Eugene's Trick Bag - Crossroads

-Eugene's Trick Bag from the guitar duel between Eugene Martone (Ralph Macchio) and Jack Butler (Steve Vai) in the movie Crossroads.
--This vid, unlike many of the others is in the correct key (A minor) and does not skip.
Eugene's Trick Bag was composed and recorded by Steve Vai (NOT Ry Cooder) for the movie. Parts of it are based off of Paganini's 5th Caprice.
All footage belongs to Columbia Pictures Corporation, a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

[@rioramirez4438]

ralph did a good job faking he could play and steve did a good job faking he couldn't

[@tombstoneharrystudios584]

Rio Ramirez yep!

[@pedropimenta896]

Couldnt be put any better

[@skunkproductionsMLA]

Steve loses with a 24 fret guitar. Ralph wins with a 21 fret guitar, without a slide in the last note.

[@mmonceaux8489]

@@skunkproductionsMLA I used to play that last note by fretting off my pickup

[@dodonkedonks4764]

M Monceaux that must be a really REALLY high pickup

[@volgg]

Interesting Fact: Steve Vai was so good that he actually had to practice making those mistakes that he did

[@kjl3080]

9 years late, but the Real reason was the mistakes were overdubbed so he had to make the mistakes with the right timing

[@ramone5N6]

@@kjl3080 6 months late, nice

[@qqupisppis6758]

@vitaesmorte 4 months late, indded

[@stiglee8386]

@@qqupisppis6758 2 weeks late, i agree

[@elijahhope1269]

@@stiglee8386 2 days late

[@jewelfewel]

i love how the last note of eugene's trick bag is harmonized with what sounds like a synthesizer and another guitar lol

[@FormulaQ]

My favorite part too hahahaha

[@kurtfroberg6636]

Sting section, for sure.

[@MattRichardsEsq]

Steve Vai uses this kind of harmonization a lot. It's all over his album, Passion and Warfare.

[@rockwillneverdie66]

Violins guy, violins.

[@deusdiabolus]

(For those that don't know, Steve Vai played both parts)

[@azimthor5073]

I watched this video so many times. Now i know because of your comment haha

[@MikeArpeggio345]

I always thought it was Jason Becker and that was why Steve couldn't play it.

[@vexdzz]

@@MikeArpeggio345 steve vai made the song

[@lukecage3569]

Pretty sure Ry Cooder played Ralph Macchio's parts.

[@jigstraw2809]

@@vexdzz steve vai didn't make the song, he arranged a violin piece for guitar. paganini's caprice no. 5, look it up :D

[@FFXGuitar]

lol i love that cheesy, impossible, and out of nowhere harmonized bend at the end of Macchio's solo.

[@TheCommentator353]

E Diaz the harmony is impossible but the note itself is possible with pinch harmonics, definitely not by bending though XD

[@Ou8y2k2]

There's a -app- pedal for that. 😋

[@jeffkalmar7871]

OK, 9 years late but Vai played the high A by fretting it against the neck pickup.

[@kjl3080]

Play the 29 fret on the neck pickup

[@youvsyou945]

You can play the top note though, and without harmonics....last 4 notes 24th fret, then half step bend, the 1 1/2 step bend, then holding a note using the pickup as a fret above the neck

[@Weadfreek]

No one realizes the reason Jack Butler looks so friggin concerned is because Paganini was the first one to supposedly sell his soul to the devil

[@cidiose]

Tartini came first.

[@threalismaradona9899]

Its one of the best hidden gems of the film for those they do no know music history/myth Paganini and Robert Johnson had hell hounds on their trail

[@montymatthew1784]

That piece is Paganinis 5th caprice I believe

[@adg_games6655]

@@montymatthew1784 I believe it’s every so slightly different but yeah

[@theeagleman8975]

@@cidiose tartini wasn't said to have sold his soul the way Paganini did though he was said to take inspiration from "the evil one" and as tartini himself described it was through the devil supposedly visiting his dreams and playing impossible music which is how we got the devils trill sonata

[@SolidShroom]

It's funny seeing Steve Vai pretend to not be good at guitar

[@JamBear]

+SolidShroom I think people still come up to him and ask how it felt when Ralph Macchio beat him at guitar

[@emanhacker]

JamBear if played right, noone kind defend!

