Unraveling the Secrets of Jamie's Cryin' by Van Halen | Weekend Wankshop 249 w/ Uncle Ben 

Thanks a ton for watching!!! What other Van Halen mysteries do you want to see solved?

My humble request is every song on the first 6 albums. Thank you.

Your graphics are getting off the hook! In all seriousness folks... Ben has the best guitar instructional videos on the net! It's unbelievable how much time he puts in for these awesome videos for free! He has a smooth way of teaching music theory while teaching you the song. Thanks for all the hard work Ben 👏👏👏

You've got a knack for picking up on nuance and hearing uncommon intervals. Something I struggle with on Van Halen songs. So thanks for fleshing this stuff out Uncle Ben.

Really nice! Ed was a master of making cool chords with the simplest of means. It was always so colorful, yet easy once you figured it out...but always a bit unorthodox. And clever! Well done, Uncle Ben.

I have played this wrong for millennia, thank god for Uncle Ben

Real Van Halen nerds needed this

As guitar players sometimes we focus too often on speed or some other shreddy stuff, but all the great guitar players had a very solid rhythm, the flashy solos is just the icing on the cake. But an steady rhythm is key to get people moving, Jamie's crying is one the grooviest songs VH ever made. Also Alex Van Halen's drums in this song deserve some praise, they made a great combo back in their day

No one on the entire internets breaks anything down like you do Unky Ben. This is some solid work!

holy shit , Uncle Ben i've been playing guitar since 1979 and i've never been able to figure out that chord from jamie's cryin! you nailed it! thank you for sharing how to play it correctly! the mystery of that chord has been solved thanks to you!

Hey Ben, the Mystery Chord has be a debated topic for YEARS, but i think the secret to it has always been in the video for the song. Now i know that most of the times they fake their way through a video but Ed definitely plays along to the tracks as intended, and when it gets to that part it looks like he does a power chord shape, pause the official video at the 43 second mark, it catches the tail end of him sustaining the chord, you can see his ring and pinky fingers fretting the D and G stings, at least that's how it looks to me, but cant really tell at what position on the neck, might be 6 and 7 or 7,7. And he has his index finger barred across what might be the 5th fret?, but his thumb might be muting the E string, so when he hits the chord he's racking the E on his way down. So it's possible it might be something like this, which like your first version of the mystery chord: E=X A=? (5) D=? (6 OR 7) G=? (7) B=0 E=0

Love you Uncle Ben. Thanks

This is amazing - awesome job. This is definitely one of the trickier chords bits in a VH song to get right - really shows another side of Eddie’s genius! I wish my ear was half this good...

Cool about the flattened B string trick, had never heard that before

Dudes!!! The "mystery chord" has baffled me for 40 years!!....simply the nastiest chord i EVER heard...always wondered... thank you for the guidance~

First white Lion and Now Van Halen? God damn man, i guess i gotta go buy some spandex 🤘🏼 Thanks for the great lessons man, been following for years, you never disappoint =)

I’m trying to think of clearer, more articulate, well-reasoned instruction for this song, but my head exploded. This is fantastic.

Ed said(in old Guitar Mag interview) that in the early days when they recorded, he often just tuned the guitar to itself(no tuner) then had Michael tune to him. As fast as they recorded songs back then, that's not hard to believe. After all, Templeman was big on them not changing what they did live. Btw, My two older brothers and I had a 3 piece for many years(80s & 90s) and we NEVER used a tuner. I could approximate half step down tuning pretty close by ear and my brother just tuned his bass to me. With a tuner, you often have to adjust a bit afterwards anyway(esp Ed with his flat B string) and when you punch in on a recording, which VH rarely did back then, you just tune to the recording. When you have good ears, it's almost easier than using a tuner. And surely Eddy wasn't thinking about the thousands of kids who would be trying to tune to his albums years later. I wanted to add,: When Ed said that he just tuned the guitar to itself, he also said, "Who decided that an A string HAS to vibrate at 440 anyway?!". Ed used Fender 9 tru 40 back then so his strings were already floppy at roughly a half step down. Besides, I always felt when you tune between conventional tunings, the listener's ear picks it up as different/ special on a subconscious level. I believe that's why Pantara did it as well. Frequency wise, It subtlely sets your band apart from all the thousands of B.S. bands on the radio who always follow the rules. Rock On#

Another home run, Ben. Thank you!

