5 Things You Never Noticed in Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love by Van Halen! Weekend Wankshop 184

unclebeneller
instagram @BenEllerGuitars
Skype lessons? email [e-mail]
Intro song: "Saturdays", by me! Get it here: www.benellerguitars.bandcamp.com
2:09: #1: The low G in the intro (4:40 #1.5: Eddie's mistake)
5:10: #2: The Missing Low E's in the chorus
7:00: #3: the missing A and G in the verse
8:20: #4: picking pattern in the bridge
10:53: #5: the C's in the outro
Hey kids! On Weekend Wankshop 184, Uncle Ben Eller here is gonna be showing you all 5 things that i bet you've never noticed in Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, by Van Halen, off their landmark Van Halen 1 album!
So recently, i found where someone uploaded Eddie's isolated guitar track here on youtube. I love browsing through guitar-only tracks, and as i listened to this song that i have heard a billion times before, i noticed little tiny details in every section of the song that i had never heard before! So, because i've seen (and played) so many inaccurate covers and tabs of this tune, i decided to share my findings with you all.
Have you guys ever noticed these little things before?!?!
Playing my Suhr Modern White Tiger into the Kemper Profiler, with the Top Jimi Brown Sound profiles, which are so sick for nailing that early EVH tone!

[@BenEller]

I STAND CORRECTED! It’s a flanger, not a phaser that Eddie uses in this tune. Thanks y’all, I’m always getting those mixed up. What do you guys want to see covered next?!

[@MetalKillsRap2]

Ben Eller I’d love to see some more Van Halen tunes as Eddie is my favorite guitarist. Also, I’d love to see some Mastodon songs off of Emperor of Sand and Once More Round the Sun albums!!

[@ghosteh6503]

Ben Eller do an in depth of drop dead legs

[@thepoozer]

More old Metallica, horrible transcriptions out there!

[@BenEller]

PV5150II coming up!!!

[@BenEller]

Ian absolutely! Drop me some specific suggestions!

[@valuedhumanoid6574]

My instructor has me playing Mary Had A Little Lamb. As soon as I master that, I am totally going for this.

[@jamesfeldman4234]

Hah, but try playing Mary Had A Little Lamb in the style of Van Halen.

[@paulmcgo1089]

You should go for Chopsticks next . But I'm sure your rockin that Mary had a little lamb by now . Keep practicing dude

[@KoolKatDave]

@BLOGAN BURGESS Buddy Guy version!

[@g.m.6417]

😂😄😆

[@dirkwyse1609]

MHALL is better if you do it in the David Lee Roth style and not Sammy Hagar

[@stevenapolitano1056]

Eddie has always talked about how he'd try to do things in one take, leaving little mistakes in the recordings. He said the mistakes are what make it live and breathe.

[@kensurrency2564]

Man, are you right! I was tracking bass on a song for my band Push (Push PDX) ‘Tapestry’ and close to the end we were building up. I wanted to do something cool, and I thought I totally f-ed it up. Then we mixed it down and I listened to it later, and lo and behold my ‘mistake’ turned out better than I could have ever imagined. I am still proud of that 4-measure slop-fest! (yes that was a shameless plug)

[@screambluemurder101]

@@kensurrency2564 got a link Ken?

[@kensurrency2564]

@@screambluemurder101 oops, sorry, I guess they’re getting hard to find. Warning: hard rock kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIm4h4eNrbt-q9k

[@2216sammy]

He admits the first part of eruption was a major mistake when he got turned around but left it anyway .

[@nellawell4976]

Just a kid plays 2 basic chords.... and here we are 42 years later still trying to get it right!

[@SquirrelTheater]

A huge number of people don’t realize that EVH was one of the best rhythm guitarists ever.

[@emt52889]

Agreed

[@SquirrelTheater]

@@emt52889 Nice name 😁👍🏻😎

[@jesuschrist4185]

That’s James Hetfield

[@SquirrelTheater]

@@jesuschrist4185 😂🤣😂🤣😂

[@metalboy5150]

@@SquirrelTheater Hey, he's not wrong. Hetfield is definitely one of the best rhythm guitarists ever. But so was Eddie, so you're both right.

