Level 8 is actually playing the whole song instead of just the riff.

It's 00:24 am, I have a Calc test in 14 hours and Keanu Reeves is playing Smoking on the Water, progressively upping the difficulty

Level 8: wonderwall version.

And at level 8 we start to djent

Yeah, but can he play smoke on the water?

93 dislike from guitar center

Level 20- You play 0-3-5 and not get copyrighte- *This post is claimed by UMG*

This is why I watch your channel and I love it. I've been playing guitar for almost 14 years and I just realised that I was stuck on a Level 5 "Smoke On The Water". I've never studied it in details - this is so interesting.

As a beginner-intermediate this has motivated me to go out and learn the full song while using level 7 during the main riff. Who can’t love some Deep Purple anyway even if the song is overplayed

This is exactly why i love playing guitar. A lot of people say smoke on the water is easy, but when you really get into the details it (and of any other song really), it is not as easy anymore.

This is actually really interesting. I saw you do this with Brown Eyed Girl a while back and it was definitely an eye opener. Thanks for the videos, brother!

The irony of this video is I think the higher level ones are easier to play than part 2 and part 3. It is like struggling in a battle, then you enter cheat codes to obtain god level and you are playing it with a frisbee.

Level 8: when you realize he doesn't slide between the 6th and 7th chords but picks each one.

What about a Ritchie Blackmore guitar techniques video? Insane and influential player

Very interesting lesson, thank you! It goes to prove there is always something new to learn

your videos are helping me and my friend get better at playing guitar. Thank you. It makes playing guitar so much fun.

Im just sick of hearing bad covers of smoke of the water. I will NEVER get tired of the original riff played by blackmore !

When I was learning a bit on guitar I had a similar journey to your "7 levels of" videos when learning Schism especially with adding the what I referred to at the time as "background parts" or open strings/mutes. I just discovered your videos and love the format. I look forward to watching more.

It teaches so much about the guitar, great lesson!

Love this concept for a video! Definitely want to see more! Keep up the great work!

i'm in level 7 1/2, istead of sliding I just bend, btw, nice content you been uploading, you turned my inner light on again

Now that I've seen and heard level 6 it seems so evident in the original. I can't un-hear that percussive plucking sound. Great video. Thank you. Like others, I've been playing this riff for decades at level 5.

Mike-Jackson from your local GC here. Dare you to sit down and play all these next time you come in!!!

Very nice and educational, all that level stuff is to another level. Keep it up🎃

I like this series of videos a lot. It’s really interesting to see something go from basic to more complex while still being “the same”, if that makes sense.

Cool showing ,loved it to see the variations ,people often belittle this riff , and that is silly , think of running with the devil , (it's inspired by this one ,)The Van Halen band played mostly Deep Purple covers in the beginning,an their style is mostly brooking chords all over . I think Richie Blackmore's style opened the door to many techniques , not only brooking chords

Actually there a video where Steve Morse explains how to play Smoke on The water which i think is the BEST WAY to play it ! He uses the ring and the pinky to grab the notes instead of barring which avoids having any other notes ring out. Plus it allows you to add vibrato to both those notes which gives it that ZINGG and swagger at the end of the riff ! Try it ! It feels great 🙂👍🏼

Great lesson. Thank you.

Please! More like this! Awesome! Thanks! Gonna teach this to my son soon

Super cool video, I found myself going several times "I never thought of playing it that way!" The way I started out doing it (due to a tutorial vid I watched) has me barring the A and D strings on the fifth fret, instead of doing open strings, and that's how I've played it for years. But now I'll have to do it with the plucking you showed at the end.

Back in the early 70s I started learning to play guitar when I was 8 years old. My older brother let me use his guitar and amp and I drove my family nuts learning to play the Smoke on the Water riff. It especially made them batshit crazy before I could play it with accurate timing.😂 Thinking back I feel sorry for them. LOL It was the very first thing I ever learned to play, but that was pretty common back then for a beginner to learn that riff first.

This video is amazing, you teach very well, you are not boring at all, you are an amazing guitar player

This is more than just smoke on the water. It's development as a guitarist over time. Very well done, Sir.

I have a friend that plays SOTW finger picking, he plays the bass line with his thumb on the E and A string while finger picking the main guitar riff with his index and middle finger on the D and G respectively. Sounds absolutely amazing, and makes SOTW a thrill to hear and see for a guitar player again, easy level 8!

your voice is so calm and soothing

Excellent insight!!

I thought my friend how to play it. He is new to guitar. This video help sooooooo much. Keep up the good work.

Excellent video but I'm excited to see more intermediate lessons in the future :)

Omg please do 7 levels of enter sandman

Great videos man! I wanted to ask what kind of strat your white one with the infinity sign is , I cant find one like it anywhere!

I'd say the best bonus level is when you start to play it your own way with your own flairs on it. For me that's when guitar gets its most interesting before you start writing your own music, and sometimes even after you've started writing your own music. For example when I do Smoke on the Water with my band I throw the low G back in there, but not as the full chord, playing it after each note of the riff to double up on the bass line thudding along in the background, it adds this syncopated extra rhythm to it which makes it more fun to play and makes for a bigger sound in a three piece band. Every one of our cover songs now sounds like the band we cover, but with enough of our own styles on bass, guitar or drums to make it our own version.

I like your point at the very end. There's a good reason some of the most iconic riffs are also the easiest to play. The greatest guitarists understand the usefulness of simplicity in crafting a great riff.

Great! I usually use this song when i try to teach, and i used also another level which consist in play the riff with eighth notes so you have to pick faster and you have to learn a little of rhythm (and also sounds cool haha)

Ha! this perception of how your students discover things and how you motivate them to do so... Priceless...

