Imo it's about the approach. Learn the vocals and guitar separately, then play them together very slowly to sync yourself to the beats, time your breathing, etc.
@@jordanbozeat2063 i wouldn’t say its “very difficult.” not easy by any stretch, mind you, but if you have good rhythm and you’ve spent some time working on finger picking, it’s not that tough. i was able to play it very consistently while singing (as well as i can sing anyway) after about a year and a half of playing guitar, (learning the song took me a few weeks). it’s definitely achievable by novice or intermediate guitarists with enough focus. caveats: almost all the songs i know are elliott smith, so i’m sure i’ve predisposed myself to his style in some way.
The girl in the crowd tells him,”You’re so sweet.” People loved the guy and he just beat himself up so much. He’s hands down one of my favorite songwriters and performers ever.
Elliott was a brilliant writer, singer, and artist. For all his fragility he was incredibly brave. To be alone on stage and not be afraid to mess up took incredible bravery. But to empty his heart and soul into those songs was next level bravery.
To be that talented and that fucked up, the guy had to be an absolute hero to get out there and perform. His song writing was profound, his ability to deliver it was impeccable, and all the while fighting off his terminal deamons.... We are lucky that we got as much from him as we did, and we should all offer up a prayer to whatever we believe in that he has found some peace.
I'm learning to play this song right now and I kept messing up that same part and I couldn't figure out why. Good to know even he struggled with that haha.
Part of these live shows, the bit that kills when he trips up is it shows the nerves, maybe a lacking in confidence and you just think how can the be the most incredible person feel like that?
Because he doesn't have an ego, that's what makes him incredible . His vulnerability and humanity. It doesn't take away from the fact he is an amazing songwriter, infact i think it adds to it. Sometimes you can hear him apolergising, it realy hurts him, he really cares, he isn't just playing, that counts for more somehow doesn't it?
@@parvenughost6858 This is backed up by him often aborting songs or declining requests because he "didn't feel like it"; he plays what he _feels,_ not what people want, and as a result when he screws up it really matters to him.
@@paulolapa3040 As much as I love Jeff (and Tim!) Buckley, his lyricism wasn't quite up to par with Elliott's. And mentioning Oberst is a slap in the face - beyond overrated, Oberst is.
When he stuffs up it is somewhat refreshing, it shows how real he is, that he was just a down to earth musician who didn't care how famous he was, he just wanted to make good music and play it to people who appreciate good music.
Elliot Smith reminds me of a friend to me that is destined to play music because he is so naturally talented, yet he is so fragile and hates the commotion of being around the spotlight, and very insecure about himself. It's almost as if the talent is a curse for people like this.
Ah, he looks so tired. He always looks tired. Can't blame him, though; thirty effing years on this earth is a long time for someone like him. I miss him as much as anyone, I'm just glad he made it as long as he did.
I know right...? Me too. Sometimes I imagine a world where he was still here and releasing music. Maybe he would've done a Jonny Greenwood and gone into film scoring etc or maybe just churned out even more gorgeous albums. Such a damn shame, but at least he was prolific whilst he was alive. Imagine if we only had Either/Or, that'd would've been cruel!
i wish he had a longer, happier life. wouldn't matter if he gave up music and became a farmer or upholsterer or whatever else and we never got another song from him. we aren't entitled to more music from anyone, we should be grateful for what we have.
I come back to elliott whenever I want to feel sad. Not a the sad kind of sad but sort of the reminiscing type of sad. Granted things aren't going well but still he fulfills the longing I keep boxed.
if you notice when he sings "and what's a game to" instead of "what's a game of chance to you", he is still playing the tune correctly. So he only stopped playing because he got the lyrics wrong for that small section. He could just as easily continued and compensate for the lyric mistake but he chose to stop the song because he didnt want to disappoint his audience.
I think he disappointed himself - there's a line in waltz #2 where he sings "leave me alone in the place where I make no mistakes, in the place where I have what it takes" He was a self critic for sure
You can say that again! He's up there with Robin Williams as being just the sweetest, most gentle person to have ever lived. I mention Robin Williams because he's another celebrity I spent weeks reading about and never found one bad word said about him from people who knew him or just met him. They were both sweethearts who, sadly, suffered from depression for years and (at least in Robin's case for sure) took their own life. Coincidentally, they were both involved with the movie "Good Will Hunting". Another person you can't find one bad word about is Fred Rogers, aka "Mister Rogers". Angels on earth who are now angels in Heaven (if Heaven exists). I wish there were more people like them.
