Is there any shame in learning easy songs?

[Hudman]

I know most of the regulars here strive to learn challenging fingerstyle music by all of the big dogs (Leo K, Tommy E, D. Ross, Fahey, Juber, etc, etc).

 

I love the difficult stuff, but I get instant gratification from easier stuff. I can spend months working on a difficult tune but I can learn an easy one in a matter of minutes. Actually, it takes me a LOT longer to get the vocals down than it does the guitar. I'm still learning to sing. My posture kills my voice when I play and sing while sitting.

 

Anyways....I spent 3 hours playing last night and 5 hours today. I brushed up on some of my easy strumming, summer tunes and added several new ones. My family and friends love it when I play music they know. I cater most of the campfire tunes to the ladies and older kids that frequent our gatherings.

 

You know what? I enjoy playing a simple, well written song just as well as I enjoy playing more complex stuff. I will never be in the "guitar elite" in skill level or in attitude.

 

Here's a sample of easy guitar tunes I was working on over the past 2 days. I want to add them to the campfire arsenal (the vocals may kill a couple on the list - it sucks when your voice can't keep up with your playing.... ) :

 

Banana Pancakes - Jack Johnson

Crazy - Seal

You and Me - Lifehouse

My Stupid Mouth - John Mayer

A Way From the Sun - 3 Doors Down

Be Like That - 3 Doors Down

How to Save a Life - The Fray

Every Mile A Memory - Dierks Bentley

What Hurts the Most - Rascal Flats

[Jake7]

Hell no...no shame in playing any music...it doesn't all have to be a masterpiece of virtuosity!!
Some of the best songs ever are G,C,D type easy to play songs... but they sound great and have great lyrics!

[Hudman]

Hell no...no shame in playing any music...it doesn't all have to be a masterpiece of virtuosity!! Some of the best songs ever are G,C,D type easy to play songs... but they sound great and have great lyrics!

 

I'm with you on that one. I wish I was a better singer. I think my perfect situation would be playing in pop / rock / country acoustic duo with someone better at singing than playing guitar.

[Jake7]

Yeah I've noticed alot of duo's have the obvious "singer" and then the guy who is the better guitar player......once in a while though you see a duo who can both do it all...the buggers!

I think singing is something that you can always improve just by doing it all the time!

[Hudman]

Yeah I've noticed alot of duo's have the obvious "singer" and then the guy who is the better guitar player......once in a while though you see a duo who can both do it all...the buggers! I think singing is something that you can always improve just by doing it all the time!

 

I agree. I think I have to work on my "singing shyness". I guess I'm insecure about my vocals at this point. I've only been doing it since last May. When I do sing, beer is usually involved....

[EastCoastPlayah]

No shame - people make entire careers out of it! Haven't we all learned a few campfire tunes that are more for everyone else? Sometimes it is more satisfying playing what people enjoy rather than an obscure fingerstyle tune that only I know.

I am still trying to perfect a few Kottke tunes.....after years of tweaking them. I just can't get them right.

Just remember I suck at guitar before taking any of my advice .....

[Hudman]

No shame - people make entire careers out of it! Haven't we all learned a few campfire tunes that are more for everyone else? Sometimes it is more satisfying playing what people enjoy rather than an obscure fingerstyle tune that only I know. I am still trying to perfect a few Kottke tunes.....after years of tweaking them. I just can't get them right. Just remember I suck at guitar before taking any of my advice .....

 

I tend to stay up on most guitar based pop music. If it sounds decent, I will play it.

 

There ain't no shame in my game.

[RizinRico]

Ya mean ta say that there is such a thing as an easy song?

[bigby]

I once wrote a song named "G, C, D"...

[Hudman]

Ya mean ta say that there is such a thing as an easy song?

 

I would hope so after 23 years of playing. There are tons of straight up, 3 chord songs out there. Nothing fancy, but many of them sound great.

[carguy]

I saw a movie once about the life of Hank Williams, and he said "The onliest chords I know are C,G, and D." I guess if that's good enough for him..........

[Hudman]

I once wrote a song named "G, C, D"...

 

You jazz guys are nuts.

[kwakatak]

For the longest time all I would play was easy songs. At the time they were kinda cool but as years went by they became kind of silly to the point of embarrassment. What's worse is that I like to sing along to them too. Just to give you an idea, here's some of the more embarrassing ones:

 

- "House of Pain" by Faster Pussycat

- "Patience" by Guns 'n Roses (including the yowling outro)

- "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" by Poison

- "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaac (I yodelled this one at the top of my lungs once and got a weird look from both my wife and son)

- "Run Around" and "Hook" by Blues Traveler

[Faheyfan]

I think talent shines through regardless of the level of difficulty. Fahey or Mississippi John Hurt or any of the wonderful players could make the easiest of tunes played simply sound FAR better than I ever will. I've always felt that I'd rather hear someone play with great feel and sound than listen to someone who plays like they're paid by the note and try to fill their time on stage with as many notes as they can played at breakneck speed. High speed may require more technical ability but technical ability is a different talent from musicianship. Think it was Hound Dog Taylor who, when asked how he wanted to be remembered, said that he wanted people to say that he couldn't play for {censored} but he sure could make it sound good.