[@VangeliRock]

Arguably one of the greatest guitar licks ever invented.

[@gregp103]

I disagree. Want to argue about it?

[@jamesmorgan2064]

Bad as tune

[@jamesmorgan2064]

@@gregp103 yes.. I'll argue with you. Thanks. I was hoping someone with the guts to argue about talking bout love on Ben Ellers KZbin channel. EXACTLY what I wanted.

[@gregp103]

@@jamesmorgan2064 Do you want an -s?

[@adamwarlock5286]

@@gregp103 so what are you doing here if the tune sucks ? Not that I can even play, I'm just here for the witty comebacks.

[@rmartin7558]

I remember reading how Eddie was embarrassed because he was worried this song was, "too simple." He compared it to, "Sunshine of Your Love." Gotta love, Ed. So nuanced, DECEPTIVELY simple, always brilliant.

[@mikeivey8471]

R.I.P. Eddie Van Halen !!! Thanks for all the music !! You will be missed !!

[@ironz18]

Feels good to know someone else noticed the subtle but important stuff in Ed's rhythm playing. His rhythm stuff is just as complicated as his lead stuff.

[@sholland42]

Ironically, I listen to Eddie’s rhythm parts way more than I do his leads. I love the way he crafts all of the unique parts into a cohesive and catchy song. Thanks Uncle Ben. Just think, you can tell your kids one day, “Look, I may be your uncle, but I’m still your daddy.”

[@ranger5281]

...crafted into catchy songs as a showcase for his virtuosity ... and that's why Van Halen sold millions, and most people don't know Yngvie Malsteen's name (and they aren't missing anything...). Nobody walks aroung humming Yngvie tunes...

[@fuckingfuck6405]

@@ranger5281i do on occasion

[@Roscoe1279]

Eddie's crunching rhythms and striking leads are incomparable. I haven't heard a greater rock guitarist.

[@starcloud4959]

Yes, off the charts!!!.greatest thing since jimmy page and jimi hendrix.

[@BKMDano17]

Eddie in an interview said that he was at a Zep concert hear in LA. He finally figured out how Page was doing a couple cool things. I think he may have incorporated some of that. By the way for awhile it seemed like every 10 years or so a great guitarist comes along? Page 1969, EVH 1979 then Slash not quite 10 years for GnR but you get the point. We could sure use another one of those bands right now😁

[@dewdude2112]

Michael Schenker. And he is STILL making music and relevant to this day.

[@geraldorodriguew3605]

Slash?

[@vistalite]

Dan Deen Slash? LOL. The only thing he revolutionized was wearing hats over his eyes.

[@AndriyVasylenko]

I remember that I couldn't believe it's a song from 1976. Such a meety distortion and unique riff, nothing similar to what was released in 70s.

[@beaumowery5610]

Andriy Vasylenko it's early 1978, it might've been written then but what I mean is that VH1 was released in early 78

[@AndriyVasylenko]

Beau M. Sure, it was a typo)

[@HarpoSpoke]

And Andre Segovia, Chet Atkins, and Joe Pass were outplaying Uli Jon Roth long before he recorded a note too. Maybe...it's not a contest?

[@shaunclifton5281]

+HarpoSpoke 👍👍👍

[@jdambrose4169]

All those Jazz guys outplaying the world and nobody gives a shit xD It is totally NOT a contest

[@ranger5281]

Uncle Ben, some of us appreciate your attention to detail. Shows a lot of knowledge and *respect* for Eddie's genius and craft. And... getting that sizzling tone really requires nearly perfect tuning... THANK you. I used to wake up a neighborhood infant playing a cranked 50w Marshall (no power soak), trying to cop this riff without an echo or flanger, before school after my Mom left for work. Ahhh...

[@cswalker21]

I don't play guitar and I didn't understand a single thing you said after "guitar" but Van Halen was everything to me for like a 3 year period in the early 80s and this was my favorite song of theirs so in light of recent events, it's really interesting to see all the technical mastery that went into the masterpiece.

