Finger Pickin Good
July 7, 2009 10:04 AM   Subscribe

FingerPickinGoodFilter: I've been learning some new tunes on my guitar, and I've discovered that I really love playing songs that involve plucking two strings at once. Is there a name for this technique? Can you suggest some new songs for me to learn?

The last two songs I've learned have been the Beatles' Blackbird and Bach's Bouree.

I'd love some non-obscure suggestions for new songs to learn. Plucking multiple strings at once is nice, but not required. I don't read music, so extra bonus for tablature that's free and easy to find.

Any ideas from classical to rock to folk to bluegrass are welcome.
posted by gnutron to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (11 answers total) 11 users marked this as a favorite
 
I've discovered that I really love playing songs that involve plucking two strings at once. Is there a name for this technique?

Double stop.
posted by ludwig_van at 10:08 AM on July 7, 2009


Paul Simon: Anji. Here's a how to video for the original Davy Graham version. Here's the Bert Jansch version. Here's the Bert Jansch version on camera so you can see the fingering.
posted by RussHy at 10:21 AM on July 7, 2009


It's a silly suggestion, but the intros to both Rock Your Socks and Classico by Tenacious D are arrangements of Bach's Bouree in E Minor in double stop. They're short but fun. Also suggesting Boy With a Coin by Iron and Wine, although it's not entirely double stop.
posted by JauntyFedora at 11:51 AM on July 7, 2009


bookends by Simon and Garfunkle if I recall correctly.
posted by meta87 at 12:25 PM on July 7, 2009


I just learned Bach's "Bouree" myself, and I was going to move on to Visee's Bouree next - it's mostly double-stops, but with more in-between notes like the harder parts of the Bach piece.

"Falling Slowly" is an incredibly easy piece with some double-stops.

And there's always "Dust in the Wind" and "Stairway to Heaven" if you haven't gone there yet.
posted by mmoncur at 12:46 PM on July 7, 2009


Chinese Water Python by Robyn Hitchcock.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rm7amVngIs
posted by BrodieShadeTree at 12:55 PM on July 7, 2009


Also see Travis picking for a technique specific to the guitar.
posted by ijoshua at 1:03 PM on July 7, 2009


Jimi Hendrix -- The Wind Cries Mary; Castles Made of Sand.

Chuck Berry -- lots and lots of songs
posted by wryly at 1:32 PM on July 7, 2009


This arrangement of Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring is riddled with double stops.
posted by ignignokt at 1:41 PM on July 7, 2009


Best answer: In order of simple to less simple

- "Hey there Delilah" by Plain White T's: Cute song, very easy rhythm and pattern. tab | music video

- "More than Words" by Extreme: Any lady that was a teen when this came out in '91 will melt. This is fun as it has percussion taps you can throw in too. tab | music video

- "Canon in D" by Pachelbel: I've been learning this to play at a friend's wedding. There are various adaptations for the guitar but the basic premise is that while the chord progression stays the same, each iteration gets more complex in picking. tab | music video

As a bonus, you can also use the same "Canon" chord structure to riff on Vitamin C's Graduation or Pet Shop Boy's Go West or a countless other number of pop songs (Obligatory Pachelbel Rant link).

Also, feel free to experiment with songs by plucking another string (base note?) in the same chord shape of whichever note you're plucking.
posted by thisisnotbruce at 2:17 PM on July 7, 2009


Response by poster: Thanks all. For anyone else reading, I found a nice resource for online classical guitar lessons as well.
posted by gnutron at 10:09 AM on July 8, 2009


« Older How do I do this right?   |   Please help me identify this song from the trailer... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.