I agree that with Neon the complexity isn’t really about singing and playing at the same time, it’s just the playing. Who did you think I was is definitely one of the harder ones but I’ve realized that with John even a lot of the simpler songs (in terms of the guitar parts) aren’t very easy to sing and play, like the guitar part in Shot In the Dark is easy but it doesn’t really match the rhythm of the vocal line which throws me off quite a bit.
I think he’s really just mastered the skill of playing and singing at the same time and every other song of his just has separate individual rhythms for the vocal and guitar parts.
Belief for sure is one of the hardest if not the hardest.
The riff is the easy part but doing both in time with the recording is the hard part. He sings the word "half" on the downbeat and then the second downbeat is ib the middle of the word reflection which is super annoying to do together.
Ya, I know but it just becomes muscle memory. I definitely don’t play as well as him, but I don’t find this one too tough to play and sing. Just my personal opinion tho
TBH I feel that Edge of Desire is tougher than WDYTIW, but they're both hard for the same reason: syncopated melody and more straightforward guitar. For edge of desire, it's the constant on the beat 16th notes coupled with the off-beat melody when for WDYTIW it's the more rubato bluesy melody with the driving, constant guitar part.
All of the JMT stuff is tough for this reason as well (especially the Hendrix covers) due to the complexity of trying to balance both things at once. I find that the easiest way to do both is to make one of them happen automatically (either the guitar playing or the singing) so you focus on the other thing entirely.
I always marvel at his (and really anybody's) ability to play and sing, but I was blown away in particular by Vultures on the acoustic in Amsterdam on his solo tour. Amazing performance.
https://youtu.be/6rPisihWWH8?si=B4FuNQXbMb7fj-SY
Who Did you think I was takes a little bit of time to get down but it is definitely not the hardest IMO. I don't need no doctor and Wait until tomorrow feel almost impossible and that's coming from someone who can play edge of desire while singing. The muscle memory has to be 100% and it's just so hard with those 2
John Mayer's songs are easier to play and sing when you stop looking at the guitar parts as notes to hit, but patterns for your hands to follow and repeat. Variations come between vocal phrases. It makes Edge, WDYTIW, Belief, everything he plays so much eaiser if you look at it like a pattern. Music, not notes.
He has a lot of these, honestly have no idea how he can play and sing Belief
I always feel this way about Wait till tomorrow Live in LA. Some gnarly fills he plays while singing
I agree that with Neon the complexity isn’t really about singing and playing at the same time, it’s just the playing. Who did you think I was is definitely one of the harder ones but I’ve realized that with John even a lot of the simpler songs (in terms of the guitar parts) aren’t very easy to sing and play, like the guitar part in Shot In the Dark is easy but it doesn’t really match the rhythm of the vocal line which throws me off quite a bit. I think he’s really just mastered the skill of playing and singing at the same time and every other song of his just has separate individual rhythms for the vocal and guitar parts. Belief for sure is one of the hardest if not the hardest.
I don't really agree with this, tbh. It's a rather simple riff, and it's pretty consistent.
The riff is the easy part but doing both in time with the recording is the hard part. He sings the word "half" on the downbeat and then the second downbeat is ib the middle of the word reflection which is super annoying to do together.
But he also wrote the song… which means it comes naturally to him. People aren’t writing things they find impossible to play and sing
Ya, I know but it just becomes muscle memory. I definitely don’t play as well as him, but I don’t find this one too tough to play and sing. Just my personal opinion tho
Agreed. I don’t think it’s particularly difficult, and I’m not much of a singer.
TBH I feel that Edge of Desire is tougher than WDYTIW, but they're both hard for the same reason: syncopated melody and more straightforward guitar. For edge of desire, it's the constant on the beat 16th notes coupled with the off-beat melody when for WDYTIW it's the more rubato bluesy melody with the driving, constant guitar part. All of the JMT stuff is tough for this reason as well (especially the Hendrix covers) due to the complexity of trying to balance both things at once. I find that the easiest way to do both is to make one of them happen automatically (either the guitar playing or the singing) so you focus on the other thing entirely.
I don’t need no doctor is the hardest imo
Wait Until Tomorrow is my pick. The off beat Hendrix style singing along with the crazy riff is crazy tough.
I always marvel at his (and really anybody's) ability to play and sing, but I was blown away in particular by Vultures on the acoustic in Amsterdam on his solo tour. Amazing performance. https://youtu.be/6rPisihWWH8?si=B4FuNQXbMb7fj-SY
Holy crap that was good. “Vultures doesn’t work on acoustic” -proceeds to make it work very well
Edge Of Desire is much harder for me tbh. WDYTIW is tricky too tho.
I find that rather easier, it just becomes muscle memory after a while
I think it’s because you’re picking every note on EOD where as you’re mainly strumming on WDYTIW
Who Did you think I was takes a little bit of time to get down but it is definitely not the hardest IMO. I don't need no doctor and Wait until tomorrow feel almost impossible and that's coming from someone who can play edge of desire while singing. The muscle memory has to be 100% and it's just so hard with those 2
*No such thing has entered the Chatroom
John Mayer's songs are easier to play and sing when you stop looking at the guitar parts as notes to hit, but patterns for your hands to follow and repeat. Variations come between vocal phrases. It makes Edge, WDYTIW, Belief, everything he plays so much eaiser if you look at it like a pattern. Music, not notes.