[@DefThrone]

He actually is the one playing that solo that beats him whereas I think Cooder did the other stuff.

[@wadewilson333]

SolidShroom ain’t that the truth.

[@osmanberathamurcu]

that is not not good that is still top level

[@01DONKEYPUNCH01]

Ralph Macchio has never played guitar but he really knows how to make it look like he has

[@CantTellYou]

lol his fretting hand is slightly believable, but his right hand just looks like somebody randomly tapping on a table with all 4 fingers

[@grimly105]

I imagined everyone battling like this when I first started playing the guitar.

[@tartanhandbag]

yeah me too. my dad played this movie when i was like, 8 or something so i thought that's what guitarists did, like, have big shred showdowns surrounded by serious looking people in suits

[@tartanhandbag]

@Linda Niemkiewicz :P

[@joshmuz9018]

They do at g3 combined performances at the end. All trying to our shred each other for like 10 mins lol

[@maynardburger]

We all thought this would lead to a whole new series of guitar battling movies ala 'You Got Served', but Kurt Cobain had to show up with his sweaty jeans and ruin everything.

[@anthonyjackson6650]

I half expected him to come back with a crane kick to the face

[@purdysanchez]

It's 10000X more impressive that the second guy can play it that well on his first try - after hearing it only once.

[@goosewithagun1231]

Wait until he finds out it’s a movie

[@purdysanchez]

@@goosewithagun1231, oh really? I thought it was just a bunch of cellphone recordings from a random night club of the karate kid doing an impromptu guitar battle with that dude from G3. Thanks for pointing that out.

[@YuruCampSupermacy]

fun fact the second guy is the actual guitarist who played the first guy's part in studio @@purdysanchez

[@purdysanchez]

​@@YuruCampSupermacy, obviously. It's a song performed by Steve Vai and he's in the movie. It would be weird if they brought in some other guy to play it in studio.

[@a1rabidfox341]

@@goosewithagun1231wait you don’t know ppl do that in irl? Lol

[@loves2shred]

Ralph does ONE HELL of a job acting out this solo. I wonder if he has played before? His mechanics were too precise for a raw beginner. If you don't play guitar, Ralph's performance looks very real. Well done. and of course Vai is f"*cking amazing.

[@jeffreytackett3922]

hahahahahahahahahaha too precise? His thumb was barely ever even in contact with the back of the neck, and his fingers flail off the frets like a rank beginner. This is either a troll, or the single stupidest statement ever made in a comments section about guitar playing. lol.

[@toddpaluzzi]

The closeups are Vais hands I think.

[@martinacuna1407]

​@@toddpaluzzinop, are ralphs, so he did such a great job pretending it

[@tomdack463]

Ralph could actually play guitar, some songs he actually played on set, but the technical stuff wes faked

[@Gamblor404]

in my humble opinion, Vai's character had sold his soul to be unparalleled at rock and roll. this piece is a classical adaptation of one of Paganinis, also rumoured to have sold his soul. i reckon thats why he cannot 'keep up' with it. I love the whole duel beginning to end, can summon it all from memory, never fails to cheer me up :)

[@tinche4910]

He was amazing on the guitar, but there are some pieces you just have to practice to be able to play them well.

[@debabratasikder9448]

After the loss, Steve Vai takes guitar playing more seriously and become one of the greatest 😂

[@phobeaus4804]

This single handedly is one of the best guitar solos in my books

[@maynardburger]

I enjoy it for drama's sake, and it's kind of fun to play on its own, but it's a poorly structured piece in any kind of real musical sense. Ironically a form of guitar wankery just in a more classical style. Heck, even the thing it's based off of(Paganini Caprice No.5) is its own form of violin wankery, but it at least had a more fully structured feel to it.

[@Bamaboompa]

Wow! All these haters! All I know is 1. I can't play it! 2. It was a cool scene in an entertaining movie. Lighten up!