[@2216sammy]

A three year period ? Once a VH fam always a VH fan.

[@KaldDodeGitarist]

I'd like to take a moment to point out how amazing your tone always is.

[@TheCadman069]

Dude, those 5150 amps/heads also have an amazing tone!

[@azabuvsobelo5687]

Peavey's 6505 series are the original 5150 amps. Amazing tone if you don't get too crazy with the gain. Eddie used much less gain than a lot of guitarists think. I get in that 'brown sound' zone usually with the gain about 11-12 o'clock on the high gain channel. I'm using an EVH frankenstein pickup too, which is also a link in the chain that's very important obviously

[@iptaytiger]

But he's using the Kemper, no? What/where did he get the amp tone from, Top Jimi?

[@TheCadman069]

You're right on the money in regards to 11-12 o'clock for the gain. That's definitely the sweet spot!

[@kekyko9951]

That kemper amp is unreal! They have truly bridged the gap between tube and digital.

[@Partsunknown426]

Eddie Van Halen will never die, he's just seeking tone in another Universe where some beings of another kind are saying....what the?

[@gregp103]

No.

[@UroboricNate]

Nope he definitely died and his loved ones are still greiving, people need to cut it with the self comforting and distastful pie in the sky ideas

[@mikelovvorn2222]

By now eddie has already figured out how to put a floyd rose on his harp

[@lifegoeson2422]

One of the best guitar riffs ever 🤘🎸

[@Roscoe1279]

LifeGoes On Period.

[@wolfgangvonkill9391]

LifeGoes On agree entirely.

[@dan2007kohn]

I was just listening to an isolated guitar track of this song and you can actually hear him rolling the volume down right before the bridge. Too cool.

[@ZblockWoW]

YESSSSS!! The DETAILS of Eddie’s rhythm parts are the BEST thing about his songs! 👍🏻🎸🤘🏻

[@goncalobaia1574]

I've been tuning the B string a little flat for years by ear because I thought there was something wrong with my guitar and the thirds weren't sounding as beautiful and clean as they were supposed to Now I just found out I've been unintentionally doing the same as Eddie I feel kinda honored to be honest

[@gregp103]

by whom? Next time lie to me.

[@screambluemurder101]

@@gregp103 just spreading the love huh Greg?

[@goncalobaia1574]

@@gregp103 wut

[@maidenthe80sla]

There is one sure thing about Eddie. He was good at adding little nuances to the songs. Those little bits of flavor kept it ever more interesting to listen to; but harder to play (all the while keeping in time & the swing he had in most of his early songs). Keep up the great job!

[@shesellssin]

Maiden the 80's L.A. The swing is definitely a key element. Most musicians lack it these days - along with some grease in their playing.

[@maidenthe80sla]

Ian Guest True. I guess too many are worried about perfection and being tied to the grid. They need to loosen up a bit and not sound like a machine. I like hearing the little flubs or mis-picked notes on a song. The swing has to be there even when I learn a riff or run very slow. If not, the timing will be off and it does not feel right at all.

[@jhs5150]

I think it kept it more interesting for HIM. He hated playing the exact same thing twice.

[@jmm1817]

Absolutely spot-on I remember hear somebody saying when Eddie plays he's like falling down the stairs, but always lands on his feet

[@154Jamesp]

Great lesson. My guitar teacher laid this song out for me exactly like you did in this video 30 years ago with a cassette tape copy from the FM radio. Took him about 25 minutes total. I was just curious to see if I'd been doing anything wrong all these years. You guys that do these lessons are more appreciated than you'll realize, I think. Cheers.

[@lanceross3633]

I've been playing what I thought was right for many years-ugh!!....Thanks for this Ben,your attention to detail and the subtle intricacies throughout this song is what sets you apart from the other guitarists on KZbin.GREAT job Ben!!!

[@RobertBakerGuitar]

Everything I know has been a LIE!!! Great video dude.

[@JohnDoe-pq8yw]

Robert, you have taken a major step to freedom!!! Congratulations.

