Instant gratification needed

[baldbloke]

I'm a bit fed up taking 2 or 3 months to learn a tune. Fingerstyle, that is. Twist my fingers round the new fretboard positions, commit it to memory, practice and practice and by the time I get halfway through learning, am bored listening to it. Therefore, far too often, just leave it alone and never finish it. So I think I should try some simpler stuff.

 

Repetitive fingerstyle patterns I suspect would be a good thing to learn quickly.

 

Currently I do what I consider (relatively) simple songs like: Vincent, After Gold rush, Green Fields of France, Her Majesty (Beatles). These are songs that, If I were to start learning now, I think I "might" get them down in a single evening. I could be wrong though. We shall see. I really do need to increase my repertoire but would prefer to learn a song in one or two evenings .

 

Can anyone suggest some nice ballady/folky simple songs to learn, please? Any tuning is fine.

 

Btw, whilst I've got good control of my thumb, I haven't yet given Travis style picking much practice yet. So if you want to suggest a tune with that style, try keep it at novice level.

 

Your suggestions appreciated. Thank you.

[poppytater]

How lonG you been playinG BB?

[bluzboy]

 

Can anyone suggest some nice ballady/folky simple songs to learn, please? Any tuning is fine. Your suggestions appreciated. Thank you.

 

 

One very simple song that my fingers start playing by themselves when I'm idling is "Two Soldiers." It's an old Civil War ballad, I think (played in the key of G). I first heard Jerry Garcia do it (which subsequently inspired Dylan to cover it).

 

I play it with a flatpick, but I don't see why it couldn't be fingerpicked.

[baldbloke]

 

How lonG you been playinG BB?

 

 

 

3 months. Nah, only joking. Lemme see, 51 next week. Started at 17. So that's 33 years(ish). Minus 10 years when I didn't have a guitar. Minus another ten years cos I played the same crap and never learned a new song. Minus several more years when I only picked up a guitar now and again. So, in reality probably 6 or 7 years but saying 33 years just does not tally with my ability. Which in itself is probably advanced beginner to aspiring moderation.

[Angelojf]

BB,

 

I hear ya. I'm there too....

 

Have you ever tried to compose your own stuff? You can use the fingerstyle styles you know already in your own composed stuff, and it may serve to help you stay inspired.

 

Good luck!

[baldbloke]

 

One very simple song that my fingers start playing by themselves when I'm idling is "Two Soldiers." It's an old Civil War ballad, I think (played in the key of G). I first heard Jerry Garcia do it (which subsequently inspired Dylan to cover it). I play it with a flatpick, but I don't see why it couldn't be fingerpicked.

 

 

That looks like a good starter. I hadn't heard the tune b4 I looked on youtube after you posted. Nice song. Not difficult. I might give that a go.

[baldbloke]

 

BB, I hear ya. I'm there too.... Have you ever tried to compose your own stuff? You can use the fingerstyle styles you know already in your own composed stuff, and it may serve to help you stay inspired. Good luck!

 

 

Well, yes, I do some of my own stuff but I don't think any of it will make Paul Simon feel intimidated. I'd like to entertain friends when they say "give us a tune".(Not often. The bastards) But they tend to get a bit bored with The Green Fields of France after the 17tnth time. My own stuff ain't catchy enough for them to tap thier feet or sing along to.

[Angelojf]

 

Well, yes, I do some of my own stuff but I don't think any of it will make Paul Simon feel intimidated. I'd like to entertain friends when they say "give us a tune".(Not often. The bastards) But they tend to get a bit bored with The Green Fields of France after the 17tnth time. My own stuff ain't catchy enough for them to tap thier feet or sing along to.

 

 

Funny!

[Hudman]

Fingerstyle requires dedication and wood shedding.

 

I prefer to stick to easier pursuits for 2 reasons: I'm lazy and I have limited playing time.

[floridapicker]

Two that come instantly to mind are Trambone played puirist by Chet Atkins and Deep River Blues as played by Doc Watson. Both are easy to find online lessons/tab.

[Angelojf]

Just another suggestion.....

I got a Beatles book for easy piano, and I just adapted a song to an easier finger style guitar playing. Maybe get sheet music to a song or songs you like, (you know, the types of sheetmusic that has the chords written above the staff), and just play them in a way you see fit...

 

Here's a link to what mine sounded like.....I am also not going to get Paul Simon intimidated (!), but I don't think its horrible either!

 

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?2768986-My-Recording-of-quot-She-s-Leaving-Home-quot&highlight=

[kiowa1]

Nice travis picking songs:

 

Early Morning Rain

City of New Orleans

Blowin' in the Wind

Don't Think Twice, It's Alright

 

or arpeggio-style fingerpicking:

 

Lemon Tree

[gitnoob]

Dust in the Wind

Blackbird

Try some Mississippi John Hurt tunes, like Spike Driver. Just a couple of chords, and really fun to play.

[kwakatak]

 

Dust in the Wind Blackbird Try some Mississippi John Hurt tunes, like Spike Driver. Just a couple of chords, and really fun to play.

 

 

Some pretty good solid suggestions here. Let me add a couple:

 

Windy and Warm - John Loudermilk (made famous by Chet Atkins)

Landslide - Fleetwood Mac

Never Going Back Again - Fleetwood Mac

[baldbloke]

 

Two that come instantly to mind are Trambone played puirist by Chet Atkins and Deep River Blues as played by Doc Watson. Both are easy to find online lessons/tab.

