most technically difficult solo?

[djentlemen]

imo its either tgp arps ( alt picked ) or blind faith unison

antr unison ( before the "DAY AFTER DAY )is up there too

EDIT:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKMR9nFBqM8&NR=1
relevant

[BlobVanDam]

The TGP arp solo is the first one that comes to mind, but the difficulty of that solo is just the speed and precision. But the fact that JP struggles with it live is proof that it's a tough solo.

I recall that Jordan said in an interview that JP doesn't like to play the Blind Faith unison because it's hard to play on guitar, so that's a contender (although it doesn't sound as hard as it probably is). I guess the trouble with that is the scale or the shapes?

There are a lot of solos that are difficult due to speed alone, such as the ITNOG instrumental section, the TDEN guitar solo, the first guitar solo in Beyond This Life (which as I recall is entirely purposely out of key, which may make it difficult pattern-wise), and Constant Motion.

Then there are other solos where the difficulty is the technique used. I'm thinking stuff like the UAGM solo, with that weird sound he does by swiping at the strings (no idea what it's called or how to describe it). I think there's also some funky whammy bar usage in that one.

[kiwiclapton]

Great post! I'll go for Blind Faith too

[Ħ]

Quick question, where is the Blind Faith unison that everyone talks about?

[djentlemen]

Quick question, where is the Blind Faith unison that everyone talks about?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAbRLTzA-74

jp has to mimic jordan's notes on the guitar, its hard as tits, believe me, i've seen the tabs

@blob

uagm isn't difficult, it only sounds hard because jp incorporates many different scales and patterns into it , sweeping , chromatics , tapping
but i  have to agree with you on the different factors that make a song difficult

[gabeh1018]

yes definitely the blind faith unison, but i know the ending sweep thing at the end of the constant motion guitar solo, I would also imagine all the unisons in, in the presence of enemies, the itNoG unison and tDS unison at the end.

[BlobVanDam]

@blob

uagm isn't difficult, it only sounds hard because jp incorporates many different scales and patterns into it , sweeping , chromatics , tapping

i wasn't saying that it's a hard solo for him to play, but I think that the number of techniques you need to pull off to play it properly make it one of his tougher ones for others to emulate well.

I was referring to the little noises he makes at 5:24 in the song. What technique is that? He hasn't really done it in any other solo, so I don't know what it's called. And as you've mentioned, there's the sweep picking sections, and tapping and there's that little section from about 5:10 to 5:13 or so where he's doing some nifty whammy/slide stuff. As you said, it's that he incorporates a lot of different things into it.

I think while something like the TGP arp solo is really tough, it requires less style to play than the UAGM solo. There's no bending required, no vibrato, no whammy, no slides. It's just brutally fast.

[wasteland]

Quick question, where is the Blind Faith unison that everyone talks about?

On the keyboard side https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKMR9nFBqM8&feature=related

[djentlemen]

@blob

uagm isn't difficult, it only sounds hard because jp incorporates many different scales and patterns into it , sweeping , chromatics , tapping

i wasn't saying that it's a hard solo for him to play, but I think that the number of techniques you need to pull off to play it properly make it one of his tougher ones for others to emulate well.

I was referring to the little noises he makes at 5:24 in the song. What technique is that? He hasn't really done it in any other solo, so I don't know what it's called. And as you've mentioned, there's the sweep picking sections, and tapping and there's that little section from about 5:10 to 5:13 or so where he's doing some nifty whammy/slide stuff. As you said, it's that he incorporates a lot of different things into it.

I think while something like the TGP arp solo is really tough, it requires less style to play than the UAGM solo. There's no bending required, no vibrato, no whammy, no slides. It's just brutally fast.

oh that sound is just him fluttering his whammy bar, kinda like a fast dive. do you play the guitar?

[Cruithne]

uagm isn't difficult, it only sounds hard because jp incorporates many different scales and patterns into it , sweeping , chromatics , tapping
but i  have to agree with you on the different factors that make a song difficult

This.

You have to have a reasonably broad knowledge of the guitar to understand how to play the solo but none of the parts are technically *that* difficult (at least in the grand scheme of Petrucci's solos).

[black_biff_stadler]

@blob

uagm isn't difficult, it only sounds hard because jp incorporates many different scales and patterns into it , sweeping , chromatics , tapping

i wasn't saying that it's a hard solo for him to play, but I think that the number of techniques you need to pull off to play it properly make it one of his tougher ones for others to emulate well.

I was referring to the little noises he makes at 5:24 in the song. What technique is that? He hasn't really done it in any other solo, so I don't know what it's called. And as you've mentioned, there's the sweep picking sections, and tapping and there's that little section from about 5:10 to 5:13 or so where he's doing some nifty whammy/slide stuff. As you said, it's that he incorporates a lot of different things into it.

I think while something like the TGP arp solo is really tough, it requires less style to play than the UAGM solo. There's no bending required, no vibrato, no whammy, no slides. It's just brutally fast.

I heard him do it at the end of Take the Time as he's cooling off from world domination mode on Images and Words: Live in Tokyo as well but not on anything else studiowise. I assume you mean that almost violent fluttering sound where he's almost punching the pick through the strings? It's so damn weird. I've also heard Tony Macalpine use it on Planet X's Universe album at one point. If it is only a whammy dive is it generating some unintentional dissonance against the slight echo/reverb he uses? I mean the pitch difference between what's actually being sounded by the guitar compared to the echoed pitch of the just=played note mid-dive.