Way back in the day , my first guitar was an rg 550 . The only difference between then and the reissue... The cut away around 12 th fret . Mine sucked ! And had no way to reach upper frets . But I didn't know any better as a first time buyer . Glad they brought it back .updated of course.

About the guitar tuning, another factor I read Eddie in an interview years ago that he would just pick up a guitar and tune it to itself, then Michael Anthony would tune to him. That could also have played a part in it.

The lick at 2:41 in I’m The One has always kept me from playing the whole tune confidently. Something about the distribution of notes and timing even slowed down has me scratching my head

I've been doing that B string trick for 15 years or more. It just sounds better.

The only song I’ve ever heard where a guitar snarled at me, absolutely amazing!

So glad you explained about the B and G warbling issue. I wondered why that was always an issue for me, so it's good to hear it is always an issue

Your details and explanations here are making me love this song even more! I can't wait to try it out. Thanks Uncle Ben. You Rock!

Thanks Ben. I think you're right the first shape sounds spot on.

The Major 3rd (G-B string) dissonance is just part of our Equal Temperament system. Eddie loved "happy" major chords and flattening the B string was the best way to correct that problem. I've always wondered how effects (like a flanger or phase 90) can help cover-up those dissonances. IMHO, they do help to blur those dissonances via modulation.

Top Jimmy by Van Halen is very tricky with the arpeggiated chords mixed with harmonics, please do that. Long time viewer, love your content Ben!

Hey, it's Cody from Facebook. I messaged you like in July or August about this! Glad to see it became a WW.

How about breaking down the super sweet intro to Women in Love? Back in the day long before there was a thing as the internet several of us tried to figure it and couldn't get the tapping right, so we ended up playing it with a pick. Didn't quite sound the same but was still cool nevertheless.😁😁😁

This (and listening to the isolated guitar track) was super helpful.

Oh man Ben, I'm so glad you did this one. It's one of my favorite VH songs. It's nice to get it as accurate as possible. Thanks!

thank you for this. i love the original

I figured that G string thing out back in the '80s while using a tuner for the first time. I found out recently on youtube that there's a WHOLE thing on this issue across ALL strings. Check out James Taylor's video on tuning. Then, check out the clip on tuner by Peterson that has built in 'Sweeteners'. Those sweeteners will automatically make adjustments to all strings. Plus, I say sweetener(S), plural, because there's a LIST of instruments that have individual sweeteners specifically for them. Bass Guitar Banjo Accordion Piano Brass Woodwinds etc........

awesome attention to detail. great job Ben.

I believe the "mystery chord" is (0)5770x. Around 1:30 is one of the easier spots to hear each note appear when slowed down, stepping through with a short loop/hold function. (I recommend Amazing Slow Downer for this kind of thing as Transcribe! kind of mangles/reverbs stuff at lower speeds.) The low E restrike is pretty clear every time but it's stopped almost immediately, likely by LH thumb. His LH position on the music video seems to agree with that: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-OOjm4I7LRgY.html P.S. Humans Being first chord = 075000

Who would thumbs down this? This is awesome

The tuning that Eddie used for the Ibanez Destroyer main guitar track is as follows. 1st string: Eb + 7.7 cents 2nd string: Bb + 7.9 cents 3rd string: F# + 9.6 cents 4th string: C# +10.0 cents 5th string: Ab +10.0 cents 6th string: Eb +7.7 cents The overdubbed harmony guitars (the Frankenstein with standard Fender tremolo) are tuned as follows: 1st string: Eb + 23.7 cents 2nd string: Bb + 23.9 cents 3rd string: F# + 25.6 cents 4th string: C# +26.0 cents 5th string: Ab +26.0 cents 6th string: Eb +23.7 cents These are deliberate tunings that he repeated through different songs on different albums. These tunings can’t be arrived at through variable tape speed because individual strings are deliberately out of chromatic tuning with each other.

guitar Illuminati 3rd eye - niiiiice! Great lesson thanks!

