When I was a kid I heard 6 and 12 when it came out! I,m a drummer but I said I,m going to learn every song on this album!!! I can play them all!! The hardest is Arkansas greyhound!!! It took me a month to learn the chords but the picking is master level he does a hybrid harp type sweeping pattern in the middle section I still can,t get right!! Ohh and I learned crow river waltz but started noodling in open d and it is better in open d than the original g!!!!
You are so excellent. Thank you so much for this lesson. I will buy a left handed 12 string and a slide and learn this alien technique. I’ve always loved Leo. My main styles go from Van Halen, to Testament, SRV. Lots of other stuff as well but none of it has included finger picking and slide. I think you just opened that door. God bless you 😊
Now that this video exists no one has an excuse not to know how to play this lol. Eternally grateful that you took the time to put this together, and did so so incredibly flawlessly. Just got a 12 string so i’m gonna devote myself to learning this masterpiece.
Thanks! Took a while to make this and a few hours of obsessively watching some closeups of Leo from various videos on UA-cam. The notes I wrote down to indicate the picking patterns look like something a crazy person would come up with. Not that I'm not a crazy person
Thank you so much for this video. Sorry I just ran across it. I started playing guitar at 68 years old. A couple of years ago I started to work on fingerstyle acoustic. I am now 72. I can play a couple of John Fahey and Jack Rose tunes but have just started to work on some Kottke. I played drums all my life and don’t read music. Having played drums for so long the rhythm and syncopation come fairly easy. Videos like this are very valuable to me. Trying to learn these complicated picking tunes is what keep be viable and alive. Thanks again!!
That's awesome! Let me know how your progress is going if you ever want to check in. I can appreciate drums though I have no ability on drums at all. I don't read music either. Drums absolutely give you the history for learning this stuff. When the fingerpicking comes together, it's magic. I'm still working on it 20 years later. But there's definitely a time where it just 'clicks' and as far as the complicated tunes go, you'll pick them up without even thinking. I was shocked at how fast I learned "Ojo" by Leo Kottke after learning a bunch of other songs by him. Ojo has a really peculiar picking pattern. He wrote that song to intentionally combat that 'dead thumb' quality where the thumb plays a predictable pattern. Super interesting one and I'd highly recommend that as well. I don't have a lesson video for it, just a cover, but maybe I'll do a lesson for that one someday as well. Videography and guitar are the only things that keep me viable and alive as well. They're the only reasons I get out of bed every day. Absolutely love drums even though I have no ability myself. A true pleasure to listen to. Wouldn't hurt me to study rhythms a bit more as well. With fingerpicking you have an endless amount of possibilities for rhythms. A few times I've tried to emulate drum beats with fingerpicking patterns. You can come up with some awesome stuff that way.
@@guitar_md Your drum comment is very interesting. When I first started to get into fingerpicking one of the first things that occurred to me was the similarity between the basic 13 drum rudiments and fingerpicking patterns. I have used drum rudiments to form finger patterns. Particularly paradiddles. There are 26 rudiments. Check it out.
Thanks so much! Had you in mind when I was making this. I only hope it's clear and easy enough to follow to be worthwhile and helpful for years to come for anyone else trying to learn this!
Thank you so much! Glad you found this helpful! Was excited to get this out there as no other tutorial for it exists, to my knowledge. Was mesmerized the first time I heard it
Absolutely! So glad you found it. I didn't see anything else like this out there and am always hoping more people trying to learn this song will find this video. Thanks for the support!
Absolutely! And thank you so much for the donation. This made a really big difference for me and I really appreciate it! Hope this tutorial continues to help you master this song and thanks again 🙏 !
Thanks so much! This means so much to me. I put a lot of effort into this to cut out all the fluff. So happy to know you're enjoying it and that it's helpful to you. Don't worry about sending me anything, comments like this are worth their weight in gold. Thanks so much for the encouragement!
Your doing it exactly like Kottke. Your using only one finger on the primary riff pattern where many others, like me, index on low E and middle on the D string.
Thanks! I use a .013 - .056. I mix up my own gauges using individual strings from Juststrings.com, but the John Pearse "C# Tuning" heavy gauge 12 string set is great for this. I prefer phosphor bronze. Thanks so much!
@@guitar_md Cool, I usually use D'Addario mediums but I bump up the bass E string from a .052 to a .060 so I can tune down to Vestapol C or C# standard with a drop B course. Appreciate the response.