[@jamesholmberg3158]

Well, Ben has got me in a knit-picky mood, so....your "tense" doesn't stay consistant in that first sentence. Now that you are enlightened, Everything I'd known had been a lie. Shit! That sounds about as natural as two hot dogs in one bun. As usual, I don't know WTF I'm talking about...love. P.S. Dear Van Halen, Ain't ain't a word...

[@JohnDoe-pq8yw]

Here is the biggest lie of all. Eddie always to this day says he is self taught. He father was a professional musician and taught Eddie and Alex how to play when they were very young. Eddie's father was his teacher. Denying a parent taught you anything is the biggest lie of them all.

[@Chuffin_ell]

Ohhh man, you just really don't know how true that is....

[@axellofgren7679]

Hey Robert, I love your videos! They have helped me so much!

[@morebeer4435]

Good stuff man. One of the greatest things about Eddie was that the majority of his sound came from his hands. Like Buddy on drums, Eddie's hands are from another planet. Nice video👍👍

[@jasonanderson8102]

wow. thanks for doing this. I haven't played this song in years, but i was definitely doing some things wrong. reminded me how dope this song is. It's stunning how some really simple things can make a riff or a patten so much more musical or personal (to Eddie in this case). Rhythmic subtleties in the chord/riff AND lead playing are the secret to EVH's Roth-era godhead playing.

[@bradleyshuppert3393]

He uses the phase 45 on the entire song... low rate.... and smashes the flanger for the accented low notes....you get closer than most...I appreciate that about your passion and work on these track dissections. He used the phase 45 to help boost his treble frequency loss due to long cables. He kept it low rate to not be dominate in the brown sound he was establishing. When you sag an amp with a variac and use long cords or even some wireless rigs... the treble dies fast.... nice work!!

[@Nitro1000]

The missing notes always drove me nuts every time I hear a cover this song. Glad to see I'm not the only one that picked up on them

[@danscott9222]

The best guitar player of my generation

[@ansar1809]

@Peoplekind go listen to the solo on eruption by van Halen then come back.

[@MajickPalindrome]

Al di meola, phil manzanera, paul gilbert, danny gatton, frank gambale, john mclaughlin were great as well... Honestly, i think allan holdsworth and al di meola did tapping before eddie made it popular.

[@deathmetalscottie]

Been playing that low E by accident this whole time trying to eliminate it. Guess I'll keep it in now.

[@kensurrency2564]

Haha your subconscious heard it ... you may be onto something 🤔

[@davedaveleadguitar]

Your sound is soo accurate! The first time you play the riff I thought it was the original recording. Very detailed and accurate lesson! You're a fantastic player and teacher! Very focused on what you're showing us!! Thanks for the video!!!

[@DrTibbsy]

Excellent! I love how loose Eddie's playing is and how it ends up coming together so damn well.

[@frankd8089]

Uncle Ben that whole album means so much to me, well done.... Anyone who's studying early VH has my full attention....

[@davidflint12]

So cool. The first time I heard these details. I love little details. I found the isolated track and you pulled them out perfectly. Uncle Ben the amazing

[@jeffmays7192]

So I’ve been playing this not quite right for over 30 years? Argh!! Another excellent vid from the hardest working man in show biz.

[@PatChap]

Oh my GOD the title for this video got me hyped up and extremely curious because no matter how well I think I know my favorite songs, you point out so many things that just go right over my head

[@waynebeard4605]

What a band there must be. Eddie on Guitar, Bonham on drums, Bon Scott breaks into "I heard the news baby".

[@LCRRRRR]

i was just listening to this yesterday and thinking that Ben should do a video lesson on this song! thank you universe.

[@njineermike]

I learned ain't talking bout love by ear and got everything but that bridge. Nice catch. I was basically playing it like the verse, just clean.

[@mjgibbs131788]

Dude! That double C note is something I always heard from when I first learned it as a kid. No one ever covered or tabbed it like that. One of the benefits of learning by ear at a young age.

[@doublejake.4846]

Eddie is a master at his craft. Alex is really a great drummer also.

[@kentlofgren]

You know that feeling. When you meet someone who knows what they are talking about.

