My guitar teacher tabbed this out for me and taught me the entire song in 5 1hr lessons. It took me another 6 months to polish it. Now I see this and realize that I'm in the wrong positions in a few places, but overall right on the money. This is a masterpiece. I bust this out at campfires. People come from everywhere within earshot to hear it.
After studying this video, and a month of hard practice i finally have this under my fingers for a college audition. Thanks Steve, couldn't have done it without you
HallMonitor Hope it went well, I’ve decided to finally learn country picking and then learn the middle section of Starship Trooper because I have the rest of it and hopefully Clap as well.
I dunno...I had a buddy back in San Diego county in the 70's who could play pretty much anything note for note...you'd had to have hear him but he was a prodigy guitarist who could play the Clap or Alvin Lee's Goin' home and it was exactly like he heard it on the Woodstock album...or any else for that matter...freaky
there has never been a guitarist more creative, more inspiring, and more underrated than steve howe.(my opinion) i have been playing guitar for 40yrs.and he is my all time favorite. even though i can play this piece, the nuances, the whimiscal drive, and the fingerpicking style remains a daunting task (curse you fat fingers!)i guess by the time i reach 80 i'll be close. anyhow this man is a treasure.
I remember when I first heard this at age 9 and playing guitar for 4 years....I thought it was God showing me how it's done in Heaven! Steve Howe is a blessing!
As a young kid and when I heard this in my early guitar Journey I couldn't believe it was one person playing it and no video back then. At age 61 this is the first time I've actually seen it played live. Just brilliant musically and technically
As a guitar tech for many guitarists over the years, the only person I knew that actually figured this song out (pre RU-vid) and could play it perfectly, was John Frusciante from Red Hot Chili Peppers. He also (on a day off on a Japanese tour) figured out Siberian Khatru note for note. Including the entire outtro solo. He even played (on guitar) the keyboard parts where there's no guitar. In one day he figured it out. The guys a genius.
Dave Lee well of course if you had as much experience as he has you'd be able to figure it out in one day too. It's really not that hard unless if you're just deaf and don't know what the guitarist is doing during each segment of the song
Well frusciante learned to read music by literally devoring all Frank Zappa albums. Dude was super talented and had super fine taste, considering he was the rhcp guitarist. but then he started abusing of heavy drugs and fucked him up bad
lol pretty different styles of guitarist. i can't say i've ever heard frusciante finger pick a song in the chet atkins style before. Also, this is a very complicated song to play well, ain't no reason to sell Steve short. He is one of the best players and minds out there on the guitar.
this is way beyond any composition by EVH or Jimmy Page.. Beautiful counterpoint, chord melody, hybrid fingerstyle.. no hate here I love Eddie and Zep, but this is a whole other level.
Brenda Harris its a different level for sure, but eddy could pull it off, that guy is a genius in his own way, my jazz teacher use to tell me, no one plays like another, so lets give credit to all of em, and stop comparing, cause Howe could never bend and gi as fast as eddie and sing at the same time with difficult rythms...and look good and jump and have lots of beers hahahahahahaha
Giant page fan but Steve is well,, Steve. Diiferent player all 3. Page and Howe are closer than ev &Howe in my opinion though i think vh with hagar copied best of both worlds directly from roundabout . Rain songs some serious shit, But Evh does not even count, vh just runs songs through, were zep has specific time signature changes in many of there songs, I love all 70s players, 80s to if thee from the 70s. hhahah, 1 more thing Howe is closests to a legit classical guitarist as far as techniqe goes in my op. Closer than morse, Hacket, Maybe Rhoads was as legit, talking 4 finger legit techniqe+scales
But neither one can flat pick/finger lick at the same time, playing the bass and melody, like Steve, try playing it, I saw him play Clap 20+ times and it still blows me away
very true, in my op, Howe is the closest to the level of a classical guitar player or a country wizard like Jerry Reed. His finger style,using all 4 fingers surpasses all rock players+some jazz players in my opinion, EV, Page, even hacket, uli roth, steve morse. Dimeola , mc laugfhlin. Steve can play scales well with his fingers, few other rock players can, only hardcore flamenco, classical, jazz=Joe pass etc....beat SH, But they don't play rock guitar +write songs we hear every day.@@ciliaris2
Sincere condolences to Mr. Steve Howe on the loss of his son ,Dylan . I just saw them in concert about a month ago in Conn. Clap will now be remembered for it's original inspiration.