3:20 warbling. Ever since I started playing I had issues with he warbling sound and always slightly changed my timing to smooth it out often...I had no idea Hendrix or Edward did this or what people called it. I just liked it better and did it. 100% you can never get rid of warble when tuning normally. I'm glad I haven't been alone all these decades!!!

The most overlooked part of Jamie's crying is the outro solo rhythm guitar part. It is different from all other parts in the song. We take for granted it is the same as the intro rhythm guitar but if you listen closely, you can clearly hear him playing something similar to the chorus section only using higher notes (the G and B strings). On the "Wild thing" part.

Great description on the detuned B string weirdness. The Feiten tuning was introduced (by Buzz Feiten) to address this intonation issue by moving the nut a tiny bit closer and supposedly fixes that. You're a genius, dude, love your lessons!

1:41 That's EXACTLY what someone in the Guitar Illuminati would say..... I'm onto you Ben!

Always outstanding videos man, I'm actually a bass player but still love your work. As Mr Roth once said, "genius is attention to detail"

Quality, as usual, Uncle Ben.

Less clicking more pickin........love that. Informative as always.

The other day I was curious about a certain part of another VH song. I watched 6 videos that all showed the wrong way to play it, all done by some of the most popular RU-vid teachers. If you want to learn it right, the first time, then trust uncle Ben.

Uncle Ben is my real stepdad. Still waiting on the stuff opeth does. Much love.

Great job, those small details make a big difference! Thanks for making the effort to do it right

Hei Ben - quick one about the almost-a-half-step tuning on this one. Whilst it's not unlikely that the tape speed might have varied, more often than not tracks in the 60s to the 80s were sped up or slowed down ever so slightly in order to alter the apparent mood of the track. Take The Doors' "The Crystal Ship" for example. It's slightly lower in pitch than the closest note on a "standard-tuned" guitar. It's slowed something like 1-2% however it alters the mood and makes it far more languid and melancholy. Queen did this a far number of times as well; repitch them to "standard" tuning and they almost stop working. It's crazy, but its true.

It's amazing when you don't over think things putting a song together .

Love you man. Great freaking work.

Solid stuff per usual - Great content and appreciate the breakdowns 👍

You deserve to have millions of subs, dude.

Great lesson! One Foot Out The Door solo!

Ben , you made my day ! ...Since half an year or so i paused with my guitarplaying ..but now i go to your channel and thought tomyself "Hmm Jamie´s crying ? that would be a nice song to start over Thx! Your Lessons are great as always !

Uncle Ben doing EVH is where it's at.

Eddie’s rhythm is often overshadowed by his leads. Great examples from this song and also in “Mean Street.”

@beneller I tuned in only to see if you were doing it right! I’ve seen so many lessons on this song and most are way off. You however nailed it. I came up with a similar way of play Those parts some years ago but with a little variation. Edward always played variations of chords and so when you approach learning a VH song always keep that in mind. Keep up the awesome lessons.

Great analysis Ben. I love how you use your ear, music theory and knowledge of EVH's playing style to determine how the song is played. You would think that after 40 years this would have been common knowledge. I also appreciate that you don't trash talk the incorrect info, that shows a lot of class and confidence in your own abilities. Lastly, I'm so glad that while you want to be sure the song is played correctly, you aren't dead set on it being played EXACTLY like the original. Eddie didn't care if he played it the same exact way each time so why should we.

Hendrix tuned by ear. After he had the guitar tuned to pitch he would then adjust to fit his preferences. I have also read that he would customize his string gauges to fit what he wanted to hear. Oh and his pickups were in the standard position for a right handed Strat but they were custom made by SD if I remember correctly.

yup all of what you showed is spot on, as you mentioned can hear it in the isolated track, as for flanger or phaser i tried both and for some reason i got better results with the phase script in my FM9, maybe i could not dial in the flanger correctly 🤷‍♂ This was a great video 👍

Thank you!

neat, I've always done that 'hendrix tuning' and never even knew it was a thing.

