This Van Halen Riff is IMPOSSIBLE

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Whats the HARDEST Van Halen riff?!?! Let's talk about it! I've tried my hand at the legendary swing of I'm the One, the wild greasy bends of Drop Dead Legs, the slapped madness of Mean Street, and many other classic Eddie riffs, but the intro to Hang 'Em High from Diver Down remains untouchable to me. The picking, the groove, the SPEED.... its all too much! But i refuse to let a good riff get me down, so in today's video, i'm gonna bring you all along for my quest to conquer this intro! We're gonna talk technique, muting, picking, and end with a revelation about this riff that certifies that NONE of us are ever going to play it right. Trust me, you wanna see this... its INSANE. Eddie was inhuman.
I'm using my Ibanez RG550 with Fishman Fluence pickups into my Kemper Profiler, which is using the Top Jimi Brown Sound Profiles. They sound amazing!!!
What Van Halen song should we break down next? Let me know!

[@BenEller]

Thanks for watching my video on this IMPOSSIBLE Van Halen classic! Grab the TAB and the super extended cut of the video here! www.patreon.com/posts/82827617?

[@brianjones8432]

As always, great video Ben. Was yet another nice tribute to who we all know is the undisputed king of rhythm and groove on the guitar. I always sort of placed Nuno in that category with Eddie as well. Another player with just this ungodly sense of groove and funk in his style, yet pulls it off at blistering speeds that will make your head spin. Makes sense that Eddie was one of his major influences. Keep up the great work man, it's always appreciated.

[@HTR8100]

I find it a lot easier to not use strict alternate picking (economy)? Start with a downstroke and string skip with a downstroke. Next time through start with and upstroke, downstroke and string skip with downstroke. Have you tried that?

[@defunctuserchannel]

Nailing the syncopation of I'm The One is a similar challenge. Do a video?

[@winnerwinnerchickendinner6785]

Dude that's a nice guitar! Ive never seen that finish with maple fretboard on an Ibanez, looks like 90's metallic color.

[@winnerwinnerchickendinner6785]

@@hon8177 ahh that makes sense, I know he got his other ibanez re-done with wacky swirls, but this one reminds me of the late 90s fenders, so rare to see an Ibanez with maple fretboards.......thanks for letting me know 👍

[@ClifHaley]

"The right hand is the wrecking ball, the left hand is the damage control crew," is easily one of the best guitar analogies I've ever heard. Damn well done.

[@Maxharddrive64]

What if your left handed😂

[@foto21]

yeah, that control with the fret hand is really the key takeaway from this video. I've noticed it in my playing, but it's always good to have a literal reminder of an important technique.

[@johncunningham4820]

@@Maxharddrive64 . Ah...... Jimi Hendrix . Another that was in another League in HIS time . Stupid comment you made .

[@EmpyreanLightASMR]

is that the only time he's said that, or is that a catch phrase? cause it's awesome lol

[@BillBlazejowski]

​@@Maxharddrive64Are you the kinda guy to laugh at your own joke first?

[@michaelrichardson8343]

To me it’s the intro to “Mean Street” with all the funk slapping…often imitated but never duplicated!

[@RipperFromYT]

This is the correct answer (by far). The tap harmonics in the intro are insane. Even guys like Nuno B. are on record saying they could never play it in a million years.

[@RipperFromYT]

Video of nuno saying it on stage to the band he is sitting in with. kzbin.info/www/bejne/kGnJZ4GPnJZpfJI

[@JohnnyHeartbreaker]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/opy5coOOZtCtasU

[@YoBroMan]

Exactly

[@balaton1]

Doode! Totally with you! To me, that intro is the nastiest thing ever. Been imitating is since the early 80's, still at step dad speed me is.

[@tonycrabtree3416]

The crazy part is not that Eddie could play it as well as he did, but that he imagined it and put it out there for us to enjoy.

[@earlycuyler4019]

He was self taught. That’s mind blowing to me

[@hernandotatis1302]

ive always thought that about eddy and other artist , they get to experience such a good feeling like no other in life

[@allenmartin7193]

They had to change the way they wrote music because of Eddie Van Halen. Let that sink in.

[@hernandotatis1302]

@@allenmartin7193 so whats supposed to happen , when i let that sink in

[@mickeymessstudios109]

Awsome ! I was a student at GIT in Hollywood 1983/1984 and Eddie came to do a seminar. The "stage" room of GIT of that time, rather small, was packed. Eddie seemed "nervous" or "annoyed", hard to say. Why ? Well, he was in front of over a hundred guitar geeks who asked questions about scales, modes and plenty other technical bullshit... and even if Eddie knew about modes and stuff, there were WORLDS seperating him and most of the students. You see, Eddie was a player, full of soul, full of emotion floating through the heavens of "ART" and imagination - how could he explain anything to these guys ? He tried... "I am not much of modes guy.." and other similar words of wisdom... he was there and yet he was not in the same room with these guys. There was maybe a handful out of the hundreds there, who understood immediately. What a relief, what a joy.. what a revelation ! Eddie was Eddie and nobody would EVER be able to replicate him - and he tried to tell us.. "I am just playing what I feel..I am not thinkin of...." he told us, "I am just doin.." and " you should try to just do.." he said... I never forget it. So him who has ears let him hear.

