how to play "Cheap Sunglasses" by ZZ Top - electric guitar lesson rythym
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- Опубліковано 7 вер 2024
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An electric guitar lesson on how to play "Cheap Sunglasses" by ZZ top. Another classic riff from Billy Gibbons.
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Thanks for watching. Cheers
What I like about your lessons is that you show us the right way, no short cuts.
Hey Allen, It's good to hear that you appreciate the difference bro! I really HATE all those lessons out there where guys are teaching people the wrong things, I mean I know they have good intentions, but in the end they're just spreading bad information right?
Some of the best tutorials on UA-cam. I'm a maniac about playing things exactly correctly, you can always hear when someone is merely close. Close seems to be good enough for a lot of people but not me. If I'm playing a cover like Beatles song or Zep or anything it must be perfectly correct, exactly as originally performed by the artist, this is why your tutorials are so valuable. Well done!!
David Evans Thanks David, yeah I agree, you learn so much by emulating these guys, which you can then use in your own playing. cheers
I like watching guys play the song live. I learn so much that way. I just watched Billy play it live and wonder when does he drop tune the E? It was from the video Live in Texas. He’s using the white Gretsch. He’s talking to the audience first then he goes into the song. You never see guys tuning onstage?
Thee best.
So Awesome! I was a twenty-something when I went to the Lehigh University against Lafayette oldest football rivalry game, and afterwards climbed with my friends upward to all of the fraternity home parties and they hired the best bands. That was when I heard such a well-funded band play "Cheap Sunglasses" so perfectly along with so many other Pink Floyd covers!
Billy does a ton of hammer-ons and pull-offs. He’s super soulful that way but also very economical.
It’s pure genius and your lesson here nails it!
Practically everyone plays this song and many others wrong because they take shortcuts, don’t hear all the notes, and don’t use Billy’s picking/fingering techniques.
This is why there’s only one BFG.
I’ve been working this out lately as I’ve been going through a big Billy phase.
You’ve given me my easy out and I thank you pun intended!🤘🏻
I was one of the guys playing it wrong and couldn't figure out why it didn't sound quite right, I have it down now. You nailed it, great lesson.
Me too thanks for helping me out I sound better now
You are the best teacher ever! I'm finally playing zztop the way I've always wanted. Thanks so much from Warren. 😎
For what it's worth.... the "official" tab on Ultimate Guitar shows the high E tuned down to D. Thanks for the work you've put in on these lessons and the cut to the chase teaching style. One of the best learning resources I've found.
'75 ,graduated HS ... great times . de-tuning ...wow ... you ROCK !
Salt and lime life Pcbflausa Thanks bud.
Awesome lesson as always!! I personally think the solos on this song are top shelf. Every note is a million bucks and playing it with the same feel and nuances as Mr. Gibbons is quite challenging....in a good way!! Ive been at for for 30 years and gigging for 20. Billy is a true master.
That lick you're talking about at the 12:25 mark is not a keyboard part. It is his guitar through a Maestro ring modulator, which Billy had the cosmetics changed on the outside of the unit and had the name, "Bizzarktone" put on it. He likes to do that to alot of his gear. People would wonder where he got it or who made it and where they could get one. He didn't think anything of paying someone to create a logo and artwork and have a custom pedal made with the innards of a standard pedal, like the Maestro. No one knew it was a Maestro. But, every guitar player was always trying to figure out how he got his sounds and different tones. He loved to keep them guessing. In the early days, he had all his Marshall Amps recovered and had the Marshall name plates taken off and had someone custom-make him some logos that said, "Rio Grande". So, they looked like they were "Rio Grande" amps that looked like Marshalls. Everyone was wondering where he got the "Rio Grande" amps. A replica of his pride and joy Les Paul, "Pearly Gates", that was custom-made for him, doesn't have the Gibson logo in the headstock but, instead, has a "Gibbons" logo, styled after the Gibson logo, in it's place. He has always been a very creative guy from day one. He was always having stuff custom-made for him....quirky stuff. I have a couple of bumper stickers he gave me back in the early days. One was a black and white sticker about 2.5" by 4" that had a picture of a grinning, black cook in a chef hat. The text read: "Z.Z. Top. He bear down on the meat and ease off of the potato salad". He was always doing stuff like that. He is quite a character. One of a kind.
Scott Hoyt WOW! That's amazing, I never knew any of that! cheers
I wanted to add that I read in a guitar player magazine many years ago, probably in the late 70's or early '80's that Billy Gibbons also had a few guitars that he used exclusively for radical alternate tunings and other odd manifestations.
