I was going through the Emperor tab book a little earlier and after sitting there and trying to learn Inno a Satana for like 3 hours straight I just couldn't take it anymore. Then going through the rest of the songs, with the exception of a few, I swear they are impossible to play, unless your name is Ihsahn or Samoth. Makes me want to throw my guitar across the room and never play again. A friend of mine borrowed the book too and we've both been playing for around 10 years and even he couldn't learn any.

Anyone else ever just get so discouraged that they just feel like giving up?

no that only makes me practice more

That's the way to do it.

Emperor songs are pretty difficult, but not impossible by any means. Just practice and get your chops up.

That's an absolutely common situation. To me, still not giving up is what seperates a "real musician" from a half-assed guitar player.

Btw, practicing the same song (maybe even riff) for 3 hours straight usually isn't gonna work, unless it's a really easy one. Better practice like half an hour and even if you fail, try again the next day. This leaves a)time for your fingers and brain to adjust and b) prevents frustration.

Damn straight there, unless it's something like Ancient Queen or anything from the demo.

I've decided that instead of trying Ihsahn's part I'm just gonna concentrate on Samoth's part.

Yeah, Ihsahn does some crazy stuff, even on the first album. Samoth's parts tend to be a bit more straight-forward, tremolo picked power chords and such. I can play "Thus Spake the Nightspirit" all the way through, which I use mostly as an exercise since it's so intense on both hands. If "Into the Infinite of Thoughts" is transcribed, I will buy that tab book asap.

Just a tip, whenever you have difficulty with a riff, lick, or lead, just take it slow. Play it at a tempo where you can play it perfect (and I mean perfect), then gradually increase the speed until you get it where you want. That way you'll play it much more accurately and "clean" than if you just rushed through it right away. Keep working at it, you'll have it down eventually!

I do this weird thing where I'll learn the riff, but have trouble executing it. So I go to sleep. The morning afterward. I can play it fine. it's weird but it somehow works.

view Vrede's reply.

I tried the song again today and was having more success. Now don't even ask me to try anything from Prometheus.

And no, Into the Infinity of Thoughts is not in the book. It's based off the Scattered Ashes comp. I've seen tabs for ...Infinity of Thoughts before and some parts are really easy, but others not so much. I must really suck if I can't even play this after having been a guitarist for 10 years.

Do you practice your instrument regularly or just every once in a while?

Sometimes it takes months to adapt and sucessfully master a technique that may be present in a certain song. If you really dig the song, you'll just keep it in mind and practice it when you can. Every song I know took me longer than a month to master.


Edit: I just checked out the tab. If you've been playing for ten years straight, the song should be in your grasp. Keep jammin it untill it's easy!

I know what your feeling. I'm struggling at Death Vocals. There's times I can do it and there's times I'm trying not to throw up.

You're doing it wrong, look up many of the old "How to do harsh vocals" threads, lots of technique advice.

If I get time this weekend, I will.

I can only speak for myself, that works for me. I get discouraged a lot when I start to learn a song cause I suck at it, but the next day I'll be blowing through what I barely could play the day before without even warming up.

Trying to play the Cemetery Gates solo. I still can't do it. My fingers just can't move quick enough.

Regularly. I practice my guitar playing and my drumming everyday for around 3 hours, but I take breaks in between.

@OP

Yeah, in fact I'm cooling down on the internet right now, I got kinda depressed, I tried for like 2 or three hours just now trying to make just one riff that sounded exactly like something that came from Peace Sells. All the riffs in that album are stylistically similar. I'm just now realizing how ridiculous it was to expect that from myself. I've only been playing for a year now... and I wasn't on hard drugs like Dave Mustaine <_<

Dave Mustaine is exceptional. According to Marty Friedman, he used to just be able to pick up a guitar after a week of not practicing and still be able to master the songs.

Well we can't all be Dave Mustaine.

@OP, I usually avoid songs which I know are too difficult for me, like right now I doubt I can pull off Wake Up Dead's outro, so I just play the riffs, or I play something easier but still enjoyable for me, like She-Wolf. I know I'll be able to play it some day, so at the moment I focus on getting better by mastering simpler shit.

EDIT: If Inno A Satana is hard, try I Am The Black Wizards. It seems easy, I eared out the main riff on a classical guitar in about 5 minutes, and I've been playing for barely 6 months. Of course I might have it in the wrong key, but I'm definitely sure it's correct otherwise.

i had the same problem as you, but i took mine in steps... i learnt how to play Cosmic Keys to My Creations and Times, then I Am the Black Wizards, after all that technical playing it will be easier to play Inno A Satana... my new challenge is playing the Loss and Curse of Reverence, and its a major pain in the buttocks. its much easier to play by ear though, and try your own way of playing it.

Pretty much every time I try to get my foot speed up I want to quit drumming. I can do hours of work on my hands, but god practicing double bass is the worst part of the instrument.

Yeah at times i had a stupid thaught in my head of giving up, but i realised that theres no point of giving up, youre only wasting what you're already in the middle of.

I say just keep playing easier songs from other bands maybe, doesnt have to be piss easy but just easier in general, then go back to the hard songs, point out the certain aspects of them that make them hard, practice those specific parts then try again, before you know it you will probobly be able to do it by then.

Dont try to rush getting better and complex at your instrument. It doesnt work at all and it only fucks you up in the long run. it kind of sucks at times but you have to be patient, and just give yourself some time to progress as a musician.

Oh yes. Many times I think to myself, "my fingers can never move fast" or "Im never going to be able to play riffs like X band" or "I just cant get any of this theory down".
So I just go remind myself of how I went from not knowing jackshit about guitars to at least being able to construct my own riffs and arrange them make a song out of it. Time seems to be the only factor.

Either way, Im into this for the fun of it. When I "play" guitar, I literally play the guitar...much like a video game.
I have no aspirations of becoming a 'technical' player. I just enjoy learning guitar...I dont have an end goal in mind. Whatever recording I do along the way are the rewards...that I play for myself. And I know that as long I keep learning and playing and recording, the rewards keep coming.

Just curious, how hard are Emperor songs in general anyway? The only songs I've bothered to try and ear out the riffs are Inno a Satana and Black Wizards, both of which I have the main riffs down anyway, and I'm a terrible guitarist.

yep that's what I noticed

I pick songs that I know I can't play, work on them at a slower speed, and keep practicing until I can play them. I learned how to play guitar primarily by doing this.

It's not songs that are hard to play that makes me give up.

It's when you're in a band, and it goes well...BUT! At some point things start falling apart and you can't find replacements and such. Then it feels like you wasted your time. It's very disappointing. Sometimes it makes me not want to play at all.

there are plenty of things i've had difficulty with, only to pick them up again a few months later and just sort of magically <i>get</i>. seriously, the best place to start is with the basics. get your minor scales and basic chords down, and most metal will be a piece of cake, especially emperor.