[gabeh1018]

actually I would also put the SoC guitar solo in there as well...

[BlobVanDam]

I heard him do it at the end of Take the Time as he's cooling off from world domination mode on Images and Words: Live in Tokyo as well but not on anything else studiowise. I assume you mean that almost violent fluttering sound where he's almost punching the pick through the strings? It's so damn weird. I've also heard Tony Macalpine use it on Planet X's Universe album at one point.

That's the one. The fluttery thing. I think on the Live in Tokyo commentary JP mentions which guitarist he got the technique from.

oh that sound is just him fluttering his whammy bar, kinda like a fast dive. do you play the guitar?

Nope. I'm clearly just talking out of my ass here.

[Cruithne]

I was referring to the little noises he makes at 5:24 in the song. What technique is that?

It's where you flick the end of the whammy bar. That's all there is to it (and a floating bridge).

It's a trick that Vai liked to use at one time (I've not really followed him since Fire Garden so dunno if he still uses it).

[Ħ]

Blob, watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVmq2C5kLoM

He just hits the whammy bar really fast.

[djentlemen]

Blob, watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVmq2C5kLoM

He just hits the whammy bar really fast.

his tone was horrible on that video , but nonetheless great playing john!

[3xodus]

That hit on the whammy bar is usually called a "tiger punch".. I think JP used the technique on Bombay Vindalloo a little bit too.

Beyond This Life has a pretty sick unison and harmony solo section that is clearly hard for them to absolutely nail it live. They did well on LSFNY but I've seen multiple live recordings where Jordan will unconciously sustain one of the notes and nearly fuck up the entire section. He did it on LSFNY but him and JP are so fucking fast that they managed to recover before everything got out of time.

[3xodus]

Quick question, where is the Blind Faith unison that everyone talks about?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAbRLTzA-74

jp has to mimic jordan's notes on the guitar, its hard as tits, believe me, i've seen the tabs

@blob

uagm isn't difficult, it only sounds hard because jp incorporates many different scales and patterns into it , sweeping , chromatics , tapping
but i  have to agree with you on the different factors that make a song difficult

Holy jesus I never realized how difficult that part is. Good lord.

[Zydar]

I heard him do it at the end of Take the Time as he's cooling off from world domination mode on Images and Words: Live in Tokyo as well but not on anything else studiowise. I assume you mean that almost violent fluttering sound where he's almost punching the pick through the strings? It's so damn weird. I've also heard Tony Macalpine use it on Planet X's Universe album at one point.

That's the one. The fluttery thing. I think on the Live in Tokyo commentary JP mentions which guitarist he got the technique from.

Ah yes, the Brad Gillis "bird chirp".

[YtseJamittaja]

If I remember right, Petrucci said on some interview, that TGP's arpeggios are the most difficult to play for him.

[Ultimetalhead]

Blob, watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVmq2C5kLoM

He just hits the whammy bar really fast.

The sound appears in Spock's Beard's album The Light as well. I'm guessing their guitarist was a big Petrucci fan.

[Addy]

I've never tried to play Blind Faith unison, but it looks difficult. TGP arpeggios are pretty hard, especially if you do it with alternate picking. That unison after the first chorus of BTL is also tricky. What i also found tricky is that unison in TDOE, after JR's ragtime solo (2:48).

And if you count the LTE's tunes... That main theme of Universal Mind is a b#*%h...

[BRGM]

Blind Faith Unison! It's the toughest song he's ever done along with the intro to Universal Mind.

TGP arp sure is difficult too, and the Never Enough unison ain't easy either.

Those are probably 4 of JPs toughest moments, IMO.

[DreamerTV]

most technically difficult solo?

"hi, my name is John Petrucci" solo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAwlB_btUSs

[krands85]

actually I would also put the SoC guitar solo in there as well...

That's the one I always think of. But then I know nothing about guitar playing, it just sounds pretty fast to me

[djentlemen]

actually I would also put the SoC guitar solo in there as well...

That's the one I always think of. But then I know nothing about guitar playing, it just sounds pretty fast to me

well soc solo is fast, but really its very very simple....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITIfITKGhVw

.. until we reach 0:27


another thing about soc's first solo, i think its terribly overated , the final solo beats it by a long shot and i see no praise for it

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

In the Name of God is the hardest in my opinion. And if you're not great at sweeps, The Glass Prison and Constant Motion are hell as well.

[chknptpie]

Ah yes, the Brad Gillis "bird chirp".

Ha thats an awesome name for it - bird chirp.

[BRGM]

actually I would also put the SoC guitar solo in there as well...

That's the one I always think of. But then I know nothing about guitar playing, it just sounds pretty fast to me

well soc solo is fast, but really its very very simple....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITIfITKGhVw

.. until we reach 0:27


another thing about soc's first solo, i think its terribly overated , the final solo beats it by a long shot and i see no praise for it

THIS a hundred times! The last solo is just so epic, one of JPs top 10 solos for me, definetely.