For example, for this album (Deguello), he used a guitar on several tracks that had all high "E" strings, instead of the usual mix of strings. He sometimes tuned the guitars normally, or sometimes all to the same pitch (like "E") for a jangly guitar effect. If I recall correctly, he double-tracked and triple-tracked a few of the songs on this album using the all E string Frankenstring. According to Mr. Gibbons' guitar tech (on a recent video interview I found here on YT), he prefers .009 strings on most guitars.
Listening to songs such as the intro to "Fool For Your Stockings" leaves little doubt as an audible testament of that creative use of non-wound strings.
I thought that was personally an odd choice, seeing how he plays a lot of slide guitar. Typically, heavier strings work better for this function. Perhaps he has certain guitars set up for slide with heavier gauge strings, like .010's or .011's. I would think anything is possible for stage and studio. He certainly is a tinkerer and experimenter, as well as a master of his domain in his genre.
Speaking of which, please keep up your excellent work on all your videos. Yes, you are perhaps one of the very few rare people who are teaching these songs exactly as they were played, to the best of my hearing. The sheer volume and diversity of your collection of tutorials is truly stunning.
Bravo, sir. As one long-time guitar player to another, I tip my hat to you and commend all your efforts. Bravo!
The ring modulator part for this song comes in on the octave "C" notes, just prior to each verse and the bridge / solo section. It is what helps give the guitar that odd, funky and unusual, nearly keyboard-like tone.
+IMGVIDEOS I second that. Always excellent.
@guitarsurfer2010 On the studio recording, if that ain't a rhodes electric piano playing the little motif on the C, I'll eat Billy Gibbon's hat. Twice. With, or without BBQ sauce. It's the same piano used over the G between the guitar solo sections (guitar on verge of feedback, doing little whammy bar dive bombs - whoo, whoo).....
Live, they use other effects, like the midi triggered ring modulator (as mentioned), and the midi drums to replace the slinky little Strat on the verge of feedback, with a high G being bent down, using the whammy bar (hard to do in a 3 piece band, but it's possible. The studio version of this song is the band at their absolute creative peak IMO. Amazingly clean guitar tones, as opposed to his monotonous high gain sound he uses live. Live, I reckon it pales in comparison, due to their over-reliance on theatrics, and the fact that his live tone is one dimensional.
Andy has to be among the few guys on You Tube that know how to both learn and teach with almost perfect detail to every tune he hears and plays. He has the ear for the timbre of a note, and that is CRUCIAL in getting a song down as played by the original guitarists. You HAVE to know WHERE a C or an F# is being played on the fretboard. If you don`t hear what string or fret that C or F# is really being played, you are lost in wrongville, and will never get it right. Also you will find 9out of 10 times, that playing those notes right, everything becomes easier to play.
I can`t thank him enough for helping me along on a ton of songs, and I have been playing since 1978-80ish. Well I got serious in 1980, thanks to EVH. So I locked myself in my room for 4 to 8 hrs. a day doing picking patterns, scales, modes finger drills up and down the neck for years. Little did I know that 100,000 other dudes were doing the same thing! Thanks alot Ed!! (that quirky little sonofabitch!) So, many thanks Andy, for helping a slob like me along with all my brother guitarists who love your help;!!! Btw, one of my Les Pauls is nearly a twin to yours. It is not a Standard, but a Trad Pro V. Amazing guitar with a neck that is asymmetrical so I can reach every fret while still using my thumb, and killer electronics (6 mini-toggle switches in the body) to split coils, phase in or out, high pass filter and pickups like yours. Mine has a burgundy stain without a clear coat over it, so the wood grain pops right out. Beautiful slab of wood!! Thank you once again my man!!
Good lord you are my go to 40 years of playing and you still teach me something new constantly thank you for making it right and all the work you put into it.
Me too. He is a guy who can show me stuff that I no longer have the time or patience to figure out these days. I began playing in 1978, but 1980 is when I got serious about it.
One of the best lessons. When my ear can't find it, this is the place I get it and its always right!
FIRST and foremost I love your appreciation for the greatest blues rock player on the planet BILLY GIBBONS, secondly your lessons and playing are among the best I have seen or heard, thanks!!!
TresHombreszz Hey bud, I appreciate you taking the time to leave such a positive comment! The thing about BG is he's so precise in his playing and very authentic. I think people are a bit misled by all the silly dance steps and the beards etc, but when you listen to the records, you can tell that BG is a real perfectionist and it shows in the music. Thanks for watching bro!
