Wise Magic is in 9/8 for the 1st 11 measures, then switches to 4/4. You can think of it like this: The first higher picking part can be counted 1 -2 -3 -4 -5 The first low note that he goes down to is right on 6, so continue from there with 6 -7 - 8 -9. You'll hear it start over again on the next 1. I've only heard the 1st minute of the song, so it may change somewhere else. Ok, now I heard the song all the way through. The outro is also in 9/8, of course. There are also some odd/short measures thrown here and there to connect the different sections. Cool tune. I like it. Peace. JR
Thanks for that Jonny. I am pretty new at the guitar and do not have much experience with this yet. I have always been a big VH fan and have had a baptism by fire trying to figure out some of their time signatures and tunings. I really appreciate your taking the time to help out a newb like me. All the best, Ding
Ding, no prob. I hope I helped a little. Going after Van Halen tunes is definitely a challenge & Ben is a very good teacher. Did what I described make any sense to you? I feel like I may have been a bit cryptic. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I'm about to launch my own channel soon. It'll be guitar/music lessons mixed with stories & interviews from me & other rockers from the 80's Hollywood scene & beyond. Peace. JR
Jonny, Made perfect sense. Once you know where to start the count it makes a huge difference. Rest assured I am looking forward to your new channel. I was in my prime in the 80's and miss all the great bands and music of that era. With your first hand experience of that scene, your musical talent, and the people you know and worked with, I expect your channel will be wildly successful. I will be on the look out for it. Thanks again for your help. Ding
Ding, I'm glad I could help. Please let me know if you have any questions. I see I'm talking to a fellow 80's rocker. What a time for classic metal, eh? Keep practicing. Keep playing. Keep the faith. It's people like you that help make me want to share my experiences. Peace. JR
Awesome! I remember reading an interview where Eddie talks about recording this song and he mentioned playing the song on his vintage Gibson flying V, which as NO whammy bar... The solo at the end was actually recorded later on the Frankenstrat and the sound engineer made sure the tone matched... ;)
This makes it a whole lot easier and fun to riff along to the outro. Thanks for the lesson. I never thought that I would be playing like EVH after an hour of practice. Still lots to learn but this has inspired me to pick up my guitar after not playing at all for about 6 months!
Thanks for learning the right way to play Drop Dead Legs by Van Halen! Whatcha want to learn next on Weekend Wankshop?!
Everything!
Gojira!
I am confused by the opening lick to Purple Haze. Could you clear it up for me. When I see or hear someone play it with a slide and it sounds right. But when I play it like other people it doesn't sound or feel right. I learned to play it without the slide (arpeggiated or plucked)it sounds and feels more natural. But how does Jimi play it?
The Conjuring intro solo!! And the riffs of Black Friday. You're doing the work of the gods, Uncle Ben!! Can't wait to dive into this video with the ol' guitar tomorrow.
The intro to "Nothing to it" by Brent Mason.
This is the most underrated riff in history nobody ever brings this up! It’s so slick
They had this as a B side on our Pizza Inn jukebox back in the 80's and I always played it whenever we ate there. Love this riff!
my fav
Nicked kind of off Angus and ACDC- don't get Me wrong obvs Ed was a genius.
Y'know I'm not a huge Halen fan, they had their moments but just didn't appeal to me until 1984 hit. The obvious tracks Panama, Hot for Teacher really are awesome tracks but when I heard Drop Dead Legs for the first time, possibly a B side of one of the singles, wow what an unbelievable riff that is, so catchy, I can't describe it very well but it's a fantastic piece of invention particularly when you see how it's actually played and not the expected whammy bar treatment. Very much an overlooked high point in the Van Halen catalogue
Easily one of the most beautiful riffs EVH has ever made.
Yes yes yes
It’s amazing how Eddie manages to keep coming up with completely original riffs that are still so signature that you know it’s Eddie as soon as you hear them without being told.
Agree... It's got that 80's California swag to it...
Agreed, it's so musical with such simple ingredients.