Steve, thank you for taking the time to give us an intimate look at timeless composition. You've always been extremely generous in sharing your skill and knowledge. I'm a fan for life.
Never heard any stories about that. I’ll need verification before I believe you. Keep in mind that Steve has never been a frightening physical specimen. He wouldn’t have fared well if one of those lighting guys wasn’t in the mood to deal with a prima dona rock star.
@Satanic Panic Fun and Games I took a look at the video you recommended. Obviously Steve was frustrated, but his wrath was strictly verbal and only applied to one of the lighting techs, not legions. I once stood on stage with Steve Howe. He’s about 5’9” and weighs approximately 130 lbs. soaking wet. He was not an imposing figure. If he decided to act on his threat, he’d be going up against a guy who’s done lots of heavy lifting, and who was probably substantially younger.
Easiest way to tell it's Steve Howe: check that ring on the right hand; he almost always wore it. This is an excellent rendition of one of Howe's best pieces. Glad to see it posted on RU-vid for all to see!
Steve Howe was a rarity in 1970 because almost all the guitarists coming out of England at the time were playing straight up blues. Instead, he was into guys like Tal Farlow, Chet Atkins, Les Paul and Wes Montgomery. Really sophisticated players. I just find it so interesting - as a lifelong Yes fan - that this little ditty could be sandwiched right between Yours is No Disgrace and Starship Trooper, without sounding the least bit out of place. Steve Howe's playing is the reason Yes sounded like no other band.
Steve Howe has inspired many souls to learn masterworks like this, and made the world a better place for us all. Accompanied by the Angel Warrior voice of Jon Anderson, the Triad layers of Squire, Bruford, and Wakeman... wow, it's humbling.
Love the clap I even played it for my dad before he passed away and he even thought it was fantastic/and to those of you who can't read English /fantastico.
It's the rap and hip hop crap that's out today and the poor kids today don't know wahat good clean classic rock n roll is and yes is good clean classic rock
He is certainly without a doubt the most influential guitarist on me way back when I played. I learned Close to the Edge, Roundabout, Relayer, Mood for a Day, Perpetual Change, and others, including the solos in those songs, but the Clap was beyond me then. Great video too. Kudos to Steve for posting it.
This did something to me as a guitar player that no other song has done before. My drummer sent me the song one morning, I thought it sounded pretty cool and decided to try and learn it. Spent about an hour figuring out the first riff and getting it up to speed, almost got it down but got frustrated and decided to take a break. After a few minutes, decided to pick up the guitar again. The feeling I had when I got the riff to sound right for the first time was something I've never, as a guitarist, felt before. I was suddenly filled with undescribable joy and realised I was tearing up, all the while looping the riff over and over. Amazing feeling, cannot really put it into words.
What the shittttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt? He's a master.
I'm a huge fan since the 70's, gotta say here,"Thanks, Steve, for all the inspiration all these years!" I've been performing both Mood for a Day and The Clap on Classical guitar, and I find the Clap sounds quite well on the classical too. Brilliant guitar compositions, Bravo! I figured out the Clap by ear, before ever seeing this video, one of the toughest things I've ever done, but, ahhh... the satisfaction when I did was huge!! By Best, Ed
This ranks #1 on the list of hardest songs I have ever tried to learn without a tab. The right hand technique and time changes will confuse and amaze as always, Mr. Howe you are the dude, thank you for this video.
Refreshing oneself on Chet Atkins style & ragtime playing by Stephen Grossman is the road to being comfortable plying this excellent piece by Mr Howe..
I can't thank Steve Howe enough for making these recordings. I saw him play numerous times with Yes and solo, his work always fascinated me with melodic hooks and virtuous chord structures. Being able to see these up close is like sitting in his living room with a glass of red, pinching myself, thank you Steve!!
Howe is one of the best ever. Been trying to learn this song for 10 years and I've come to the conclusion that my fingers are just not cut out for this type of workload.
I'm totally with you on this point. I've been at it for more than 5 years and I can play it half to three quarter speed with some mistakes. Been working on trying to smooth it out. Fatigue sets in at three quarters through. Don't give up on the piece. It's definitely worth it! I'm going to get this! It's a masterpiece!