[Hudman]

I saw a movie once about the life of Hank Williams, and he said "The onliest chords I know are C,G, and D." I guess if that's good enough for him..........

 

That's what I love about the guitar. Many times the most basic, bare bones approach ends up working like magic.

 

[Hudman]

 

I think talent shines through regardless of the level of difficulty. Fahey or Mississippi John Hurt or any of the wonderful players could make the easiest of tunes played simply sound FAR better than I ever will. I've always felt that I'd rather hear someone play with great feel and sound than listen to someone who plays like they're paid by the note and try to fill their time on stage with as many notes as they can played at breakneck speed. High speed may require more technical ability but technical ability is a different talent from musicianship. Think it was Hound Dog Taylor who, when asked how he wanted to be remembered, said that he wanted people to say that he couldn't play for {censored} but he sure could make it sound good.

 

 

I agree. Some guys can make a simple open chord sound amazing.

[Stazinish]

I love the song We're Going To Be Friends by the White Stripes. It is probably the only acoustic song I will ever play and sing.

[FallingRock71]

This will make you feel better! I am proud of the fact that now I can play two count em TWO tunes. "Ode to Joy" and "Yankee Doodle!" Three whole strings and no chords. I'm really kickin ass huh. As soon as I learn the G, C, D song I may be playing at venue near you!

[Hudman]

 

I love the song We're Going To Be Friends by the White Stripes. It is probably the only acoustic song I will ever play and sing.

 

 

I'm a big White Stripes fan. I love that song. I learned it after watching Napoleon Dynamite (it's in the opening credits). My kids love the movie, so they really like it when I play that song.

 

Jack Johnson does a version of it too.

[bsman]

I have had some simple songs in my repertoire for ten or fifteen years, and somehow if I compare the way I play them now compared to how I played them at first, it's amazing the way they've evolved. To me, it's more fun to learn a simple song and figure out flourishes, turnarounds, etc. that add something and make it your own than it is to learn a complex tune note-for-note. Anyway, I lack the patience to spend hours on two bars...

[Krash]

I think it's a credit to the songwriter to take a simple chord progression that's been used a thousand times, and build a new song around it that's original and sounds great. And for the performer, it's not what you play and sing, but how you play and sing it that's important. Your audience doesn't care if you're playing dim 7ths or simple major chords, long as it sounds good.

[Hudman]

I have had some simple songs in my repertoire for ten or fifteen years, and somehow if I compare the way I play them now compared to how I played them at first, it's amazing the way they've evolved. To me, it's more fun to learn a simple song and figure out flourishes, turnarounds, etc. that add something and make it your own than it is to learn a complex tune note-for-note. Anyway, I lack the patience to spend hours on two bars...

 

I'm with you on that. I think I have "guitar attention deficit disorder". I can't focus on complex guitar stuff for too long. It takes the fun out of it for me. I will do a crossword puzzle or work on my Rubics cube if I want to get a headache. Guitar is for fun.

[kwakatak]

I think it's a credit to the songwriter to take a simple chord progression that's been used a thousand times, and build a new song around it that's original and sounds great. And for the performer, it's not what you play and sing, but how you play and sing it that's important. Your audience doesn't care if you're playing dim 7ths or simple major chords, long as it sounds good.

*ding ding ding ding!!!*

We have a winner! That's exactly my approach to playing any song - be it simple or difficult. With the simple songs I try to clue into some underlying vibe that I get whenever I listen to the original. For the hard songs it's kind of the same but with the guilty feeling of copping out for not learning it properly!

[Hudman]

I think it's a credit to the songwriter to take a simple chord progression that's been used a thousand times, and build a new song around it that's original and sounds great. And for the performer, it's not what you play and sing, but how you play and sing it that's important. Your audience doesn't care if you're playing dim 7ths or simple major chords, long as it sounds good.

 

My 11 year old daughter's friends think I rock because I can play the theme song from the Drake and Josh Show on Nickelodeon ("Found a Way"). I must have heard it a thousand times when my son and daughter watch it. That stuff gets in your head after a while....

[FallingRock71]

How long have you been playing? Stick with it and you can suck like me! Been playing for 27 years now. Nah, it's been like a month. I've got like a dozen chords down. I just get stoopid if I try to switch between anything other than like Em, E, and E7. Anyone know an easy song with THOSE three chords? LOL. I with you on that. I think I have "guitar attention deficit disorder". I can't focus on complex guitar stuff for too long. It takes the fun out of it for me. I will do a crossword puzzle or work on my Rubics cube if I want to get a headache. Guitar is for fun.

Sounds familiar. I can tell people I practice 4 hours a day. I'll strum a little. Work on some things. Then when I get frustrated I'll just put the guitar on the stand next to the computer desk and read some of this and other forums and/or look at some guitar/bass/mando/uke/banjo type porn. This way I prolly get at least a good solid hour or hour and half of practice a day. I'm afraid that if I forced myself to do nothing but practice for say a half hour a day it would become more of a chore than a pleasure.

Hmm, just made me think. I have to look at porn to make myself pick up the guitar sometimes. Kinda like dating an ugly chick!