[@Gamevet]

It's like Stevie Ray Vaughan. He just learned how to play, without any knowledge of sheet music and techniques. He just had an ear for it and a natural understanding of music fundamentals through 1000's of hours of practice. My grandfather played an accordion by ear and was good enough to play the instrument on a radio show for Lawrence Welk.

[@zachmcgrew427]

that sounds incredibly pretentious

[@stephenmiller5023]

Eddie & Stevie Ray Vaughan both said that when they tried to THINK while playing it just messed them up …. The key , They said , was to try to NOT think about what you were playing & just let whatever it was you felt come on out of you . Truer words were never said from either one of them , and it showed . Rest In Peace to both of them .

[@ty_vorhies]

beautiful story

[@gigitonsvajv]

IMO Eddie was a little socially awkward. He spoke with his guitar. There is a video of a situation like you mentioned. They were picking his brain about stuff. He looked like someone get me outta here. Funny enough that Wolfgang said his sucked at teaching him to play guitar. He said as would say okay just do this and then proceeded to turn into Eddie Van Halen. Wolf told him fu I can’t that. I think that was when Wolfgang wanted to learn 316 for a school talent show.

[@diceyending4622]

Eddie was one of those otherworldly, supernatural talents. He was basically a kid when VH recorded their debut album but he was light years ahead of lifetime career guitarists. We are all fortunate to have had him in our lifetimes.

[@Fedorevsky]

not really

[@tallica3595]

Seu comentário tinha que ser gravado em pedra!

[@michaeltammaro482]

​@@Fedorevsky Intelligent rebuttal. .

[@diceyending4622]

@@michaeltammaro482 Maybe you two can get a room. 🧔‍♂️🍆🧔‍♂️

[@SMAAAASHTV]

@@Fedorevsky I look forward to hearing your amazing playing.

[@shane2613]

My favorite part of this video is seeing the genuine admiration for Eddie when you slow the riff down. Love your channel.

[@gstlynx]

Your discovery of the underlying swing in the riff and subsequent explanation is pure gold.

[@josephwirtz8352]

This is amazing!

[@carmenelmo8650]

i loved it as a drummer

[@mjh5437]

If only the man himself were still here to discuss this with us....God I miss him.

[@mindeloman]

Ed, never really had much to discuss about guitar or music theory. He was just a natural and did what felt right. If you asked him how he came up with the rhythm in Hang'em High, he'd say, "I don't know. Just felt right." Wolf Van Halen is on record as saying his dad was THE WORST guitar teacher.

[@Ruefus]

EVH's sense of rhythm is the most underrated and under-discussed aspect of his playing. Yeah - people do recognize his rhythm playing. Rarely do any of us realize that he swings constantly. Dude was always grooving.

[@TomGrubbe]

Yep, you can't learn that from reading tabs. You need to play along with records and pick that up early on.

[@johnjjohningtoniii2439]

The thing is, his rhythm playing is also in his leads. Listen to that cowboy swing lead he plays starting at 20 seconds into the studio version of Eruption. It's his rhythm guitar playing as a lead.

[@brunosousadonato4028]

Exactly! I love his playing for that, one of the most amazing things is van halen If always rhythm

[@PJC-vp6ek]

How true it is! Being a rhythm guitarist (cuz I suck at lead} I have developed a few of these picking techniques half ass decently and Eddie has always been one of my favorites of badass rhythm playing!

[@ChrisPBacon3000]

His rhythm in general has only been closely duplicated by a few (ex: Jacob Deraps). More guitarists should learn rhythm beyond anything else, but especially learn from the rhythm of EVH and SRV leads.

[@Ronsonic]

Alex and Eddie grew up with their swing-band dad. This is so much distinguished them from other bands of the era. One more reason they were great. That band could swing like a beast.

[@derekreece1581]

Can feel that on OU812

[@biffbifford402]

Saw the Atomic Punks last night, and while the guitar player was technically skilled, the most notable observation was he had NO SWING at all. Sure, Eddie can tap and play 100 miles an hour, but he also had a swing while he was doing it. And I’m not shitting on the atomic punks guitar player because he’s 1000 times better than I’ll ever be, but Eddie❤ is 1000 times better than most will ever be

[@crsantin]

Eddie’s rhythm and phrasing are pretty much impossible to duplicate. It’s his right hand. Even the best guys who play his stuff don’t quite have it right, something is always missing.

[@metalheadrelic9873]

Cuz he was truly one of a kind. Broke the mold after him. ❤️👍🤘👌🎸

[@jimmyboy131]

Satriani once said Eddie has the best right hand in the business.

[@e-mail881]

up

[@gigitonsvajv]

True dat 😂.He’s often imitated but never duplicated. 🤘🏻🎸

[@VIDEO_VIENNA]

Stimmt genau

[@chopperdeath]

Ed had swing, funk, groove and sway that very few have ever had. He plays like he is just about to miss the beat but comes in just in time. It's precision laziness, and it's glorious.

[@maxrings73]

You are absolutely right about this. Well said.

[@jimmyboy131]

Eddie called it, "falling down the stairs and landing on his feet".

[@CrimsonFlameRTR]

"Ed had swing,.." "He plays like he is just about to miss the beat but comes in just in time. " That's what swing is. :)

[@SEKreiver]

Eddie's dad was a jazz musician. Growing up listening to that probably didn't hurt.

[@cherylgruver3285]

I absolutely adored Ed. Met him in 81 as a star struck 17 year old. Rock in paradise king🌹

[@nu385]

Eddie had the speed, the precision, and most importantly the FEEL. That's what made him the best.