[@scriptosaurusrex]

I love that people make the effort to transcribe and share tabs, but often I can only ever use them as a basis. When I think about it, it's crazy, I can't really learn songs by ear - but these people who can and do still manage to miss things that are obvious to me (e.g. the low G, instead of open G.)

[@vinskeeter]

These little details and nuances on his rhythm work are essential. I think I committed them to memory by March of 78. That first album rocked my world when it came out, when I was 14. I remember thinking, why do I hear 3 guitars? The bass, the rhythm, then the lead? I thought the rhythm and lead were two different guys, and it didn't add up, that there were 4 guys in the band. I would focus on how good the rhythm sounded with the hooks and power chords.

[@thegee-tahguy4877]

My friend, Mike K. was Ed's tech. He got me on stage to play Ed's rigg at Great Woods in MA back in '98. My wife was in row 1 with a VH cardboard camera they gave us. She somehow "forgot" to take any pics... UGH! Ed's guitar was filthy. Later, the boys did sound check with Gary Cherone. It was just my wife and I and the sound guy in the audience. Gary was so new, he was using cheat sheets for Runnin' W/the Devil. We could tell Gary was gonna blow out his voice. The 3rd song of the night, he did and couldn't continue. I was sitting next to Gary's parents. Kenny W.Shepard was there too as the opener. We went back the next night for the entire show. I'll never forget it.

[@BenEller]

The Gee-tah Guy dang dude, awesome story!

[@JohnnyBeane]

Great video Ben! Such a classic song!

[@jamesavdelis6610]

This instructional video makes me smile. These days, I listen to Van Halen tracks as loud as I can tolerate it in my "old" age. Rock on!!🤟🤟

[@greggrusnak6094]

Nicely done, His son Wolfgang has talked about Eddies mistake in the intro and has addressed other subtle mistakes that make the riff what it is.

[@mccloysong]

Great job, and perfect replica of his tone. I would love to see your tutorial where it's first played entirely with no talking and THEN go back and talk your way through the parts. But, again, thanks for your accurate share.

[@GraphiteBlimp27]

I love Eddie and I love this song. Such an overlooked song. Honestly one of my favorites by VH top 10 or even 5 (I don’t really rank music) After having watched the video, I can’t believe people forget the palm muted 3rd fret E string before that hook! So essential. The other stuff you either reminded me of or I never knew, either forgotten from time or learned incorrectly. Good video! You move at a great pace that’s not annoyingly slow like so many youtubers dumb it down for beginners trying to play VH.

[@mikekiss648]

Killer riff !!!!

[@treylem3]

"Less clicking more picking", WELL SAID brother. Less clicking = more living too. It's a hard habit to break. More so than most of us would care to acknowledge and address. Thanks

[@ronkopald]

This is accurate. Something most rock guitarists don't really take the time to nail. I'm not a shredder, but this is great. Nice job. You're a thoughtful musician.

[@JMnyJohns]

MXR, hmm. I'd swear he was using a pinch harmonic for the 3,2,3 lick on the A. Will try it your way. Awesome as always, thx!

[@maxrockatansky8399]

It sounds like a pinch harmonic with a little bit of phase or flange added to it to me actually. That's the way I play it.

[@pizzamon795]

Rockin man, never learned this one note for note.

[@alwayscurious413]

I want to thank you around 4 min mark for spot on tuition. You clearly state the string, fret, note and finger shape needed - then you repeat slowly then play thru at speed. Newbies need to be told all this as one gap means we lose the whole thing! Thanks.

[@vanhelsing8776]

I don’t even play guitar and this was interesting as hell. It helps that it is one of my all time favorites.

[@cornstar1253]

I've always played it at the fifth fret. Learned it back when we only had vinyl to figure stuff out

[@juliAnarchist]

One more thing, for this song you need an analog delay set to 1 or 2 reps and 300ms~ and put it in front of the amp, just leave it on through the whole song. Learned this trick from pete thorn, it's amazing.