THE single most adorable thing i've ever seen. he seemed so authentically sweet. it's one of the reasons his music is so beautifully intriguing. it's just plain him. period.
In '99 he was not doing so well as '98. (I saw him in both years, in the same venue.) I wish I'd been old enough or smart enough to tell him then how much he mattered and how we wanted him to stay.
His friends and family told him that a million times and it still didn't get through to him. Depression is an awful disease that there's no cure for, amazingly.
In 1 hour I'm off to get my second tattoo (of ferdinand the bull), not initially because of Elliott, but since he's one of my favourite song writers ever, I feel it's also a nice reminder of him. Rest in peace Elliott, I miss you
What a gem of a video. The guy hit the nail on the head, saying they brought him into a circus. You can see the guy contemplating life listening to it 😂 realizing they are Very lucky to have seen him perform this here and understand what he meant by anger in his songs.
Still one of the greatest voices and strongest emotion displayed in music. We still think about you Elliott and the impact people like made on people. Mental health is still a huge underlying problem in society that is brushed under the carpet and emotions are shunned. Music is about emotion not about singing a catchy song… this resonates with me deeply
I feel like you’ve kept a lot of people from doing what you did and many of us thank you for that. The emotions you put into words is relatable to anyone with a soul. Thanks Elliott
This Inspires me to keep playing whenever I mess up if one of the greatest players and songwriters can make a mistake and just keep going, I can too! Progress not perfection
So glad I got to see him live a bunch of times; both i'n intimate venues when he 1st went solo and arena style. . He was the best singer singer writer for me. So much emotion, melody and symbolism -mixed with melancholy and hope. He made me want to write, sing, feel and love.
As a guitar player, I get every part of this performance. He knows the people want it… but he’s not feeling it. It’s a emotional song, and it’s not appropriate for him to sing it for applause.
Siempre que veo este video puedo ver la timidez de elliott.......siempre me hizo pensar que el no quería ser "famoso"..... lamentablemente tenia un talento impresionante y un talento tan grande es IMPOSIBLE que no alcance reconocimiento.
Man this is ultimately sad. . . It's the point you get to when you realize you can play your songs in your sleep. . . Then you start actually doing it. Not practicing. Using drugs. And if you put your heart into the song you can destroy as he does in the end. . . But it seems clear that he wasn't with it at the beginning and thought he was. .
Where is this gig? I remember seeing him at ULU (I'm pretty sure it was!) in London round about '99 I guess. He made a few mistakes and restarts and it was just SO beautiful. Man I miss this man. He left such gorgeous songs but I wished he could've felt less pain - he is a jewel.
i think people underestimate the skill it takes to play that on the guitar and sing it at the same time..
I’ve played it, it seems really hard until you play it
Imo it's about the approach. Learn the vocals and guitar separately, then play them together very slowly to sync yourself to the beats, time your breathing, etc.
The first chord alone is such a beast, then add the unique picking pattern, and then sing it. GOD MODE
Lol it’s very difficult unless you’re a very experienced guitarist. I’ve tried
@@jordanbozeat2063 i wouldn’t say its “very difficult.” not easy by any stretch, mind you, but if you have good rhythm and you’ve spent some time working on finger picking, it’s not that tough. i was able to play it very consistently while singing (as well as i can sing anyway) after about a year and a half of playing guitar, (learning the song took me a few weeks). it’s definitely achievable by novice or intermediate guitarists with enough focus. caveats: almost all the songs i know are elliott smith, so i’m sure i’ve predisposed myself to his style in some way.
The girl in the crowd tells him,”You’re so sweet.” People loved the guy and he just beat himself up so much. He’s hands down one of my favorite songwriters and performers ever.
He was abused as a child. Childhood trauma forms your character for the rest of your life
@@jakefaigen897 Je ne savais pas, c'est trop triste.
I love it when he fucked up, I hate the way it probably made him feel, but I love it...such a beautiful soul.
Indeed, it makes it look so relatable as a person rather than the perception we have of an "artists", a beautiful soul to say the least:')
Elliott was a brilliant writer, singer, and artist. For all his fragility he was incredibly brave. To be alone on stage and not be afraid to mess up took incredible bravery. But to empty his heart and soul into those songs was next level bravery.
