This article is more entertaining than instructional, I ain’t gonna lie. But then again, you’ll learn that through it all, that playing the guitar by ear is all about imitating music…. and what you see in your mind.
Imitation! Everywhere you go there is imitation. Imitation on T.V., imitation on YouTube, especially on YouTube, that thing is filled with imitators.
Imitation on the radio, oh boy! Talk about the millions of imitators on that. And then there’s the internet, all the way from some websites looking the same to scammers imitating each other as they too, scam the same exact way online to you, with the same tried and true ways that work for them.
Because they make over $172 billion a year doing this. Did you say $172 billion dollars? Yes I did. But their days coming in a jail cell, one day.
Imitations so good that even the scammers are doing it, Man![laughs]
The Imitators Of Michael Jackson
Look at how after Michael Jackson died [rip] how many people imitated him all the way from his dance moves to his music, which was rumored that his great songs, that were released, that no one ever heard before, called “Michael” were rumored to not be him singing on some of them.
That some were imitators, imitating his songs. Which was proven later on that some of them were imitators.
La Toya, Michael Jackson’s sister said, “It doesn’t sound like him.” Even all of Michael Jackson’s family said, “Three of the songs, they have doubts about them,” and they were very public about it.
Even when Michael Jackson was alive, lots and lots of people imitated him. Now we see no one even coming close to being able to match his traveling around all of the earth making concerts like he did in the 80’s which netted him THE GREATEST ALBUM OF ALL TIME! THRILLER.
Many have tried to imitate Michael Jackson’s grueling concert schedule of the 80’s but NONE have come close. Michael Jackson was said to not get any sleep because of it, sometimes because they traveled to so many places in so little time in a space of a few years that he would do a concert in one town and then turn around and do another one, two days later.
Usher [ The American singer, songwriter and dancer.] Who’s genres are R&B, blues and pop. Tried to imitate Michael Jackson’s concert schedules and his popularity and his hits of songs, only to fall straight on his butt in failure. Usher was quoted as saying, “I will be the next King Of Pop.”
JANET JACKSON
Chris Brown, sadly, could never touch the King Of Pop, Michael Jackson. Not even close but has quite a bit of musical popularity under his belt.
Justin Bieber has never imitated The King Of Pop when it comes to the musical prowess of Michael Jackson in terms of being the Greatest Of All Time. Although he is pretty impressive, being how young he is.
Bruno Mars, The “Uptown Funk” singer is talented, charismatic and appeals to a diverse audience. But he still needs to make that one great album, which is greater than the King Of Pop’s greatest album “Thriller.” Then maybe then, he will be able to imitate the King Of Pop! I think not, but Bruno Mars is still great! He’s still, from out of this world.
Even his own sister, “Janet Jackson” hasn’t been able to imitate her OWN brother Michael Jackson, in terms of sales. But every one knows she holds her own with quality songs that even the most crankiest person can’t stop listening to. And she has QUITE the bit of MEGA popularity.
Adele, Taylor Swift, The Weekend, Ne-Yo, Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, Nick Jonas, Jussie Smollett, Janelle Monae, have all fell short of trying to beat Michael Jackson. Maybe that’s why his song’s called, Beat It!
ROCKY THE KING OF IMITATION
Sylvester Stallone partially imitated, Rocco Francis Marchegiano, best known as Rocky Marciano. Sylvester Stallone would go on to draw inspiration from him in “ROCKY” which was a box office smash. Racking up $117,235,147.
So at 30 years old, with just $106 in his bank account, Stallone rejected $300,000 so he could get the rights to Rocky. After the producers read his script, they wanted other people who were already super stars, which Sylvester Stallone wasn’t at the time. He was relatively a newcomer at the time.
The producers wanted Burt Reynolds, James Caan, or Ryan O’Neal to play in this movie as the Great Marciano, who went by the name Rocky.
Sylvester Stallone wanted to imitate Rocky so bad that he turned down that cash cow, which into days terms is the equivalent of $1 million dollars today. [Probably more like $20 million dollars…. as much as they pay artists nowadays.]
He said, “It’s on my terms, my way and I star in it and not only that but I’m the main character.” Him holding out caused them to cave in and agree to let him play the role.
It’s been said that Sylvester Stallone actually may have IMITATED Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner’s fight that took place at Richfield Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio on March 24, 1975.
This fight, in which everyone was expecting Chuck Wepner to not last long, surprisingly went 15 rounds, in which Muhammad Ali TKO’d him, in the last round. He went “The distance!” (Chuck Wepner) As everyone says of fighters who last till the end of the fight, especially in Rocky movies.
