this is John's best live performance of this song available on YT by a country mile, even despite the somewhat distorted guitar audio... I'd be honored if some old-school JM fans would check out my acoustic piano & vocal covers of CLARITY and LOVE SOON on my channel in tribute to the boss. No digital enhancements. Thanks and peace out.
I've come to the conclusion this is one of the hardest songs to try to learn for JM junkies like myself. You can look at tabs online but none of them will sound like this in my opinion. JM knows how to play this song like no other, i figure because its his.
@@EadsB7002 He took guitar lessons as a kid at the local music store with his brother. He knew this is what he is here to do soon after starting. I love a reply 14 years later. Proud to confirm I’m still a “JM junkie”.
@@MikeKingJSM he actually studied at Berkeley College of Music and was taught there. One of his teachers Tomo Fujita even has his own UA-cam channel now. But he said he got what he wanted out of schooling and realized he wanted to be a pro and here we are lol
john mayer quit the music school after about a semester. So I'd say he's self taught most of the music. JM is the innovator of music. Truly second to none.
faved, and loved to its end.. Easily one of the best songs i've ever heard.. Rarely does an artist talks about the most evident of all things living, that is of impermanence.. For that, he's a great musician and a song writer. Thanks for the upload btw.
2: 33 is when you realize what music is and what is should always be. Thats the closest i ever came to crying off a song, and i aint afraid to admit it
this has to be the most beautiful rendition of clarity ever, just every harmonic alteration in his vocals. can't get enough of it. 2:22-2:25 2:33-2:35 2:40-2:43
took me 2 weeks to get this song right including the cupping the pick techniques... now i can do it perfectly yay!!! played for a gig it went awesome... nothing like this though... best clarity vid ever
@hectorfarrulla Haha the guy said himself that some of the stuff he wrote didn't have meaning, example the breakdown "So much sacred in the month of june" he said in an interview very clearly and specifically "what the fuck does that even mean? Dosen't mean anything!"
thank you! i'm going to start to learn this after the exams. i bet it's a hard song, especially from 1:45 to 3:15, where not only the right hand fingering is hard, but you also have to palm mute when using the pick (which i'm not used to at all) AND sing at the same time! i find the heart of life a lot easier (because it's always the same thing)
@87earth On the first chord you alternate between these two: E - A - D - G - B - e 3 - x - 0 - 2 - 2 - x 3 - x - 0 - 4 - 3 - x You use thumb to play the lowest string, and at the same time hold it over the A-string to mute it. You use index finger to fret the G and B-string on the second fret, and then you use middle and ringfinger to hammer on the G and B-string on the 4th and 3rd fret. Was that possible to understand?
john keeps the pick between his index and middle fingers, best example of this is his performance of gravity on ellen degeneres ..you see it quite clearly
keep practicing even while not playing guitar. thats what i did when i first started using that technique. i kept a pick or a coin in between my fingers while doing everything and i got so used to it id forget i had it and sometimes id even get in my car and drive and later realize i had driven to my destination with a pick in my hand
not one of the most famous John Mayer songs, but for me it's definitely in his Top 5 compositions... I'd be honored if some old-school JM fans would take a listen to my acoustic piano & vocal performances of his early masterpieces CLARITY and QUIET on my YT channel in tribute to the boss. Live acoustic with no digital editing. Peace out and stay safe.
the hard part is how to improvise the rhythm of the intro. Then there's one hard double-hammer on chord in the chorus, that is if you have a small-average hand. But it worth something the end.
because with our average hand it's hard to barre both 3 high strings with your index finger and put a thumb above for a bass note. if that's not enough, at the same time you have to double hammer-on to 2 of the high notes. There's another way to play the chords of the chorus, but if you want to play like john above, it's not gonna sound clearly.
"Neon" is the hardest technically by far in my opinion. Mainly because of the chords + picking pattern + slapping. "Stop this train" once you developed the slap n'pluck(that's what I call it) technique, it shouldn't be hard to play. These music pieces(include heart of life, why georgia...) are genius, very difficult too but it's rewarding in the end if you stick around long enough.