[@eddiejr540]

I put Randy up there at the tippy top, but I agree, Eddie beats him with “feel”!!!

[@preston2636]

​@@eddiejr540 jeff Loomis beats both of them with everything, speed, technique, phrasing, tapping, sweeping, riffing, and feel

[@Seanomatic57]

​@@preston2636 How does he do with song writing?

[@Necrometalfist]

​@Sean Patterson Amazing actually

[@zombiemosher1139]

​@@preston2636 the difference is they pioneered a lot of that stuff.

[@lw1391]

"The right hand is the wrecking ball and the left hand is the damage control" was a great description to get the point across. Once again proving why he is the best guitar teacher I've ever come across - bar none. Thanks uncle Ben!

[@BenEller]

Many thanks!

[@TheEnderBand]

And nothing is worse than LOSS OF CONTROL LOSS OF CONTROL LOSS OF CONTROLLLLLL

[@georgefustos7243]

Eller and Beato are the two best on You Tube. You are absolutely correct

[@tshouse2782]

I like that

[@NealWalter]

Holy crap that’s amazing! I noticed a long time ago that it was the swing that set Eddie apart, and that a lot of guys didn’t grasp that. But I never in a million years would’ve picked that out of this riff, ever. Amazing video, Ben, as always!! You’re humble, super talented, precise, and funny, I love it! And you love Eddie, can’t go wrong with that. :-) Btw, your headline is what drove me in. Good one. Killer tone!

[@mprenn1547]

Listen to old Deep Purple stuff--Blackmore really had that swing.

[@hippychipsguitars601]

I turned 13 in 1978, and bought their first Album with my Birthday money. I had been playing Guitar for a couple of years, and got my first electric for Christmas 1977. I spent many hours in my bedroom playing along to Van Halen Albums. I still have Van Halen, Van Halen II, Women and Children First, Fair Warning, and Diver Down on Original pressing Vinyl. I also have a fully functional 1978 Technics Turntable to play them on. Eddie will always be my favorite Guitar player, and the biggest influence in my playing.

[@rolindadice]

The riff in Girl Gone Bad where Ed and Al play super fast in unison is BRUTAL

[@riceflatpicking4954]

Maybe my all-time favorite

[@5sion8]

Such a nasty riff...!

[@MarcKillianMusic]

Probably my all time fav VH tune.

[@hussle2654]

​@@MarcKillianMusic same 👍

[@Dan-nt2yb]

Girl Gone Bad is their greatest song. Hands down.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@BR-lp6rf]

As a VH nerd of almost 40 years, this song tops my all time list for fav Eddie song. There is an isolated track her on YT that is mind blowing. Literally 1 take, with solo included. Crazy

[@youropionmattersnot]

Yeah. 1979...VH...it was required that I play guitar after I heard that album. Now I'm 57 and I have band practice Saturday with my boys. Got a gig memorial day weekend. Music is second only to my children in my life to this day. From piano at age 5 to trumpet in school band to drums as a hobby and guitar as my main. Could not imagine myself without music and in particular that day I brought Van Halen 1 home on vinyl in 1979.

[@Mike_D_5150]

That's it! Total command with amazing timing. When I record I do the song all the way through. Not easy at all. The way they did things was live. A lot of younger people would have a hard time with that.

[@Mike_D_5150]

Also, Eddie said himself that he hardly messed with this song live because of the timing and how easy it is to screw up with the band.

[@chrishman744]

Link it here dude

[@hunterkarr5618]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/i4azfaahj6-tm6M

[@parabolgravity]

My favorite VH song has always been "Jamie's Cryin". I've always adored the rhythm and voicings. Oddly, no one really talks about it.

[@BenEller]

Well, you’re gonna enjoy this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p5rRo59ueN6Wfqssi=fpVXvi_Y_S9yfejD

[@Nautilus1972]

Mine is “ little guitars”…….

[@jackjune156]

Just found your channel couple days ago and have been enjoying it. Realizing by today’s video, you’re big on EVH so I thought you might enjoy a story. We owned a fireplace shop in the San Fernando Valley where Eddie just lived several minutes away. He used to come in every now and then, and one day I saw him from the back, carrying in an old rusty fireplace grate to replace. I also used to enjoy his music and I took the grate from him and seeing the red rust and what could’ve been slivers of disintegrating steel from the grate embedding in his fingers, I said to him, I hope your hands are insured for $1 million. Using those fingers to carry this rusty steel actually made me care. His fingers just seems too valuable to be taking a chance in this way. He just smiled as he usually does and he was a very very nice guy.

[@chefscorner7063]

Many may not believe your story, but I believe you. I grew up on the San Fernando Valley (Woodland hills) and it was common to see entertainment stars on a daily basis. Heck, I was even pulled out of an elementary school class to do a screen test for a TV or Film production! LOL. I've got dozens of stories like that so don't worry about the haters as they're going to hate no matter what you tell them. 🤔✌️👍

[@RockGuitarVibes]

Same with "I'm the one", that swing timing in that tempo is so accurate - almost impossible to copy 🤯🎸

[@ianguest2011]

So many covers just play straight stepdad triplets

[@austin12923]

It's so hard to keep that swing at the tempo. A riff that I want to play correctly one day.

