This is the second song from a live concert that Elliott Smith did in '99. It is one of those where he screws up. Poor Elliott, we miss you. We hope you're in a better place.
The girl in the crowd tells him,”You’re so sweet.” People loved the guy and he just beat himself up so much. He’s hands down one of my favorite songwriters and performers ever.
Imo it's about the approach. Learn the vocals and guitar separately, then play them together very slowly to sync yourself to the beats, time your breathing, etc.
@@jordanbozeat2063 i wouldn’t say its “very difficult.” not easy by any stretch, mind you, but if you have good rhythm and you’ve spent some time working on finger picking, it’s not that tough. i was able to play it very consistently while singing (as well as i can sing anyway) after about a year and a half of playing guitar, (learning the song took me a few weeks). it’s definitely achievable by novice or intermediate guitarists with enough focus. caveats: almost all the songs i know are elliott smith, so i’m sure i’ve predisposed myself to his style in some way.
I've been playing guitar for 15 years now and this song is easy to play but hard to sing & play at the same time. Just watching him do it with ease boggles my mind. The only thing that messed him up was his voice kept going out on him.
@@Liam.2000 I mean, it's very possible it's easy for him. If he has truly been playing for 15 years, and had enough time to perfect this song (nobody can perfect this song). I've only been playing for about a year and I've got the picking pattern down which is nothing much but it was super daunting to me months ago
To be that talented and that fucked up, the guy had to be an absolute hero to get out there and perform. His song writing was profound, his ability to deliver it was impeccable, and all the while fighting off his terminal deamons.... We are lucky that we got as much from him as we did, and we should all offer up a prayer to whatever we believe in that he has found some peace.
I'm learning to play this song right now and I kept messing up that same part and I couldn't figure out why. Good to know even he struggled with that haha.
Part of these live shows, the bit that kills when he trips up is it shows the nerves, maybe a lacking in confidence and you just think how can the be the most incredible person feel like that?
Because he doesn't have an ego, that's what makes him incredible . His vulnerability and humanity. It doesn't take away from the fact he is an amazing songwriter, infact i think it adds to it. Sometimes you can hear him apolergising, it realy hurts him, he really cares, he isn't just playing, that counts for more somehow doesn't it?
@@parvenughost6858 This is backed up by him often aborting songs or declining requests because he "didn't feel like it"; he plays what he _feels,_ not what people want, and as a result when he screws up it really matters to him.
When he stuffs up it is somewhat refreshing, it shows how real he is, that he was just a down to earth musician who didn't care how famous he was, he just wanted to make good music and play it to people who appreciate good music.
I know right...? Me too. Sometimes I imagine a world where he was still here and releasing music. Maybe he would've done a Jonny Greenwood and gone into film scoring etc or maybe just churned out even more gorgeous albums. Such a damn shame, but at least he was prolific whilst he was alive. Imagine if we only had Either/Or, that'd would've been cruel!
@@paulolapa3040 As much as I love Jeff (and Tim!) Buckley, his lyricism wasn't quite up to par with Elliott's. And mentioning Oberst is a slap in the face - beyond overrated, Oberst is.
Ah, he looks so tired. He always looks tired. Can't blame him, though; thirty effing years on this earth is a long time for someone like him. I miss him as much as anyone, I'm just glad he made it as long as he did.
Elliot Smith reminds me of a friend to me that is destined to play music because he is so naturally talented, yet he is so fragile and hates the commotion of being around the spotlight, and very insecure about himself. It's almost as if the talent is a curse for people like this.
You can say that again! He's up there with Robin Williams as being just the sweetest, most gentle person to have ever lived. I mention Robin Williams because he's another celebrity I spent weeks reading about and never found one bad word said about him from people who knew him or just met him. They were both sweethearts who, sadly, suffered from depression for years and (at least in Robin's case for sure) took their own life. Coincidentally, they were both involved with the movie "Good Will Hunting". Another person you can't find one bad word about is Fred Rogers, aka "Mister Rogers". Angels on earth who are now angels in Heaven (if Heaven exists). I wish there were more people like them.
THE single most adorable thing i've ever seen. he seemed so authentically sweet. it's one of the reasons his music is so beautifully intriguing. it's just plain him. period.
I come back to elliott whenever I want to feel sad. Not a the sad kind of sad but sort of the reminiscing type of sad. Granted things aren't going well but still he fulfills the longing I keep boxed.
if you notice when he sings "and what's a game to" instead of "what's a game of chance to you", he is still playing the tune correctly. So he only stopped playing because he got the lyrics wrong for that small section. He could just as easily continued and compensate for the lyric mistake but he chose to stop the song because he didnt want to disappoint his audience.
I think he disappointed himself - there's a line in waltz #2 where he sings "leave me alone in the place where I make no mistakes, in the place where I have what it takes" He was a self critic for sure
In '99 he was not doing so well as '98. (I saw him in both years, in the same venue.) I wish I'd been old enough or smart enough to tell him then how much he mattered and how we wanted him to stay.
His friends and family told him that a million times and it still didn't get through to him. Depression is an awful disease that there's no cure for, amazingly.
I feel like you’ve kept a lot of people from doing what you did and many of us thank you for that. The emotions you put into words is relatable to anyone with a soul. Thanks Elliott
Still one of the greatest voices and strongest emotion displayed in music. We still think about you Elliott and the impact people like made on people. Mental health is still a huge underlying problem in society that is brushed under the carpet and emotions are shunned. Music is about emotion not about singing a catchy song… this resonates with me deeply
This Inspires me to keep playing whenever I mess up if one of the greatest players and songwriters can make a mistake and just keep going, I can too! Progress not perfection
In 1 hour I'm off to get my second tattoo (of ferdinand the bull), not initially because of Elliott, but since he's one of my favourite song writers ever, I feel it's also a nice reminder of him. Rest in peace Elliott, I miss you
Did he ever mention why he did double tracking (live and recording)? I got the feeling it’s about lack of confidence, which makes me respect him even more…
So glad I got to see him live a bunch of times; both i'n intimate venues when he 1st went solo and arena style. . He was the best singer singer writer for me. So much emotion, melody and symbolism -mixed with melancholy and hope. He made me want to write, sing, feel and love.
Siempre que veo este video puedo ver la timidez de elliott.......siempre me hizo pensar que el no quería ser "famoso"..... lamentablemente tenia un talento impresionante y un talento tan grande es IMPOSIBLE que no alcance reconocimiento.
As a guitar player, I get every part of this performance. He knows the people want it… but he’s not feeling it. It’s a emotional song, and it’s not appropriate for him to sing it for applause.
Man this is ultimately sad. . . It's the point you get to when you realize you can play your songs in your sleep. . . Then you start actually doing it. Not practicing. Using drugs. And if you put your heart into the song you can destroy as he does in the end. . . But it seems clear that he wasn't with it at the beginning and thought he was. .
It’s hard to believe looking at his face he was ever able to muster the strength or motivation to record an album let alone play shows, tour or promote it.