@JUNGTHEME yeah, the trick is to get the percussive mute(slightly releasing the 3 strings so that the sound mutes) with the hand making the chords while getting that consistant picking with your picking hand...good tune :)
@GBVig If you mean the actual playing version of the song, I agree with chicken6111. However, it's from his VHO sessions. Whatever that means. Haha, I just saw a video of the same environment that had that as the title.
@guild1978 i know you wrote this 6 months ago, but I'm def interested in learning this song properly. Know most of his advanced techniques but not this muting technique or whatever it is. A video is definitely appreciated!
having the pick placed between the fingers isnt the problem, it's switching it up so you can actually USE it...and then getting it back again... how the hell do i do it?!?! :)
@bahaanaldo I play guitar myself...I have a poster of John Mayer in my room...u know..inspiration haha..dont worry about hillwereim...he's probably 12...
Using a pick is fine, but in some cases some musicians (such as john mayer or Jeff beck, from whom John borrowed this very particular finger plucking technique -or at least Beck made it popular) finger pick to have a smoother sound. it really does make a difference, the pick has a slightly brighter and more precise sound to it, whereas fingers make it more mellow =] But sometimes, it's just that the piece requires finger to play some parts, and a pick to play other parts (for solos) my 2 cents
Best performance of Clarity in terms of his voice
this is John's best live performance of this song available on YT by a country mile, even despite the somewhat distorted guitar audio... I'd be honored if some old-school JM fans would check out my acoustic piano & vocal covers of CLARITY and LOVE SOON on my channel in tribute to the boss. No digital enhancements. Thanks and peace out.
Continuum era was the best in every way
Yeah his vocals here are incredible compared to how he’s performed this song in the past
ua-cam.com/video/HV_Bc2DiSqg/v-deo.html
Sorry but this one wins all around!
Search for “john mayer clarity studio” and give that a listen, you’ll change your mind
Also “john mayer clarity pepsi smash“
I've come to the conclusion this is one of the hardest songs to try to learn for JM junkies like myself. You can look at tabs online but none of them will sound like this in my opinion. JM knows how to play this song like no other, i figure because its his.
The neon thumb trick bass users is pretty tricky also.
he's freakish on the guitar...isn't he classically trained (guitar)?
@@EadsB7002 He took guitar lessons as a kid at the local music store with his brother. He knew this is what he is here to do soon after starting. I love a reply 14 years later. Proud to confirm I’m still a “JM junkie”.
@@MikeKingJSM he actually studied at Berkeley College of Music and was taught there. One of his teachers Tomo Fujita even has his own UA-cam channel now. But he said he got what he wanted out of schooling and realized he wanted to be a pro and here we are lol
Check out Zartimus on UA-cam - he has a full tutorial on this, and basically every other live performance of John's
If I could only ever listen to one song on UA-cam ever again, this would be it. Amazing.
john mayer quit the music school after about a semester. So I'd say he's self taught most of the music.
JM is the innovator of music. Truly second to none.
this is the greatest performance of this song he has ever done. so awesome.
have u heard this one
ua-cam.com/video/UJ1qp-kdKW4/v-deo.html
The best acoustic version of Clarity on UA-cam. Definitely.
One of few that makes 2020 worth while.
one of the best blues guitarists today. Even the past generation players who know there stuff say so!....my role model
faved, and loved to its end..
Easily one of the best songs i've ever heard..
Rarely does an artist talks about the most evident of all things living, that is of impermanence.. For that, he's a great musician and a song writer. Thanks for the upload btw.
2: 33 is when you realize what music is and what is should always be. Thats the closest i ever came to crying off a song, and i aint afraid to admit it
brilliant, creative, talented, genius man! i love john mayer!!!!!!
Never listened to this on my itunes, now I just found out that this is a really a great song
i have listened to probably every version of Clarity....but omg- this one was SICK!
you john mayer, are truly brilliant.
This puts every song in the current UK top 40 to shame.
And still
@Carlos Caos And still
Lucas Cleeve and still
Touché.