Great way to present a video lesson. You cut to the chase in the first minute for us pro players, and broke it down later for everyone else. Thanks!
I hope you're still around to accept my gratitude for this phenomenal lesson. Thank you!!
Yes, I'm around! Actually have an official gratitude page here: www.shutupandplay.ca/donate.html Cheers, Andy.
Hey man, wanted to tell you how great these lessons of yours are. I've gotten a lot out of them . Thanks for sharing!
Also, you're 100% correct when you say that this song is sooo in the pocket. It has so much swagger and is a blast to play. Thanks for the lesson!
Stevan Lazarevich Thanks again Stevan!
This guy is one of the best on You Tube ... what an incredible ear he has.
Hi from France man ! I've been listening to this song for 35 years without understanding how Billy did it ! Now I know ! Thanks ! You're great !
zapthefab Thanks for watching bro.
Finally someone else who plays the main riff RIGHT! Once you tune that high E down the voicings just fall underneath your fingers. Billy Gibbons doesn't even do it this way live...he remains in standard tuning and barres the D,G and B strings at the 3rd fret. It's close, but you don't get the high F note ringing out on top. I've seen transcriptions where they play the right notes, but on the D,G and B strings...way more awkward than this version, especially if you're singing at the same time.
Kudos to you for the time and effort you put into these videos. You really capture a lot of subtle nuances that many people miss.
Hey bro, sounds like you really know your stuff man! That's awesome. Glad you enjoyed the vid. cheers
high E string is dropped down to D and the slide up for the intro is done on top three strings as per BFG himself !
that's some beautiful LP tone you're getting here - love that sound
This lick has been taught wrong on UA-cam sooooo many times. Thank you for making the distinction and paying attention to detail
Another great job. When I play it the "diesel horn" da-du-du-du-da-da lick is hitting the harmonics on the 5th and 7th frets, rather than playing them as fretted notes.
What a phenomenal guitarist!
Loved the way you dissected it. You’re heads and shoulders above the others on this one.
Awesome! It's like being a fly on the wall of the artist and learning how the pros accomplish what just doesn't seem possible to mere guitar mortals. Looking forward to more gems. Thanks for thinking outside the box and providing the insight.
abejacgot Thanks again bud, I'm glad you're enjoying the vids man, that's great. cheers
Oh this was super helpful. Thank you so much. I couldn't figure out a few things that you made extremely easy. Like the high e tuning i would have never figured that out. All these little things make such a huge difference.
thats cool stuff.. you unlocked a whole new window of classic billy playing.. were prolly around the same age and they were gods to us growing up.. billies getting up there and i noticed hes getting his due as one the all time legends
well, I'm watching the beginning playthrough like: "yes, that's it. yep, that is exactly what I want to do" thanks for the vid!
Danke vielmals! Es ist wirklich fun deinen ausführungen zu folgen!
thank you for your time man ... i can really follow the way you teach
Man you are awesome, You are all about the right way!! Great teacher.
Thank You
Joe Nosser Thanks a lot Joe.
Hey Andy. I sure do wish you would do a complete lesson on this one. You are one of the few who could do it justice.
At first I was annoyed but I stayed for the ride and left gleeful. Thanks for deciphering this and breaking it down.
wow, Gibbons is such a clever dude! Thanks for the tut, I just started in a ZZ TOP tribute and I have loads to learn...
Thanks for this - tune the first string down, no wonder I could never get this right! - excellent lesson. Subscribed!
You, sir, are the definition of a guitar player’s guitar player. Really dig the approach. This is more like a collaboration than an outright LESSON. Keep up the good work! 🕶
Great job picking out the details. The correct way always sounds so much better. A+
Dude, awesome job. Didn't even need the lesson, just watched you play and it helped me put the pieces together. Your tuning is what turned the light on for me. Thanks much!!
You spent a good bit of time talking about a riff that most people would of just looked over. Thanks man, great lesson.
Aaron Profitt Thanks a lot Aaron!
Good job, I enjoy playing this- thanks for the breakdown.
Totally badass!!!!! I been playin wrong for 20+ yrs...now I play right!!, thanks sir!!!!
Kevin Raabe Thanks Kevin!
I can really hear the extra flavor with that high note😌
Thank you. You got all the details I was looking for. I've never seen anyone play it right. What a relief to finally figure it out.