I've been struggling with this song for 13 years and still don't have it yet. It's definitely a complex song, but I've pretty much got Mood For A Day which is also not that easy to master
Those calluses on his fingertips are amazing; they stand off the ends of his fingers. Over 50 years of intense, nonstop playing and touring! Great tutorial for an iconic piece of guitar playing! Thanks Steve!
That was great Steve. I always wondered how great or even now really, if you had learned to use a thumb pick and free up your index finger. If you look at the truly great finger style guitarists, thumb pick for sure. I can only assume that you are aware of the greatest fingerstyle guitarist alive today and that of course is Doyle Dykes. Thank you for sharing Steve. You are truly a fabulous musician and songwriter. An inspiration to so many
Yes he's holding a pick with his thumb and forefinger and using his third and fourth fingers. It's a hybrid fingerstyle method that you'll see from time to time. The guy is absolutely amazing isn't he!
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards thought they could hear two guitarists on a Robert Johnson LP they bought from a shop in London which imported blues records from the US.
Steve Howe is the **THE** quintessential underrated guitarist in the world. I first saw him play live with Yes in 1979 and again in 1981, 1989, 2004 and 2019. He is spell-bounding!
Nick Drake used unusual tunings in almost all his songs, he even invented some tunings. He was just a genius. I would put Elliott Smith as well, brillant guitarist. I'm talking about fingerpincking style But Steve Howe is a genius too and here it is just mind-blowing...
I always loved this song and put it on several cassette tapes that I made for the car back in the old days. I can't believe that he actually put all of this stuff on the net! Bless you for sharing! And keep on dancing those fingers across the fretboard.
A very good friend of mine learned this song in 1999 and mastered it. He played it completely solo for our high school talent show and brought the house down as a clear winner. 99% of the audience (including me) had never heard the song before. What a guy. What a day.
I'm sitting here watching this thinking that this guy is out of this world amazing....Yeah, I guess he would be :) Steve, can't wait to see you this summer in Portchester, NY.
Mr Howe, thanks so much for posting this! I've been wanting to learn "Clap" ever since I learned 'Mood For A Day' from your sheet book back in the 80s ... tried to learn it from there, but I just couldn't figure out the fingering on some of this (I'm not really very good). This is completely awesome, I actually feel like I'll be able to learn it now!! Thank you ever so much.
Your humility is refreshing. I've been playing for over 40 years, yet I often feel that I'm quite mediocre. In reality, I don't think that's true. Don't take humility to an excess. If you mastered "Mood For A Day", then you are very good.
hey below I subscribed to GP magazine in the 70's, play guitar and voted for SH And still have the full page thank you he did in GT mag for voting him in the Gallery of greats. He's the best
The metonymy of Steve Howe surpasses himself, he is superlative beyond all reasonable doubt, he has written a melodic passage in harmonic parody that simply triumphs.
+Watremez Guillaume Don't feel bad. After playing it for 30 years there are a couple of parts that are still very difficult for me and that I can't nail 100%. It's annoying I guess, but I can play most of it very well, except for maybe 10 seconds!!!! I'm just happy I can play guitar at all and can make some sounds that I dig and people occasionally like. When I taught at a music store I always told my students that the most important thing is to have FUN!!! If it ain't fun, do something else. As for Howe, he will always be my main guitar guru. He can't do some of the more modern Eddie Van Halen/Yngwie/Vai tricks, but he's just so completely different and unique, more so than any other guitarist I've ever heard (while still being accessible and not getting into atonal madness).
javitobrigante I would also add Scott Joplin, I mean it sounds so much like ragtime applied on guitar, kinda like what Marcel Dadi used to do. This video is so awesome ! I’m so grateful it’s there :)
@Chris S Oh man I wish. I don't play much anymore. And even back then I don't think I was anywhere near mastering it. Learning it is one thing but playing it this well, need practice. Used to play it nearly everyday so it sounded decent but if I tried now it'll be a disaster.
I like this. Another flatpick+fingers player. I drifted into this style many years ago. I started out as a classical finger style player, moved to Folk, then liked what a friend could do with a flatpick. Became a flatpicker, but kept the F+F style for certain songs/tunes. I figure it's the best of both worlds for a guitar player.
was playing for two and a half years when I started to learn this song... took me 6 months, sat down and practiced a bar each night. Thank you Steve for being so amazing... If it was not for your wonderous music I would not be half the musician I am today!
To everyone who continues to say that this is not Steve Howe, it is indeed Steve. This is taken off of an instructional DVD of his and there is also the large onyx ring that Steve Howe has been seen wearing since early on in his career.