[@ianguest2011]

@@austin12923 it's definitely one of those drunken master riffs as I like to call them.

[@23dvs]

‘Bottom’s Up!’ has that swing too….I remember how hard it was to get it to sound right when my old band used to play it. Needless to say, it never did sound like the way EVH did it

[@DeborahHammond]

I've been fighting with that riff for years

[@SkeeterMcBeater]

Eddie was the only kid on the playground who could do a full, round-the-world loop on the swing set. That's how hard Eddie swung.

[@joesretrostuff]

See what you did there

[@JBCavern]

Sounds like a Chuck Norris challenge. 😁

[@raymo6795]

...I could not have said it better

[@hummarstraful]

😆😆

[@user-tp5me5sd6e]

This is THE best description of why Eddie Van Halen is the king. THANK YOU!! Awesome content on this channel. Huge new fan

[@1manairband]

Ben, I can't say enough how well you explain and play and break things down. Especially when breaking things down with Eddie. Ed is just the best at what he did, take the guitar to the next level.

[@johntaylor5652]

I always said the tapping stuff was just icing on the cake. Eddie was so good at creative riffs and hard to believe at 20 years old doing all kinds of insane mastery of the guitar.

[@rickjohns689]

Exactly right. The King of Swing, it's amazing how many players aspire to be the exact opposite, surgically precise speed playing, where ED was exactly what you described, controlled chaos in the best way possible. He felt subdivisions with a human feel, an endless variable to convey emotion, speaking a secret language that he and Al made up as they went along.

[@defunctuserchannel]

Nailing the syncopation of I'm The One is a similar challenge.

[@AJEDDY97]

Well, it probably helps that Ed wanted to be a drummer at first, but Al made them switch.

[@youropionmattersnot]

Guitar is technically a percussive instrument so the two swim in the same water.

[@CrazyHenkie777]

Great comment!

[@justingibson508]

Part of the equation ppl overlook in my opinion. Is the big band influence from their dad. The "swing" they have is definitely a family recipe but don't leave Jan out!

[@CharlesEMurphy]

This is why David Lee Roth was such a good mix with Eddie. He got the swing at the heart of the music, and sang right into it.

[@xxxTARK77xxx]

Ice cream man solo is one of the grooviest most awesome solos ever!

[@billyvarga3738]

EVH guitar nerd here, and in a VH tribute band. Before you revealed that intro, I already knew the song you were going to talk about. I’m glad I’m not the only capable guitar player that struggled with that intro. Always enjoy your videos uncle Ben. Please keep it up.

[@BenEller]

Cheers man, thanks!

[@hunterkarr5618]

I love the fact that so many of us “knew” it had to be…HANG EM HIGH. The hardest vh riff ever

[@5150powder]

And none of you knew it was swung. Or even dared to think it could have been.

[@eded4104]

THIS VIDEO deserves 8 million views !!! Being a drummer, and then keyboards, this is a BREAKTHROUGH on Eddie I had no idea about. How many people know this ????? Spending my whole life working on rhythm and understanding drums and grooves, and shuffles....This is impossible. Simply put it will never happen again. I would also like to say..... Eddie did the impossible by stopping his addictions getting back on track and being a great dad !! That took HUGE amounts of courage, and dedication to accomplish that. Basically he bench pressed 12 semis !

[@richrinehart1083]

I am playing again after stopping 25+ years ago. I watched this video in awe. You can fly brother. Loved it I played for about 7 years with my dad. Old 50's-60's tunes mainly. Played at least 5 nights a week the last 3 years before we lost him. Learned on an acoustic 12 stringer while following my dad on the neck sitting across from him. I kick myself for quitting all those years ago I am currently trying to toughen up my fingers and just playing basic chords. I cannot get my fingers to move independently on my left hand yet so barre chords are out. No dexterity. I feel stupid. LOL I play chords until my fingers can't take it anymore. Keep rocking brother. I don't even want to know how much time and effort you have spent over the years...... I realize I will never be much more than a shitty player at best. I have an electric but no amp. I had a mini cube amp that hummed so I pitched it. The electric guitar is a wild animal compared to an acoustic. I am buying a Orange amp next month for my b-day. 56 yrs old and starting over............ crazy!! I would love to have half your speed. Maybe if I practice every waking moment from now until 2030 I can possibly get a 1/4 of your speed. Peace

[@eriknielsen4070]

I always thought that riff was sick… It’s my favorite on Diver Down

[@vincent33195]

This is exactly why Ed is untouchable. You NAILED it. It’s all the things that people DON’T think of or realize about his playing. I still hear new things when I listen to Ed, regardless of how many times I have. Fantastic video and commentary. 🤘🏼

[@melchior2678]

If you think it's impossible then you're just not up to the challenge and you haven't truly put in the effort.

[@foto21]

Thanks for the revelation of the swing in his playing. It's prob the reason his guitar work sounds so 'fun' and is appealing despite his wild technical chops that many other guitarists achieve but without the swing. Great video!

[@187manowar]

I've said it before. They will be teaching his stuff for centuries. He's our generations Mozart. While were all making hand turkeys with crayons at kindergarden for Thanksgiving he's painting the Mona Lisa with one hand and smoking with the other. Genius doesn't begin to describe him.

[@autk]

This ☝️

[@thesolitarytroubadour9894]

Eddie had such amazing feel! That connection he had with alex was on another plain of existence!