[@schnitzel438]

+Bamaboompa I bet u can play it dont be modest

[@UserI10]

The fact that, that iconic first part was inspired by paganini's caprice

[@NavaJane]

Ralph: can act like he can play guitar Vai: can't act like he can't play guitar.

[@darrenkenna2612]

Why can't we have a sequel series about Eugene? This movie is what made me pick up a guitar, I knew this is what I wanted to do.

[@fredrikfb]

it’s so beautiful and badass at the same time

[@BHAKTIBROPHY]

'Just saw Steve last Saturday: he should have won an Oscar for playing the believable "devil" as Jack Butler, cause in real life he's one of the most kind, genuine, and down to Earth people I know. :)

[@kurtfroberg6636]

Yeah. We kinda figured that one out from his unwavering dedication to craftsmanship. (Craftsmen are typically just blue-collar cool.)

[@locus9031]

Pick: was invented some year. Guitarists before this year:

[@bakerXderek]

thats how bad i play when im drunk

[@youdisgustme919]

bakerXderek yo wtf are you doing here man i love your vids fuckin hell

[@emptyarms6113]

@@youdisgustme919 buddy, his comment was 10 years ago hahaha

[@youdisgustme919]

@@emptyarms6113 ikr thats why i was like wtf haha

[@emptyarms6113]

@@youdisgustme919 lmao i was tripping too tho for real

[@blampfno]

Steve in real life: Oh cool, he knows my warm up!

[@noelic6744]

Watched Herman Li's reaction of Doo's omeagle video and recognised it was Paganini's Caprice no. 5 and came here. Cool. Wish I could do it on my violin though...but I can't. The bowing is the troublesome part. Ricochets always made me rage quit.

[@chrisrodsa210]

I love Willie's face lol like "Ain't not blues man that can play like that" lol

[@TelenTerror]

Movie summary: The Kid, classically-trained guitarist who likes the blues, finds an old bluesman in a nursing home. The old man says he knows where the lost songs of Robert Johnson are. Kid springs the old man, and finds out the old man sold his soul to the devil (whose represenative is the black guy with the hat in the crowd), and wants to try to make a deal to get his soul back from damnation. The Kid wagers double-or-nothing against Scratch's current protege (who's played by Steve Vai).

[@t.bruceford4098]

I like the theme of the movie. Talent is one thing. Hard work is another. Put them together and you can't be denied.

[@nek836]

0:29 just makin a replay button for who's trying to play along

[@alexanderstark82]

Thanks, I'm going to need this in about 500 years

[@combatdentist]

I dont know why, but when steve plays it, it looks so satisfying. Like the most perfect guitar playing ever

[@theeagleman8975]

Because in the movie ralph macchio is pretending to play that, the actual recording was done by steve vai that's why when vai plays it in scene it looks right since the first performance of it was faked

[@tiagoinka]

Steve Vai is so good he even has trouble pretending he misses. It's like a sudden hand paralysis, haha.

[@Archedgar]

Paganini's Fifth Caprice, arguably one of the most difficult of all caprice. Fun fact, the word "caprice" is crudely translated, the proper translation would be "tantrum", "whim" or "overindulgence".

[@JustHach]

i love how a random holy choir joins in right at the end of that impossible bend.

[@tartanhandbag]

not taking anything away from Vai's guitar playing, but can we get a little love a) for the direction of this scene and b) the "dancer" actress with the red hair-piece. she rocks.

[@mattthemetalguitarist]

When you try to do the Eugene's Trick Bag bend irl 1:55

[@kenji2463]

この映画で一番好きなシーン。Steve Vaiもインタビューで「下手に弾くのが難しかった」って答えているし、Steve Vaiほどの人がこれを弾けないとは思えない。 でも、映画の展開としては、ロック畑の人がいきなりクラシックを聴かされて、耳コピしたけど出来なかったっていうのが面白い。 ブルースに心酔して練習していて、でもギターバトルで起死回生で弾いたのがCaprice No 5。 自分が歩んできた道（音楽院）は間違いではなかったという意味の様にも思えますね。 エレキのCaprice No 5、本当に格好良いです。

[@omri1098]

So it's Vai vs Vai!

