# The Absolute Hardest Song



## median (Oct 17, 2012)

What is the absolute hardest (most difficult) song to play on guitar (any guitar)??? 

Bring it!





Btw, *DO NOT *say Flight of the Bumble Bee...LOL


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## nostealbucket (Oct 17, 2012)

Psyopus?


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## brutalwizard (Oct 17, 2012)

4:10 and onward


It has just been brought.

/thread


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## MrPepperoniNipples (Oct 18, 2012)

I'd say a collection of songs is in order since different techniques for different players

Rusty Cooley - The Butcher
Daniele Gottardo - Scarecrow's Dance
Jason Becker - Perpetual Burn


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## median (Oct 18, 2012)

These are pretty damn hard too...


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## Trespass (Oct 18, 2012)

Not because the notes or the tempo are hard. Or the twists and turns the notes take.

Because you have to swing at 300bpm. 



Every guitar player posted in this thread will not be able to do that.


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## MrPepperoniNipples (Oct 18, 2012)

Trespass said:


> Not because the notes or the tempo are hard. Or the twists and turns the notes take.
> 
> Because you have to swing at 300bpm.
> 
> ...





I concede.
you win the thread.


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Oct 18, 2012)

Reduce all of the note values by 50% and mark the tempo as Q = 150. 

This isn't really a guitar piece, but I have no doubt that it's difficult for one person to play all of it:


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## vent187 (Oct 18, 2012)

Zyglrox - Periphery


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## djyngwie (Oct 18, 2012)

Trespass said:


> Because you have to swing at 300bpm.
> 
> 
> 
> Every guitar player posted in this thread will not be able to do that.


I'm pretty sure it would be second nature for Shawn.


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## Konfyouzd (Oct 18, 2012)

Meshuggah - I

Endurance like a mo' fucka...


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## median (Oct 18, 2012)

Maybe I should have specific hardest "physically". Because there are certainly songs that aren't "fast" or technically difficult but super challenging to remember. What say you?


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## Konfyouzd (Oct 18, 2012)

^ In that case... Half of Dream Theater's catalog... I think that covers the fast and difficult to remember. 

(Not that the songs aren't memorable... I'd just have a hard time remembering what came next if I were in the band.)


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## median (Oct 18, 2012)

Or perhaps AAL.


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## Sikthness (Oct 18, 2012)

Some Spawn of Possession is hard as shit imo. Someone mentioned AAL, that can be really tough considering some of the techniques used


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## Lagtastic (Oct 18, 2012)

I gotta go with Dark Matter from Rusty Cooley. Insane 4nps legato runs. I've put some concerted effort into this song and just give up every time. 

Perpetual Burn is pretty rough as well for both technique and trying to remember it all.


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## mr_rainmaker (Oct 18, 2012)

Perpetual Burn,just tring to remember everything in its right place.

greg howe Stratovarious,getting the fingering right is the issue.


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## MrPepperoniNipples (Oct 18, 2012)

I think Perpetual Burn is more exhausting than anything else


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## Malkav (Oct 19, 2012)

I'm gonna go with the Shawn Lane recommendations, I honestly think that he plays the most impossible things on guitar ever. When you really break down his phrasing and runs it's an absolute mind fuck  It's not just the speed it's the ridiculousness of his note selection and his particular approach to vibrato that makes it fucking daunting as all hell.



Trespass said:


> Every guitar player posted in this thread will not be able to do that.




I really don't think you could throw Shawn Lane into that category...



I mean


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## Quitty (Oct 19, 2012)

Trespass said:


> Not because the notes or the tempo are hard. Or the twists and turns the notes take.
> 
> Because you have to swing at 300bpm.
> 
> ...




Never heard of Gordian Knot, have you?


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## starslight (Oct 19, 2012)




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## Fat-Elf (Oct 19, 2012)

vent187 said:


> Zyglrox - Periphery



Really? It took me 15 minutes to get the first riff down. Didn't bother to learn the rest though but I doubt that it is the most difficult one.


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## Maniacal (Oct 19, 2012)

There is no "hardest" because that depends purely on the individuals strengths and weaknesses. 

Shawn Lane stuff is hard for different reasons than something like Spawn Of Possession. 

For example: A shredder might find the Rusty Cooley stuff easier than Giant Steps, a jazz guy would be the opposite. 

You are better off asking the hardest alternate picking, sweep picking, phrasing, riffing, tapping pieces.


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## Konfyouzd (Oct 19, 2012)

Or the most physically demanding...

Technically demanding composition-wise/theory-wise...

Etc...

But then you're liable to start internet arguments.


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## Fiction (Oct 19, 2012)

0 3 5

0 3 6 5

0 3 5

3














































































0


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## Murmel (Oct 19, 2012)

^
I thought I was gonna shit my pants on the last note. Definitely didn't see it coming. Genius.


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## Grimbold (Oct 19, 2012)

that made my day


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## median (Oct 24, 2012)

I think a lot of Paco De Lucia's stuff is really difficult. I love that stuff.


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## m3l-mrq3z (Oct 25, 2012)

I believe the intro to this tune to be one of the most challenging real polyrhythms a guitarist could learn.