[@TheAxeman2112]

That was freakin mind blowing. Thank you so much for pointing out that nobody will ever sound like Eddie. I'm totally okay with that too. There are so many riffs Eddie does that I hear and think no problem only to find out big problem. Not gonna get that lick down overnight. Eddie owned his wheelhouse.

[@davidgoodspeed]

I’ve always said it was something in his hands and the way he “felt” the fretboard. We’ve all seen him play, hand his guitar to another player and the tone sounds NOTHING like Eddie. Just mind blowing.

[@TheAxeman2112]

@@davidgoodspeed I totally agree a lot of the great players have that ability to play something and you know it’s them because of the hands. Michael Schenkers vibrato is something that is very unique and it’s his hands. You nailed it brother.

[@unclelar53]

Also a huge Eddie (RIP) fan here. I'm not sure he ever played the same riff, exactly the same way, twice, lol. You have it down closer than anyone else I've seen attempt it. Thanks for that. SRV blows my mind as well. Seems to play rhythm and lead, at the same time, even behind his back!

[@hanomag251]

Always amazed by the way he was playing the rhythm parts!!! Rhythm is the base of any music. Eddy was a king on this!!! We miss him!!!

[@bobhume2087]

Man, what a lovely, touching tribute to EVH. It's one thing to hear a glowing compliment. Another to see the genuine love of the craft that goes into it. Thanks! You made my day!!

[@K.V.H.]

Breaking down VH deep cuts??? A man after my own heart. Diver Down is soooo underrated. Eddie is the greatest, end of story. I'll defend that statement til the death. Great stuff as always, Uncle Ben! Long live Lord Edward!!

[@SBauer70]

Thank you so much for this video Ben. As a guitar player for 37 years and a MASSIVE EVH fan this video does a GREAT job of explaining what the mere common mortal doesn't understand about Ed's incredibly inhuman command of rhythm. As Joe Satriani said he's got "the best right hand in the business". People are so focused on "Eruption" and all that tapping flash but Ed's sense of swing and rhythm playing was something we will never see again I don't believe. Guitar players, TRUE guitar players, get it. Regular fans don't understand exactly what they are hearing but it sounds so cool you just have to love it LOL! Cheers man and great videos! Keep up the great work!

[@AmpAHolic-wn6mr]

Just another example why he’s the king of swing. Excellent job and dissection. Can’t get to wrapped up in playing exactly like Ed. We all do it and it’s a great tool for learning and moving forward in your development as a guitar player. But in the end, Ed is Ed and you are you. Become the best you.

[@tomatopie34]

Even though Eddie is the reason I started playing, I spent way more time learning Randy Rhoads licks for this very reason. Randy's stuff was composed, followed scales and could be practiced with a metronome. Eddie was impossible to replicate because so much of what he did made no damn sense but worked anyway. Well, that and I didn't have a whammy bar...

[@windowgirl7300]

That's because "EDDIE" wasn't a scale player- he was a "pattern" player! If one plays fingering, 1- 3- 4 starting on 6th string, 5th fret, "A" note, one plays a sequence of notes that includes a myriad of "A" scales- "A" minor mixed with "A" Locrian mixed with "A" Dorian/Blues. Combine this with "EDDIE'S" style of playing... and one gets MAGIC!! "EDDIE" was interested in "SOUND" and outside notes that created an "EFFECT" his ear wanted to hear and incorporate... never scales or composition rules. "This not only sounds cool, it FEELS CooL!! "RANDY" was more classically based. Even his chord progressions were more based on classical compositions... which was cool as well! They really shouldn't be compared as their styles were VASTLY DIFFERENT.

[@windowgirl7300]

E.g. "HOT FOR TEACHER"- The intro is a tapping pattern, though he's playing arpeggios- STARTS by tapping 5th string, 12th fret(and son on), A string- [Amin.- Dmaj.]- then D string- [Dmin. - Gmaj.]- then G string- [Gmin - Cmaj] X 2 - then, tap the E, 12th fret, 1st string followed by, fingering, 4-3-1 (E string' 1st string), 4-3-1 (B string- 2nd string), 4-3-1 (G string- 3rd string), 4-3-1 ( D string- 4th string), etc. It's not exact, but it illustrates him using finger patterns ( incorporates diff. Scales or scale pieces), used in one tonality or key, instead of following a traditional or classical structure. Wouldn't see him playing a minor scale across the neck diagonally. "EDDIE" would play all over the neck, but would jump from pattern to pattern- more of a "FEEL" player. In additional, after recording a solo, he would cut up the solo, rearrange the pieces in a different order... then relearn the solo from the tape in its new sequence. People would scratch their heads wondering how/why he'd quickly jump from one end of the neck to the other in such a non-linear fashion. Does it in the "UNCHAINED" solo.

[@tenbroeck1958]

Agree 100 percent

[@johnhagan582]

Very true but there was a upside to chord progressions played by a classically percise scale composition and that is after playing it over and over its flawless and practically perfect . That's why Randy's solos are so much more precise where you can hear every single note CLEARLY .he was musically trained educated to play to read music sheets so when it came time for him to compose his own music he mapped it all out note by note and played it over and over til he got it perfect hitting each note correctly which leads to clearly . Where Eddie never learned to read music nor compose his own stuff he learned on the fly and by the seat of his pants .he was a grove player that didn't have to play everything so precise to get to sound awesome .Randy was a creation of his formal education of music .learning scales and chord progressions on the piano and other instruments before the guitar so cause of this things came easier for him and his knowledge of classical music theory made him a product of his education .Eddie was just a freak of nature that somehow created a new way of playing on the fly that was pure genius and unique .Both Eddie and Randy were always my favorite two guitarist that came across as simular in sound and style but really were nothing alike in their playing due to the difference in the way they learned how to play but has always been linked to being alike because of they basically came out at the same time and from the same place.