Up to date photo of CHUCK WEPNER
Because of Rocky’s fight going the distance, just like Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner’s fight did. Chuck Wepner actually filed a lawsuit, which was eventually settled with Stallone for a undisclosed amount.
Some say Sylvester may have imitated a little bit of Rocky Graziano, not to be confused with Rocky Marciano. Rocky Graziano, was a American professional boxer, who held the World Middleweight title. Graziano is considered one of the greatest knockout artists in boxing history, often showing the ability to take his opponents out with a single punch.
See how EVERYTHING’S imitation?
See how EVERYTHING’S imitation?
PROJECT: Imitate HOTEL CALIFORNIA Everyone!
I remember trying to imitate the solo to HOTEL CALIFORNIA. A song made famous by The Eagles in 1976. The Eagles are a American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971. The members who formed the Eagles are Glen Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner.
There are other members in the band also. If you know anything about the Eagles, you know that they learn songs by first coming together and then they work out the parts in the song.
Like how the guitar goes, what exact solo the song will do, what chords will they do in the song. They ask what will the singer do in the song. They work out what exactly will the bass do, as well as the keyboard and various other instruments in their band.
And once everyone knows what the instruments will do in the song, they play them the same exact way all the time. They play their songs the same exact ways for every song and they will never play them differently. They will never improvise on them and play them a different way.
Unlike Van Halen, who is known to play the same exact song different ways with chords and solos. He makes it sound exactly like the song but each time he plays the song, it is with different chords and single notes and in different ways and in different areas of the guitar.
He even said so himself that, “ I never play the same song the same exact way, every time I play it.”
Malcom Young of AC DC, has even said, “Shoot! Maybe I’m playing my songs wrong and my fans who try to cop me, who try to copy me, imitate me, are playing them right.” Because his fans have been know to play his songs in completely different ways, with different chords and such but it STILL sounds like AC DC’s songs, even though they do.
Yes I remember trying to figure out how to play the guitar solo by the Eagles song, HOTEL CALIFORNIA. I remember getting the tab for it and it even came with the whole shabang, the whole song from start to finish, the lyrics, with ALL the parts in the songs.
The beginning of the song, as well as the middle of the song and of course the ending of the song, which was where the solo was.
I’m playing this thing or at least trying to play the solo, which I did but it didn’t sound anything like the song. I did exactly what the tab said to do. Played all the notes and the riffs that go with the solo. But it wasn’t cracking. I seen other people try to play it, with all the tabs out there and they too, also couldn’t nail the solo, couldn’t play it.
Finally my brother says, the only way to play that solo on the Eagles album, Hotel California, is to play it from their specialized small pamphlet.
Which came with the magazine, which had the tab. BUT it also had the pamphlet that had the tab in it ALSO. “That pamphlet has the CORRECT way to play the solo, my brother said.” He said, “You WILL not learn how to play that solo with just the magazine itself.”
Cause I remember when I bought that magazine, it did have the pamphlet nestled in between the plastic and the magazine, which both had the solo.
But when you open the plastic, the pamphlet falls out. Me not thinking nothing of it, place the pamphlet off somewhere else in my house and forgot about it.
Even though this pamphlet had all kinds of flash about it. It looked real nice. It even said, “HOW TO PLAY HOTEL CALIFORNIA THE CORRECT WAY TAB written by the EAGLES,” right on it.
This thing had EVERYTHING correct in it. Although it looked challenging to play it, it did have me sounding like a beast after awhile.
Although I have to admit that later on, after I got a little comfortable playing it. I had to go on YouTube and get some more help on how to play it. After all, it has been said to be the greatest solo of all time, so of course it wasn’t going to be easy, playing this solo.
The guy who helped me learn the solo to Hotel California is Mike Bradley you should check him out. He’s great!
As I’m writing this, I just watched his video and he said YouTube took down his videos of, “Of how to play the solo to Hotel California.” He had part 1, part 2 and part 3 and they are not there anymore.
You can watch his explanation of why on YouTube titled: “Hotel California Part 3 Nightmare.” By Mike Bradley, to find out why, if you like.
But you can check out his video on YouTube titled: “Hendrix Bend In The Hotel California Solo Lesson,” below to watch at least a little bit of the solo to Hotel California, that he does on his video.
There are other videos of other musicians on YouTube, telling how to play Hotel California’s solo, if you like to learn it. I would suggest you find one that shows it in sections and that breaks it down, step by step. Which is what Mike Bradley did on his videos, that had the whole solo on them but YouTube took it down.