To get back on topic, John Mayer is great.
John Mayer during the Continuum was perfect in terms of his guitar playing and his voice
he is amazing.
so....you may wanna check out "back to you" , try to listen to the acoustic version too! it's awesome! hehe only if you haven't heard it before!
this has to be the most beautiful rendition of clarity ever,
just every harmonic alteration in his vocals.
can't get enough of it.
2:22-2:25
2:33-2:35
2:40-2:43
awesome music...
great performance!
took me 2 weeks to get this song right including the cupping the pick techniques... now i can do it perfectly yay!!! played for a gig it went awesome... nothing like this though... best clarity vid ever
You're right. I apologize for arguing when I need to enjoy the music. This guy is my guitar hero.
Best version I've heard.:)
Dude a tutorial vid would be amazing, I've been trying to learn that song forever!
SO GREAT
easily one of the best musicians ever
Me too.
He plays so well--I'm workin hard on that difficult-ass part--and can still sing
A true hero
@hectorfarrulla
Haha the guy said himself that some of the stuff he wrote didn't have meaning, example the breakdown "So much sacred in the month of june" he said in an interview very clearly and specifically "what the fuck does that even mean? Dosen't mean anything!"
John is Fantastic. Love Him.
He starts off at a slower tempo but instantly shifts to the correct tempo as in the original. But man this is the best live performance of clarity.
WOW HE IS AMAZING!!!!!
Everything with just him and his guitar are the best. Wow! Interesting how quickly people lose interest and appreciation!
thank you! i'm going to start to learn this after the exams.
i bet it's a hard song, especially from 1:45 to 3:15, where not only the right hand fingering is hard, but you also have to palm mute when using the pick (which i'm not used to at all) AND sing at the same time!
i find the heart of life a lot easier (because it's always the same thing)
what an amazing song
I love how John played clarity in this video :).
this ver of clarity is really nice as×
0:00 - 4:20
best part
i love his completely unique style of comping. the really stacatto like plucks and slaps
John Mayer's Continuum's Clarity.
Sorry, but its from the Heavier Things album
@87earth
On the first chord you alternate between these two:
E - A - D - G - B - e
3 - x - 0 - 2 - 2 - x
3 - x - 0 - 4 - 3 - x
You use thumb to play the lowest string, and at the same time hold it over the A-string to mute it.
You use index finger to fret the G and B-string on the second fret,
and then you use middle and ringfinger to hammer on the G and B-string on the 4th and 3rd fret.
Was that possible to understand?
that guitar tone! how?
Its plugged in, bright strings, smaller body, and probably through some kind of acoustic preamp boosting high mids and treble
A good set of strings, a martin guitar, and his hands make the tone
1:14 killed me. i love every acoustic version of clarity of heard. this one hit especially hard.
john keeps the pick between his index and middle fingers, best example of this is his performance of gravity on ellen degeneres ..you see it quite clearly
go for it man, i would definately check it out
keep practicing even while not playing guitar. thats what i did when i first started using that technique. i kept a pick or a coin in between my fingers while doing everything and i got so used to it id forget i had it and sometimes id even get in my car and drive and later realize i had driven to my destination with a pick in my hand
just another reason im glad I play Martin
the best version
Steel strings is a must to sound properly of course.
golden.
@GBVig this particular version is from an artist jamming to his own song. he's just goin with it.
John Mayer-Assassin (Music Video) Up On UA-cam
not one of the most famous John Mayer songs, but for me it's definitely in his Top 5 compositions... I'd be honored if some old-school JM fans would take a listen to my acoustic piano & vocal performances of his early masterpieces CLARITY and QUIET on my YT channel in tribute to the boss. Live acoustic with no digital editing. Peace out and stay safe.
This is the way John Mayer's suppose to sound. You can tell he even knows it
the hard part is how to improvise the rhythm of the intro. Then there's one hard double-hammer on chord in the chorus, that is if you have a small-average hand. But it worth something the end.
