It truly is a shame that he passed away, very amazing both musically and lyrically.
His music inspired me to pick up finger style guitar quite a few years ago and I still play a lot of his covers. Going nowhere is my favorite Elliott Smith song to cover atm, there have been many

To anyone that hasn't listened to his music before I would suggest starting out with either/or and xo

CtrLZerG

United States104 Posts

June 03 2010 06:32 GMT

#82

On June 03 2010 15:24 surLoop wrote:
It truly is a shame that he passed away, very amazing both musically and lyrically.
His music inspired me to pick up finger style guitar quite a few years ago and I still play a lot of his covers. Going nowhere is my favorite Elliott Smith song to cover atm, there have been many

To anyone that hasn't listened to his music before I would suggest starting out with either/or and xo

Same here. I started playing finger style because of his music... Really love the sound he has...
My favorites would to play are probably Southern Belle, Angeles, and Happiness.. though I really love playing all his songs that I actually know. None of them are particularly 'easy' songs... Even in his easiest songs like Between the Bars and Biggest Lie, he always throws SOMETHING in there which throws me off.. in Between the Bars, there is an out of key note... some odd G# which seemed a little off to me and i still occasionally mess it up... and in the live version of Biggest Lie (at least one) he does something where the solo is supposed to be.. kind of fills the void with the lack of 2nd guitar... + his harder songs are incredibly difficult... I can't completely play southern belle.... Trying to get good at playing it smoothly but sometimes I mess up..
Going Nowhere is definitely a song I would like to learn soon.. Love that song.

surLoop

United States80 Posts

June 03 2010 06:48 GMT

#83

Yeah I started with his easier songs and worked my way up, it was difficult for me in the beginning because he would do a lot of chord changes and add in different notes to them. After I got pretty decent at chord changing and picking patterns I started focusing on singing, however for the most part it was complete fail. Still trying though... even after years of bad singing lol

CtrLZerG

United States104 Posts

June 03 2010 18:11 GMT

#84

On June 03 2010 15:48 surLoop wrote:
Yeah I started with his easier songs and worked my way up, it was difficult for me in the beginning because he would do a lot of chord changes and add in different notes to them. After I got pretty decent at chord changing and picking patterns I started focusing on singing, however for the most part it was complete fail. Still trying though... even after years of bad singing lol

Haha I totally understand what you mean man.... Keep it up. Elliott Smith was easily one of the most talented musicians I've ever heard.. And as far as singing goes, your always going to be more critical of yourself. As long as you sing in key, it will be fine... Even people like Conor Oberst and Bob Dylan are fine for me to listen to, despite their 'more than interesting' voices.. so just keep working on it.
Interestingly enough, I've been having trouble figuring out Coming up Roses... there is something about that chord progression which is annoying me. And I have actually really good pitch sense... generally, I can pick up on what chord it is just by listening to it... don't have to reference really any other note... but when it comes to playing Elliott Smith, I have the most trouble figuring out what kind of chords he uses... for him it seems the voicing of the chords is almost more important than what the chord actually is, if you want to play it accurately...For example, I was playing Southern belle and realized that in the recorded, he apparently is using a barred C chord shape on the 5th fret with his guitar tuned a whole step flat as a D# (would be an F chord, but it's a whole step flat) up to an F (would be a G if it wasn't tuned differently) instead of using a normal F bar chord shape and sliding it up to G... not sure if he does that in live versions, but it always gets me that he plays certain things certain ways... just amazing how talented he was.
And another thing is, most tabs for his music are completely wrong... some are ALMOST accurate... but not quite. Like for 'Pretty Mary K' he plays an op a7 chord (tuned a whole step flat I think...) and moves it all the way up to the 14th fret. That isn't in any tabs i've seen, but that's what i found the chord to be in the intro of that song...

surLoop

United States80 Posts

June 03 2010 18:32 GMT

#85

Yeah, you have to really listen to the songs especially for the rhythm, and it is especially difficult to figure out exactly how he plays it because he uses a lot of irregular and bar chords
Tabs for his music are indeed terrible, I found that most seem to try and play his songs in standard tuning... which doesn't work out so well.

I pretty much had to leave my guitar tuned a step down because all I played were Elliott Smith songs... lol

Wr3k

Canada2533 Posts

June 04 2010 02:07 GMT

#86

Not my favorite genre of music, but I like it.

sickoota

Canada918 Posts

October 21 2012 22:03 GMT

#87

9 years ago... I only got into this guy a month ago and I have been completely obsessed ever since. I listen to a lot of music in a given day, and these days its near 100% Elliott Smith, with no sign of slowing down. I've never encountered an artist quite like him. His songs are so honest and authentic, they sound like they come from a place that most artists just aren't comfortable or capable of sharing. I've never been a "lyrics guy", I usually don't place that much stock in them and listen to the music instead, but Elliott has me pouring over songmeanings.com and dissecting metaphors like a poetry major. You'll read so often on youtube comments of his videos "Elliott saved my life", which at first glance might seem odd considering the more often than not despondent and desperate content of his songs, but as you listen more and more you come to understand. The pure grace and beauty this guy was able to put into a song is so awe inspiring that however sad the lyrics might be you cannot help but marvel at his talent. The way he puts together chords, key changes and melodies is reminiscent of John Lenon at his best, but it is backed up by guitar playing more subtle and masterful than the Beatles could ever hoped to achieve (and I love the beatles). This isn't to say that his songs don't make you sad, because that would be a lie. But HOW SAD they might make you is just another testament to the strength of his craft, that he could wrap beauty and depression so tightly around each other until one is indistinguishable from the other. Elliott's music is imbued with a powerful honesty you could hardly expect to get from your close friends, much less some oscar-nominated indie darling. Anyways, he's 9 years gone today, and I'm sitting here learning his songs and wishing he was 43 instead of forever 34. R.I.P