I need to do a video on proper fingerpicking technique to avoid this. I don't have it completely mastered myself but it took me years to get the hang of fingerpicking with low tension so it won't trigger these issues. Leo got tendonitis when he was using a thumbpick and fingerpicks. Since he made the transition to playing without either, he's been tendonitis free ever since. However, it was a transition, and at first he just ditched the fingerpicks. He kept the thumbpick for a while before going to all bare fingers. He mentions taking some lessons with Pepe Romero as well, a classical guitarist who taught him some techniques to relax. The key is the picking motion should be coming from the first knuckle -- the biggest one. It's easy to tense up and actually pick from the joints *after* the knuckle, which will result in an extreme amount of tension in the forearm. One thing you can try is "clapping with one hand." This requires the rapid closure of the fingers using the first knuckles. If you use the others, you'll never be able to generate the speed to produce a one handed clap. Don't do the one handed clap repeatedly. I just use that as an example of where the motion should be generated from. After the note is picked, the finger should totally relax and return to the starting position. Also, tuning down and/or using lighter strings can help a lot on 12 string. If the tension feels too high, tune down lower, or use lighter strings -- it does go a long way, at least for me. Another thing for relief is forearm extensor training. Simply put a rubber band around your thumb and fingertips and open your hand. That opening motion is the opposite of fingerpicking where your fingers are closing, and can provide relief. At least it works for me. I type a lot too and I find these extensor exercises very helpful. You can double up on rubber bands as you get stronger. But it should provide a lot of relief if you're having issues from fingerpicking. I started to get tendonitis early on in learning these things. I played live a fair amount and one morning I woke up and my arm was just frozen solid. I couldn't move my fingers at all. After a couple hours it limbered up a little but that scared the hell out of me. I had a similar progression that Leo did with ditching the fingerpicks and eventually the thumbpick. Some guys like Jorma Kaukonen -- I think he still uses a thumbpick if I'm not mistaken. And it can be OK. But either way it's imperative to learn how to relax and pick with the least tension possible. It's difficult to learn. I'm still working on my ergonomics myself. I'm much better than I used to be and never had a recurrence of that tendonitis episode. But I always noticed my forearm would hurt like crazy after a gig. Probably because I got so worked up and excited I played with a LOT more tension than I needed, unconsciously. Anyway, hope some of this helps. The rubber band extensor trick is really great. They make fancy trainers for this but the rubber bands I think work just as well and are dirt cheap. I'd recommend regular forearm extensor training and that should give you some relief from the strain that repetitive closing of the fingers can cause, especially with higher tension.
How to learn vaseline machine gun. 1. Die 2. Get reborn. 3. Start learning guitar at age 4. 4. Practice for many years. 5. Practice for many more years. 6. Maybe you'll manage to learn it...
It's played exactly the same way. It is tricky! Is there a particular part that looks different? I'll do my best to help, but the tab and video demo are correct and congruent with each other, though I may have had a lapse in explaining it clearly. It is a bit confusing!
the way you broke it down makes leo’s magic seem palpable in some way 😂
When I was a kid I heard 6 and 12 when it came out! I,m a drummer but I said I,m going to learn every song on this album!!! I can play them all!! The hardest is Arkansas greyhound!!! It took me a month to learn the chords but the picking is master level he does a hybrid harp type sweeping pattern in the middle section I still can,t get right!! Ohh and I learned crow river waltz but started noodling in open d and it is better in open d than the original g!!!!
thanks for a simple understandable explanation
You're welcome! Hope it helped!
You are so excellent. Thank you so much for this lesson. I will buy a left handed 12 string and a slide and learn this alien technique. I’ve always loved Leo. My main styles go from Van Halen, to Testament, SRV. Lots of other stuff as well but none of it has included finger picking and slide. I think you just opened that door. God bless you 😊
Thanks a million. That's a figurative million. I'm poor. But rich in spirit thanks to the music of leo kotke and your lesson.
Absolutely. My pleasure. I'm beyond thrilled to know this lesson helped you. That's what it's all about and excited me to make more videos!
Excellent!
Thank you so much!
Now that this video exists no one has an excuse not to know how to play this lol. Eternally grateful that you took the time to put this together, and did so so incredibly flawlessly. Just got a 12 string so i’m gonna devote myself to learning this masterpiece.
Thanks so much! Appreciate you!
@@guitar_mdReally well played excellent thank you for all time great sound
@@enduser63 Thank you so much!
Watching it to the end, it wouldn't have worked without the haircut. LOL! It worked. Absolutely excellent!
just cut my hair the other day!
You've broken this down brilliantly.
Thanks! Took a while to make this and a few hours of obsessively watching some closeups of Leo from various videos on UA-cam. The notes I wrote down to indicate the picking patterns look like something a crazy person would come up with.