[@Lucifer2066]

Yeah, I got my amp set like that too. I picked up on that myself though by ear. What's really funny though is I was just over at this one guys place and he spent all this money on EVH branded gear (5150 III amp, pedals, the whole setup) and I got a Line 6 Pod XT Pro I run into a Marshall 9200 power amp with a Marshall 1960 Lead cab and my rig sounded way, way closer to Eddie's sound than his stuff. Much cleaner and much more power too.

[@lujitsu1251]

I've always wanted to know how to play the guitar,,,,,one of my life regrets that I never learned it. Just so impressive when someone knows what they are doing like you here. Love this van Halen song.

[@Twy7chTec_Vayper]

Huge Van Halen myself, and this was by far the best breakdown of this song(which is my favorite of theirs lol), cause there were always a couple notes I struggled to figure out trying to learn this tune lol this definitely nailed it, thanks again buddy. Between the 2-hand Tapping vid, this one, and 2 other guitar exercise vids have really helped get me out of my dreaded plateu slump 👈🏼🦾🤘🏻👍🏻😎🎸🎶

[@robertbower7461]

Love this level of detail . It makes the difference.

[@Fordo33160]

Rob Bower : If you want to deal with level of detail, rethink the hand position ;) which here is basically one for seated guitar players... Eddy would never do that.

[@KaldDodeGitarist]

When people skip that low note before the vibrato, I die a little inside

[@RudyAyoub]

KaldDodeGitarist dont die live

[@KozmykJ]

Yeah if you die live it only happens once. If you die in the studio with the machines rolling you can do it again and again and again ...

[@volimNestea]

This is why I love KZbin comments, you never know when you're going to come across something like this! Don't die, live lol

[@tisbonus]

KaldDodeGitarist yep! Murdering a classic riff kills me too.

[@ACoustaDC]

Really?... You care that much...How many guitar players does it take to screw in a light bulb... 6... One to screw it in, and 5 to stand around saying, "I can do that better, he screwed that up"

[@bradlyons5510]

Amazing how wrong I've been playing it all these years. Love this guy.

[@randyjohnson5426]

This just reinforces what an innovator Eddie was...amazing...good job by the way!

[@TheAgentAssassin]

ALSO one thing I've never seen anywhere ever on any video or any discussion (with this song in particular) is how when you hold the pick like Ed does using the second finger (the F You finger) and thumb as opposed to pointer and thumb how when you PALM MUTE , how it sounds different. Play the A minor part , palm muted with Ed's style of holding the pick then play it holding the pick the standard way (like you do) . NOTICE the subtle difference in tone how Ed's versions sounds a little more warm and percussive. Because of the distance between where your palm rests on the strings and where the pick strikes the strings when you palm mute , using Ed's way of holding the pick you'll notice the distance is longer using Ed's pick holding method. Think of the area between where you palm rests and the pick's striking area as a string inside of a string . Ed's version creates a longer string within a string. Even just plucking the open A string with a pick and switching finger pick holding styles you can clearly hear the difference. Usually players who play with the pointer finger and thumb hold the pick closer in on the thumb (I noticed you do) whereas when you hold the pick Ed's style the pick is further out on the thumb , creating a longer distance between the palm and the pick's string area. Just leave your palm on one place as you palm mute and flip back and forth between pick holding styles. Most males typically have a shorter pointer finger compared to the middle or ring finger as Ed does. (testosterone in the womb creates this typical male digit ratio) Try it , flip back and forth between finger pick holding styles you can clearly hear Ed's way , sounds little bit thicker , more percussive , brown as it were. ALSO another point when you switch from pointer to middle finger , do it without playing the guitar just hold your hand up and just touch your pointer and middle finger switch back and forth and feel the pad of your hand just under the thumb ,notice the pad gets harder as you move all the way up , even to your pinkie, in fact the entire lower portion of your palm stiffens up , just switching to pointer to middle . The same way CHEFS know how to tell a steak's temperature , med, rare , well done , etc. (youtube 'easy way to check meat for doneness') to get what I'm talking about on this point. I hope I explained this well enough. With all factors involved , even the way Ed holds his pick is a small part of what we all call the 'brown sound'.