Same here!
he uses his fingers while pick is inbetween pointer and middle finger until 1:13 when he switches to pick, freeze frame 1:24 you can see the pick
because with our average hand it's hard to barre both 3 high strings with your index finger and put a thumb above for a bass note. if that's not enough, at the same time you have to double hammer-on to 2 of the high notes. There's another way to play the chords of the chorus, but if you want to play like john above, it's not gonna sound clearly.
look for the village session/inside want out. There're all acoustic.
John Mayer is God.
It was a VH-1 thing. He also did WOTWTC and Gravity.
240p....WE MEET AGAIN -_-
You are right!!!
he played for around 17 yrs i guess. He said he started at the age of 13 till now 30. not sure, but that's should be close.
I use 12, but i think any gauge will do as long you feel comfortable.
i agree
"Neon" is the hardest technically by far in my opinion. Mainly because of the chords + picking pattern + slapping. "Stop this train" once you developed the slap n'pluck(that's what I call it) technique, it shouldn't be hard to play. These music pieces(include heart of life, why georgia...) are genius, very difficult too but it's rewarding in the end if you stick around long enough.
you cant put this guy and jack johnsson in the same bracket. no way!
I saw this live and wish I had gotten some footage.
@JUNGTHEME yeah, the trick is to get the percussive mute(slightly releasing the 3 strings so that the sound mutes) with the hand making the chords while getting that consistant picking with your picking hand...good tune :)
Yeah, he holds the pick in between his fingers, awesome.
When i play this song, i usually just put the pick in my mouth. But sure it would be easier to place it between the fingers.
Checkout his profile on the allmusic page. All his song is written by himself.
talent!!!
Haha, 0:10, awesome-- he looks so focused. No surprise, another gem by Mayer here.
@GBVig If you mean the actual playing version of the song, I agree with chicken6111. However, it's from his VHO sessions. Whatever that means. Haha, I just saw a video of the same environment that had that as the title.
agreed
He's amazing, i like his other acoustic version better though.
@guild1978 i know you wrote this 6 months ago, but I'm def interested in learning this song properly. Know most of his advanced techniques but not this muting technique or whatever it is. A video is definitely appreciated!
aghhh, lucky bastard!!!
just jokin', so then you can play many of john's songs in john's way. I'm pretty jealous now. give me you hands!!!
It's not the strings making the tone, it's the guitar.
Handsome!
having the pick placed between the fingers isnt the problem, it's switching it up so you can actually USE it...and then getting it back again... how the hell do i do it?!?! :)
i don't think that's what wolfpak9 meant. and i'm sorry to say this but i don't this this is on dvd, i myself would have loved it, too
me too..
@bahaanaldo I play guitar myself...I have a poster of John Mayer in my room...u know..inspiration haha..dont worry about hillwereim...he's probably 12...
@cowboycliche022 I've never used an amp in my life. Good ol' acoustic.
hammer on and offs between (3x0220) and (3x0230) before going into the b minor 7 (X24235)
he has quite a wide range!
What amp on a budget should I use to get this sound? I have an OMJM I just need something good to amplify it. Can I run it through a blues jr.?
ricardo te amo !!!!!!!!!!
i just noticed this song is 4:20.....
i dont think many will understand the significance of that :D
lol
Using a pick is fine, but in some cases some musicians (such as john mayer or Jeff beck, from whom John borrowed this very particular finger plucking technique -or at least Beck made it popular) finger pick to have a smoother sound. it really does make a difference, the pick has a slightly brighter and more precise sound to it, whereas fingers make it more mellow =]
But sometimes, it's just that the piece requires finger to play some parts, and a pick to play other parts (for solos)
my 2 cents
that'd be great!
is he using a special tuning in this one?
This was featured I believe on yahoo music
Josh Mendoza honestly been looking for that version, I don't believe this was that one...assuming we are talking about the same one.
I'ma do that! Lol good idea
How does he change from finger to pick?...I see many times but I can't figure out how dose he do.
i think that can be also (3x022x) and (3x043x)
2:41-2:44
best part.
@LNOL you should it makes it sound much better