Can anyone explain what's going on at the beginning? Are those sextuplets against pentuplets?


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## TheOddGoat (Oct 25, 2012)

I have just written it.

You must play an open E and hold it for 15 minutes, then repeat.

For 15 years.

No breaks, food or water.

And to the dude above:

It's 3 over 2 over and over again.

The bit that's confusing is that the sequence for the 2 part is 3 notes long.

3 two--ti----- frogs
2 two-----ny-------


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## Sikthness (Oct 25, 2012)

^in .gp5, please thx


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## morrowcosom (Oct 25, 2012)

I am horrible at gallops. They just feel so awkward compared to down picking or alternate picking. 

So for me it would be 

Bleed by Meshuggah 


As far as a band in general, I would say that playing many Iced Earth songs would be quite the undertaking for me. 

Like this one: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGZ-vEHuwNY 

There are faster gallops than what has been mentioned, but these examples are robotically tight.


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## FretWizard88 (Oct 25, 2012)

Yeah, the Shawn Lane thing was hard, but IMHO it wasn't very listenable.

I'm not disrespecting the dude because he is a legend for sure. Just my .


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## morrowcosom (Oct 25, 2012)

> ^in .gp5, please thx



Just tap your foot to a metronome and keep it going. For every two foot taps, clap your hands three evenly spaced times. Start with a simultaneously clap and tap on the one.


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## Trespass (Oct 26, 2012)

djyngwie said:


> I'm pretty sure it would be second nature for Shawn.



Shawn MAY be the only exception this. The only problem is, I haven't heard ANY recorded examples of his swing time feel besides that really quick demo.



Quitty said:


> Never heard of Gordian Knot, have you?



They don't have any swing time feel that I can remember.

I think you guys are way underestimating how difficult jazz is. Having a deep, consistent and unshifting swing time feel is as rhythmically difficult in jazz as John Petrucci solos are technically difficult.

The only difference is that you're expected to improvise while maintaining that level of difficulty.

I know guys that work on time feel for years. One in particular who in his 50s has been hitting the metronome for the last thirty years to develop his backbeat and swing. -> He has great time.


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## m3l-mrq3z (Oct 26, 2012)

morrowcosom said:


> *I am horrible at gallops. They just feel so awkward compared to down picking or alternate picking. *
> 
> .



Meshuggah's bleed is not hard for me, speed-wise. It just confuses my right hand :/


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## cult-leader-of-djent (Oct 26, 2012)

Try this out Hard as fuuuuuck
The Escapist Notion


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## TheOddGoat (Oct 26, 2012)

cult-leader-of-djent said:


> Try this out Hard as fuuuuuck
> The Escapist Notion




The section at 1:15ish could be tricky to keep rock steady if you're picking down-up-up for sure.


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## Konfyouzd (Oct 26, 2012)

That song is awesome but I REALLY hate his tone on that vid...


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## hairychris (Oct 26, 2012)

Paganini played well...  (and fwiw I don't really like the Becker version posted above!)

Shred/metal/polywhatever - yeah, I get it even though I don't have the chops. Classical/Spanish has more capacity to blow me away as I just can't comprehend how it maps to my own playing!

And this just kills me each time I hear it. Not the hardest ever, but just the feel and technique required: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTWXanD4mY8


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## m3l-mrq3z (Oct 28, 2012)

Paganini's Caprice Nr.1. At full speed. Now that's a challenge.


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## Stealthdjentstic (Oct 28, 2012)

Lane hands down, ive never heard of anyone coming close to him in terms of raw ability.


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## Dayn (Oct 28, 2012)

If we're linking jazz, then George Gershwin's 'I Got Rhythm'.


At least, the way Hiromi plays it on piano. Especially when she goes nuts halfway through. I'm not sure I can even imagine it on guitar.


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## brutalwizard (Oct 28, 2012)

20$ to anyone that transcribes and plays any of the 3 main solos without a pick like them 



I am serious.


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## pacobronmandera (Nov 4, 2012)

This is impossible to call...


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## pacobronmandera (Nov 4, 2012)

m3l-mrq3z said:


> I believe the intro to this tune to be one of the most challenging real polyrhythms a guitarist could learn.
> 
> 
> 
> Can anyone explain what's going on at the beginning? Are those sextuplets against pentuplets?




Just two against three.


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## Spacepants (Nov 4, 2012)

Bleed By Meshuggah


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## Given To Fly (Nov 5, 2012)

I hate getting sucked into these kinds of threads!  I think most of the music mentioned shouldn't be in the discussion because most of it contains so much of the players idiosyncrasies that no other human being would be able to play the music at the same level. I think it's _Frank_ by Steve Vai where he plays a melody section using 1 pitch and the whammy bar. I have never seen anyone else pull it off so that could be considered the hardest piece. 

In the realm of composed/notated guitar music I would say _Kurze Schatten II_ by Brian Ferneyhough is pretty much as hard as it gets. There are some other pieces that are literally impossible because of physical limitations of bad writing but in _Kurze Schatten II_, everything is possible but its improbable a person could play it with a high (90% or so) level of accuracy.