[@robcobi]

Vai wins again!

[@lovelylemonfactory]

@@robcobi Nah I think Vai played better

[@torycoustic6853]

Steve Vai really defeated himself with that trick bag. If only Ralph ever made a reference to this in Cobra Kai...

[@daveborgman4309]

It's a movie! relax

[@RBaroli]

i saw this movie when i was a child and i never forgot this scene

[@MrJoe1928]

so steve vai cant play his own solo? :S

[@wlliamson53]

MrJoe1928 He can. He recorded the solo and pretended to suck in the movie

[@nicksalvatore5717]

wlliamson53 he recorded the solo at a slower tempo

[@suurmestari7457]

Nick Salvatore And of course proof exists?

[@BigBurgerBoy557]

He wrote and recorded the riff dumb ass.

[@edorissen]

@@BigBurgerBoy557 You understand that it is a joke, right?

[@Sprawl1GuitarMan]

It still makes the hair on back of my neck stand when he drops that lovely Jackson. I’d still take it though, even after he dropped it. 😂😅

[@kam95em]

I need guitar tabs for that laugh at 0:02.

[@silviosantostrader6808]

CARA EU ALUGUEI TANTO ESSE FILME NA LOCADORA EM MINHA INFÂNCIA...

[@Saimsboy]

jajaja steve vai don't know how to act a realistic guitar fail

[@nolanthomas4950]

@Jamie Bradley LOL

[@kylebalmer3396]

Well he kind of messes up the good solo abit too if you listen

[@nolanthomas4950]

@@kylebalmer3396 WHAT>>>?

[@bartsturdy8134]

This movie compelled me to play guitar. Steve Vai is the king!

[@klorand]

"Actually, it was Ry Cooder doing Ralph's parts." The final part was done by vai...

[@angels77100]

Slayer's Kerry King wrote the guitar sections for this movie and Vai just performed them. But the Guitar parts you hear in the film were recorded by Kerry King which Vai and the karate kid dude mimed to.

[@hobojobo240]

the other guy is actually steve vai playing and he's miming steve

[@lamefart]

No shit Sherlock.

[@johnkylesantos571]

14 years ago and 2021 youtube recommended me this

[@zakattackmusic4738]

That's why you should always practice your classical guitar too

[@profesorcoccon7590]

Steve vai played only one film and he didnt say only one word. He deserved Oscar prize best actor.

[@baltpit2439]

I didn’t know karate kid could play the guitar that well.

[@tombstoneharrystudios584]

He couldn’t-he learnt enough basics from master teacher Arlen Roth to play a few simple pieces convincingly. However, for the more virtuoso parts he was taught how to Mime in an authentic manner whilst Vai and Ry Cooder handled the heavy lifting 😂

[@petiethepitt]

B.S. guy,Ry is a world class slide player that did in fact play all the kids parts in this scene exept neoclassical 5thcaprice part of the kids winning riff..Vai only played exactly what you see him play in this movie accept the caprice.Ry played everything else in this scene including the last ditty as the scene closes out.Arlen Roth directed this scene,tutored Ralph,and played a few tracks as well in the movie.William Kanengiser played the classical pieces in the beginning of the film.

[@lukedevlin45]

I've been playing for 5 years and I'm struggling to get the piece up to speed, anybody have tips? I've been practising it now for nearly 2 months

[@user-mh5te3dy7n]

You need to first get rid of all your old bad habits. If you have the music sheet play it super slow to build new better habits and use a metronome to pick the speed up. Play it SUPER slow and make sure every run through of the song has a purpose to correct a certain note or passage so you don't build new bad habits. Do this and you'll perfect it.

[@lukedevlin45]

Hate Biggers I’m watching a tutorial on KZbin and the entire arpeggio section uses economy picking which I’ve never used and I ended up skipping the economy part. The caprice section isn’t too hard, getting it up to speed will take a lot of time. I try to use a metronome at all times.

