• Registered: 2008-03-14
  • Posts: 60

Topic: Song choices, simply

Hi all.

I choose songs that I like in order to practice my guitar playing.  MOST of the time, after I've found the tabs here, and have played it a few times, I have found that a song is not so much fun to play if it's not accompanied by other instruments.

My question is rather a call for suggestions: What songs sound good played solo on acoustic?

(For example: The Kill sounds great acoustically, but the original version, I would never have imagined to play it had I not heard the acoustic version.. (not that I play it... just an example).

Thanks everyone.
Anastasia

  • From: UK
  • Registered: 2007-09-16
  • Posts: 369

Re: Song choices, simply

Perhaps some of Bob Dylan's songs?

Wake Me Up when September Ends is another one which sounds good solo.

  • upyerkilt
  • upyerkilt
  • Unofficial king of Scotland
  • Offline
  • From: Balloch, Scotland, UK, Earth
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 3,290

Re: Song choices, simply

i think every song can sound great acoustically but
redemption songs by bob marley is one of my favourites to play.

behin blue eyes b ythe who


Ken

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending

4 Reply by evsynator (edited by evsynator 2008-04-12 19:51:19)

  • From: plymouth - uk
  • Registered: 2007-11-15
  • Posts: 199

Re: Song choices, simply

That is the challenge ken - how many times have we suddenly heard a song that is done accoustic that was previously done by a band ? - and we think - that sounds good , why didnt I think of that ! . have i the answer ? no .... I just sit back and say to myself i wish i had thought of doing it like that . also - i think if we thought the audience was actually listening to the way we are doing accoustic it would help . I was outside the blues bar on the Barbican (plymouth) the other night ( i was in my cab working ) watching a guy play his heart out and it was good stuff - but I noticed not one person was listening - the "audience " were just there to chat to each other cos its the place to be . so - i think its a matter of playing most songs accoustic - but playing it to the right audience who want to hear it. An obvious observation i know , but I think sometimes as musicians we want the whole place to suddenly liven up to what we are doing - but they wont . We have to be very choosy who we decide to listen to us . ( good lord ! after reading this a i dont know whether ishould post it or not - but what the heck ) .....

any resemblance to my songs sounding anything like the original is highly unlikely.

evsynator's Website

  • Registered: 2008-04-10
  • Posts: 12

Re: Song choices, simply

I just wanted to agree with you Anastasia, The Kill is amazing as an acoustic version, which I would not have even considered from the commercial recording.
I find it really hard to pick songs, because I have to actually want to play them. So things that may be 'good' to learn I just don't have any enthusiasm for, so I tend to use youtube.com a lot to search  acoustic versions of things I like to see if it can be done, and how it sounds, then go on a hunt for the chords (I can't get my head around tab! I know how it works but I just can't actually work with with it, if that makes sense!)

Just a suggestion that might help turn up some new ideas.

Cheers

Lunamoon

Without art we are but monkeys with car keys.

lunamoon's Website

6 Reply by evsynator (edited by evsynator 2008-04-12 20:13:33)

  • From: plymouth - uk
  • Registered: 2007-11-15
  • Posts: 199

Re: Song choices, simply

Also - as an aside , I was told to do this many years ago and finally decided to do it from this week .  I am not going to record any songs done from any artist at all - they dont play mine so why should i play theirs.  I will use chord riffs and practice them - but i dont care how bad my songs are - then its only my stuff i will be using . i notice that certain members on here seem to already bide by that rule and good on them ! ( except for goldwatch blues which was the first song i ever learned from my inspiration to ( try) play " donavan" who lived 1 mile up the road from me ).

any resemblance to my songs sounding anything like the original is highly unlikely.

evsynator's Website

  • Registered: 2008-04-16
  • Posts: 1

Re: Song choices, simply

Hi! - I'm new, so if i get the idea wrong, please bare with me. smile

I think you have to consider very much why you play. If you're a recording artist, I'll hurry up and agree with what evsynator just said: anything can work, you might just have to re-write or re-feel (so to speak) the song. think of light my fire by the doors. If you play that through flat with no accents, no filling and a simple vocal, it sounds like a poor job of a song, but when it's worked on a little, added some feeling (and, given, a lot of organ) it works brilliantly. Just shave a song down to it's bare minimum, then build it up in a new way. It'll work.

If you just play for fun, for yourself or friends for instance, anything fun is good. Any song can work acoustically. You may want to avoid songs that rely heavily on complicated riffs, as you'll have to stop strumming the rythm and groove to play the riff (in most cases anyways), and groove is everything. Short story: anything that's fun to play will be fun to listen to.

  • Registered: 2007-04-25
  • Posts: 551

Re: Song choices, simply

anastasiak112 wrote:

Hi all.

I choose songs that I like in order to practice my guitar playing.  MOST of the time, after I've found the tabs here, and have played it a few times, I have found that a song is not so much fun to play if it's not accompanied by other instruments.