Not that I'm not a crazy person
Thank you so much for this video. Sorry I just ran across it. I started playing guitar at 68 years old. A couple of years ago I started to work on fingerstyle acoustic. I am now 72. I can play a couple of John Fahey and Jack Rose tunes but have just started to work on some Kottke. I played drums all my life and don’t read music. Having played drums for so long the rhythm and syncopation come fairly easy. Videos like this are very valuable to me. Trying to learn these complicated picking tunes is what keep be viable and alive.
Thanks again!!
That's awesome! Let me know how your progress is going if you ever want to check in. I can appreciate drums though I have no ability on drums at all. I don't read music either. Drums absolutely give you the history for learning this stuff.
When the fingerpicking comes together, it's magic. I'm still working on it 20 years later. But there's definitely a time where it just 'clicks' and as far as the complicated tunes go, you'll pick them up without even thinking. I was shocked at how fast I learned "Ojo" by Leo Kottke after learning a bunch of other songs by him. Ojo has a really peculiar picking pattern. He wrote that song to intentionally combat that 'dead thumb' quality where the thumb plays a predictable pattern. Super interesting one and I'd highly recommend that as well. I don't have a lesson video for it, just a cover, but maybe I'll do a lesson for that one someday as well.
Videography and guitar are the only things that keep me viable and alive as well. They're the only reasons I get out of bed every day.
Absolutely love drums even though I have no ability myself. A true pleasure to listen to. Wouldn't hurt me to study rhythms a bit more as well. With fingerpicking you have an endless amount of possibilities for rhythms. A few times I've tried to emulate drum beats with fingerpicking patterns. You can come up with some awesome stuff that way.
@@guitar_md Your drum comment is very interesting. When I first started to get into fingerpicking one of the first things that occurred to me was the similarity between the basic 13 drum rudiments and fingerpicking patterns. I have used drum rudiments to form finger patterns. Particularly paradiddles. There are 26 rudiments. Check it out.
YOU ARE COMPLETELY AMAZING!!!
Thanks so much! Had you in mind when I was making this. I only hope it's clear and easy enough to follow to be worthwhile and helpful for years to come for anyone else trying to learn this!
propably the best VMG i heared this decade (full demo), nice job!
Thanks so much! Appreciate it!
The music tablature is really special.
Used an open source program called TuxGuitar. It's great. I'll upload it to the community page there once I figure out how to get that going
Thanks a lot. Have been waiting for this!
You're welcome! Glad to have finally gotten around to making this :)
Nice breakdown. Thank you for putting this together.
Thanks, and you're welcome!
you are a genius thanks
Thank you so much! Glad you found this helpful! Was excited to get this out there as no other tutorial for it exists, to my knowledge. Was mesmerized the first time I heard it
Thank you for this.
Absolutely! So glad you found it. I didn't see anything else like this out there and am always hoping more people trying to learn this song will find this video. Thanks for the support!
Excellent lesson sir !😊
Definitely more please 🙏 😊
Thank you! Can't wait to give it a try.
You're welcome!
That is a perfect tutorial. Many thanks!
Absolutely! And thank you so much for the donation. This made a really big difference for me and I really appreciate it! Hope this tutorial continues to help you master this song and thanks again 🙏 !
Thank you so much, this sounds perfect! Time to go dig out my 12 string!
You're welcome!
I wish all tutorials were like this. And as I don't have paypal, I'm old, I hope to figure out another way to kick a buck to you
Thanks so much! This means so much to me. I put a lot of effort into this to cut out all the fluff. So happy to know you're enjoying it and that it's helpful to you.
Don't worry about sending me anything, comments like this are worth their weight in gold. Thanks so much for the encouragement!
😅 Really good, what a fookin excellent tune,might take a while, The tuning is not easy
Yes this is so good well done
I sent you over some money really appreciate what you've done
Thanks so much! Really appreciate the support. Made my day!
Your doing it exactly like Kottke. Your using only one finger on the primary riff pattern where many others, like me, index on low E and middle on the D string.
WELL ALLRIGHTY !!!