[@marke.desade7338]

Ed and Al were both trained classical pianists; they could read music. Jan would have never allowed his sons to pass on learning to read music. More to the point, Ed and Al both won awards for their respective age groups playing classical piano after they left Nijmegen and landed in Los Angeles. Eddie’s love of the blues based rock music of the 60’s is what inspired his love of the groove.

[@SLiMCHiCKeN5150]

The Van Halen family swing. Playing piano in the middle of the Atlantic in 1962 gave the brothers superhuman shuffle abilities 🤟

[@glennharmes1629]

Awesome explanation Ben about Eddies awesomeness. 66 years old and I heard every note from the best thru the years. Love it. Stay well

[@davidferrara1909]

Ben, I think your playing is amazing. No one's gonna replicate Eddie perfectly, but brother - you come damned close! Thanks for all you do. You are an amazing guitarist in your own space.

[@882952]

Ben, I agree with you that Ed was just superhuman. The swing you talk about here is truly unbelievable. Why did he play it that why.... For the love of God, WHY???? No one was ever gonna even know he was doing all that extra effort, that extra layer of difficulty, until you came along and slowed it down. He could never have known someone was specifically going to do that. But he played it that way because he thought that was the better artistic choice. And now, decades later, even after his death, here we are realizing this for the first time. Just THINK, what other little jewels, what other tiny treasures, did he bury just beneath the surface for us to find someday? This topic of swing is part of the larger observation of Ed's timing in general, for me. I've always loved how he could play in way that almost, but not quite, seemed, loose or sloppy, without actually being sloppy. Ed could slide the actual notes around in time however he liked, and that always added an extra human element to the music.

[@daggergblue]

I'm not as convinced that he did it as intentionally as all that. It's just his natural way leaking in.

[@exxekhan]

I think it's the same reason why that OTHER superhuman, Steve Jobs, was so great at what he did. I read a story how his dad made him perfectly paint the backside of the fence even though no one would see it. It drilled into him a level of detail that he carried over into his product design.

[@ZigbertD]

@@daggergblue I agree. Hell, it's even possible that he THOUGHT he was playing straight 16ths but that swing feel was just ingrained in him and naturally came out. Most great guitarists aren't making conscious choices all of the time, it's just knowing to play what intuitively feels right. To me that's what truly makes EVH great, he had all of this amazing technique under his fingers but so often he was just casually tossing of whatever felt right to him. And that's what the 10 or 20 thousand hours in the woodshed will do for you.

[@Gerardus1970]

He did it not to make it more difficult, he did it because that's how he felt it. When you have swing and swagger you have swing and swagger and Eddie had it by the bucket load. When you have an ability like he did, you can play how you're feeling it. We were lucky to have witnessed the GOAT in our lifetime, we really were.

[@douglascarducci6977]

Eddie was all feel with unbelievable natural technical abilitys henceforth his greatness..he did what was necessary to get the riff he heard in his head to manifest...he is truly missed

[@mikejones-vd3fg]

Well said, anyone can do this if you start writting your own music youll find youre not looknig at technique, counting notes or anything like that youre trying to manifest the sound you want to hear next and will stretch your findgers oddly to do it. But when we learn we do it backwards, we start with notes and technique and try to get the sound. Why ultimatley learning others music doesnt make you good a making music which may not be everyones goal, and thats cool, I took pride in learning songs that sounded exactly like the album so i get it, and it got my chops up , but once i started making my own, those chops actually didnt help that much as my fingers had to learn new positions to follow the music, thats why I I dont get hung up on learning "impossible" riffs anymore because i know a lot of it is personal to them which they spent tonnes of time on and i should take the hint and spend my time there instead.

[@dominicbarsi1169]

As a drummer, I learned a lot about that classic "swing" groove by understanding triplets. It's the 1 - and - a - 2 - and - a - 3 - and -a" playing the "a - 1" skipping the "and". Changed my playing. Great video! Van Halen fans never die!

[@calansvc]

Ben, that is the best breakdown and explanation I've ever seen of this god lick by far. So well done! Now then... tear apart the rest of the tune. The solo has it's it's own impossibilities that I've never come close to figuring out. :)

[@standingvertical3048]

I shed a tear knowing Ed is gone, but he left all of us, his greatness.

[@jonathankreusch9326]

Just push play.

[@patandmacmusic]

We love Van Halen content 🤌

[@stilts121]

I'm convinced that there are some guitar players who can write a riff that no one else can properly play. Sure, they can get CLOSE, but never quite the same, and I'm not talking about "the tone is in the fingers, maaaan" kind of stuff. Sometimes what comes naturally to just one person is incredibly difficult for others. Great job at breaking this down, Ben.

[@Allguitarinfo]

He was badass in his rhythm more than his lead work imo..the riffs made the tunes we still hum to this day ..Eddie Gave us so much more than he ever imagined he would ...Rip our Guitar hero..our songster of our generation...