[@BadRonald1]

I thought he only held it like that when he speed picks and regular when playing

[@Powerslave234]

I always thought that eddie had a very interesting rhythm that always fit with with the drums and bass.

[@stevesuttle5878]

I just noticed the Line6 AX212 ..I still have mine and play it everyday. I miss being able to get patches for it.. Love the lesson! Thank you!

[@crisprtalk6963]

i was 15 when this album came out. Never forget it! This tune was my favorite one.

[@beaudalleomusic3525]

Killer EVH tone! Great video - very informative for us Ed fans!

[@MikeCindyWhite]

Great ear bro! Thanks for the lesson

[@Big_Uncle_Randy]

EVH is hands down my favorite player...but mostly his Rhythm playing!!!and his harmonic work...and his absolutel badassery of playing in the best spot in the pocket!!!

[@christopherwashington663]

I just listened to this guy play his own stuff. Listen to him! "Saturdays" would make Satch and Vai proud! Beautiful stuff. Hey all, I don't know the poster, so this isn't biased at all, I just gave it a listen. He really is good. Hey man, push your stuff on here.

[@rogueshadow93]

It has got to kill you to understand all he does and not have his "feel".... love everything you do and teach us but greats are because they are!

[@JamesPetroff]

I always liked Van Halen but Led Zeppelin was the bomb for me. But I am really appreciating now how special EVH was. He meant so much to countless guys like you. What a unique artist and person.

[@markfrost2707]

Page blows VH away.

[@GooseGumlizzard]

@@markfrost2707 lol no

[@JJG5150]

@@markfrost2707 a lot of what page did was recording guitar part on top of guitar part in the studio. He was incredibly innovative and inspired Eddie for certain. However everyone on the planet was just awestruck by Eddie and couldn’t even figure your what he was doing, and people like Ted Nugent thought oh it just be Eddie’s rig and effects, and tried playing on Eddie’s equipment only to leant it wasn’t. He’s just a genius bohr playing wise & an engineer. He essentially in Ted his own guitar, the Floyd rose locking system, and either pioneered or took existing techniques to a place no one but perhaps Jimmy Hendrix had thought of. We’re still studying Eddie 50 years after this earth shattering album Van Halen I came out.

[@tipplers3417]

In my book Ben Eller is the FUCKIN MAN. He's so damn good, so talented, great teacher, has the most patience u have to have to show us all the little things, important things, just teaching period. I love this guy & he can play his ass off 💪🏾

[@tommyholtMN]

I've always played this tune like your explaining. Many players lack attention to detail and it's the little things that made EVH great

[@sickb2200]

4:39 That's one of the things that made rock albums so cool back in the day of analog. Sometimes it wasn't perfect and they were just like, "Screw it man, time is money. Just leave it and move on to the next song." Like the accidental harmonics heard on "Helpless" from Metallica's Garage Days Re-revisited. That "ching-chang" just lets you know they are jamming their asses off. Then there's Jimmy Page, the king of slop. His (cool) mistakes should have their own website because they're rad.

[@starcloud4959]

- yeah i think jimmy page's mistakes are a work of art in themselves.

[@samwilcockmusic]

Jimmy’s slop contrasts so beautifully with his disciplined acoustic playing. Such an interesting player, and what a vision for composition.

[@joeysplats3209]

"Lemme get that airplane off there"... "Nah leave it".

[@mrtwistyneck]

Hey there I'm listening to this and so far so good! Although he does use the mxr phase 90 During certain areas of the song for the C to B riff after the low G he is using an mxr flanger. Throughout the first album he pretty much tap dances between the phase 90 in the flanger and in some cases uses them both at the same time like in Atomic Punk

[@BenEller]

mr. twistyneck yup I mention that ;)

[@mrtwistyneck]

Ben Eller whoops! I will add that to the list of things that I overlooked in this video. LOL

[@BeeKay5150]

Thanks, dude. Been playing that intro wrong for years. I felt accomplished just for hitting that A minor into G. Thanks for the lesson.