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## Malkav (Nov 5, 2012)

Dayn said:


> If we're linking jazz, then George Gershwin's 'I Got Rhythm'.


 
 

Another good version of it


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## heregoesnothing (Nov 5, 2012)

I second Giant Steps

also Shawn Lane, and most Allan Holdsworth, Joe Pass stuff are unplayable 



FretWizard88 said:


> Yeah, the Shawn Lane thing was hard, but IMHO it wasn't very listenable.



I found this very fun to listen to:



reminds me of Coltrane/Art Tatum (Shawn wrote this song on the piano lol mind = blown).


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## Vicious7 (Nov 5, 2012)

Derek Taylor for me.

Or anything by Mick Barr......


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## starslight (Nov 7, 2012)

Seven minutes of absolute badassery:


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## MartinMTL (Nov 9, 2012)

Trespass said:


> Not because the notes or the tempo are hard. Or the twists and turns the notes take.
> 
> Because you have to swing at 300bpm.
> 
> ...




I clearly remember you trying to tell me that this would be a good song for a beginner jazz player to learn. It seems that you are slightly contradicting yourself here...


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## DarkWolfXV (Nov 17, 2012)

Viraemia


Or Brain Drill, because it has no fucking structure.


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## groovemasta (Nov 17, 2012)

I don't think any jazz can be the hardest song ever, because if you're improvising you can choose how many notes you want to play, maybe the changes are hard but still technically you can only play 1 note a chord if you want. Unless you're talking about playing a transcribed solo.


Or maybe every jazz piece is the hardest since you can be as technical as you want.


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## Sam MJ (Nov 17, 2012)

brutalwizard said:


> 20$ to anyone that transcribes and plays any of the 3 main solos without a pick like them
> 
> 
> 
> I am serious.



They're using picks 

But completely agree, Django was insane! and with only 2 fingers!


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## viesczy (Nov 23, 2012)

I've found transcribing non-stringed instrument pieces the most challenging. Right now I'd say:





Those 2 Chopin pieces are moving all about, do make sens to my ears but confound my guitar finger logic!

Can't forget a challenging violin piece:



The are all pretty hard to know/play up to speed.

Oh yeah, looking @ Lola Astanova isn't a bad thing... bet she is hard to work with though! EEK!

Derek


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## Trespass (Nov 23, 2012)

MartinMTL said:


> I clearly remember you trying to tell me that this would be a good song for a beginner jazz player to learn. It seems that you are slightly contradicting yourself here...



I said in that thread to play it at a slow tempo, arpeggiating each chord. The reason being that it would teach you to stay away from key-center soloing*, which generally sounds awful until you understand how to place chord tones on downbeats. 
(*because Giant Steps changes key every bar)

I said nothing about swinging at 300bpm (or swinging at all).

Music is melody/harmony/rhythm. 
I was getting you to focus on the first two.


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## BIG ND SWEATY (Nov 26, 2012)

im going to go ahead and say almost everything by beneath the massacre, their songs are fucking INSANE


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## kaaka (Nov 29, 2012)

Probably impossible to tell 1 thing that is THE hardest... But some pretty hard ones regarding lead guitar is Shawn Lane or Marshall Harrison. Improvisation I would say some really awkward chord progression like Giant Steps... Rhythm, Meshuggah? And then there is the universes of classical guitar, gypsy jazz and so on... All styles have some really sick shit that is close to unplayable for mere mortals.


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## TheDuatAwaits (Dec 1, 2012)

Cursing Akhenaten by ATB is incredibly difficult to me, also Ataxia by Within the Ruins.

Oh yeah, any Necrophagist song.


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## Max Dread (Dec 1, 2012)

starslight said:


> Seven minutes of absolute badassery:




Thanks for this - that was amazing. Never heard of her before today..... 

I live in the arse end of nowhere in rural North Norfolk, where apart from the coming and going of the winter geese and the odd farmer's market not much happens. I just checked out her website to see what UK dates she has coming up, and saw that she performed in Binham back in August, which is just down the road! I can't bloody believe it! 

Anyways, sorry for the off topic but I had to just share that....


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## MercyFlush (Dec 2, 2012)

My vote...

4:20 onwards


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## Pablo Zuta (Dec 2, 2012)

Frank Gambale -The Challenger


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## juwanfidle09 (Dec 4, 2012)

going to repost this again


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## K4RM4 (Dec 6, 2012)

Motorman - racer X

I've read that Paul actually has to turn his back to the audience, meditate for a second, practice the intro a few times through, then turn around and play it.


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## groovemasta (Dec 6, 2012)

Why is house of mirrors the hardest?


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## DanakinSkywalker (Dec 6, 2012)

No idea how to embed Youtube videos... I thought I did, but apparently not. So here is Rusty Cooley, maybe his shredding doesn't sound too good, but seems difficult.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNvp1PY5hRw


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## Tasteh (Jan 28, 2013)

Bucketheads crazy 8 finger tapping while chicken picking, while sweeping.


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## Transmissions (Feb 3, 2013)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRDj1_5ekxg mandatory


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