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Hi everyone,


Today's Target and Pay Per Lesson release is now live, Babe by Styx.


Styx is an American rock band from Chicago, formed in 1972.


‘Babe’ is taken from their 1979 triple-platinum album ‘Cornerstone’ and became their first, and only,
US number-one single.


This lesson covers the chords in the key of D, including several shapes and triads up the neck, the
strumming and progression.


It also takes a look at how to incorporate some of the melodic piano fills, in particular for the intro.
This certainly raises the level of difficulty.


Enjoy this level 5 song!


http://www.totallyguitars.com/target-so ... .html#song

TGNess,

I just listened to your playthrough. Damn that sounded good! I've been knocked down by a bad cold and I feel like crap, but somehow you manage to raise my spirits and put a smile on my face. Pretty interesting when it's a song about leaving too.

There is so much that you're doing in there with the guitar. Again you've captured a bunch of important musical fragments with just your voice and a single guitar. Awesome!

Your playing sounded wonderful and your voice ... really gorgeous.

I never tire of watching you weave your magic.

Awesome!



Shel

Aaaah, very cool song!
Always loved it and as always you've done an outstanding job on transcoding it into a guitar lesson B)

Can't wait to hear it live again, and try out the harmonies. Beautiful

Corina.

Vanessa,

Great lesson, as always! Thanks for this one too.

If anyone is having trouble with the Gmaj7 thing at the end of the Chorus and you're good with fretting the low E string with your thumb, try it this way: fret the G on the 6th stg with your thumb muting the 5th stg with it also, fret the D on the 2nd stg with your 2nd finger and keep your 1st fgr fretting the F# on the 1st stg. This allows me to use my ring finger to do the hammer on / pull off (and I even use it to come across to the B on the 3rd stg instead of my pinky).

Just a suggestion. I have arthritis issues and ever since I banged up my pinky a couple years ago it's never gotten back to the way it was. I still try to use it a lot when playing when I can but sometimes it just doesn't work. I guess a more general suggestion for people would be this: If you're having trouble with some chord shapes I would first try it the way it's taught (or supposed to be played) and practice for a while. Then, if that's not working, experiment with different fingerings. Then I would look at other places on the neck you could play the same chord. That's one of the reasons I love the lessons here. They really break down the chord shapes and fingerings and use different voicings up and down the neck and show different variations you can do if you want.

Steve

Vanessa and Corina:
This song is beautiful. I am going to learn it now!

Doug
PS Please check out KT Tunstall - Black Horse and the Cherry Tree. That would be a fun song to do too!

Great job on the playthrough Ness...and in particular on the piano fills into guitar - bravo!!

I don't think i've ever heard anything by Styx before. i didn't realise they were quite so sappy. Maybe this is not representative haha.

i'd like to echo doug and say another vote for kt tusntall black horse and cherry tree.

/ david

Really great sound you are making in the play through Ness, very nice!

davidrfinn99165 wrote:

Great job on the playthrough Ness...and in particular on the piano fills into guitar - bravo!!

I don't think i've ever heard anything by Styx before. i didn't realise they were quite so sappy. Maybe this is not representative haha.

i'd like to echo doug and say another vote for kt tusntall black horse and cherry tree.

/ david

Make that 3 votes! I LOVE Black Horse and a Cherry Tree. So cool!

M

Edit: I just looked for an acoustic version on YouTube. In truth the coooolness of this song seems to come in part from the way she builds it up with relatively straightforward layers; including lots of percussive stuff and vocal segments. So I'm not sure it will be suitable for a lesson per se. Our gurus will know of course.

Regardless, here is a really cool video showing how she builds it up using a looping machine. How cool is that?!?

Hey there Vanessa, I am a HUGE STYX fan. Sadly, not necessarily this song but hey, still will learn it because other people will like it. I do remember when it was a hit, it's one of those songs that a person could not turn on a radio w/o hearing it play. Big hit for the boys....

Back when "Pieces Of 8" and "The Grand Illusion" were out. I rocked the 8 track tapes and albums! :laugh:

Thanks again!
Bart

Many thanks for dropping in guys and girls!

So sorry for getting here so late...I had a little trip to the UK and then things got crazy busy in order to do the usual students-work and a TG-lesson, which i barely finished within the following week. :S

Michele: So happy that I managed to raise your spirits a bit . Really sorry to hear also that you've been knocked out as you have. Hope you're feeling better now.
The arrangement for the song is kinda tricky i have to say, at least it is to me. Definitely harder than it looks. (that is if you're looking for 'sustain' as I always do). My main goal is always to make it work with just one guitar and one vocal parts, so needless to say that i loved reading your comment. I never get tired of those! Thanks so much dear friend. xoxo

Corina: Oh yes, a cool song for sure! I think i've always known it from this Rock Balads-cassette tape you once gave me, how long ago was that? 25-30 years ago? It's just so nice to get to songs that i've known and liked for so long. Yes, adding some harmonies would certainly be great, we'll do that soon! xo

Steve: Thanks Steve, for the suggestion too! I have to admit, that i'm very hesitant/reluctant to point out such fingering-obtions (In thruth I don't), since they're in general not very efficient and i really don't want students to take the 'easy' way out.

But I of course get the physical limitations and your suggestion could make it work afterall. In that case, that's really great! Still, again, for those who don't have arthritis issues or something related, please go for the fingerings as taught in the lesson. I promise you, it'll be worth it.

Also good to hear your feedback on the lessons. I'm very pleased that you appreciate the details of shapes and fingerings and different voicings and variations. Many thanks Steve!

Doug: Thanks Doug, glad you like the song! As for your request, I think i've checked out KT Tunstall once before. I even think that I did, because you had asked for it a while ago (you obviously don't give up! :laugh: ). In thruth, it would be a very stripped down version, just the guitar. Without the loopstation you end up with just a few chords, some strumming, sometimes muted and such and that's it. Not sure if it remains interesting enough then. In anyway, can't promise anything, we'll see. B) Thanks for dropping by Doug, see you soon!

Chris: Thank you very much Chris, glad you liked the play through!

Bart: You're a Styx fan? Who knew?! And yep, big hit! So which one would make a great lesson in your opinion and would also be a song that guitar players are looking for?

Many thanks all, i always really appreciate your comments!

TGNess B)