[@guitarizt68]

By far the best explanation for how to play the various parts of this song - PERIOD (and now also the CORRECT way). Despite people attempting to show me how to play the opening riff, I never could get it (the picking pattern still seems very unorthodox, to me). After your simplified explanation, I now have hope.

[@aweekback1]

So much fun I love it

[@DVincentW]

The Sitar part is great..

[@DVincentW]

And yeah I love your tutorial great learnig tools.

[@MrSimondaniel3]

ha i dont think theres a sitar part.. perhaps an effect on electric guitar?

[@joelybarish4618]

More Cowbell!!!

[@conbriosynthesizers3428]

One of the details - and what makes Ed's performance SO amazing, is that he's got one foot on the echo switch and the other on the flanger switch. During the arpeggio, the echo is ON. For the low G and A string riff between, he switches OFF the Echoplex at the same time as his other foot switches ON the MXR flanger. It's a lot of foot work, and it happens all the way through the song during the studio version - even in the "Bleed For It" bridge.

[@gunsofsteele]

When I'm jammin this in the garage & doing my best Dave on the mic my wife has no idea I'm playing it wrong. She loves it!

[@darrel855]

This was therapeutic! RIP

[@treblekicker]

You nailed the tone on that kemper.

[@BenEller]

Treble Kicker you can have it if you get the Top Jimi Brown Sound kemper pack!

[@Notbrucevilanch]

wow, it's only $15. I expected it to be a lot more than that.

[@radkins80]

Makes me feel kinda good that I was able to pick these nuances up from an old cassette tape and a boom box back in the early 90's. I hate when people screw up the little things on rhythm parts.

[@ajh21313]

This one of my most favorite tunes since we we first got the album in 78... But I really have to state that, We know Eddie is awesome creating this tune for all of us... But, I give you a lot of credit to dissect this awesome tune for everyone. Your detail is really astounding, and the sound is spot on! And I'm a drummer...

[@sdavis6806]

Eddie's rythem is always overlooked

[@renorailfanning5465]

No it's not.

[@sdavis6806]

@@renorailfanning5465 I didn't mean that in a bad way, but I really think that and alot of people agree, More focus is on his solos, either way he's a fuckin genius

[@renorailfanning5465]

@@sdavis6806 I do agree that some people think that but, to say "always" is a strong statement. I know what what your getting at. I was just being pedantic 😉

[@sdavis6806]

@@renorailfanning5465 I hear ya bro, he's an idol of mine

[@baby-sharkgto4902]

The easiest Van Halen song to play, including solo! Simple but great!!

[@Gravyballs2011]

Came here to learn. Stayed when I saw FZ on the wall.Terrific video!

[@Callisto1969]

I just spent most of this afternoon learning the main parts - but only just found your lesson! I could hear the low G so put that in - but now I need to retrain my fingers to play the other parts per your advice. Another great lesson - thanks Ben!

[@seanandben]

Eddie can't get away with anything on sheriff Uncle Ben's watch! :-)

[@LoganBoyle12]

I think it's the flanger not the phaser he engages in the intro on the last two notes

[@skanderhanachi]

hi there, sincerly , thanks. I’ve played this song in my twenties, back in the nineties , by ear, never bothered looking at tue tabs( no internet back then). eddie dies ( rip) , this riff was stuck ( ear worm) constantly in my mind . fire youtube and bam! this ! thanks. a. lot.

[@mikec6706]

So right about Eddie's mistake in intro, Wolfie actually recently said that it was a mistake

[@xsixpacx]

I have a little different theory about the open E before the G cord. Kind of a habit I tend to do when playing though an old marshall. Just before a big cord in a tune i will tend to give a muted chug just before a big chord. I always just called it “ working the amp “ so u get a little breakup and get a cha - bamm feel. And catch myself not doing it when playing with a lot of distortion or though a practice amp 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@tntkop]

There is a 6th thing that even YOU overlooked. MORE COWBELL !!!

[@ronmaatita8845]

I've been playing this song wrong since 1980.......Thanks for the video!!!

[@TheMalibuDar]

Dude, that's a AX2! That was my jam for years! So ahead of its time. Nice!