@@Chord_The_Seeker yeah he can take things people have played for 50 years, change a little and make them sound completely fresh. For example I use that 2nd A/D to B/E slide in my version of Dylan's Visions of Johanna, and I've heard it in a hundred different rootsy songs. (Also, Clapton definitely used it somewhere). Sounds totally countrified in that context.
A lot of people don’t realize how awesome of a rhythm player Eddie truly is. Pure genius!
Hey Mr. Eller. Thanks for all the good Lessons. It would be amazing to learn " Owner of a lonely Heart " the Real Way. Theres this one Chord just when he goes " owner " in the hookpart. No body teach this right. Would be a Dream to Play the Song like the Record.
It's true. After all, he started out on drums. And all of the tapping stuff too came from being a drummer. I mean,
what do drummers do when they're away from their drums? They tap on shit. It's why he started tapping on his neck and thought, hey that sounds pretty cool.
EVH has SO MANY aspects about his playing that create an incredible force. His riffs AND many of his solos INSPIRE. That's where these other greats fall short. The inspiration thing is simply not even close and as consistent.
earache70 ......he did start out on drums true, but EVH gives a whole interview on finger tapping technique and it’s not from his drumming background. His family didn’t have much money so he was forced to make his ow unique sounds without all the peddles and effects that he couldn’t afford. Tapping was one of his inexpensive techniques he came up with in the absence of money to buy effects toys. Look it up.
PV5150II .........actually NO ONE doubts anything about EVH’s playing. EVERYONE knows how amazing of a rhythm player genius he is. Your comment couldn’t be more inaccurate.
This intro is funky, weird, smooth, and jammy all in one. Eddie’s mastery on full display and it still got such little airtime. I mean, Hot for Teacher and Panama are epic while Jump is totally pop-tastic, but Drop Dead Legs is just beautiful.
Eddie had such great taste when it came to chord choice, single note accents, muffles and rests. His flair was as important as his genius.
EVH was the most brilliant hook master in popular music. Every EVH instrumental and rhythm was designed to hook you into listening to the song. All their songs bring energy, excitement, and intrigue with an explosion of emotions. Thanks for showing us this mysterious guitar lick it is one of my favorites.
Explosion of emotion. E major, C Major such a rainbow of emotion
@@edsnotgod I'm gonna guess by your username that you just hang around here being a giant, pulsating cockface. Brilliant use of your time... 👏
Happy guitars. Listen to 5150 on a hot summer night cruising with the windows down and you're perpetually jacked up in the best way. ❤ No matter what Eddie was into at the time, he always had a happy guitar sound. The Balance album has some stuff on it that just goes right up my spine every time I hear the notes.
I'd love a lesson on 5150. The rhythm and intro on that song are amazing.
I've always thought that 5150 was Eddie's best playing and it incorporates all the things that made him special as a rhythm/riff player.
Those nuances, fills and chord voicings are all enormously present in it.
From a long-time guitarist: that was one of the best instructional videos I've seen - excellent structure and tutorial.
Very nicely done.
I think you nailed it. One of Ed's most slippery riffs.
Okay well as an ex road crew member for Van Halen and watching Eddie play DDL's night after night. I can tell you that he Used the Shark Destroyer on the recording, So there was no Whammy bar used. Good Question Robert Blake
Cliff you should open up and tell them about the back lot when VH headline the fair grounds. I was the kid you guys kicked in the azz when I got too close but let me hide back stage and drink sodas week after week. AND NO not the sex drugs and rock and roll, gossip crap that's half lies anyway, You know the good stuff, the love between the brothers, the crazy meals, If Eddie was the motor in the band, Alex was the transmission.
Ben, 2 things bro, Fantastic break down of the solo/intro, you caught 3 notes that everyone misses, the mistake was one of them. I can't tell you why but that 1 spot is where the guitars have to sync with the drums and not the other way around. Do you know why everyone loved Van Halen? Because it didn't matter if they were playing for 10 people or half a million. They were having fun doing exactly what they were meant to do, making music together.
