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Country songs!


Kavakava

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Hi folks! ive been doing the power trio thing a while, so I wanna try something new. Did my first solo gig last friday. It went well. I notice the swinging countryrock like Dwight Yoakam and Alan Jackson works well here. Something I like to play anyways. But I need more tunes. I like to keep it steaming, not to many slow tunes if any. Suggestions?

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I'm a fan and student of old country. But before I suggest songs, I'd suggest you spend some serious time listening to and learning about the idiom. This may not apply to you, but I have actually had seven bar singers quietly strangled (by a guy named Bruno, phone number supplied on demand) and dumped in the river for covering "Ring of Fire" as though it was "Margaritaville." Don't let this happen to you.

Listen to and study:

Jimmie Rodgers

Bob Wills

Hank Williams

Hank Snow

Webb Pierce

Johnny Cash

Buck Owens

Merle Haggard

George Jones

Once you've spent some serious listening time with them, you'll be in a better position to present Alan Jackson or Zack Brown.

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pogo97 wrote:

 

 

I'm a fan and student of old country. But before I suggest songs, I'd suggest you spend some serious time listening to and learning about the idiom. This may not apply to you, but
I have actually had seven bar singers quietly strangled (by a guy named Bruno, phone number supplied on demand) and dumped in the river for covering "Ring of Fire" as though it was "Margaritaville." Don't let this happen to you.

 

Listen to and study:

 

Jimmie Rodgers

 

Bob Wills

 

Hank Williams

 

Hank Snow

 

Webb Pierce

 

Johnny Cash

 

Buck Owens

 

Merle Haggard

 

George Jones

 

Once you've spent some serious listening time with them, you'll be in a better position to present Alan Jackson or Zack Brown.

 

The underlined would make a great sig quote - but I don't think Bruno would like it, so that's the end of that idea.

Great list BTW. IMHO too many people start their musical education in the middle of the journey instead of the start, and consequently never hear the instructions on where the finish line is.

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pogo97 wrote:

[...] but I have actually had seven bar singers quietly strangled (by a guy named Bruno, phone number supplied on demand) and dumped in the river for covering "Ring of Fire" as though it was "Margaritaville." Don't let this happen to you.

Same thing for singing "fire" and "higher" as one syllable words mad.gif

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I'm with Potts. To me, a song is a song, and the original is the original version, not the authoritative one. Especially true in modern country, where many songs aren't written by the performer. But regardless of who wrote what, I'm playing songs I like in the style of me. Like it or don't. I'm there for the drunks, and enough of them seem to like it well enough.

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Take some context with that- not that it isn't authoritative in the general sense, but when it's being covered, I think it's open to as much interpretation as one sees fit. If you're really trying to sound like the original, then yeah, make sure you know what you're trying to sound like. But my approach is hear song, decide to present it, learn to play it, present it. Rinse, repeat.

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There are some exceptions, like Eight String, who are the true chameleons that can shift characters and do an honest to goodness authentic representation of various genres. But I tend to think the research back into the pioneers of genres could be counterproductive for the majority of people who aren't genre-specific specialists. It won't hurt to check stuff out, but a bad imitation of the very best artists is going to come off as worse than someone who makes no apologies for sounding different.

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I was Country when Country wasn't cool! But when I sing "Ring of Fire" I don't do a Johnny Cash impression.  And when I see someone trying to sing every nuance that JC sang it comes off amatuerish. When singing Country just sing the words with feeling. Kenny Rogers didn't have a Country music background, but hit the Country charts in the '80s. But to each their own.

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Kavakava wrote:

 

 

Hi folks! ive been doing the power trio thing a while, so I wanna try something new. Did my first solo gig last friday. It went well. I notice the swinging countryrock like Dwight Yoakam and Alan Jackson works well here. Something I like to play anyways. But I need more tunes. I like to keep it steaming, not to many slow tunes if any. Suggestions?

 

What I suggest is do Country songs that people know, like and will probably request. Alan Jackson had many great Country hits and Yoakum had a few good ones too.

Tried and True:

Willie Nelson, Hank Jr., Johnny Cash, George Strait, George Jones, Hank Sr., Patsy Cline, Garth Brooks, Merle Haggard, Brooks & Dunn, Waylon Jennings, Vince Gill, Clint Black, Randy Travis, Alabama. Of course there are many more, but songs by these artists will be a good start.

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