[@ReactarooSkidoo]

Find me on facebook, I am learning it as well. I'd love to hear how much you have down. My name is Shane Smothers

[@user-mh5te3dy7n]

@@lukedevlin45 Well thats just the basics of learning any piece correctly but yeah economy picking is important for that part

[@perojalenarddeniel5574]

that guitar drop breaks my heart

[@TheYagomestre]

Eugene plays the piece in a different way. I know Ralph is not really playing it, but probably he studied very well to make this look real. And in the way he play, it looks like he's playing open strings and different arpeggios shapes than we usually find in tablatures (for example, 99% of the tabs shows the first one ias an A minor with an "E shape" going to a D/C shape of arpeggio), but in the movie he plays in a totally different way, and even sound a bit different. Does anyone knows how to play EXACTLY like the movie? Probably is in another tuning (maybe an open string tuning).

[@friendlessharold330]

+Yago Reck Chris Zoupa just made a tutorial note for note.

[@barelyenormous2349]

+Yago Reck If I remember correctly back in some of my 80's guitar mags they had people like Wolf Hoffman teaching Ralph some rudimentary guitar for six months and where to put his fingers and make it look like he was playing some of this that was way out of his league. As a guitar player having to suffer through more movies than I can remember where some idiot is playing in the wrong position, the wrong strings out of sync and sometimes the wrong instrument entirely it was very cool to see they at least tried to get this to look authentic.

[@brianwalker9585]

+Yago Reck Shut the fuck up, we all know this. No need to elaborate on shit we don't care about.

[@TheYagomestre]

+Brian Walker what the fuck are you taking fucktard?

[@jgrossma]

Macchio never played guitar before this movie. He was coached in classical guitar by William Kanengiser and electric guitar by Arlen Roth for the parts where he's playing. Those two are not only top level pro guitarists, but also noted teachers in their areas. Obviously Macchio didn't turn into a top level pro guitarist, but those two just make sure he got his fingers in the right places on the neck and generally mimed playing in a realistic way.

[@altrogeruvah]

Man, the 80s were just built different... you don't see these kinds of whacky plots on movies anymore!

[@alexkamysz]

No. Ry Cooder recorded everything that Ralph plays throughout the movie EXCEPT Eugene's Trick Bag. Steve Vai is the one that recorded Eugene's Trick Bag.

[@galenstone9097]

That isn't quite true. Arlen Roth played a fair chunk of Eugene as well

[@thomasriddle3466]

Actually all the classical parts were played by Bill Kanengiser.

[@galenstone9097]

@@thomasriddle3466 Yes and good of you to say. Everyone tends to forget the contributions made by both Bill and by Arlen which were significant.

[@superagnitio]

@Unknownbmxr For someone not playing guitar to move his hands like this is a great achievement, I agree.

[@elijahhunter3644]

2:21 me after 5 hours straight of trying to get this piece

[@platecrumb7161]

I know the feeling! Lmao !!!!!

[@lora4evarrr]

Love this every damn time!

[@agustinc.3503]

It sounds kind of a Bach's composition to me, or maybe a Pagannini one. If som someone can recall pls let me know

[@yasserchemloul7850]

It's paganini caprice no. 5

[@JustHach]

correct. stev did all the classical stuff. when you see a close up of the hands, it's vai, when it's far away, its raplh 'mimeing' the guitar parts. he actually went to a guitar school to learn the miming part. Ry Cooder played al the slide parts in the movie.

[@Ferretclaw444]

not fair. Steve had a steel string, karate kid had nylon. Steve used a pick, karate kid went finger style

[@evanlevenseller3080]

Ferretclaw444 nylon? lol must be further sarcasm than the original joke?

[@cademyers8321]

H

[@Naruto-zn6fo]

Hey! He’s supposed to be in the All Valley Tournament.

[@MrMarcolaus]

22 frets are not enough...

[@AlexOnCourse]

Beg I, differ to.