In your whole video there's only one thing I would disagree with you about. IMO you under estimate Alex's drumming. Most people do this because he's not as flashy as the others but if you watch 1 or 2 of their concerts with the volume muted, yo'll see things everyone has missed for decades.
Y'all be safe.
I wouldn't be surprised if that open G at 5:45 was intentional, because Ed liked to play things just a tad differently each time around to make it interesting. It sounds awesome and he knew that! These very subtle nuances were part of Ed's signature playing. He had all kinds of tricks in his technique!
Always my favorite from that album , that riff with DLR's voice is a match made in heaven . How many killer riffs has EVH given us ?? Then the bonus of all of his rhythm playing.
A coincidence?? (DROP D) ead Legs.... 🎸🤘
Ha! Never thought of that! Drop D Ed.
Song is in Drop D featuring Eddie's Legattos. Drop D Ed Legs. If this is the case that sounds like somethjng David Lee Roth would of come up with when he heard the riff and came up with a name for the song. Makes sense since David would be writting the lyrics so he would of came up with the name for that song.
😳😳😳🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
This dude is the best song teacher on RUclips
Cain M awwww shucks
Yeah, Uncle Ben is living the dream and not being annoying about it. I kind of miss his more juvenile antics and comments when he was a little younger, but that happens to all of us, I guess. I'm going to learn this to play at my next jam session with my snooty jazz sax player buddy.
guitar lessons 365 my friend
@@je-2024_1 please, wash your mouth out.
Still one of the fattest sexiest riffs ever written .... take a hot summers day, driving down the highway ... crank that track loud as it gets and tell me you don't see the world in 6D ... ;-)
It's even better when your Steady Betty is rockin' a sundress and a smile! 7D livin'!
You mean 36DD
Yes indeed..Cranki it...LOUD! It makes your bones tingle..
Harry Newman This tune is on 1984.
@@Taylor-hu2no well he could've been talking about 5150 not 1984?
Duuuude... Ben, can't tell you how much I've loved this song since I was a kid! This album (cassette) was my 5th birthday present from my father and imo that is the coolest riff on the album. Thanks my man
I'm a bit late to the party, but of all the countless videos I've seen about this song, Ben delivers the most accurate sounding reproduction... technique notwithstanding, just listen to that TONE! It's perfect, with exactly the right amount of crunch (to my untrained but experienced ears anyway).
Agreed , he's seriously underrated as a guitar teacher. I watch another guy play the entire VH1 album but he missed so many nuances to Ed's style and what he's actually playing.
The entire concert it took me out of the groove.
Ed's sort of has the drunken master playing where everything has this sitting on the edge style. When players stick to just the notes it doesn't sound right.
This song is a perfect example of that fake whammy part if you don't play just like this guy did it just doesn't have that Ed feel.
Sounds so beautiful. I'm an old guy at 55 and I remember listening and loving this song, as well as a lot of Van Halen songs, back in the '80s and 90's. Still love them today. Roth or Hagar...great band! I don't play any instruments, I tried trombone back in 1976-1979, I was not good. I bought an acoustic guitar, a lessons book, and watched videos. Nothing took. I'm in awe of the skill involved in playing with both hands but it's just not for me. Thanks for the video.
Been a Valen Halen fan since 1978. This is some of the best cover playing I’ve ever heard on one of Eddie’s coolest riffs. 👍🏻😎
1978 is when first heard of and saw Van Halen. They opened for Black Sabbath in Wuerzburg, FRG.
Man, they were great.
7:58 EVH is a rhythm guitar MASTER - and this is another example of why that is!
im still kicking myself for not going to see him play. this is the next best thing. thanks for all of your lessons Ben!
Go watch his son play
Thank you for doing all the hard work of dissecting this song for us. It’s amazing and it sounds spot on. Brilliant work figuring that out for us.
One of my favorite riffs of all time! I've always loved the timing and the bends and the cool arpeggiated arrangement. You are an amazing teacher. Thank you!
