Need to learn me some new gittar songs.
January 14, 2011 7:13 AM   Subscribe

Need to learn me some new gittar songs.

All right, I'm now three plus years into learning the acoustic guitar and have entered into that fine intermediate to advanced IM stage. I play four of five times a week and have built a repertoire of a few dozen songs. I try to learn a new song every other week or so but, well, I've hit a dry spot. So, fellow guitar players, I'm looking for some new songs to learn. What song did you learn that has been rewarding to learn and fun to play? I play mostly singer-songwriter stuff but branch out into other things. For example, and if it helps, here are the last handful of songs I've learned:

Murder In The City - the Avett Brothers
When I Drink - the Avett Brothers
Sex & Reruns - Matt Duke
Space Oddity - Bowie
Blackbird - the Beatles
Use Somebody - Kings of Leon
Danny's Song - Loggins & Messina
Landslide

So, song me up, people. Oh, and bonus points for links to youtube performances or 'how to plays' that I can use to get me up to speed.

Thanks.
posted by lpsguy to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (21 answers total) 10 users marked this as a favorite
 
Want them by song title, or artist?
posted by timsteil at 7:29 AM on January 14, 2011 [2 favorites]


Response by poster: Let's go with artist. Be easier to track down that way. Thanks.
posted by lpsguy at 7:35 AM on January 14, 2011


Wish You Were Here, Pink Floyd.
posted by Ys at 7:37 AM on January 14, 2011


also, what exactly do you mean by "intermediate to advanced IM stage"? For example... I can't fingerpick or do anything with the right hand but strum, so that might affect which songs are good for you. : )
posted by bitterkitten at 7:41 AM on January 14, 2011


For modern singer/songwriter stuff that is fun to play on guitar and sing along to, my money is on Laura Veirs. I particularly like playing Ocean Night Song, Pink Light, and July Flame. There are plenty of tabs out there for her stuff as well as youtube videos of her playing songs live. They're not overly difficult, and you can probably figure most of her songs out just by ear once you get a feel for the way she plays.

Also, if the songs are a bit out of your league still, then it's something to practice and shoot for!
posted by King Bee at 7:42 AM on January 14, 2011


by Artist
posted by timsteil at 7:55 AM on January 14, 2011


This is not precisely an answer to the question but I thought I'd mention that after a couple years of playing guitar I started concentrating on fingerpicking, and it changed my life and opened up a brand new world for me. Looks like you've got some of that going on with Blackbird, which was one of the early fingerpickin' tunes I learned.

Simon & Garfunkel have an amazing supply of beautiful tunes to learn, both strummy and picky, wide range of difficulties.
posted by ORthey at 8:00 AM on January 14, 2011


Response by poster: Oh yeah, I'm into fingerpicking so don't let that stop you.
posted by lpsguy at 8:44 AM on January 14, 2011


Response by poster: Wow, timesteil, that's an amazing resource, and I really will mine it. But to clarify, I'm looking for one or two songs that any of you personally found very cool and rewarding in the hopes of capturing some of that magic.
posted by lpsguy at 8:47 AM on January 14, 2011


The White Stripes have a lot of good ones that would work with just acoustic and voice. Check out the album De Stiji.
posted by norbulator at 9:05 AM on January 14, 2011


You could have some fun trying to play Dispatch's The General (it's ridiculously...challenging).
posted by General Malaise at 9:18 AM on January 14, 2011


I dunno, I'm no player and only halfway through but wow, Keef will teach and inspire!
posted by thinkpiece at 9:47 AM on January 14, 2011


My favorite "intermediate to advanced" songs to play are:

Neil Young - Needle and the Damage Done
Blind Faith - Can't Find My Way Home
Led Zeppelin - Over the Hills and Far Away
Kansas - Dust in the Wind
Fleetwood Mac - Never Going Back Again
Decemberists - Red Right Ankle
posted by rocket88 at 9:50 AM on January 14, 2011


If I had a Boat by Lyle Lovett
Losers by Dave Van Ronk

I believe that there are tabs for both of these out there if you google around, but if not you can memail me and I can write up the arrangements that I use.
posted by tdismukes at 10:44 AM on January 14, 2011


Response by poster: These are great. The leaders in the clubhouse are Needle And The Damage Done and If I Had A Boat. But there's room for more. Thanks for making my weekend.
posted by lpsguy at 12:02 PM on January 14, 2011


If you like the Avett Brothers (yay!), you might like Mumford & Sons. This is a nice tutorial of "The Cave"

They're a good band to check out if you like picking.
posted by smirkette at 3:33 PM on January 14, 2011


OK since you're into fingerpicking here are a couple favorites - they're songs I love but they're also favorites from a guitar-playing POV:

- Bleecker Street by Simon & Garfunkel - you get a delightfully twinkly sound by capoing up at the 9th fret. [YouTube]
- The Dangling Conversation by Simon & Garfunkel. [YouTube]
- Because by the Beatles. [YouTube]
- Dear Prudence by The Beatles. Especially fun to play if you can get someone to play the bass part along with you. [YouTube]
- Don't Think twice It's All Right by Bob Dylan [YouTube]. Dylan's (original) version is sort of notoriously hard to play, not really because of anything technical, but because his recording is very unique with its constant muted/half-struck notes. It's a great challenge. I particularly love playing the Peter Paul & Mary version. [YouTube]
- Suzanne by Leonard Cohen. Man that's a gorgeous song! [YouTube]
- Famous Blue Raincoat by Leonard Cohen. [YouTube]
posted by ORthey at 3:34 PM on January 14, 2011 [1 favorite]


My latest favorite fingerpicking songs are Lion's Mane by Iron and Wine and Logos by Rodrigo y Gabriela. Both surprisingly easy to play but hard to play full speed with consistency.

Tablature available for both online but everything I found had slight inaccuracies. Memail me if you want my personally tabbed versions.

Oh, I like Signe by Clapton too, it's a more percussive style. The published sheet music is pretty good.

If you want something really weird and don't mind tuning your guitar to DADGAD, try Dueling Ninjas by Trace Bundy. Not as hard as it looks, decent tablature is online. Tutorial Video here.

Last but not least, you might want to try a classical piece or two. Bach's Bouree in E minor was the inspiration for "Blackbird" and isn't too hard to play.
posted by mmoncur at 7:19 PM on January 14, 2011


Check out Kelly Joe Phelps, just because nobody's mentioned him so far.
posted by AmbroseChapel at 1:23 PM on January 15, 2011


Response by poster: Just an update gang. I've learned Needle & the Damage Done and now If I Had Boat. But Lyle, Capo 9, really dude?
posted by lpsguy at 9:38 AM on January 27, 2011 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: Another update ... Red Right Ankle ... done and learned.
posted by lpsguy at 1:09 PM on March 9, 2011


« Older How To Hire A Web Design Firm?   |   Tech Support Ticket Tracking Application Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.