[@shionyr]

I agree. He was top tier in both but his rhythm was slightly better - in fact I'd say his leads were almost a "sub set" of his rhythm playing, given how much rhythmic structure they actually had!

[@swordmonkey6635]

He was a much better rhythm player and writer than lead.

[@justincarter1950]

PANAMA! yes i love his rhythm work in that song, great rhythm guitar player sort of Jimmy Page like

[@chignutsak]

His shit is untouchable. Rhythm and lead.

[@justincarter1950]

@@chignutsak i want to touch it

[@alecprentice1573]

Excellent vid! Ed's technical ability was just a bonus to his otherworldly execution of rhythm, melody, & creativity.

[@davidkorth7442]

You are awesome. I'm guitar 🎸 Dave from Wisconsin. 48 years old. Been playing since I can remember. People ask me when I play a power chord, why I use my pinky finger instead of my ring finger. It's because my 8 year old hands couldn't reach. Never had lessons. Just grew up with some awesome friends. Music heals the soul! Rock on!

[@goofsaddggkle7351]

Explaining this was so fantastic- thank you for the thorough deep dive of Eddie Van Halen’s unparalleled skill.

[@toothnail605]

*It don't mean a thang if it ain't got that swing!* I'm a drummer and I love your vidz, especially VH. Was fortunate to see VH 5 times with Roth and 3 with Sam. That 'Brown Sound' live was beyond epiC!!

[@timothyfoley240]

This why He is called King Edward- not only one of the the best lead guitar players of all time, but also among the best rhythm guitar players of all time. Hail, King Edward.

[@JbirdlLester]

Eddie Vanhalen has Been my hero since i saw him in 1978 in dallas Texas @ the Cotton bown @ the Texas Jam. the Man has a Right hand of Doom!

[@jacquelinechellis4036]

Maybe the word is syncopated. He improvised something with the groove he already had from his years of playing. It's starts with his groove and his speed as a master of his groove is a peice of cake. Look at his smile it was a hell of a ride . EVH rest in peace.

[@MainPrism]

Man my heart sank when you slowed that down and I heard that swing... I've always said Eddie's sense of groove is unmatched. This just proves it. Thanks Uncle Ben!!! 🤘💪🔥

[@BenEller]

Isn’t that just wild?!?! I was stunned when I heard it.

[@MainPrism]

@@BenEller the man had the funk. No question about it.

[@marvinkline5667]

200 bonus points for an Ed Gein reference. Well done sir

[@brians1793]

More like skin cape amirite?

[@aldouszodiac]

Spot on, that cracked me up. Served dryly as well 😂

[@rhandomrockband1040]

Ben I am 56 and i am a guitarist big fan of VH. What you've showed is just amazing. Especially the last swing part. I will now listen to the tracks searching for this to try to repeat it while playing.

[@ryanlutz1419]

I'm not a guitarist, but I am a drummer and have been a VH fan for decades. I cld never have guessed which riff you'd be talking abt since lots of Eddie's riffs sound incredibly difficult to me. But I can say that of all the songs on that album "Hang 'Em High" and "Little Guitars" blow the top off! Thanks for making the art of guitar playing very interesting; I don't understand three-quarters of it, but I love watching you learn--and teach. You're as engaging as Gregg Bissonette is at breaking down drum grooves.

[@StanDuppenshout1]

First Vid of yours I’ve come across. Some people were not meant to be KZbinrs, and should leave the medium alone. You my friend, on the other hand, are great! You’ve found your calling for sure. Presenting interesting technical stuff, but with an uplifting and sincere attitude. Your narration adds so much flavor. And sprinkled with some subtle clever humor and light hearted idiosyncrasies of style. Bro, I don’t even play any instruments, just an avid music listener. And this was fantastic! 👍

[@morebeer4435]

"This is why Eddie's playing speaks to all of us." That actually gave me chills when you said that. Forever the GOAT. All kneel before the GOAT. Fantastic video man. 🤘👊

[@BenEller]

Thank you, buddy!

[@mojodojo5533]

Same here . Chills . Ben so eloquently describes what we've known but couldn't put into words.

[@louisjamesreeves]

i come back and watch this one over and over. you have explained eddy in way nobody else does!@ thank you ben eller!@

[@BenEller]

Thank you for being here!

[@El_Chompo]

Really cool that you pointed out that swing part of it. Just like the song goes "it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing". This is also why I realized after years of being annoyed by U2 songs and lots of modern popular songs on the radio that have that straight driving 4/4 beat with the heavy kick constantly on every quarter note just driving me absolutely insane. It took me forever to figure out why I hated it so much, but it's because it has zero swing.

[@vonmilash823]

It just goes to show you how insanely gifted he was. Not only could he play extremely difficult licks, he wrote them.

[@Custom6string]

The King of Swing will never be de-throned.

[@DrowningInDejaVu]

OK thank you for answering why no guitar player would ever let me sing this song in a band I was in. “ One eye on the road a price upon his head one ear to the ground he’s listening to the dead”. Brilliant

[@Jimmy-yf3yp]

One thing most guitarists overlook about Eddie is he doesn’t play in time, he plays in the pocket. You can really notice this on the jump keyboard solo.

[@odiumpugnator472]

It's like Jon Bonham's drumming. He can play outside of metronome's mechanical precision, and still be in the "pocket" for the given tune. A great example is his drumming in the tune Whole Lotta Love. A metronome would become dizzy and fail at keeping that time, and give up its springs and gears for greener pastures to just enjoy the music. Eddie did that for us too.