This is great! I have a HL book that shows this played the impossible and not so good way. I put the book away because I watched BG play this song and he wasn’t doing the 5 fret stretch. Thanks!
I'd like to see the folks' versions of this that down voted. Excellent work as always!
the down vote means they've been playing it wrong and are pissed they don't have the skills to play it right
Wow I really see the difference between hybrid picking this and the stand power chord!btw the drop d I overlooked entirely!!all the difference in the world..thanks !
Oh yeah, and you are right about the Rhythm being king on this song. Great approach to figure out how to REALLY play this. good work bro
Your not gonna learn it better anywhere else. This is spot on
That solo after 3 min 21 sec into the song with the descending tempo, is actually my favorite part of the song. lol It's just so cool, imo.
Au contraire, the solo is fabulous!
100% GUILTY of being that "weekend guy"!! Apparently I have been playing this song wrong for years and always knew it but couldn't quite figure it out. Thank you so much for showing me the light and you are right, I will never play it the old way again, LOL....Billy likes that tuned down High E. I learned that trick in your "Fool for your Stockings" video. Apparently I was playing that one wrong for years as well : ) Thanks again...Fantastic Lessons
Thanks... i never thought he dropped the high E come to think of it i bet thats what he does on sharp dressed man... have mercy!
I have several "favorite" guitar teachers on UA-cam and you are certainly one of them. They all have their particular assets they bring to the table. In your case, you are by far the best at capturing the original sound and flavor of these songs. You are certainly an excellent player (one of the top two or three) and your instructional skills are excellent. But where you are without peer is in sounding like the original. Thanks for your posts. [BTW I have an LP same color as yours]
Watch ZZ Top live in Texas. Its on Peacock TV. He plays this song.
Excellent, you are bang on. I've been studying The Rev for decades, and I too play it exactly as you, although I've never thought to downtune the top E string, great idea. I don't think The Rev does either, usually when you see him play it live he just lives without the high F. Great job!
thanks so much, that's a great lesson. I knew there was something with that little slide but hadnt figured it out. gibbons is badass but he's also tasteful too.
Great job on this tune , I have seen it done wrong before but this is definitely correct with the double drop D tuning ,
This is a great channel for UA-cam guitar lessons. I've seen others teach this song all wrong. A song like this needs to be played correctly. Otherwise, it's no fun. Thanks for the awesome lesson.
Thank You ,Thank You, Thank You! Excellent teaching. . What a great concept less talk and more teaching. Great job. Jay G
jag vager Thanks jag...Shutup & Play right! cheers
Excellent lesson, great playing and great advice about rhythm! Thanks for the lesson!
ricomajestic Thanks for watching bud.
“I ruled that out. That’s a no go.” Classic Andy…
Hats off, Dude ! You got it !!! Greeets :)
PLUS : a really nice sound you got there !
PLUS : you're sooo right about the meaning of "rhythm" ... them younger "shredders" underestimate that point way too much !! Thanks, man, you're GREAT !!
Elmar Sammer Hey Elmar, thanks bro. For sure playing rhythm is SO important. It's what you do 80% of the time in a band yet everyone practices lead almost 100%. Thanks for watching bud.
Thanks for all you do for us aspiring players..now I can play this song correctly...I've played it wrong the years..
cholatta Thanks!
The tuning down of the 1st string to D is a good one. That's obviously how he
plays that and there is actually a name for that tuning: "Reverse Drop D." Because
it's the 1at string, not the 6th. I stumbled on it several years ago for slide playing.
When the 1st string goes down to D, it gives you the top four strings of open G
tuning. That upper G box is where all those sweet sounding note combinations
come from plus you have the rest of your standard tuning to play chords or riffs
also. Especially helpful if you're the only guitar player on stage. Sometimes it's
called Fake G (or faux G) or Memphis Minnie tuning. That's one she used apparently,
though I haven't found a reference to it in anything I've seen. Someone Who Ought
To Know told me that, so I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. Good stuff.
Greetings from Mempho! Thanks for all the good tips and info.
Tim Cruze Thanks Tim!
For more information on this lesson go here: www.shutupandplay.ca/cheap-sunglasses--rhythm.html
I think Billy does that hybrid picking i “La Grange”, when the heavy part comes in an I spotted two of your chords that are in both these songs. The bass notes are first fret A-STRING and third fret A-STRING and then adding in your open finger picked notes. I always wondered how he got that sound and I’m glad you cleared that up. You know, people like myself always thought Billy Gibbons guitar playing sounds easy…. until you play it and figure out how off-the-wall his playing and writing style is and it is actually very hard. No wonder he’s regarded as one of the best. I’ve always loved ZZ TOP and I miss Dusty already. Cheers
Thanks so much .I really want to play like Billy gibbons and your teaching is perfect! From Warren. 😂
Man I have so much more respect for Billy Gibbons after trying to learn his stuff.