To be that talented and that fucked up, the guy had to be an absolute hero to get out there and perform. His song writing was profound, his ability to deliver it was impeccable, and all the while fighting off his terminal deamons.... We are lucky that we got as much from him as we did, and we should all offer up a prayer to whatever we believe in that he has found some peace.
That's beautiful.
I think it's absurd that Elliott Smith does not get the recognition of one of the best songwriters ever step aside John Lennon
This is a fortune. Majors will never have his music.
TheConversative Drummer I agree, but don’t be bashing my guy John.
Paul McCartney > John Lennon
Why does everyone always talk about John Lennon as if he’s the greatest. What about Paul McCartney?
Julian Badger because John died young, Paul has 50 times the good songs and his solo success shows it. I love both tho
seeing him smile is so wonderful.. rip :(((
His dimples came out :)
I'm learning to play this song right now and I kept messing up that same part and I couldn't figure out why. Good to know even he struggled with that haha.
bc bar chords hard
Fr that chords hard to get clear that fast lmaooo
Part of these live shows, the bit that kills when he trips up is it shows the nerves, maybe a lacking in confidence and you just think how can the be the most incredible person feel like that?
Because he doesn't have an ego, that's what makes him incredible
. His vulnerability and humanity. It doesn't take away from the fact he is an amazing songwriter, infact i think it adds to it. Sometimes you can hear him apolergising, it realy hurts him, he really cares, he isn't just playing, that counts for more somehow doesn't it?
@@parvenughost6858 This is backed up by him often aborting songs or declining requests because he "didn't feel like it"; he plays what he _feels,_ not what people want, and as a result when he screws up it really matters to him.
@@Kapin05... Well said...
The greatest song writer of our time...
Giantcappuccino he’s amazing. But with lyricist like bob Dylan and Robert Hunter he’s just one of many.
And Jeff Buckley (way better than Elliott) and Connor Oberst
The people above me except for Jason, probably fuck dogs (that’s just what I heard)
He died before I grew conscious and lust for his work. I'm glad to be a fan.
@@paulolapa3040 As much as I love Jeff (and Tim!) Buckley, his lyricism wasn't quite up to par with Elliott's. And mentioning Oberst is a slap in the face - beyond overrated, Oberst is.
When he stuffs up it is somewhat refreshing, it shows how real he is, that he was just a down to earth musician who didn't care how famous he was, he just wanted to make good music and play it to people who appreciate good music.
Elliot Smith reminds me of a friend to me that is destined to play music because he is so naturally talented, yet he is so fragile and hates the commotion of being around the spotlight, and very insecure about himself.
It's almost as if the talent is a curse for people like this.
Same with Nick Drake, too
What you are interpreting as insecurity may just be introspectiveness and aversion to the Sea of stupid shit we are swimming in.
@@legalfictionnaturalfact3969 Sure man it can be lots of different things.
@@LundinSebastian right, woman, it's not just insecurity. which was your posit. your posit is incorrect.
@@legalfictionnaturalfact3969 Sure man whatever you say.
Ah, he looks so tired. He always looks tired. Can't blame him, though; thirty effing years on this earth is a long time for someone like him. I miss him as much as anyone, I'm just glad he made it as long as he did.
Why does this make me cry even though I never knew him?
Because of his soul, in his music. Does the same to me.
Thought maybe a daniel thing but nope there are others ;)
Estrogen?
listen to punisher by phoebe bridgers. it’s literally about how she feels so close to elliott and never met him
Really real.
I will now drink only Aquafina bottled water
How did that go ?
are u still doing it to this day or are you just a liar
@@Jay-uv5xgunprompted hate on my dude 😭😭
@@jamrockdoom right like chill this was six years ago
You have A LOT of confidence that was water
I wanna cry/ laugh when he laughs at himself. I wish he knew how beautiful he really is.
If I could take back any musician dying to early, by far it would be this guy. I need more music from him.
I know right...? Me too. Sometimes I imagine a world where he was still here and releasing music. Maybe he would've done a Jonny Greenwood and gone into film scoring etc or maybe just churned out even more gorgeous albums. Such a damn shame, but at least he was prolific whilst he was alive. Imagine if we only had Either/Or, that'd would've been cruel!
i wish he had a longer, happier life. wouldn't matter if he gave up music and became a farmer or upholsterer or whatever else and we never got another song from him. we aren't entitled to more music from anyone, we should be grateful for what we have.
