Don Felder videos on YouTube and other video sites

[WalshFan88]

He still looks great and that smile will always make me feel good. However, and I know I will be slaughtered for saying this, I don't like how he plays his own solo in Hotel California anymore. He has even changed certain notes along the way. Musicians will know what I'm talking about when I say that I hate all those E - D sharp pull-off's that used to be E - D's. Maybe he's thinking of a harmonic E minor scale, but the song isn't in the harmonic E minor - not even during the E minor chord. But most of all, they just sound bad to my ears. Like he's playing it wrong.
The whole solo sounds a bit "interpreted" and nervous these days as opposed to the beautiful and smooth piece of music that it is on the record.

But that's the only musical complaint about the guy that I have. I sure am glad that he's still out there doing what he's so great at. Plus nobody in the rock world smiles like Don.

It's slightly different for sure - a lot of the inflections are changed. Keep in mind it's in Am now and not Bm. And he originally wrote it in Em. Confusing lol.

[chaim]

It's slightly different for sure - a lot of the inflections are changed. Keep in mind it's in Am now and not Bm. And he originally wrote it in Em. Confusing lol.

Yeah, the new key changed it even more, but he already did those "D sharp instead of natural D" pull-off's decades ago. They always tortured my ears. But I do know that I'm the only one on earth who is irritated by them.

Incidentally, those notes I mentioned are of course a D and a C sharp in the key of A minor, but I prefer to use the note names of the original key, because it's easier to compare them and since, unless my memory fails me, he changed those pull off's decades ago.

[WalshFan88]

Yeah, the new key changed it even more, but he already did those "D sharp instead of natural D" pull-off's decades ago. They always tortured my ears. But I do know that I'm the only one on earth who is irritated by them.

Incidentally, those notes I mentioned are of course a D and a C sharp in the key of A minor, but I prefer to use the note names of the original key, because it's easier to compare them and since, unless my memory fails me, he changed those pull off's decades ago.

Yeah he's been doing it like that for a long time...

[Brooke]

So, this makes me wonder if they are changed when the Eagles do them? (Stuart or Joe)

[sodascouts]

I would be really surprised if anything was changed for the Eagles' live version (except, of course, for the acoustic HFO one). In fact, maybe Felder changed it for solo versions because when he played it with the Eagles, he had to do it note-for-note the same as the recording (as Stu has to do it now, I imagine). Perhaps my ears just weren't attuned enough to notice it, though!

[WalshFan88]

There are a few slight changes now with Stu.

Namely he does a lot of pinch harmonics throughout the solo that Felder never did but that comes from Stu's fingerstyle technique. You can hear them has "light squeals" at the end of notes.

[sodascouts]

Interesting. Thanks, Austin.

[shunlvswx]

I saw a video from Guitar World from a few years ago when Don did a lesson on how to play Hotel California. He said in that video that he changed the key so it would be good with his voice and friendlier guitar key because you have to remember. HC was changed to suit Don H's voice. Now he changed it to suit his voice.

ETA:

Here's the video I'm talking about.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLcL4MkpJQ4[/ame]

[chaim]

I saw a video from Guitar World from a few years ago when Don did a lesson on how to play Hotel California. He said in that video that he changed the key so it would be good with his voice and friendlier guitar key because you have to remember. HC was changed to suit Don H's voice. Now he changed it to suit his voice.

ETA:

Here's the video I'm talking about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLcL4MkpJQ4

I remember this video. However, my complaint didn't concern the key change necessarily. A lot of the solo could still be played like he did on the record. To my ears he has changed it too much and there's no flow anymore. It sounds more like a combination of licks, and he's also over-interpreting them all IMO.

[Thirsty&Hot]

Hotel California - Don Felder, John Stamos & Mike Love
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTdsXNq2EPw&app=desktop"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTdsXNq2EPw&app=desktop[/ame]


as cool as this is in theory...my favorite part is the guitar solo...which is just not the same without Joe countering him on stage...
and as Glenn said in HotE "You just can't argue with Don Henley's vocal..." (or something to that effect)...which was actually in reference to Victim of Love if I remember correctly...but it fits here IMO as well.

don't mean to be the negative poster in a Felder thread..(you can smack me if you want ) but just thought maybe some of you would appreciate this anyway! (if it's not already posted...I didn't notice it)