The Hardest Songs to Play on Guitar: A Comprehensive Guide

Welcome to a journey through some of the most challenging songs to play on guitar. This article is designed to help you understand what makes these pieces difficult and why they challenge even the most skilled guitarists.

Introduction

When it comes to playing guitar, what is considered "hard" can vary widely from one musician to another. The difficulty of a piece is not just about the skill level required but also the complexity of the techniques involved. In this article, we will explore some of the most technically demanding guitar pieces and what makes them so challenging.

The Subjectivity of Difficulty

Firstly, it's important to understand that the term "hard" is often subjective. What one musician might find challenging could be easy for another, and vice versa. Here are some thoughts from a professional guitarist, Pierre Jacques:

No offense but your question is meaningless. What’s “hard” for one musician might be “easy” for another and vice versa. “hard” is not quantifiable.

For me, it's always the piece I am currently learning. Pushing myself to learn new, challenging music often involves months of practice. Your goal should be to set a target just above your current level and give it the necessary time and effort to master it.

Technically Challenging Pieces: King Crimson’s ‘Fracture’

One of the most technically challenging pieces is King Crimson's 'Fracture', a composition that even its creator, Robert Fripp, could only perform proficiently after reaching the peak of his abilities. Fripp himself has been known to fail to execute this piece after years of practice, much to the amazement of many musicians. The piece is not only technically demanding but also a masterpiece of modern rock music:

King Crimson’s ‘Fracture’ is probably a good candidate. Fripp himself could only attempt it when he felt he was at the top of his game and some guy has written a book about his failure to manage it after years of trying. IMHO it’s not only phenomenally challenging technically but a stunning piece of music.

Challenges for Rhythm Guitarists

For rhythm guitarists, the challenge can be quite different from lead players. One example comes from the band Renaissance, known for their complex arrangements and intricate guitar parts. A rhythm guitarist friend of mine, Pierre's son, found the rhythm guitar challenges in the Moody Blues' 'Question' to be the most difficult. The intro and the final piece of this song required a high level of precision and musicality.

I learnt a bit of rhythm guitar myself and accomplished some simple chords for some favourite songs but didn’t carry on with it so if I picked up a guitar now I would have to learn all over again as it’s been along time reason being I never mastered the tuning relying on my very talented son and really expected too much of myself. I managed to play Nights in White Satin and sing to it then on simple chords of Em D G with a bit of F and some A and C but you may think that is complicated no it isn’t really maybe the lead guitar replacing the flute interlude is more difficult than the main song as for other songs of this great band my son who plays guitar well found the most difficult rhythm guitar was Question by the Moody Blues as the intro and the finally end piece of that classic pro rock song boy this is difficult he said the most difficult he’d ever come across the man who wrote this is a genius referring to Justin Hayward the writer of Question after my son accomplishes this piece he conquered rhythm guitar and can play anything acoustic and sing to it on his guitar.

Rock Legends and Their Challenging Songs

Another interesting case comes from the legendary guitarist of Pink Floyd, David Gilmour. His piece 'Comfortably Numb' is often cited as one of the most challenging rock guitar compositions. A younger brother of a guitar enthusiast, who is also a fan of Pink Floyd, found this piece to be extremely difficult. It took him a lot of time and effort to master the song.

I managed to play Nights in White Satin and sing to it then on simple chords of Em D G with a bit of F and some A and C but you may think that is complicated no it isn’t really maybe the lead guitar replacing the flute interlude is more difficult than the main song as for other songs of this great band my son who plays guitar well found the most difficult rhythm guitar was Question by the Moody Blues as the intro and the finally end piece of that classic pro rock song boy this is difficult he said the most difficult he’d ever come across the man who wrote this is a genius referring to Justin Hayward the writer of Question after my son accomplishes this piece he conquered rhythm guitar and can play anything acoustic and sing to it on his guitar. Something similar happened to my younger brother who plays great lead guitar solos and does it as a hobby found Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd the most difficult piece he’s ever attempted to play and he is a Pink Floyd fan it was in his later years after retiring from the NHS as a medical worker that he had a bash at learning it properly and it took him ages of utter concentration to learn and he did learn it very well yes Dave Gilmour you are a genius and one to be admired for this piece alone.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the difficulty of a song on guitar can depend on the individual and their current skill level. However, some pieces stand out as particularly challenging, such as 'Fracture' by King Crimson, 'Question' by the Moody Blues, and 'Comfortably Numb' by Pink Floyd. These songs often require years of dedicated practice and a deep understanding of music theory and technique.

Remember, the journey of becoming a proficient guitar player is a continuous one, and tackling these challenging pieces can be both rewarding and inspiring. Happy practicing!