I come back to elliott whenever I want to feel sad. Not a the sad kind of sad but sort of the reminiscing type of sad. Granted things aren't going well but still he fulfills the longing I keep boxed.
why'd you have to leave you beautiful person
+Lone Fir Music because of some crazy bitch
@@easterdm or maybe not, you never know (sadly)
but yeah he was probably murdered
@@Kapin05 this dude had so much emotion in himself that the cause was always someone else.
if you notice when he sings "and what's a game to" instead of "what's a game of chance to you", he is still playing the tune correctly. So he only stopped playing because he got the lyrics wrong for that small section. He could just as easily continued and compensate for the lyric mistake but he chose to stop the song because he didnt want to disappoint his audience.
Thanks for that comment! I think you're right.
I think he disappointed himself - there's a line in waltz #2 where he sings "leave me alone in the place where I make no mistakes, in the place where I have what it takes"
He was a self critic for sure
i never saw him perform live, but i miss him, how can someone so talented die so young
In my 31 years I have never seen a more charming and endearing man. It’s such a shame he is gone!
You can say that again! He's up there with Robin Williams as being just the sweetest, most gentle person to have ever lived. I mention Robin Williams because he's another celebrity I spent weeks reading about and never found one bad word said about him from people who knew him or just met him. They were both sweethearts who, sadly, suffered from depression for years and (at least in Robin's case for sure) took their own life. Coincidentally, they were both involved with the movie "Good Will Hunting". Another person you can't find one bad word about is Fred Rogers, aka "Mister Rogers". Angels on earth who are now angels in Heaven (if Heaven exists). I wish there were more people like them.
look at that little fucking thumb of his go during the intro... godspeed elliott. love you
They snubbed him at the Oscar’s. His music saved me plenty of times
THE single most adorable thing i've ever seen. he seemed so authentically sweet. it's one of the reasons his music is so beautifully intriguing. it's just plain him. period.
What a gift to the world he was.
another one was nick drake...
In '99 he was not doing so well as '98. (I saw him in both years, in the same venue.) I wish I'd been old enough or smart enough to tell him then how much he mattered and how we wanted him to stay.
And back then, mental illness was still pretty taboo
His friends and family told him that a million times and it still didn't get through to him. Depression is an awful disease that there's no cure for, amazingly.
elliot smith...the art of writing songs that are so hard to play that even elliot himself gets problems sometimes
These people are so lucky.. god damn.
Rest in peace Elliot. You left this world too soon.
I hope he's in a better place, for sure.
He and Townes Van Zandt the best songwriters ever.
Elliot Smith and Jeff Buckley. 2 legends that left us too soon. I will forever miss them.
this is one of my favorite elliott smith songs...i wish i had known about him when he was alive, but i was just a kid then.
What a beautiful song, and what incredible finger picking!
I love seeing him smile..
This and the Waltz #2 (XO) 2 Meter Session performance are some of the greatest and funniest live performances ever.
The quintessential chorus effect
Being human is beautiful compared to perfection - Godspeed passionate one
his music is beautiful.... he is beautiful.... that smile.... ahh... elliott smith forever
i love seeing him smile so much
He inspires my songwriting still....but I'll never be nowhere as good...RIP 🖤
this is my fav. performance just cuz its fun to see him laughin when he messes up
I held my breath the whole time he played the intro, it is so mesmerising. I love Elliot Smith so much :'(
Ima do that haha :(
We miss you Elliott.
He's so beautiful :c
You were too great for us all Elliot.
In 1 hour I'm off to get my second tattoo (of ferdinand the bull), not initially because of Elliott, but since he's one of my favourite song writers ever, I feel it's also a nice reminder of him. Rest in peace Elliott, I miss you
Sounds pretty retarded
He just picks up the song right where it left off. No one can fool around with es.
What a gem of a video. The guy hit the nail on the head, saying they brought him into a circus. You can see the guy contemplating life listening to it 😂 realizing they are Very lucky to have seen him perform this here and understand what he meant by anger in his songs.
Thanks guys, always love to see Elliotts music played after so many years!
Man i screw up just in front of my webcam when i try and play his song, and he had to perform this live a lot... i couldn't imagine that pressure
Just now I'm in 2021 and I still miss you. RIP
Heard this version 1000 times, didn't know there was video for it. Very thankful it came my way
Царство небесное.