This is a tremendous lesson --- Thanks for all the great tips and tricks Agree This song has more mojo per square inch than probably any song I have ever heard .... His Les Paul tone is also downright filthy ......
***** That's hilarious bud! Mojo per square inch should be a new ratings system, MJPSQI=10 hahaha Thanks for the nice comment Mikey. cheers
Superb lesson. Thank you so much for getting this song perfect!!!!!!!!!
I've played this song forever completely wrong. And I won't be the last person to admit that here either. Great job dude.
Thanks for that Mike. Glad the vid is helping man.
This is a really great guitar lesson. I've always kinda played this song the wrong way and it's sounded ok, but the right way sounds so much better (and is easier to play!)
Liam Forsyth Thanks so much Liam. Yeah for sure, it sounds SO much better with the E string tuned down. I always loved the sound of that first chord! Thanks for watching bro.
Great ears man- everyone else plays it totally wrong. It's all the subtle ghost notes/fills that make it what it is.
Great lesson video, thanks for posting this video! It definitely helped
Insta-Subscribed after watching this. Can't wait to check your other videos.
I appreciate that you are just showing the guitar. No other stuff distracting from the point.
Thank you this rhythm has plagued me for a long time :)
I love the solo in this tune
GREAT JOB, GREAT TEACHER.
I had thought the whole tuning was open G and Ive been doing it in open G for years. Thank you for showing me I only have to drop tune the hi E down to D. The trick to Jesus Just Left Chicago is he drops the A down to G but leaves the hi E on E.
You got it hooked up again on this number. Thanks for posting these, I look forward to them.
Hey reso, glad you're liking the vids man, that`s great. Lots more on the way!
Great lesson once again! Accurate and to the point. Thank you!
That’s a great tutorial! You just simplified it. I was playing wrong until I watched your vid. Thanks pal! 🙌🏻🙌🏻
man I love your lessons. can you do one on "I gotsta get paid" I'm working on it but like you said Billy is so hard to cop stuff off of lol
Now that was an excellent guitar lesson! Thanks
Dude thanks a bunch for posting these vids. I'm so happy now that I can play this and Sharp Dressed Man the right way now! Thanks again man, rock on!
Stevan Lazarevich Hey Stevan, I'm really glad you're getting something out of the lessons bro! Good luck with your guitar playing. cheers
Thx so much for this, Most excellent playing and instruction .. PROPS!!
Thanks bro. Glad you're liking the vids.
Good lesson, and great study in zz! I've never fooled with much ZZ Top; I was learning it to show a friend. I'm going to have fun with it! Thanks!
You are a great teacher. Thanks
Jeff Thomas Thanks Jeff
Perfect as ever.
Great lesson! So much fun working on the hybrid picking! Since watching your video I have been fooling around doing it with full open G tuning D G D G B D and it works as well. Thank you! Very informative!
Curt Weaver Thanks for watching Curt!
@@ShutupAndPlayGuitarTutorials I was gonna add this comment, and then I saw Curt's - I learned this in the early 80s, and always played a Gm7 shell chord for the sliding chord in the verse, (A up to Bb on G string, and C# up to D on B string), playing in standard tuning. As you mention, they're the two important notes in the chord. I knew very little about alternate tunings at that stage, now I use all sorts of alternate tunings.
Could easily be played in an open G tuning, as Curt mentions.
Fantastic lesson
Dude, I am quite impressed with your teaching style and looking forward to learning more songs, the right Way, in the future keep on rocking!
Love it! I'll be watching a lot more. Thanks!
Awesome job! You nailed it.
jjbonura Thanks!
You've nailed it!!!! De-tuning! I think he's doing the same thing for Waiting for the Bus on the Live from Texas DVD. the turn around (E to D9) sounds different than the original recording, and he seems to be playing the D9(or whatever it is) with one finger as well!
Maybe you can tackle this one next? He's definately using hybrid picking on that one as well.
Thanks, also for Alright Now! Like you I was playing it like you, wrong, for 30 years or so!
Ben Hansen Thanks Ben!
my tab book got this all wrong, thanks for showing us the right way to play it!