In 1978, I listened to these musics with real pleasure, and at the same time a kind of despair we tell ourselves, at that time, that we will never know, or we will see how to play these magnificent musics, The clap, your moove ... Etc ... And one day, we discover the internet, youtub ... Etc ... And our despair of 1978 turns into joy, to have, in a few "clicks", everything you thought about playing, to see, at will, the way and the way to be able play yourself, and all of a sudden, with exercise, discover that you can become Steve Howe, Hendrix, Gary Moore, Gilmoor… etc… Magnificent… THANK YOU Mr. Howe,
His ring finger is longer than his middle finger. It's no exaggeration to say that most people 'couldn't' play this. Because we couldn't. His hands are ludicrous.
It's amazing. An excellent performance, all while the guitar seems to be secured in a guitar holder, in perfect viewing/ hearing conditions. It's like he's SHOWING YOU how it's done, & you still can't do it!
Me: I spy... a Band Friend: ¿They are a great Band? Me: YES! Friend: ¿They are magnificent? Me: YES!! Friend: ¿They have the greatest classic guitarplayer? Me: YES!!!!! Friend: ¿They have a great singer? Me: YES!!! Friend: ¿The Bass and Keyboard Players are gods? Me: YES!!! Friend: ¿¡Who are they!? ¡I forgive! Me: YES! idiot!! ¡¡¡¡¡YES!!!!
One of the all-time great solo guitar pieces. It's awesome to watch the real deal demonstration anytime you want to on RU-vid. My hat's off to one of the most distinctive guitar stylists of modern times. I hope to post my version of CLAP in a month or two. Thanks
Kevin James; Just play it for your own pleasure. Whether or not you perfect it, it'll still enhance your natural abilities as a player. Besides, this is Steve Howe we're referencing, I often think he's not human.
Kevin James man don't look at it that way... I've been playing for over 50 years and I'm only now taking the time to figure this tune out... I had a friend back in the 70's who could literally play anything... and it sounded just like the recording. A true prodigy but the rest of us rely on our own interpretation... if you want it bad enough and stay after it you'll play it and people will be amazed!
Such a bloody cool song. I love the fact that you'd think this nice-sounding song is named after an STD then you realise he wrote it after watching his first born son clap his hands. Humorous contrast :p
I’ve followed Steve Howe since the late 70s. He has his own blended style that is very unique. While he can play fast, he’s never been one to play fast as a style. He’s more into finding the correct notes instead of playing all of them or as many can fit into every measure. If you were in a group that only played rock, blues, metal, bluegrass, country, jazz, or one just style (which is almost every group) then he would not be the person I’d pick for that group. It doesn’t suit him. While he is probably not the best guitar player of any particular genre, he can play many exceedingly well. He was voted best all around guitar player 5 years in a row back when EV and others were out there as well. If I were in a group that wanted to have a wide variety of songs (as Yes has had), he would be the best pick. He’s going to be the guitar player to add to the melodic line and introduce interesting counterpoints to what everyone else is playing. Beyond Yes, he has 20 solo albums that range from country to rock to classical to many other and some that really can’t even be classified in genres. And what he plays he does so easily that it looks simple but a lot of the time it’s not. “Clap” is a great example. His hands really don’t seem to move much but the song is actually harder to play than it looks. Its tricky. It’s not just some guitar tricks. It has actual necessary notes that move the songs a long. He is one of the few players I can listen to for a good length of time and not become bored or tired of the “sound” because of the rich continuously varying textures he plays in a wide variety of music. (This is why I don’t listen to Malmsteem. Just repetitive note after note.) I tend to come back to his playing after a short excursions into other players. Love a lot of other guitar players because there are so many great ones. I’ve been trying to learn this song for a long time. Each time I come back, I pick out something more. Thanks to Steve for adding flavor into life.
So pretty much my Wednesday morning practice routine before breakfast. 🤣 Seriously thinking about turning my guitar into a coffee table after watching this.
This is an insane piece of music. Steve Howe is a genius! There's not many people out there who can both be amazing prog rock guitarists while also being able to compose and play incredible solo guitar pieces like this.
I’ve been playing 52 years this year. I possess SOME of the skills to try and take this on, but it took 51 years. Now that arthritis is beginning to set in, I’m afraid I’ll never learn it. In this realm at least. Incredible piece of music.
