guitar thread - good acoustic songs to learn and listen to

[webnarc]

I heard the Fountains Of Wayne - Valley Winter Song a few weekends ago and I just connected with it. It's got a nice strumming pattern and the chord progression is straight forward but with enough B and Bm to keep you thinking about it.

Lowest of the Low - Black Monday makes me want a case of beer, a better voice, and my youth.

Foo Fighters - Times Like These does survive the transition back to guitar only pretty well.

Blue Rodeo - Hasn't Hit Me Yet helped me through every break up I've had in the last 6 months.


What are the other guitar people playing? Any suggestions on some good acoustic songs to learn?

[WallyG3]

I'm still working on getting Clapton's Unplugged album down.
It's a long term project/hobby.

[Pete]

Try "Little Martha" by the Allmen Brothers of Eat Peach

[codeorama]

Take it Easy by the Eagles is an easy strum, Don't look back in Anger by Oasis is simiar...
I also like "Hey hey what can I do" by Led Zeppelin.

[dchogs]

i'm working on stairway to heaven

;)

[Hog Fever]

“Melissa” by the Allman Brothers is an all time strum favorite, just an E, A and B chord for most of it. “Wonderwall” by Oasis is easy and should impress the ladies. “Pink Houses” by John Mellencamp or anything by CCR is cool to strum along to. Most of these songs are just a few chords.

“Blackbird” by the Beatles is an old favorite or “Dust in the Wind” by Kansas. That’s one that's not nearly as hard to play as it sounds. You'll need to finger pick both of these though so it will take a little time to get all of your fingers working. It's a good thing to learn. It will serve you well as your playing progresses.

[Dan T.]

How about Don't Fear the Reaper? I'll back you up on cowbell. . .

[Maxito]

Going out of the way here. Thugz Mansion (Acoustic version). By Tupac featuring Nas

[Ax]

Simple Man ~ Lynyrd Skynyrd
Gallows Pole ~ Led Zepplin
Vincent (Starry Starry Night) ~ Don McLean
Operator ~ Jim Croce
Pride & Joy ~ SRV
Tequila Sunrise ~ Eagles

[Riggo-toni]

Speaking as someone who builds,plays, and once taught guitar, let me put my instructor's hat on for a moment and share a few thoughts....

If you want to learn fingerpicking techniques, 2 key songs would be:

Dust in the Wind - uses the classic Travis-pick technique (as in Merle Travis) The same technique is also used in Traffic's Dear Mr. Fantasy, and, I believe, Poco's "Crazy Love"

Time in a Bottle or Diary (by Bread) - uses another common technique, though I don't know a name for it. The thumb plays the bass notes, the first finger plays the third string, alternating with the middle and ring fingers playing the first and second strings together.

If you want to learn proper techniques for using a pick, the perfect lesson is I'd Love to Change the World, because the main acoustic riff incorporates every picking technique (arpeggio aka sweep picking, alternate picking, and string skipping).

For Delta picking (which I wish I were better at), try SRV's Life by the Drop, or go back to any of the old masters like Robert Johnson.

To pick some some really sweet acoustic licks, try Private Investigations by Dire Straits.

Jeff Beck's version of Greensleeves is sweet.

And one of the coolest songs to learn to play on an acoustic: "Mood for a Day"

[webnarc]

Thanks for all the great input! I've got a date tonight with my guitar and a bunch of new taps :). There's a summers worth of learning in the list easy and a bunch of techniques I hadn't heard of before.

I'll be staying away from Dust in the Wind and Don't Fear the Reaper because I see Will Ferrell and I'll never keep it together to get through them.

:cheers:

[KTrainSkinsFan]

Originally posted by Maxito
Going out of the way here. Thugz Mansion (Acoustic version). By Tupac featuring Nas

Do you know the chords for that?

[chosen]

I feel compelled to mention the most overplayed acoustic guitar songs in the world that guys know in order to get chicks:

Extreme - More than Words
Clapton - Tears in Heaven
Dave Matthews - Lover Lay Down
Dave Matthews - Crash

[TheKurp]

Way back when, a nun taught me how to play guitar. She gave me a Johhny Cash album and told me to learn his songs by ear. I haven't picked up a guitar in some 30 years but I bet I could still play Folsom Prison Blues.

[phanatic]

Dee, Rhandy Rhoads. Classical guitar style.

[freakofthesouth]

Originally posted by Pete
Try "Little Martha" by the Allmen Brothers of Eat Peach

This is a fantastic song, w/ a fantastic story behind it, from their biography:

Duane Allman and Jimi Hendrix were pretty good friends back in the day, circa 1971.

One night, Duane had a dream that he met Jimi in a hotel room. The two were talking, and Jimi mentioned that he had written a new song. Unfortunately in this dream, there was no guitar, so Jimi used the next best thing- a sink faucet (?).

Duane woke up the next morning, remembered and wrote down the song.

Just then, he received a phone call from a friend, telling him that Jimi Hendrix had overdosed on sleeping pills, and died in his sleep THAT NIGHT.

The song??? Little Martha.

[Riggo-toni]

Wild story - thanks Freak. I love trivia like that! :notworthy