My question is rather a call for suggestions: What songs sound good played solo on acoustic?

(For example: The Kill sounds great acoustically, but the original version, I would never have imagined to play it had I not heard the acoustic version.. (not that I play it... just an example).

Thanks everyone.
Anastasia

If you can play with your fingers, I highly recommend Song for George by Eric Johnson.  If not, try anything off of Clapton's Unplugged album.  It's probably the best acoustic playing you'll ever hear, including fingerstyle on a classical, slide playing on a dobro, and good ol' picking and strumming on a 6-string.  My favorites are Signe, Tears in Heaven, Layla, and Old Love.  Clapton is flat out dominant on an acoustic.

"A steering wheel don't mean you can drive, a warm body don't mean I'm alive"
Switchfoot

06sc500's Website

  • From: tennessee
  • Registered: 2007-08-02
  • Posts: 176

Re: Song choices, simply

Bob dylan, James Taylor, John Denver, Carly Simon.

Try Singer/Song writers

A lot of Folk songs are performed by just one guitar.

Look in your community for others that like to play and then try to have a get together. When you do this what will wind up happening is someone will play lead for awhile and it will switch back and forth. There are a lot of songs out there that will sound to you like crap when it's just you playing and then it will become easy to get bored and discouraged.

Don't quit. Quitting gets easier every time you do it. Don't ever quit.

If you're not happy with what you have...
Then you'll never be happy with what you get...
  • From: Cincinnati, OH
  • Registered: 2007-07-16
  • Posts: 282

Re: Song choices, simply

If the song sounds too sparse unplugged, funk up your rhythm a bit instead of playing it by the book--throw in some palm mutes and then it will take on a percussive feel that can really work.

  • From: San Antonio, Texas
  • Registered: 2007-06-12
  • Posts: 353

Re: Song choices, simply

Anastasia

Tom Petty songs are great for playing with nothing else ... specifically "Free Falling" sounds great ... I play along alot with the music from my PC, I'll play without anything, and I'll play with a buddie of mine ... alot of country songs sound good just by themselves ... anything by George Strait, Kenny Chesney, is a good start

Electric:  Gibson Les Paul Studio, Schecter Omen 6, PRS SE Custom
Acoustic:  Fender Talman, Yamaha
Amp:  Fender Super Champ XD/Line6 Spider III 75

Tim0473's Website

  • Registered: 2006-09-09
  • Posts: 29

Re: Song choices, simply

I agree that playing songs entirely by yourself can get a little repetitive, getting together with others always makes it more fun, however, having said that if a song is getting boring to you try finding a finger pick pattern to fit it, or play some lead licks in it or add some other instrumentation. This challenge can keep you busy.

I recently looked up Bohemian Rhapsody, in  a classical guitar on You Tube and was amazed at the finger work the guy was doing. I am sure it would be a bit of a challenge to that on your acoustic guitar.

  • Registered: 2008-03-14
  • Posts: 60

Re: Song choices, simply

You know what? I figured it out.. it's only because I am still new at this, and I haven't developed any of my own "rhythms", you know what I mean? I am still focussing on chords here, and my strumming is still a simple one-strum pattern. (This is me again, getting waaaaaaaay ahead of myself!)

And by the way, no, I will NOT quit.  This weekend, I started playing "Take it Easy" by the Eagles, and, I am SO getting into it. I will NEVER quit my guitar! smile

Thank you ALL for your wonderful suggestions, and the discussion opened up my eyes. 

anastasia

PS: Did I mention how much I love this site? smile If I did, it's worth mentioning again.

  • Registered: 2007-05-07
  • Posts: 15

Re: Song choices, simply

evsynator wrote:

That is the challenge ken - how many times have we suddenly heard a song that is done accoustic that was previously done by a band ? - and we think - that sounds good , why didnt I think of that ! . have i the answer ? no .... I just sit back and say to myself i wish i had thought of doing it like that . also - i think if we thought the audience was actually listening to the way we are doing accoustic it would help . I was outside the blues bar on the Barbican (plymouth) the other night ( i was in my cab working ) watching a guy play his heart out and it was good stuff - but I noticed not one person was listening - the "audience " were just there to chat to each other cos its the place to be . so - i think its a matter of playing most songs accoustic - but playing it to the right audience who want to hear it. An obvious observation i know , but I think sometimes as musicians we want the whole place to suddenly liven up to what we are doing - but they wont . We have to be very choosy who we decide to listen to us . ( good lord ! after reading this a i dont know whether ishould post it or not - but what the heck ) .....

Thats very true.
What you say about much ignorance on the part of the vast majority of the Sheeple out there,  in regard to solo accoustic guitar playing, and good music in general.  Mass produced Pop and Techno dominate almost completely.  I should know, as a relative newcomer to playing the guitar i was just as ignorant not so long ago