Man - 2022 is just getting started, and I am just seeing this. This is a KILLER Van Halen song. Killer riff. Killer technique. Killer song-writing. And just a great song. Excellent tutorial - one of the best I have seen on RUclips... and I've watched a lot. These licks and chords are unbelievable. There will NEVER be another Edward Van Halen. I miss him being with us in this crazy World.
Nails it. Just watched video of live concert with closeup on Ed, NO whammy used in the riff. At all. Ben nails it.
Super job, Ben.
Drop Dead Legs, and the really the whole B side of this album was just amazing. Hands down the best version of this I have seen and your sound is nice 'n brown. Good work dude, love it!
That is one of the most killer riffs of all time. I've always wondered how to play it. Thanks!
One of the best riffs ever, thanks a lot for the lesson!
As always, you nailed it so well. The tone, the notes, the little nuances. We mere mortals go through and dissect his music, but think about him sitting there with absolutely nothing and coming up with that riff and those sweet little licks and phrases....that's the real magic. That's what makes him so special. Like the opening to Mean Streets. Who can do that shit from thin air and make it iconic? EVH, that's who. And for you to get into his head and explain it so well, you get a gold star. I know, don't thank me, you earned it.
Yeah! The Van Halen deep cuts are always amazing! Do more!
As always, appreciate Ben's homework, and respect to work through and nail Ed's wizardry. Kudos Ben.
Eddie really is a genius riff master..
Just wanted to say thanks again Uncle Ben for taking the time for all of us so that we can learn properly. Very much appreciated. Your the best teacher ever
Who’s here now that eddy has passed :((((
Listened through every album today
Me. :(
Everything except VH3 and that train album with Dave.. what is it ? New kind of truth or some shit ?
His stuff hits different now
You should contact the band, see if they would wanna continue the band with you.
I didn't know that I wanted to learn these opening bars of Drop Dead Legs until I watched this video ... and then I absolutely had to learn it! Not only is Uncle Ben a naturally gifted guitar player (and so friggin clean!) but you are such a natural teacher. I love the fact that you take the time for analysis of other important aspects such as rhythmic and tempo and picking nuances - you really dive deeply into everything and enjoy it. Every riff you teach sounds exactly like the original. Very professional. Thank you Uncle Ben.
Nicely done
Nice! You're tone sounds perfect on this one. One of my other favorite songs on 1984" girl gone bad" there is some crazy stuff going on in that song !
My favorite Ed riff ever. Dare I say THE quintessential brown sound song. Thank you for your playing & your kick ass teaching🤘🏻
Feel like, Where have all the good times gone, would be a fitting song for the future.
This is amazing. Like everyone else, I was watching for how you would do the “whammy” part and I said, “What?” out loud when I got to that part of the video. You nailed it. It sounds perfect.
Me too, I never ever would have guessed it was a bend. This guy is really good
Jason Phelps I knew it was a bend because I'd read an interview many moons ago where Eddie said he used a Flying V on this song (and Hot for Teacher). What Ben does here, which no one else seems to have caught on to, is the slide up to the D and back to C.
So much swagger in this tune.
Super sick as always!
Can we get a lesson for the solo for “On Fire”?!
A masterpiece of a song from a masterpiece of an album by a masterpiece of a band.
Yay! I don't need a whammy bar for this lesson.
Evh was and still is the king of swing and a master of the coolest unique riffs! I love that bend in this tune!
Eddie Van Halen leaves a lot of accidents on the records. He stated in interviews that he was often intoxicated during recordings because he felt that his playing was looser and more natural when he was drunk. I think that explains why “Ain’t talking bout love” has that little mistake in the intro. You hear it on other songs too like “Unchained”.
-well that and he was (is?) a high-functioning alcoholic. But yeah, feel over precision every time.
Alcoholism caused alot of problems in his life professionally and personally and saying it helped his playing are the words of a denying alcoholic.
