Ants Marching...

[DMBphan1]

anyone have any suggestions for ants marching? I understand the tab and I can play it fairly quickly but just cant seem to make it sound good or sound anything like Dave.

[schollz51]

anyone have any suggestions for ants marching? I understand the tab and I can play it fairly quickly but just cant seem to make it sound good or sound anything like Dave.

i felt the same wat till i heard it on storytellers.so i might suggest u try that!

[gravedigger]

there's a lot to be said for the muting involved. It takes practice to get it sounding like Dave. I used to up pick the notes in between the D and G for the verses, to make sure that I hit them right, but as you see on Storytellers, he down picks them - in like a strumming fashion - It takes a lot of practice - and the timing is important. I used to have trouble with the timing on the chorus and on the bridge part (all the little ants are marching, red and black antenna waving...) I second the study of the Storytellers version, and also of the Luther college version. Get that timing in your head, and practice, practice, practice.

peace,
Ken

[jsgksu]

For ants I just play the D chord first, then lay my pointer finger across the neck at the fourth fret and do 3 muted strums then I just hold down that finger at the fourth fret and make sure to hold down the a and d string and just use my middle finger to hammer on the 5th fret and youve already got your first finger layed across for the d string part. Then I just slide my hand down and play a g with my pointer and middle finger without holding the low e string down. Then I just go back up to the 4th fret with my pointer finger layed across and this time when I hammer on the 5th fret I lay my middle finger across the a and d string to play the second part then I just slide from 5 ot 7 the second time I play it. I know Ants is supposed to be played with slides but I think it sounds just as good with hammers and its a lot easier that way, give it a try tell me what you think.

[dmfollower]

i love playing ants marching. i never had any trouble with the muting, it was the damn sliding. its all about being able to hit A and D strings perfectly without hitting the E or any other strings. once i got my aim down and conquered the "we all do it the same" run down it became on of my favorites. if you look at the song from a difficulty point of view its not really one of his toughest songs. you just have to break it down into sections and then but them all together.

[DmBillies41]

I actually mute the strings to add a little bit in between chord switches, also helps me get the timing down for some reason

[DMBphan1]

sounds good...thanks for the suggestions...I think I'll give storytellers another look.