That tone is beautiful

Beautiful tone on your guitar and amp mate :)

What a cool teacher!

I feel like after the first couple of levels something to help the barring would be to Drop the E string to D (so drop D) and with them being taught 2 things at once it helps a bit more. Not cheating by dropping it to D just helps with the strings being thicker is builds up the strength in you fingers just a tish more. Also teaches them what drop D is and can do, drop tunings are a blast if known how to navigate/use properly

Thank you so much

I play the hetfield-style power cord so much now (index and pinky) , that the hanging pinky when someone plays power cords gives me stress.

At every level, in my head, I hear the bass coming in. What a line.

Congrats! You've convinced me to learn smoke on the water! Btw I've avoided learning this song like the plague

Many good thoughts in this video.. thank you

I've kept this riff interesting for myself by adding in the bassline on the E-string with my thumb while I play the riff on the D and G strings.

4:04 That. No matter how simple this song is, it still brings a wide grin on my face! :D

"What riffs do u know?" "Yes"

I think you skipped a level or two where it's supposed to be played with perfect timing. It has a groove, the groove is what sets it apart. In the live Japan album you can hear where he stops the notes are very important and gives that signature sound and creates the groove. A "groove" is where you "feel it" but the notes are not (necessarily) played that's why the silence is important and the percussive muting are there because of the hidden groove. Also the two notes in the chord are inverted, so it's not a power chord of 1-5 interval but the interval is 4 which make it not a power chord such as D-G is not a power chord of D ... so if it's really a G then it's inverted. The notes are simple but I think it can't be strummed to get this groove, because it was created by plucking. When I listen to the drumming in the intro with the strong beat, that's what the guitarist feels but he actually strikes the chords on the upbeat not on the downbeat. Blackmore mutes on the downbeat and so that's why they're percussive mutes - he feels the groove and plays around it or creates the groove without playing it. I thought he plays ahead of the beat and if so maybe he's using a faster internal rhythm such as the fast high hat that comes in later ... even when the bass comes in it starts with fast notes. To summarize there are just a few fretted notes but what is he 'really' playing? The guitar part seems to be in contrast to the rhythm, it is slower and not on the beat yet in supports and creates the groove.

Great vid

sir do u make any video on how to hold power chords in different ways?

LVL MASTER - learning more than just one part of song :)

God I love the tone!

thank you ver much !! you are the best!!

I love these videos the are very helpful plesse do more!!!

This was the first riff that I learned by ear. I got the key right, and then quickly picked up the barre, so I basically entered at level 5

I started playing bass before guitar and I was a really big kiss fan. I learned god of thunder and felt so cool going up to the 7th fret.

Because of this video im getting a guitar for Christmas:)

May I ask how you achieved your tone in this video, sir? I have a similar guitar and I’d like to try it out. Thanks! 🙂

Excellent! Never knew that

When I learned it for the first time, my uncle showed me to pluck the two E strings at the same time. Same frets as your level one.

really good video :)

Thanks man, I never learned anything but level 5... Again you have enlightened me, I feel bad I never say thanks. Great channel, long time watcher, think this is my first comment.

Good video Good personality And i acually learned cool ways to play a song but i did it a way that was not shown in video instead of open on g i was 5th fret

How to I get my omen extreme 6 diamond series to sound like that?

I learned just 3-6-8, 3-6-9-8 on just the E string

Hey Mike! What do You think of Synyster Gates? And can You do a video about him? Ps:love the John Froosh video :D Rock on! \m/

Excellent

Been playing level 5 for yeeeeears Hell, that's how I've taught it to other people xD Crazy to think such a vanilla riff was so much more detailed than that

i always have plucked starting with open d and g. never new the song was actually played up high like that. neato

Does anyone know what type of ibanez that guitar is?

love that guitar dude :)

Hahahaha I totally remember that! 1979, 15-years-old, learning Smoke on the Water on one string and then following it up later that day with Iron Man on one string, as well. The journey began. \m/ :D

awesome , you;re a great descriptive teacher ,wish i could find someone like you to get me going , as i know i'd be making you worried within a year ;)

that guitar is so nice

Excellent!

I know the way how to go to the bonus level 9 :D. It is when you are playing the bass guitar and the guitar riff at the same time. Seems hard at first but when you learn it is so satysfing and develops great thumb technique

My cousin taught me this one ages ago, my first song! :)

I like that sound!!

I have small hands and for lvl 8, i did the g-d version bar, i could reach it, or it's just my guitar is small

I play start playing with 5 and 4 string on 3 frat and go down to 3 frat on string 3 and 4 and so on... Btw, great lesson, 8 different ways to play same, one of the best riffs ever.

Thats crazy. I learned how to play that riff at level 5 but with the pluck/pinch of level 7. thats still how I play that riff tbh.

When I first learned this song it was a mixture between level 5 of using the 2 strings and level 7 of using my fingers.

i played the barre chords like a Em open chord, i use it all over the neck all the time, sounds kinda glassy and minimalistic and really natural.

can you tell me what model of ibanez is that ?

People talk about how this song is super easy and joke about but still play this song wrong, because not knowing rythmic figures

Truly a super guy!

Level 6 1/2 here. Play up the freat, but with finger picking :-P. Could you share your amp settings, and pedals if you use any?

i got taught level 5 as my first encounter with smoke on the water, but i can learnt to play chords basic chords first so i dont know if that would change anything

I've been doing level 5 but I don't remember how I discovered it. I do it a bit differently though. I bar the 3rd but I use my middle and ring fingers on the 5th because I don't slide from 6th to 5th I bend the strings. Of course I've only been playing 2 months and it was easier to bend than slide with any precision when I started doing that.

Any Tips on Triplets and pinch Harms?