I saw sooo many videos and so many tabs on this song. After seeing yours, I was totaly amazed. The Sound, the feeling, it was all there. Of course I went out and checked out numerous other videos again, but now they all sounded so bland. You didn't just nail the song, you nailed the performance, the production, all of it. Masterful!!!!
Nice one Ben.That funky bendy thing at 8:00 absolutely confounded me for years,I've seen so many tabs for this that are wrong.I am 'between jobs' at the mo.so I'll have plenty of time to woodshed on this..
I know it’s an old lesson but it is top class 👍
I am revisiting EVH riffs I didn’t learn when I was younger. Thanks again
How about the other two killer deep cuts on 1984...House of Pain, and Girl Gone Bad....
dude House of Pain is my JAM!
Girl gone bad is rhythm and lead heaven
@@BenEller opening to "Hang 'em High" and "I'm the One" now there's some picken'!
House of pain one of my favorite Van Halen songs
GGB my fave!
That is one of my favorite opening riffs ever. You, sir... are the best. Thank you!
GREAT LESSON! Those kemper profiles really sound close too.
I've been playing this SO wrong. I can't wait to check it out when I get home. Seeing these videos helps me hear notes I didn't hear before, and it gives the songs a new coat of paint for me, so to speak. Thanks Ben!
The clue is that the original is played on a Flying V. He uses a similar idea at the beginning of Little Guitars. That's how I stumbled on how to play this without the whammy.
Yep, think he used Flying V on Drop Dead Legs as well as Girl Gone bad two of my favorite 1984 tracks. Think he also used on Hot For Teacher as well.
God I love this tune...one of my favs on 1984...could listen to it for hours on end...
This riff is so damn nasty. The groove is killer as was Eddie.
"Captain Nemo" by Michael Schenker is quite an interesting set of riffs that would be excellent to know how to play. Cheers uncle Ben! Your lessons are inspiring me to play again.
Great lesson!!! I was trying forever to learn One Day Remains from Alter Bridge. Mark Tremonti is wicked on this track. Maybe some time you could do a lesson on that song. Fingers crossed : )
The Van Halen teacher I had at music school couldn't even figure out what he was doing in that bendy bit, nice work man!
What can you say? Brilliant! Well done, Sir!
dude when you play that lick at the start of the vid I am just so happy. I can't help but say YES!!! You sound exactly like the record!!! I love this thanks for posting it.
Trivia: But what guitar did Eddie record Drop Dead Legs with????
Robert Baker I believe it was an old V!
A guitar
I have no idea,I'd be interested to know...
@@BenEller So it was the Dean v that you can see pictured in the Neil Zlozower book 'Eddie Van Halen'?
Ben Eller you are correct :)
Thank you for this. I've been a die-hard Van Halen fan since the beginning up until Sammy. I was at the US Festival and almost had my bladder explode. Finally urinating on myself and got it over with. Deep in the crowd I witnessed Eddie Van Halen. The entire band was so tight that there are no words and I have since gone to 300 concerts at least and nothing has ever compared. The exaggeration of David being high is exaggerated. So now to the point, you have an elegant playing style that helps me and I'm sure many others get it inline while we play. Not just moving through the chords and notes but actually feeling it. Thank you
I would love to see you and Pete Thorn get together and make some music Ben . you never fail to impress .
Pete is a great dude and a killer player! Love his new solo album.
I'd really like to see you do the whole song including the solo. I swear this is one of those songs that I thought was simple to learn but I never got it right. Wish we had RUclips back in the late 80's when I tried to learn it lol. Thank you for this.
Great lesson, Eddie is the best. That will be my next Instagram video for sure! :-)
Thank You for breaking this riff down, it’s one of my favorites. Your video was easy to follow and understand. Ric
Pre-liked! Just cause of the choice of song.
Dude … your lessons are the most precise AND easiest to follow. Sweetness …
I swear Eddie never plays an idea exactly the same twice.
Heph333 ......That’s his charm, keep em’ guessing
I love this song. You made it less scary to learn. Thank you!!!
I'm wondering if Eddie is sitting somewhere watching this and thinking, "damn, that kid caught my screw up in the intro..."