Link to Tab: tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/leo-kottke/vaseline-machine-gun-guitar-pro-3777095
Video Timestamps:
0:00 Tuning and Intro
1:06 Picking Pattern 1 Explanation
2:35 Pattern 1 MIDI Tab OPEN STRINGS
2:56 Pattern 1 MIDI Tab FRETTED NOTES
3:34 Pattern 1 Details
4:37 Pattern 1 Slow Live Demo
5:07 Picking Pattern 2 Explanation
7:52 Pattern 2 MIDI Tab OPEN STRINGS
8:12 Pattern 2 MIDI Tab FRETTED NOTES
8:32 Pattern 2 Details
9:25 Pattern 2 Slow Live Demo
9:48 Picking Pattern 3 Explanation
10:34 Pattern 3 MIDI Tab OPEN STRINGS
10:59 Pattern 3 MIDI Tab FRETTED NOTES
11:25 Pattern 3 Details
16:43 Pattern 3 Slow Live Demo
17:09 Picking Pattern 4 Explanation
17:53 Pattern 4 MIDI Tab OPEN STRINGS
18:02 Pattern 4 Part 2 Explanation
18:23 Pattern 4 Part 2 MIDI Tab OPEN STRINGS
18:35 Pattern 4 Full MIDI Tab FRETTED NOTES
19:12 Pattern 4 Part 2 Details
19:39 Pattern 4 Slow Live Demo
20:03 Vaseline Machine Gun Full Demo
Great lesson! Is there any string gauge recommendations you have for tuning this low on a 12 string?
Thanks! I use a .013 - .056. I mix up my own gauges using individual strings from Juststrings.com, but the John Pearse "C# Tuning" heavy gauge 12 string set is great for this. I prefer phosphor bronze. Thanks so much!
@@guitar_md Cool, I usually use D'Addario mediums but I bump up the bass E string from a .052 to a .060 so I can tune down to Vestapol C or C# standard with a drop B course. Appreciate the response.
@@thirtyyearoldmulberryfield Sure thing! The .060 sounds awesome. Been meaning to try that myself.
Leo had to quit paying for years because of Tendonitis...this is killer on a 12-string
I need to do a video on proper fingerpicking technique to avoid this. I don't have it completely mastered myself but it took me years to get the hang of fingerpicking with low tension so it won't trigger these issues.
Leo got tendonitis when he was using a thumbpick and fingerpicks. Since he made the transition to playing without either, he's been tendonitis free ever since. However, it was a transition, and at first he just ditched the fingerpicks. He kept the thumbpick for a while before going to all bare fingers.
He mentions taking some lessons with Pepe Romero as well, a classical guitarist who taught him some techniques to relax.
The key is the picking motion should be coming from the first knuckle -- the biggest one. It's easy to tense up and actually pick from the joints *after* the knuckle, which will result in an extreme amount of tension in the forearm.
One thing you can try is "clapping with one hand." This requires the rapid closure of the fingers using the first knuckles. If you use the others, you'll never be able to generate the speed to produce a one handed clap.
Don't do the one handed clap repeatedly. I just use that as an example of where the motion should be generated from.
After the note is picked, the finger should totally relax and return to the starting position.
Also, tuning down and/or using lighter strings can help a lot on 12 string. If the tension feels too high, tune down lower, or use lighter strings -- it does go a long way, at least for me.
Another thing for relief is forearm extensor training. Simply put a rubber band around your thumb and fingertips and open your hand. That opening motion is the opposite of fingerpicking where your fingers are closing, and can provide relief. At least it works for me. I type a lot too and I find these extensor exercises very helpful.
You can double up on rubber bands as you get stronger. But it should provide a lot of relief if you're having issues from fingerpicking.
I started to get tendonitis early on in learning these things. I played live a fair amount and one morning I woke up and my arm was just frozen solid. I couldn't move my fingers at all. After a couple hours it limbered up a little but that scared the hell out of me. I had a similar progression that Leo did with ditching the fingerpicks and eventually the thumbpick.
Some guys like Jorma Kaukonen -- I think he still uses a thumbpick if I'm not mistaken. And it can be OK. But either way it's imperative to learn how to relax and pick with the least tension possible. It's difficult to learn.
I'm still working on my ergonomics myself. I'm much better than I used to be and never had a recurrence of that tendonitis episode. But I always noticed my forearm would hurt like crazy after a gig. Probably because I got so worked up and excited I played with a LOT more tension than I needed, unconsciously.
Anyway, hope some of this helps. The rubber band extensor trick is really great. They make fancy trainers for this but the rubber bands I think work just as well and are dirt cheap. I'd recommend regular forearm extensor training and that should give you some relief from the strain that repetitive closing of the fingers can cause, especially with higher tension.
How to learn vaseline machine gun.
1. Die
2. Get reborn.
3. Start learning guitar at age 4.
4. Practice for many years.
5. Practice for many more years.
6. Maybe you'll manage to learn it...
For the descending lick shown in measure 6 (around 3:25), the tab looks different than how you actually played it. Am I seeing that right?
It's played exactly the same way. It is tricky! Is there a particular part that looks different? I'll do my best to help, but the tab and video demo are correct and congruent with each other, though I may have had a lapse in explaining it clearly. It is a bit confusing!