The Clap by Steve Howe

[markj]

It took me quite a while to get this under my fingers. I started learning it about 6 months ago. I have been able to play it from start to finish for a couple of months, but getting this beast polished is very challenging. Very challenging. It is one the funnest pieces of music I have ever learned of any genre on any instrument. It is not perfect of course because it never will be, but it is a hell of a lot of fun to play...

I humbly submit my first recording of, "The Clap", by Steve Howe. Played on my OO-40 Pearl Custom. I tried to keep up with a 98bpm metronome. Tried is the key word here... lol

https://soundcloud.com/marks-recordings/the-clap

Adjust volume as necessary. It sounds a little bass heavy on my JBL studio monitors and a little bright on my Sony headphones. Mixing sound is another one of those 10,000 hour deals...

[JamesN]

 Well done! That was a massive effort to learn a piece that repeats itself very little.

[mike in lytle]

That is a very nice performance. I know it may be tough to accept kudos for that, but after you have played it about 100 more times, people will not believe their ears.
I couldn't believe my ears even now.... I could never play anything like that.
Mike

[markj]

Thanks for listening!

I know exactly how you feel. Mike. I used to think that about this piece. I have wanted to learn The Clap, ever since I first heard it in the 70s. When I started playing guitar I just knew that this piece was going to be one of those pieces that I would never feel ready to attempt. I attempted it many times over the years and would always stumble on the opening chord sequence, only to give up in frustration.

Something clicked about 6 months ago or so and I told myself that if I can learn Beethoven Sonatas, Chopin Nocturnes, Pieces by Bach, Mozart, etc. on the piano, that I could surely learn this piece. I have also been studying classical guitars pieces over the past 3 or so years. I believe that road of study helped me greatly with this piece.

I stuck with it and ever so slowly the opening sequence revealed itself in my fingers. It took 3 or 4 hours a day for about a week or more to get the opening sequence down.  From that point on, it was one challenge and one success at a time over the length of the piece.

There are very few repeated sections but they do exist, and also variations of themes, throughout.  It is a masterful composition and an incredible accomplishment by Mr. Howe, who was only in his early 20s when he wrote it.

[Queequeg]

Nice job, Mark.
A very challenging piece. I wasn't familiar with it, so thanks for introducing this one to me.
Very interesting changes, and a lot going on there.
I applaud you for sticking with it and the progress that you've made.

[markj]

Thank you Queequeg!