How To Play The Crossroads Duel By Steve Vai - The Part That Defeated Jack Butler! Part 1

In this video I demonstrate the ending of the guitar duel in the movie Cossrroads where Jack Butler is defeated by Lightning Boy Ralph Machio. This is a part written and performed bye Steve Van that was then overdubbed for the movie and air jammed by Ralph Machio (obviously). Steve Vai was certainly inspired by Paganini Caprice #5 while composing this piece. This is perhaps one of, if no the most iconic guitar part ever filmed for a movie and launched Steve Vai's career into the stratosphere. I hope you enjoy the lesson, and good luck
Download the tabs on my instagram! They are posted there as well!
Links:
Marty5150 Merchandise
ranch5150skinw...
Instagram
...

[@mjm661]

You have definitely become my favorite music teacher. I’ve been wanting to learn this for years. Thank you Marty for all your videos and telling us it’s ok to make mistakes and keeping it real. I appreciate all you do!

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Thanks my friend. I really appreciate the kind words and of course the support

[@johnnyromero3336]

Thanks for keeping it real Marty. We appreciate you doing this for us! This has always been one of my favorite Movies and guitar duals!

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

You're welcome man! It's a great duel, and it was filmed so well. I love vais facial expressions lol. I should do a lesson on them, since they're needed too. 🤣

[@johnnyromero3336]

@@Ranch5150SkinWalker Have you seen/heard the actual Guitar part un edited? I was shocked to hear what he was actually playing. Lol

[@MRTHUDTV]

Thanks Marty. In parts its quite different from what I worked out by ear, but yours is much much closer to the original than I got. I used to play (my version) as part of my guitar solos..with plenty of overdrive! well it was expected in the late 80s, early 90's!! I will learn yours and patch up my version! .. then watch me fly ;)

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Have fun man! My "Yoda" teacher back in the 80's transcribed this one for me back then. It's brutal but there are some great arpeggio shapes to memorize. Lots of theory and fretboard geometry to have in your back pocket! 🤟🏻

[@jeffsquires6620]

Jack Butler is the best part of the movie. When the movie came on tv, it became a party event. We all watched waiting for the Duel. Good times and good memories.

[@jdev232]

I used to just fast forward the vhs to the end😂

[@jeffsquires6620]

@@jdev232 at this time, no VCRs. I'm old. I use to get up early every Sunday morning just to watch Ticket to Ride. Help came on TV maybe once a year.

[@jdev232]

@Jeff Squires you must be old, I was born in 72 and I have no clue what you're talking about. 😅

[@jeffsquires6620]

@@jdev232 born in 64, my family had one of the first color tvs in our town. Only 2 channels.

[@guitartim2128]

I was in the 10th grade when this movie came out. Great memories and the best time of my life

[@mikedtubey]

thank you. great job. i learned the part of Eugene's trick bag at 10:25 in on your video, right after the movie came out. i never made the time to complete it. i think at 57 ill try and do it justice.

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

It's been my white whale for decades. One of my practice routines. Some days I nail it. Others I suck! I was sorta in between in this lesson. 🤪

[@mikedtubey]

@@Ranch5150SkinWalker i hear ya!

[@jasonfanion1560]

My favorite guitar instructor on here by far! Thanks Marty…. Please keep putting these great lessons out.

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Thanks so much Jason. I really appreciate the kind words. The support in this channel is amazing and I love sharing the content and lessons!

[@jimmyjames7946]

This is one of your best Marty,, I can't wait to break my new 5150 Stealth in when I get home today and working on this !! 🤘🤘

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Thanks man! Have fun with the new 5150!! 🤟🏻😎🤟🏻

[@papablue3015]

Lucky::Too think where I could be if I had lessons? Growing up, poor sucked! I couldn't even afford a guitar! I was always working towards a guitar! My old girlfriend, who was 5yrs older than me, bought me a guitar for Xmas when I was 18ish. I never looked back still playing at 65yrs old! Thanks Marty

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Nice girlfriend man! 😁

[@papablue3015]

@Marty5150 crazy old girlfriend! Luckily, I dodged a bullet there! 😆

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

@@papablue3015 hahaha!

[@theaxe5150]

Thanks Marty. I see the light. Ry Cooder gave us some tasty licks.

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

You're welcome!! 😎🎵

[@rvk5150]

"It's warts and all on this channel" That is why this is the best channel and you are a great teacher Marty, as always appreciate you!

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Thanks man! It's true! Warts and all!

