The reemergence of Emotional Rescue got me thinking... Like the song or not, the process of relearning, arranging and performing a song, so long out of circulation is intriguing.

When I'm playing with a band, and we re-learn a song we haven't played in many years, it's often like learning it from scratch. We'll listen to the song on CD or whatever and play along till either we figure it out or it comes back to mind.

It would be interesting to me to see the process the Stones use. Emotional Rescue, to my knowledge was never played live, so it's possible they haven't played it since it was recorded and also possible that during the original recording sessions maybe only played the song, all together as a band a handful of times.

I wonder if there an archive somewhere they refer to that documents the key, chords, tablature etc? Or do they, like most bands, just listen to the song and "figure it out"?

Watch the 4 Flicks docu.

They play along to the cd.

and they possess a Chuck to take all the...oh nevermind

Sometimes things get rehearsed for a couple of tours before seeing the light of day. Emotional Rescue was rehearsed for Licks, but never played.

They watch youtube videos of guys sitting wearing shorts explaining how to play the song.

They don't.

Mathijs

My guess is there's a hot shot guitar guy around that helps them remember what they played with a private informal sit down. Later they get together with giant amps and play loudly and badly, stumbling through the changes. Mick joins in and they shout and cuss over the volume, complain about their equipment and having to smoke outside. They come back inside and argue about the same section they argued about 40 years ago. Keith turns up, Mick plows through complete versions, Charlie says he's done and puts on a sweatshirt and scarf.... Ronnie and Keith proudly announce, "We got it", "If I don't know it by now, for fks sake" That's how I imagine a rehearsal.

This was gone over quite succinctly in a Rolling Stone interview and article just prior to their Steel Wheels reunion tour. Basically they use a 3 step method. First, they all just listen to the song. Then they all play along with the song. Then they play it by themselves without the CD. It can go quickly or it can go on longer depending on what they're having trouble with. At that time Mick said they did that for every single song they rehearsed.

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DandelionPowderman
Watch the 4 Flicks docu.

They play along to the cd.

No shit!? I have this DVD and never watched that part. Only the 3 shows. Too bad it hasn't been released in wide screen HD and likely won't be.

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Mathijs
They don't.

excellent. brevity and honesty are noble traits...

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GumbootCloggeroo
They watch youtube videos of guys sitting wearing shorts explaining how to play the song.

That me me laugh mate...it's so true, every time I am looking for a song lesson on YouTube it seems as though it's always some guy sat in his flipping shorts. I'm begining to think that there is no need to go down to Clarkesville to sell my soul at the crossroads - all I need do is buy some of them awful shorts and they will imbibe the skills I need directly through my loins and into my hands!

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crumbling_mice

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GumbootCloggeroo
They watch youtube videos of guys sitting wearing shorts explaining how to play the song.

That me me laugh mate...it's so true, every time I am looking for a song lesson on YouTube it seems as though it's always some guy sat in his flipping shorts. I'm begining to think that there is no need to go down to Clarkesville to sell my soul at the crossroads - all I need do is buy some of them awful shorts and they will imbibe the skills I need directly through my loins and into my hands!

clarksDALE...please...

Sooo true. I have always maintained, the best guitar player in the world(not youtubers) is sitting in his mothers basement, searching for tone, and you'll never ever hear or see him. The rest of of were just cool enough or just good looking enough to score chicks and leave the basement. I always find the youtube guys can play, but it is NEVER the way Keith, Ronnie or MT would do it.

Funny thing is... there is not a guitar player here who hasn't learned something off the guy wearing the shorts!

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jazzbass

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DandelionPowderman
Watch the 4 Flicks docu.

They play along to the cd.

No shit!? I have this DVD and never watched that part. Only the 3 shows. Too bad it hasn't been released in wide screen HD and likely won't be.

They are rehearsing Slave that way on the docu.

I guess it depends on how well they know the song or if they've rehearsed it in previous days. In Bondy for the public rehearsal they only listened to a recording for "Little Red Rooster" and briefly at that. For OMS, Mick, Ronnie and Keith huddled together to discuss Ronnie's part in the intro and for the others they just played them directly.

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jazzbass
I wonder if there an archive somewhere they refer to that documents the key, chords, tablature etc? Or do they, like most bands, just listen to the song and "figure it out"?

If you're a resourceful songwriter, then for either the rough draft or final version of the lyrics you'll write the chords above each written line.



But from the example of Jagger's lyrics and corrections to It Must Be Hell, it appears they don't do that, so they likely have to refer to the original recordings and figure it out that way, which is how they learned to play blues covers in the beginning.



By the way, the above original lyric sheet retails on Amazon.com for $3,900 USD.

Full details at: [www.amazon.com]