[@tinche4910]

En la versión latina Ligma dice "jamás podremos llegar más allá de nuestras capacidades" lo que significa que Steve nunca iba a poder llegar al nivel de Eugene en música clásica porque no tenía la practica que si tenía Eugene detrás

[@trevordeke]

Two white guys fighting it out as to who is king of the blues. The other white guy wins by playing classical music. Give me a freakin' break.

[@thomaswilliams3215]

@Devin Ware It is incredibly difficult, but finger-pickers have our own wierd ways of playing. For instance when doing tremolo I pinch my index finger and thumb together in order to hit the string on my way up and down. It is still really...really hard tho'

[@Uncradibo]

Its impossible to play that without a pick !! so fake!

[@trashcandy.]

Of COURSE it's fake. It's a movie. Sorry to spoil that for you, since you seem to think your computer is some magic real life viewing box.

[@Uncradibo]

Matt Bailey haha ur funny =S

[@alexgutierrez9128]

is possible you have to see paco de lucia

[@jejxkxk]

Alex Gutierrez thats a nylon stringed acoustic guitar, much easier than steel stringed electric guitar.

[@davidryan1636]

Tell that to Richie Kotzen!

[@kingflamingcobra8729]

Bro thedooo completely wiped the floor with this song

[@coolmanjack1995]

Honestly some of the best fake guitar playing I've ever seen

[@TutorialesDANIPG]

Yea

[@reveorsorycloud12]

So this is where you were all along, Paganini.

[@SAINTsoldi]

great guitar duel!

[@ColtMcInnis]

love this movie

[@rslawsky]

Interesting thing about this movie as that when the chips were down, Eugene fell back on his classical training.

[@kevinbarr9003]

My morning guitar exercise to loosen up.

[@nolaanderson8770]

I half expect Eugene to sprout angel's wings when he was beginning his take on Caprice No. Five ...

[@nevermindrock]

beautiful song!

[@KrazzyKripples]

i love how the strat guy played that whole solo, finger style.

[@joshmuz9018]

Tele

[@jamestacular]

Fun fact: That last note is actually hit by pressing the string down on the humbucker. It would be the 26th fret if your guitar had that many.

[@Thompaam]

@JGPowis it's a classical paganini piece (caprice 5) but it's vai playing maccio's part and ry cooder's playing the blues parts

[@FMAFanz0r]

i wasn't saying that he doesn't actually play the guitar. I was pointing out that on that particular song he wasn't playing. It's not me being an ass. It's the truth. I did an entire project on that movie for my music theory class. I know for a fact that he is a great guitar player. I was simply commenting on someone else saying that his hands were wrong. So before everyone gives thumbs down, do a little research.

[@subcultural1758]

Best duel ever

[@TheRevmack]

i remember first time i watched this movie. Gave me goosebumps

[@buerm009]

this clip from the movie crossroads is what made me decide to buy my first guitar.

[@MikaSerbian]

Great scene

[@Zakshepherdofficial]

I think this is the story of a young Paul Gilbert now reverting his ways back with a slide

[@coolpoolshark]

In an alternate universe, Steve Vai, kicked off his acting career after Crossroads(1986). He played Capitan Jack Sparrow, then formed Hollywood Vampires band with Alice Cooper and can actually shredd on guitar.

[@GeneHilbert]

Steve Vai wrote the little classical ditty based on Paganinis 5th with Ry Cooder doing the slide work.

[@liamaustin7v]

It's an awesome movie.

[@AlejandroGarcia-pu8jb]

great movie

[@silentsniperrr]

the gods were with him on that one!

[@DavidCohenII]

wicked awesome

[@ciscomedrano212]

I had an idea for a clip that involved someones head exploding after Steve Vai's facial reaction to Eugenes trick bag LMAO!

[@2bobaf]

@gamergeek3000 I think it is one of Paganini's 24 Caprices for solo violin. I think from memory it is based on caprice number 5. On a side note Caprice number 24 is famous and kicks arse.

[@takitezy7]

The most epic of guitar duels LOL

[@Ivodeski]

......OWNED!!!!

[@ubertwerpify]

i wore the vhs tape out rewatching. this scene haha - yep im old