You can learn this greatest solo of all time, in Hotel California and when you do, it will give you an amazing platform of how to play the guitar by ear on other songs that you learn in the future.
Remember at some point, you will take off your training wheels and be able to play the guitar by ear one day. You will imitate any song.
Led Zeppelin Lawsuit Fodder Because Of Imitation
Robert Plant and Jimmy Page 
John Bonham 
Led Zeppelin
Some people get sued for imitation. Imitation in the musical sphere of things. A lawsuit here, a lawsuit there. Some people love lawsuits and it is nevertheless seen in the musical side of things.
Now, I don’t even have to tell you that Led Zeppelin has had their share of lawsuits due to imitation, due to copying, plagiarism, stealing. Whatever you want to call it.
Led Zeppelin as you know, were a great English band. With lots of hits, lots of hit songs.
In their career, the English rock band Led Zeppelin has been sued a number of times, due to recorded songs that consisted, in whole or part, of songs that already existed, as well as melodies and lyrics that already existed. Sometimes they gave people credit for the songs, sometimes they didn’t. Some people got writing credit for these songs in question.
Some of the songs that they have been accused of or they have given credit to the original owners of the songs are, “You Shook Me,” which was correctly credited to Willie Dixon.
Another song was, “Dazed and Confused,” in which Jake Holmes accused them of stealing his song. A 2010 lawsuit looks like it has been settled out of court.
This song, “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You,” has been credited to Anne Bredon, in which she received a substantial back-payment of royalties.
Another interesting song to me, was Led Zeppelin’s stealing of the song, “Black Mountain Side,” because it couldn’t be proven because it may not be able to be constituted as Bert Jansch’s own copyright, as the basic melody was traditional. She was quoted as saying, “Page ripped me off, didn’t he? Or let’s just say he learned from me.”
“I Can’t Quit You Baby,” was correctly attributed to Willie Dixon. Led Zeppelin didn’t try to take credit for it.
They never changed the song, “How Many More Times.” So no lawsuits have ever been filed but the song did have components of, “Albert King’s “The Hunter.”
“Whole Lotta Love.” A whole lot of fans love this song. But they were sued because of this song. They settled out of court in Willie Dixon’s favor. They thought because the song was real old, that they could just take it. They figured you only get caught when you’re successful.
And finally the song, “Gallows Pole,” a very great song, one that I love. It was correctly attributed as traditional from the beginning. Led Zeppelin credits the Gerlach version as his inspiration. But the song has a much older history as, “The Maid Freed From The Gallows.”
And lots more songs of Led Zeppelin. Of which, I’m not gonna cover.
The songs I just now covered from Led Zeppelin were:
- You Shook Me
- Dazed and Confused
- Babe I’m Gonna Leave You
- Black Mountain Side
- I Can’t Quit You Baby
- How Many More Times
- Whole Lotta Love
- Gallows Pole
People Joke About Imitating Each Other
Gangsters imitate each other by the various gang signs they do to each other. Which you know is true because how would they know what each other’s saying when they flash each other with signs.
Some, that are invented just for that gang, are hard to be discerned by other gangsters at first but in time they figure it out and so do the gang intervention cops. Often figuring out the violent signs for the safety of the public. As they relay it to prisons, to teach the staff the signs, for the safety of the guards.
Because as they say, “Knowledge is power.” People that get tattoos often copy each other, often copying the style of the tattoo and not necessarily the same exact tattoo art on their bodies.
It used to be just Green tattoos back in the 50’s. Then just good old black tattoos in the 80’s. Then after awhile people wanted to get colors in their tattoos. And now they are so bright looking, even grandmas are getting blinded by them. [laughs.]
But it’s a good thing AMERICA still has a sense of humor. And the world over, Canada, Mexico, Africa, Russia, Germany, Israel, Egypt, China. We ALL can still laugh and enjoy one another.
In America people seem to want to joke about minor things like, “I KNOW she didn’t just wear that same dress as me!”….. Or they say, also in America,….. “I was drinking that new high dollar water, “CORE,” first!…. “Now every ones drinking it.”
Or….. “I was driving a particular car first,”…. [Like the Dodge Challenger.] “Now EVERYONE’S driving them.” Now it’s the new Challenger, Hellcats and Challenger, Demons, that others are going to copy each other with. So much imitating.
Over minor things we copy each other with. But we have fun accusing each other that we had them first or we used them first.
Comedians LOVE to imitate people. Richard Pryor loved to imitate white people. Was known not to be offensive by doing that cause he was only joking.