Hendrix said , “I've been imitated so well I've heard people copy my mistakes.“
I think I hear that drop (high) g before a chord a lot in his other stuff, it def has a characteristic evh sound...
HAHAHA! Now thats funny!
We hope he did... RIP the greatest
I find it unimaginable that 'screw up' in the intro was a screw up. Those are the most basic of chord shapes possible. More likely an incredible rhythm player inserting a 'passing tone' in a riff of basic chords to make it more interesting and have more character. Those subtle touches, even if you don't 'hear' them, they still connect subconsciously and give it it's unique flavor.
Thanks! This vid taught me that I was wrong in one part. The A major arpeggio right after the volume swell. I was pulling off from the C# on the G string to the A note. I listened to it back and yea you're right. There is a big difference. Thanks, Ben.
That's where Eddie is so unique. No one has a feeling for beautiful melodies and at the same time puts riffs and solos with so much feeling that will turn in to rollercoaster of pullofs and tapping as it is breathing fire,, Eddie stands alone, way on top of the mountain.
Thats a pretty Les Paul your rocking.
Glad I found your channel @BenEllerGuitars ! I get so mad at the inaccuracies of so many videos for various songs. Finally someone as OCD as me on guitar!
Wow such detail! He must really love this song! Funny how EVH stuff is harder than it sounds
That's true. Even his rythm guitar is very playful and complex, so much stuff happening at the same time.
He's a prime example of a soulful player. He just feels it out and makes it all work...warts and all.
Though he does admit to liking this song, he actually puts this much effort into all of his instructional videos/uploads. If u like this, check out his other lessons. Amazing!!
Who doesnt??? Ed never disappoints 😎😎😎😎
Thank you Ben! After losing Eddy I was rolling thru some tunes to learn- when I heard Drop Dead all of the tabs I found didn't do it justice- you brought it home! Thank you brother!
It would be really cool if you did a lesson on the intro or the solo from I'm the one.
Awesome video as always.
Yeah intro of "I'm the One" and the intro to "Hang em High"!!!
I'm the one intro isn't that hard besides the rhythmic chugging on the a strings.
@@oPosiidon2800 i know it's easy but at the there's a lick in the intro that doesn't really make sense in the tabs I have found.
@@MrMetalhorse what part? The hammer on and pull off part after the first time going back to the 7th fret. Or the harmonic part?
@@oPosiidon2800 the very first lick
holy hell, GREAT break down of the verse. Was wondering how he did that bend. Thank you so much for that
I already watch all your videos at half-speed.
Imagine being so good at making music that people spend decades deciphering and duplicating it, which seems far easier, but it is a huge tribute.
I thought it was magic, Thanks for helping make it look mortal.
Nice lesson as usual. You need 500k audio taper pots in the LP. That is one of the first things I do to my Gibson guitars. They continue to put 300k linear taper pots in the volume position. Those are useless if you use your volume knob. Which pick is this one now? You turned me on to the Dunlop Flow, and the BHL picks. What is that one?
I was wondering which ones I should put in Epiphone Bullseye and I think you answered my question
@@theophany1770 Yes, you should use (my preference) CTS 500k audio taper pots. Epiphone uses the smaller Asian pots. You would need to carefully bore the holes out to fit the CTS pots.
@@cy8919 sounds good, really appreciate the help man!
I had to put needle to the groove to learn songs back in the day...
Now, I have to put glasses on to watch killer instructional videos...
Great job, man!
Yes back in the day, it was ....play, listen and check your fingering, rewind , repeat... 4000 times until you got the song so completely in your brain, you did not have to worry about the verse, bridge, chorus after so many tries that yhou just then played the tune until you got up to speed with the recording. A looooong process, no you tube, no tab, just you in your room and your guitar 6 hrs a day. Today there are 13 year old shredders. Wow! Problem is that most...not all....are without any soul or mojo. Where are the screaming vibrato bends like Joe Walsh and David Gilmour, Brian May? So many other greats that I can`t list em all.