Талантливый музыкант. Столько боли в глазах.
Уже 10 лет, раз в год, обязательно слушаю эту песню.
Still one of the greatest voices and strongest emotion displayed in music. We still think about you Elliott and the impact people like made on people. Mental health is still a huge underlying problem in society that is brushed under the carpet and emotions are shunned. Music is about emotion not about singing a catchy song… this resonates with me deeply
Awww budddddy..... I miss him dearly!
I feel like you’ve kept a lot of people from doing what you did and many of us thank you for that. The emotions you put into words is relatable to anyone with a soul. Thanks Elliott
He was an angel.
This Inspires me to keep playing whenever I mess up if one of the greatest players and songwriters can make a mistake and just keep going, I can too!
Progress not perfection
I had the crazy godlike gifts to meet and hang with Elliott a couple times. We talked George Harrison and songs. Love him!
It's like he can't take it when people start saying such lovely things to him.
Such a American tale that it's just about to much to bear for my little Canadian boy. Nobody gonna fool around with us.
Everything happens for a reason, even masterpieces and masterful mess ups. Ultimately better than most.
sweet angel from heaven
This was great brother, its exactly what i needed to make learning its individual parts much faster.
That's what so great about him, he screws up and still does the song and doesn't cry, he's real and this song is beautiful
I LOOOOOOOVEEEEEE HIIIIIMMMM
Every time I play this song on guitar, I feel complete
So when you are not playing it, you feel like you're missing body parts?
i don't think he knows how amazing he was even when he messed up haha such a great musician and a real genius
uuuuuuugh. why are you gone
miss you man, more than you'll ever know...
So glad I got to see him live a bunch of times; both i'n intimate venues when he 1st went solo and arena style.
. He was the best singer singer writer for me. So much emotion, melody and symbolism -mixed with melancholy and hope. He made me want to write, sing, feel and love.
What a phenomenal songwriter, singer and guitarist. It breaks my heart that I never saw him live. His music is easy to relate to.
The fragility...
he has a rough start, a rougher time resuming the song......then a stunning performance all the way out. So much to learn from this
As a guitar player, I get every part of this performance. He knows the people want it… but he’s not feeling it. It’s a emotional song, and it’s not appropriate for him to sing it for applause.
Proof that angels exist
Siempre que veo este video puedo ver la timidez de elliott.......siempre me hizo pensar que el no quería ser "famoso"..... lamentablemente tenia un talento impresionante y un talento tan grande es IMPOSIBLE que no alcance reconocimiento.
Accept that he made a mistake and smile? He is showing that he's human and real;) miss you, Elliott.
His singing live is pretty much just like it is on recordings. That isn't always true. Great job Elliott.
Jan Douwe Kroeske….
the keeper of the key of the chest full of pearls of music
i love u so much
He just needed a sip of water... to keep going... I want to meet him and the angeles
Beautiful ..
Man this is ultimately sad. . . It's the point you get to when you realize you can play your songs in your sleep. . . Then you start actually doing it. Not practicing. Using drugs. And if you put your heart into the song you can destroy as he does in the end. . . But it seems clear that he wasn't with it at the beginning and thought he was. .
Where is this gig? I remember seeing him at ULU (I'm pretty sure it was!) in London round about '99 I guess. He made a few mistakes and restarts and it was just SO beautiful. Man I miss this man. He left such gorgeous songs but I wished he could've felt less pain - he is a jewel.
what a sweetheart
There was a lot goin' on behind that dude's eyes
I FUCKING LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED HIM SO MUCH 😭❤
*"DON'T RUN FROM SADNESS,*
*RUN TOWARDS IT."*
*- ELLIOTT PROBABLY*
THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I HAVE EVER EMERISED MYSELF IN
i've been learning this song for about a week and my fingers have never been more calloused...
I guess „Fuck“ is one of the best ways to resolve a sad song.
All the real ones go now don't they? Then we get stuck with shit.
I love playing this song.
even though he fucked up he carried on and finished the song, true performer
Aww he's so nervous
Beautiful song
I love how meek he is 😍 so sensitive.. So fragile ❤ so special guy forever 🌹 all his songs are beautiful as long as he's singing it's gonna be good
Damn his voice was great