[@jimclip2012]

You’re so right, he was The One. RIP Edward ❤

[@mofutmma1]

Man I just saw a thing with Nuno basically saying how Eddie is King and that is that. He was starting to do the mean street open. There is another with him doing the opening to Women in Love and him just talking about how amazing Eddie was. Ben I thank you for going into this so deep and the look on your face when you slow it down is genuinely happy.

[@mikewallace1270]

There's Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen and everybody else

[@knowbuddy6139]

Some riffs should be untouchable. Doesn't mean everyone else sucks, just means that player had something special. Finding your own 'untouchable' characteristic(s) is what makes YOU great. 🤘

[@francobuzan1742]

I've always played that riff at the second fret. It helped to anchor my fretting hand behind the nut area, and then easier to go from the B to open A...

[@LRS11B]

Eddie was known for being a great soloist, but he was an even greater rhythm guitar player. I read an article about Eddie's band when they recorded for the very first time. The sound engineers looked at this young man who looked like kud still with his guitar with wires hanging out of it and he nailed it. A whole new sound broke out

[@andrewscher239]

Exactly! I love his rhythm on "Jamie's Cryin"❤

[@froloffanton]

Man. Even in Guitar Hero Van Halen it was charted as straight 16ths - and they charted I’m The One, Hot For Teacher and Beautiful Girls etc with the swing.

[@froloffanton]

@@EddyFaverey having listened to the isolated stem and it’s musical context, I have to agree with you. It does groove due to Eddie’s accents, but I don’t feel it was intended as swing. When you slow music down it might make you hear things that aren’t there. I’ve transcribed some licks as much harder to play than they really are.

[@paulm6341]

EVH forever missed. Great insight Uncle Ben.

[@gfresh353]

That’s so cool! I’m not a guitar player. So hearing your explanation makes Van Halen’s skill comprehensible to me. Thanks!

[@Jasper0406]

I really enjoy watching this guy break down these songs and pay homage to EVH in a very respectful way. I look forward to future videos.

[@phillybri]

Amazing stuff. Diver Down is a truly underrated album. Even if you ignore the covers (which you shouldn’t), and put all the originals from that album on an EP, it would be one of the most crushing entries in the VH catalog. Little Guitars The Full Bug Cathedral Secrets Hang ‘em High Intruder

[@LocrianDorian]

I'll just never get tired of your Van Halen tutorials man, you've really helped me a lot with some riffs that are perpetually written inaccurately in most tabs, be it online or in books.

[@Cgraseck]

OH....Thank you. I love swing and I never realized that was what Eddie was doing. Cheers, Chris

[@justincase5272]

Sounds similar to something I used to be able to do on the bongos. A professional rock drummer heard me one time and he was commenting about various patterns then said, "Wait, what? Do that again." He was very impressed. I was quite happy. Thank you for sharing Eddie's bluesiness embedded into his guitar playing. Quite admirable.

[@detonator2112]

One very overlooked Eddie solo is in "Feelin" (from Balance). It's my absolute favorite and that whole song is criminally overlooked.

[@flanger001]

The one that is super hard for me is the intro riff to 5150. That second chord is so hard to get right in time. It's crazy!

[@BenEller]

There’s a trick to it. I’ll do it soon!

[@BigTyronie]

@@BenEller i saw the op and was aboutvto comment but saw you did Ben.

[@larrycrabs5995]

Yeah, that second chord is a tough one. It's a C chord shape moved up to the middle of the fretboard.

[@normbarrows2]

I learned eruption by playing it at 16 speed on a turntable - as in 16 - 33 -45 -78 rpm turntable. As you discovered, left hand rhythm guitar type selective muting is the key to this riff. One you have that move down, you can concentrate on your swing timing with the right hand. Listening to a riff at half speed is a great way to really figure it out. When playing at high gain, it's almost more about muting strings than it is about playing them.

[@hummarstraful]

Worth mentioning that this song was written pre-'78 before the band was signed. It was an early VH song they played in the bars and backyard parties. Roth updated the vocal parts years later for Diver Down.

[@roddegeorge]

I agree 100% about Eddie's sense of swing being supernatural! As I kid, I didn't even pick up on it, but when I did, I realized these things are even more difficult than I though LOL! Great video!!

[@EricTheCleric93]

Slowing it down to show that it's actually a swing is crazy mind-blowing. It also gives one a new perspective in that our ears can betray us. I realized that with "Money For Nothing", that riff is way harder than it sounds.

[@bmcomm1]

Great video, Ben! Even analyzing His craft seems so difficult and you managed to technically show me how far He is from us. And yes, you are an incredible teacher!! Thank you

[@swanie1971]

Man thats a wicked ibanez and you are shredding this diver down impossible riff. well done

[@IrLosin]

When you are so good you find different hard ways to play your own riffs to not get borred..Ed was amazing..

[@5150mario]

The brothers definitely got that swing from their father Jan Van Halen. Just listen to their father play the clarinet on Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William now). So much swing embedded in their youth. 🤘😎🤘

[@chrisclark1678]

Wow that was one of the coolest breakdowns I've ever seen. EVH was a master.

[@knightstand]

This shit is beautiful, I really can't get over the precision of the tone you've achieved. That is the Brown Sound, straight up. 👏🏼