[@guitartim2128]

WoW another awesome lesson Marty! I can't wait for Part 2 . You Rock Brother🎸

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Thanks my friend! Have fun. 😎🤟🏻

[@lrm215]

A friend actually thought Ralph Machio played those parts when I told him Ry Cooder played the slide parts and the “Trick Bag” was done by Jack Butler!!!

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

It's easy to think... movie magic!!! 😃

[@benburnett8109]

I've never seen Crossroads. I always assumed that Daniel San used a variation of the "crane technique" to defeat Jack Butler and win the ALL Valley Tournament. Never knew guitars had anything to do with it.

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Just don't watch the Britney Spears movie Crossroads. Hahaha.

[@07STREETGLIDE]

Oh man Marty! I haven't heard Stan Lassiter's name in a long time! What a monster player! I used to sit thru two sets of him and his 3 piece band on Saturday nights at various clubs around Nashville probably 30+ years ago. Gteat memories. Thanks for your "realness" on your channel!

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

You're welcome! Glad the realness resonates with so many! Stan is a great guy. Quite a player and very inventive.

[@RayC234]

Sweet!! I may have another crack at this I tried a long time ago but gave up. Man I was floored when I saw the cutting heads scene when this movie came out and Lightning Boy whipped out "Eugen's Trick Bag" at the end, it was and still is one of the most beautiful guitar pieces I'd ever heard. I think the hardest part in this film for Steve Vai to pull off was how to convincingly pretend to make a mistake lol. Also I'd like to give a shout out to Ry Cooder for the amazing slide parts.

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

I agree. He did a convincing job making it look like he was messing up! Ralph Machio did a good job air jamming too. Ty Cooder played some beautiful stuff in the soundtrack.

[@timothya2742]

Thank you. 60 and still learning I am . Never learned sweep picking. Though I am sure it happens from time to time.

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

You're welcome! Have fun with it man, it's a tough one but great to play around with!

[@willip66]

As always Marty, awesome stuff. Love the way you leave in your mistakes, acknowledge the mistake, and redo it correctly. Keep up the great work.

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Thanks man! Yeh, I'm like heck with it! No one's perfect and I'm trying to teach. Not spend more time editing and trying to create this flawless image. That's not healthy for anyone. I want you all to feel great about playing. And who wants to live up to this image they are perfect. Not me! 😁

[@godbyone]

Thanks. The part 9.30. Is a pain. I always had trouble with that part. I need to look. How you do it

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Man this whole thing is a pain! But we still love it. Best of luck man and happy jamming!

[@waynegram8907]

MARTY5150, The section at the end when the scalar melody, what is this called when the melody line is very scalar like it sounds like scales?

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

I just refer to them as melodic passing tones ... the take on the key of the arpeggio they come after. For example the d minor G major to C major arpeggios are followed by a melody working the key of that arpeggio. He's doing like a circle of fifths and playing within the key of the arpeggio.

[@eddiejr540]

@4:20…best words ever spoken on a video…great stuff Marty…thanks my brother 👍

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Thanks man! I'm just trying to keep it real!

[@davidjeffers68]

Oh I can get us there real quick.. Jack Butler is gonna' like you! ( Great moment in that film )

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Yes!! As the clouds darken. Into the sound of Jack Butler wailing on that red Jackson!

[@haggbom72]

great work, i have also been working on and off on this piece since what feels forever. crazy hard to get it to speed. also, its really refreshing to see a youtuber that dont play everything perfectly and are not afraid to admit it, kudos to you man

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

You're welcome! I think it's unhealthy to try and represent that perfect persona. I just can't keep up with that pressure. Plus it would take far too long to edit. When I roll with the camera I try to keep it all one take! Plus I don't want other guitarists to think they have to be perfect. 😎🎵🎵🎵🤟🏻

[@JoeR203]

The one thing I wish they did was, when Eugene felt defeated, Willie should have looked at him and said something like "Looks like that fancy music school you were going to didn't teach you to play like that." Then Eugene could have thought to himself "Okay, let's see if he can play THIS." And then he starts playing the classical piece.

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Yeh! That would have been great. Or Maybe Willie could have said, "well Lightning, show him your ace in the deck"

[@andytyler6252]

lightnin boy is the one that actually got his head cut. he didn't just FEEL defeated. love that movie, but the end made no sense to me.

[@thedangerussone]

Thanks for sharing. I love your humility.

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

My pleasure my friend. Thanks for watching 😎🥂

[@MartRockCafe]

Thanks mate, been hoping to learn those for a while 👍🤘

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Great, glad to help! Have fun man! 😎🤟🏻

[@wjewell63]

Yep...we all have our own sound and style if we seek long enough..