Thanx for this, Uncle Ben!

Great lesson, I dig your style of teaching.

Nice job Ben...flange makes it tough but better job describing open ringing notes.

Thank you.

Nice video, Ben! For the pull off lick, another variation would be hitting only the D & F# notes (not the first open E). When you pull off the F# to the E with your pinky, also catch the open E to make it ring at the same time. -Cheers

Thanks Ben! This is such a gem on the debut - the guitar tone is just off the hook and one of the few tunes on VH I with overdubs. Thanks for unraveling this masterpiece...

AWESOME lesson----really, really well done, thanks Ben!!

Finally! Thank you soooooo much

Your lessons rule!

top jimmy i cant figure the way he plays that cool arpeggiated sounding chord sequence

I've always had a soft spot for Beautiful Girls. Wouldn't mind seeing those riffs covered.

Eddie has said in several interviews he tuned about a quarter step down because of Dave's voice

Loving the dirty fretboard. Gets me in the mood for Eddie. Lol

Youre the man Ben.

THANK YOU !!!!!!!!

You're by far one of the best on RU-vid in terms of teaching and your technical expertise. Fantastic guitar player and great teacher. I find it odd that some other channels aren't even close to being able to convey what you can, and they literally suck as guitar players go... and yet they have several million subscribers . It should be you with those millions of subscribers. I've yet to see you put something out there that isn't 100% bang on. I enjoy every single episode I watch on your Van Halen lessons. I have learned more than I could possibly imagine from those lessons. All the little nuances that I've heard in the songs but never focused on, are all in your videos. Great work Ben! I look forward to more of it!

Nice analysis/tutorial.

Worth it just for that hint for women in love. Great lesson as usual!

Great breakdown. Would love to see u do "Hang Em High" by VH

Great lesson Ben and you really nailed it!

Nothing like a Weekend Wank!! Thanks UB!!

Another comment about the tuning of this and other recordings back in the day. Many times the guitar player would pull his guitar out of the case and tune it to itself to whatever the low E or A was at and the bass player would tune to him. Or vice-versa. They didn’t worry too much about little things like tuning to a Peterson strobe or anything. Hey! It’s rock and roll!

Another great EVH lesson Uncle Ben!!!!

I suggest the intro to fools from the women and children first album. The meanest and heaviest riff of all.

Master Ben aka guitar theory wizard🙌

Awesome vid Ben! It's definitely a phaser in this one. Easiest way to tell the difference is the lack of regeneration.

Had to come back to this just to marvel at Ed's INCREDIBLE song writing! Loved the Roth-era writing, VERY MUCH liked his playing in the Van-Hagar era but felt it just didn't compare to his writing and swing of the Roth-era. LATELY, I REALIZE HOW WRONG I AM! While he wasn't ripping it up in the Hagar era like he did in the Roth years, his creativity on the rhythm guitar was OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD on the Hagar records! OMG! NOBODY WRITES LIKE THAT! People have learned how to emulate every aspect of his playing over the years, BUT NO ONE CAN EMULATE HIS WRITING STYLE!!!

"third eye" got me LOL

Hey pretty cool Ben! I have not heard the iso trk for Jamie’s crying but that ‘mystery’ chord def has a d in it. For those that want to know it is an E7 chord, obv not traditional but it’s the tonality of the entire song. I finally did a deep dive into VHI thru IV in the last few yrs using ‘modern’ tools after wearing out a few original VH albums

That was fantastic!!! Thank you Uncle Ben!!!

Great video!!!!! Thanks!!!

Thanks Ben. The small detail DO matter!!

Uncle Ben, the mystery chord, it’s both. First time 5-4, second & third, 5-7. 👌👍

OMG! All these years I just thought that my guitar was crap (well, in all actuality it is) because I could never get the B-string to tune properly. I did this exact same thing that Ed/Hendrix did to compensate for the inability to get the B-string to sound good with the G-string. I feel much better learning this from you Uncle Ben. Si Hi to Aunt Jemima for me dude!

The chord shape in the verse, was the second one you showed. The vibrations make a lot more sense