 

 

Good tunes. Not beyond my ability but I suspect these would take me a couple of weeks minimum to learn. The Deep river Blues quite a bit longer to get the alternating bass going. Well worthy of learning but I'm after simpler stuff than that. Oh, good grief, I really do sound lazy saying that.

[baldbloke]

Thank you kind people. There have been quite a few good suggestions there. I'm going to give a few of those a go. Right now, my knuckles are in mild cramp. Yesterday I was helping move 300+ bales of hay. My wife has a horse at a nearby livery yard and we've all got to muck in getting the heavy work done. Been wearing rigger gloves and lifting bales by the bailing twine. Need to warm those fingers up a bit. I'll be giving a few of those songs a try tonight. (fingers permitting)

[poppytater]

Know what you mean. After a day of laying 12" blocks it takes a while to get the digits rolling

[ButterflyMcGrew]

Do you like Jimmy Buffett? Yeah, I know, you can't tune in to an oldies radio station without "Margaritaville" eventually coming up in its rotation. Forget about that. Jimmy Buffett wrote dozens and dozens and dozens of songs that are deeper, more interesting and just plain better,than the stuff you used to hear on Top 40 radio and still hear on oldies stations. And hardly any of them have more than 4 chords or so.

[baldbloke]

 

Fingerstyle requires dedication and wood shedding. I prefer to stick to easier pursuits for 2 reasons: I'm lazy and I have limited playing time.

 

 

What style do you play, Hudman? Strum, flatpick. Songs?

[Jkater]

Do you mean the accompaniment to a song or a piece?

[baldbloke]

 

Do you mean the accompaniment to a song or a piece?

 

 

I play solo acoustic (badly). No jam buddies. Just me and the guitar. Looking for easy tunes to learn quickly. Lots of good suggestions here in this thread. I haven't had time yet to see if I can actually get the basics of these tunes as quickly as I think I might. When I get a free evening I'm going to try one of these to see how I do.

[Queequeg]

Here's a couple of quick easy fingerstyle tunes.

First, since you're living in Yorkshire, Scarborough Fair. This tune is literally 1000 years old right from your own backyard. I learned a John Renbourn instrumental arrangement.

Second, an easy traditional American folk song called Shenandoah. Nice and slow, and not complicated at all. (I play this as an instrumental too, but there are lyrics for this one, also.)

[baldbloke]

Nice suggestions there, Queequeg. I've got lots to keep me going there. I feel a bit guilty now. Since I posted this request for ideas I haven't had time to give these tunes ago. Been a busy bee these past few days. . Your suggestions have not been in vain. There's many tunes suggested I'm gagging to try.

 

 

On a different note, not worthy of a new thread so I'll just pop it in here. Like I have mentioned a few times in the past, I play alone. No jam buddies within travelling distance. I've been looking to find a pub or club with an informal atmosphere where I could maybe get to know other musicians, learn from and experience the pleasure of playing along with others.

 

My wife told me last week that a pub which had recently closed and now reopened under new management, was now advertising a jam night every Tuesday. Just walking distance from our house. Right up my street (pun intended). I made a reconnaissance mission last Saturday to make further enquiries.

 

Enthused, I went to my first ever jam night last night. Only 3 others were there. I was busting with enthusiasm - and fear In case I was going to hold these regular punters back. I got an old Tanglewood out of it's case. Ready to start. Someone asked what I'd like to play. Umm, can I try a simple one? I don't want to keep you guys back. Lets try "Like a hurricane" says I. I can play backing on it. How does that go said one chap. Am, F, G, Em etc said I. His reply was Am? I don't know that chord. Another chap said he only plays notes and the odd scale and doesn't know any chords. Sheesh! Was I a bit disappointed. 3d chap said go for it. Even though he didn't know the tune he played a nice improvised lead to the chord progression. Sadly he couldn't stay longer last night. So that left me, and two beginners. So it's beginning to look like for the moment, I'll mainly be encouraging the others to learn and practice instead of the other way round. It was a bloody good night though. Even if the musicianship was a bit humble. The jam nights have only recently started so here's hoping more people turn up as the weeks go by.

[rfazano]

How about No Other Way by Jack Johnson? Fingerstyle and easy. Beautiful song. Drop D, capo on the third fret. Youtube it. I learned it in an hour or so.

 

Anybody Out There by Pink Floyd. A classic! Standard tuning and easy.

 

Coheed and Cambria's Always and Never. It's Drop D down 1/2 step but worth the tuning effort. The progressions are killer.

 

Keep in mind I am a fingerstyle noob but these are all easy enough.

[baldbloke]

 

How about No Other Way by Jack Johnson? Fingerstyle and easy. Beautiful song. Drop D, capo on the third fret. Youtube it. I learned it in an hour or so. Anybody Out There by Pink Floyd. A classic! Standard tuning and easy. Coheed and Cambria's Always and Never. It's Drop D down 1/2 step but worth the tuning effort. The progressions are killer. Keep in mind I am a fingerstyle noob but these are all easy enough.

 

 

An hour or so? You're talking my language.

 

 

Here's one I'm recommending for myself. I heard on the radio today.

 

Black Waterside. Looks dead easy in standard tuning. I wouldn't be playing it anything near as fast as this though. http://www.martindardis.com/blackwater_side_lyrics_chords.html I s'pose, given time it desired, it could be fancied up to sound really nice.