Teach the One by VH. Everyone screws that song up.
Thanks man this has been a puzzler for years. Even my Van Halen expert teacher at music school never could figure out that bendy bit.
Show us Cruise Control by The Dixie Dregs. Thanx
Yes please!
Rocknroll park!
You are the best teacher I have ever encountered. I wish I had you when I was a kid. I would have been so much better on guitar than I am now
Please do Metal Militia verse riff.
Great lesson and tone, also great to see that he didn't rely on the bar for everything, this is a tune us non bar players can appreciate and play.
I'm The One by Van Halen!!! But go for the whole song!
Out of all the tutorials I’ve seen so far, you’re the only one who got it right! 👍🏼🤟🏼
Sounds great. The chord is D/A not A/D as it's chord over bass note :)
Will Kriski lol habitual dyslexia in action!
That lick (probably my all time favorite rock lick) has been a mystery to me since the first time I heard it. I spent some time working the riff using your instruction, and have it down cold. Gives me chills. You are awesome, Ben. Thank you!
Sexiest riff of all time. That whammy slag at the tail end gets me every damn time. Thanks Ben!
Eddie was a true master. Just unreal writing talent to go along with his playing. Just insane how good he was.
Hey Unc, Thanks for all the wanks, I'm armpit deep over here. Not necessarily for #200 but could you help us understand what the FAQ is going on with the time signature of Me Wise Magic by the Van Halen corporation. That thing has driven me nuts since the first time I ever heard it. Muchos gracias.
DIng, the intro to Me Wise Magic is in 9/8 for the 1st 11 measures, then switches to 4/4.
You can think of it like this:
The first higher picking part can be counted 1 -2 -3 -4 -5
The first low note that he goes down to is right on 6, so continue from there with 6 -7 - 8 -9. You'll hear it start over again on the next 1.
I've only heard the 1st minute of the song, so it may change somewhere else.
Ok, now I heard the song all the way through. The outro is also in 9/8, of course.
There are also some odd/short measures thrown here and there to connect the different sections.
Cool tune. I like it.
Peace. JR
Thanks for that Jonny. I am pretty new at the guitar and do not have much experience with this yet. I have always been a big VH fan and have had a baptism by fire trying to figure out some of their time signatures and tunings. I really appreciate your taking the time to help out a newb like me. All the best,
Ding
Ding, no prob.
I hope I helped a little.
Going after Van Halen tunes is definitely a challenge & Ben is a very good teacher.
Did what I described make any sense to you?
I feel like I may have been a bit cryptic.
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
I'm about to launch my own channel soon.
It'll be guitar/music lessons mixed with stories & interviews from me & other rockers from the 80's Hollywood scene & beyond.
Peace. JR
Jonny,
Made perfect sense. Once you know where to start the count it makes a huge difference. Rest assured I am looking forward to your new channel. I was in my prime in the 80's and miss all the great bands and music of that era. With your first hand experience of that scene, your musical talent, and the people you know and worked with, I expect your channel will be wildly successful. I will be on the look out for it. Thanks again for your help.
Ding
Ding, I'm glad I could help.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
I see I'm talking to a fellow 80's rocker.
What a time for classic metal, eh?
Keep practicing.
Keep playing.
Keep the faith.
It's people like you that help make me want to share my experiences.
Peace. JR
Awesome! I remember reading an interview where Eddie talks about recording this song and he mentioned playing the song on his vintage Gibson flying V, which as NO whammy bar... The solo at the end was actually recorded later on the Frankenstrat and the sound engineer made sure the tone matched... ;)
I read the same thing. Think it was a 58 Gibson Flying V. I think he might’ve used it on Hot for Teacher too, not certain.
EVH: Hands down, the greatest electric guitarist ever! EVER!
This makes it a whole lot easier and fun to riff along to the outro. Thanks for the lesson. I never thought that I would be playing like EVH after an hour of practice. Still lots to learn but this has inspired me to pick up my guitar after not playing at all for about 6 months!