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

True! It eventually comes out. 🤟🏻😎

[@DeputyVanHalen5150]

This is really cool, excellent Marty. Thanks for putting this video together and sharing it with us man. Hey BTW Ralph was talented eh? First Karate then stellar guitar leads? Man... 😁🎸 Your playing is great, thanks again

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

I guess he applied his Mr. Miyagy lessons to guitar. 🤣🤣

[@DeputyVanHalen5150]

@@Ranch5150SkinWalker 😁👍🏻

[@CarrigansGuitarClub]

Excellent tutorial Marty - I think every guitarist (including myself) struggles with this...but I'm going to have to nail some day....

[@alexaguado4854]

Great lesson. I still think Steve Vai sold his soul. I think he's cool with the deal he got.

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Thanks! I agree man! Lol

[@smytree]

Awesome! Thanks Marty.

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

You're welcome! 😎🎵

[@Jeff_H_the_Guitarist]

This is awesome. For years I've wondered how that masterpiece of cinema music was played. Now I have the recipe spelled out beautifully. Thanks a million!

[@geoffreylowery9730]

Thanks Marty. I'll try to make something out of this lesson with my Vienna sausage fingers. Might get weird.

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Lol! You can do it. Most importantly, just work in arpeggios and string skipping with alternate picking. 🤟🏻

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

@@geoffreylowery9730 take pieces of the arpeggios and play them ... 3 stings at a time. The a minor one is the most useful to start with ... you can build pentatonic licks off that shape.

[@TylerJohnstonGuitar]

Lots of good stuff in here. I’m slowly trying to make the transition from blues style playing to actually sounding like I have some skill lol.

[@ntomatas1]

Thank you for this lesson. Awesome

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

You're welcome man! Thanks for watching dude. 😎🎵

[@zeddysven]

Thanks man, awesome lesson. My only quarry is I believe you left out the E dominant arpeggio and went back to the A minor. Otherwise good video

[@arspook6886]

I actually think Butler's bag at the very beginning is the coolest part of that scene. From my reading and listening to just audio, it appears there was a scene of Butler dueling with another guitarist that lost as the scene begins, as the "Guitar Kid" is entering but was cut from the movie, and Butler's Bag was shortened to what was seen. ...Maybe you can do a video on Butler's Bag the movie version in the future??.....Great videos btw,.....Thanks

[@kewlbreeze6877]

Thank you for doing this. Do you think in the future you could transcribe Van Halen/Mitch Malloy " Its the Right Time" ?

[@MartRockCafe]

Don't mean to sound greedy but would you also be able to teach the music from the whole scene of the duel, the jam leading up to this please 🙏

[@dragon43inf]

Great lesson, love that movie!

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Me too! I need to watch it again, it's been a while. 😊

[@TheDeedeeFiles]

Awesome lesson brother

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Very welcome man! Glad to provide it for everyone. 🎵🎵🎵😎

[@jtbranman]

Great lesson. Thanks!

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

You're welcome!! 😎🤟🏻

[@MainPrism]

We're real players on this channel. Yes!!! One of the biggest reasons I fell in love with your videos Marty. You don't bs or cut corners and pretend you play perfectly 1000% of the time like most of the videos out there nowadays. Awesome video and thanks for this lesson, been wanting to at least try to learn this for years... Can't wait for the rest of the parts!!! Thanks Marty!!! 💪🔥🤘

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Thanks for the support Byron! It's true... no point in trying to create an image of flawless perfection. Sure we all want to be amazing. And if I were recording stuff for a record you better believe I'd have it spit shined to perfection. These videos are to connect with players and demonstrate parts and songs and also have some off topic fun!

[@MrAbbysses]

Hell yeah ! Superb tuto, thanks !

[@davekiddie4467]

Shhhhh, he uses the open A to "float" between chords.

[@keithcourneyea1609]

Double thumbs up 👍

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Thanks Keith! 🎵

[@battlercommercialnet]

Why are you trying to teach this piece to play if you can't perform it yourself at the original tempo and with the same sound extraction quality?

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

I'm a loser that's why. My shit is ass.

[@814Taylor]

Thanks!

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

You're welcome Mark! Thanks man 😎🎵🤟🏻

[@cross4480]

This is played on acoustic early on in the film. The second part is played an octave lower.

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

The scene of him at Juliard correct? And then he gets in trouble for ending with a blues cadence.

[@cross4480]

@@Ranch5150SkinWalker Yes. I seen it in the theatre. Forever ago but I still warm up with this and always make mistakes.

[@AsaGaston-d4z]

Video starts at 3:45