Even George Carlin, who was a very, very, famous comedian and was one of the first, great Comedians, even he imitated black people in his acts. No one ever called him out on it because it was just basically true and it was only humor, not to be taken offensively or personally.
Even The ROCK [Dywayne Johnson] is getting on the train and is imitating Kevin Hart on YouTube titled: Roles Reversed -Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson Impersonates Keven Hart by LADbible.
Even ol, Jack Black the comedian is imitating people, he imitates The Rock.
And you know Ja Pharoah is imitating people. He was seen on YouTube imitating Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy and Kevin Hart, all in one shot.
Normal people imitate each other sometimes, as far as on the streets. Wherein, some times we capture people imitating others in public. Not to be cruel but for fun.
Couples telling each other, Hey! Remember when you did this or that and then they proceed to act like their partner and imitate them just for fun, like yell like their partner or imitate what their partner does, to get a point across and to have fun.
Imitate every now and then. Imitate your friends, imitate the president, imitate comedians. Imitate whoever you like, too. But don’t, if it’s gonna hurt or offend someone.
Imitate music but don’t take it and make money off of someone’s song without their permission. DON’T imitate crooks, thieves and such or bad people, bad guys, bad girls. But do imitate life in all honesty and don’t do anything wrong or bad, y’all.
Some believe we shouldn’t imitate musicians. Some believe we shouldn’t have fun.
But I believe we should imitate our musicians until we find our own styles, our own way.
But in time, we should use what we have learned off of knowing them, off of imitating their music, their sounds. We can then take off our training wheels and be able to make our own sounds, our own songs and be able to deliver to the next generation, a music worth listening to.
Related Questions
What other words are used for imitation? Words like imitation are, clone, duplication, copy, likeness, matching, counterfeiting, mirroring, parroting, patterning, mimicking, miming, carbon copy, replica, reproduction, resemblance, xerox.
What’s another word for a fake person? imitation, counterfeit, sham, copy, cheat, quack, imposter, make believe, deceiver, fraud, faker, scam, pretense, fabrication, forgery, trick, hoax, spoof, goldbrick.
Musicians who were accused of stealing music. Coldplay, Vida La Vida…. James Brown, It’s a Man’s World…. Lady Gaga, Judas…. Taylor Swift, Haters Gonna Hate…. The Beatles, Come Together…. MC Hammer, You Can’t Touch This…. Bruno Mars, Opps Upside Your Head.
Photo credits:
Usher dancing with hand to ear with musicians behind him and large projection screen behind him, of his projection image. Usher SAP Arena (cropped).jpg photo courtesy of D.roller.saparena: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en
Michael Jackson singing into microphone photo courtesy of Zoran Veselinovic: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en
Musical plate and tape of michael jackson at Hard Rock Cafe LA California: photo credit of Boris Dzhingarov credit www.traveltipsor.com/courtesy of Boris Dzhingarov: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
Usher @ Toyota Center – Houston, TX OMG Tour photo courtesy of MarcoFromHouston.com :https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.enh
Justin Bieber with mic and cap backward photo courtesy of Lou Stejskal: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
Bruno Mars performing and playing guitar photo courtesy of Brothers Le: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
Janet Jackson performing and having fun looking down at fans photo courtesy of Andy Liang: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en
Sylvester Stallone wearing sunglasses photo courtesy of Alan Light, Thank you Alan Light for providing this great photo. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
Muhammad Ali photo courtesy of PA. commons.m.wikimedia.org. Public Domain image.
Chuck Wepner up to date photo smiling into camera photo courtesy of Igel B TyMaHe: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en
The Eagles band from California. From left to right are: Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh, and Timothy B. Schmit during their Long Road out of Eden Tour in 2008 photo courtesy of Steve Alexander:https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en
Photo courtesy of Leonard J. DeFrancisci Eagles at the Amway Center, 400 West Church Street, Orlando, Florida. (camera top view of them.) Photo courtesy of Leonard J. DeFrancisci: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en
Led Zeppelin in Hamburg, Germany 1973. Robert Plant, Jimmy Page sitting down photo courtesy of Heinrich Klaffs: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en
Led Zeppelin drummer photo courtesy of Dina Regine:https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en
Led Zeppelin, January 1975, Chicago on stage in color photo courtesy of more19562003: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
George Carlin File:Jesus is coming.. Look Busy (George Carlin).jpg Carlin performing one of his last shows in 2008 photo courtesy of Bonnie from Kendall Park, NJ, USA:https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en
