[muso] Guitar songs you enjoy playing

[Labian Quest]

At the moment I'm playing 'Love Me Two Times' by The Doors and it's sweet as anything with just one amp setting and no effects. Great fun. That's a singalong-er, too.

I play that a lot too, especially the E chord based bit. I've also just bought a capo and within about 2 minutes of putting it on and tooling around with it I sussed out the chords to 'What if god were one of us' by Joan Osbourne, which like 'Wonderwall' requires the use of a capo at the second fret if you want it to sound right. Does anyone know any other capo-using songs that are fun to play?

[A Passing Turk Slipper]

Here Comes the Sun is a lot more fun with a capo on. I think it's about the eighth fret.

[Labian Quest]

Here Comes the Sun is a lot more fun with a capo on. I think it's about the eighth fret.

Aha, that's interesting; I learned it using open chords but I'll give that a go, though I do find it hard to play all the chord shapes correctly when using a capo above about the fifth fret.

[I Am The Walrus]

Here Comes the Sun. Capo seventh. Trying to finish learning it at da mo.

[I Am The Walrus]

Songs I love playing though

Bob Dylan - Knocking on Heavens Door
The Beatles - Twist and Shout
Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven
Eagles - Take it Easy
Eagles - Hotel California
Eric Clapton - Wonderful Tonight
Oasis - Half the World Away
John Lennon - Imagine
Paul McCartney and Wings - Band on the Run

[Spiteface]

I'm well into my manics at the moment, and I think I may have finally nailed Motorcycle Emptiness.

If only I could do the Solo in Faster, and A Song for Departure off "Lifeblood" has some great chords and solos in it, which I'm learning at the mo as well.

[V]

Zoot Allures. Played it to my wife yesterday and she just stared at me blankly and went off to watch The OC or something...

[Bingo Fury]

Zoot Allures. Played it to my wife yesterday and she just stared at me blankly and went off to watch The OC or something...

It's a lovely, enjoyable one to play, isn't it, even though you have to be plugged in and whammying for the full effect. Now track down the tab for "What's New In Baltimore" - a trickier one, but feels similarly satisfying under the fingers.

[Spiteface]

Drag Racer by the Doug Wood Band, aka the music of the BBC snooker

I've been learning that recently, fun to play.

[Derek Trucks]

America by Simon & Garfunkel, also with a capo.

[A Passing Turk Slipper]

Ah, coincedence, I've just finished learning The 59th Street Bridge Song (feelin groovy) by them which is a nice little picky one to play and sing along to. It's a lot easier to put a capo on the third but it is possible to barre it instead (it's just a little painful after a while).

[Marty McFly]

"king of the road" by roger miller, and later the proclaimers. classic song.

capo on the first fret, then A, D and E open chords.

after the second chorus, move your capo up to the second fret and play the same chord shapes. you can do it mid-song, because at the end of the chorus there isn't actually a guitar playing..

[Sovereign]

I'm currently trying to get to grips with Man in the Iron Mask by Billy Bragg, its a bit trickier than it sounds. I've certainly got more respect for Billy as a guitarist after learning it.

I dunno how to post it up as text, so here's a link to the tab http://www.guitartabs.cc/fetchfile.php?fileid=4510045

Other than that, I've been trying to do some of that alternate picking thrash stuff, so I've been all over Zakk Wylde and Dimebag like a rash. Some of dimebags stuff is just fucking unreal, I can't understand how a man with only 5 fingers can play it.

[Des Nilsen]

Diamond Dogs by Bowie.

Here's the riff, in case you can't find that anywhere. There are plenty of chord files floating about.

Code Select Expand


||-------------------------------------------|
||--5-------------------5------------------|
||--4^(5)(4)--2~-----4^(5)(4)--0~----|
||---------------2~-----------------2~----|
||-------------------------------------------|
||-------------------------------------------|

|----------------------------------------------13------------13------------||
|----------8--8---15-------15--------13-------13------------13-------||
|------8--8--8---15--15--15--15--14----------------------------14--||
|--8--8------8---15--15--15--15--15-------------15-----------------||
|--6--6-----------13--13--------------------------------------------------||
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------||


Here's a top site for Bowie chords.

~ Lovebolts ~

-

[Frinky]

I'm doing The Crunge by Zeppelin, as part of a medly me and Heeeg are working on for Heartbreaker (Heartbreaker/solo/buildup/Crunge/Train Kept A Rollin/Rest of Heartbreaker).

It's the easiest Zeppelin song of all time, as it's one chord shape, and that shape is a finger flat against the treble string. The time signature is less easy - I'm still struggling with the timing on the A6/A9 riff, but I've always been shit with quirky timing. There's a live version of this nestled in the middle of How The West Was Won's Dazed and Confused which is good to work with. Once you get the hang of knowing when to stop muting, and the stop/start swing thing that's going on, it's really satisfying to play. I'll copy and paste the passage, it's easier that way. Give it a go, though, it's pretty much Funk Guitar For Beginners but it's def. a riff that will impress the non musos.

Code Select Expand


A9 = xxx12,12,12
A6 = xxx14,14,14
D9 = xxx555
C#9= xxx444
Eb9= xxx666
C9 = xxx333


A6  A9
I wanna tell you 'bout my good thing
D9  C#9  D9  C#9 D9 C39 D9   Eb9  D9    C#9
I ain't disclosin' no names, but
D9   C#9  D9 C#9   D9   C9    C#9  D9   C#9
He sure is a good friend and
  D9               C#9    D9  C#9   D9     Eb9   D9
I ain't gonna tell you where he comes from, but
C#9   D9          C#9  D9  C#9   D9  C9  C#9  D9  C#9  D9 C#9 D9 C#9 D9 Eb9
If I tell yuou, you won't come again    oh
D9            C#9     D9       C#9
I ain't gonna tell you nothin' but
C#9 D9  C#9  D9   A6  A9     A6  A9
I do, well, but I know, yeah


[Pseudopath]

One of the best fingerstyle party-pleasers is Francisco Tarrega's Gran Vals...better known as the jingle from the Nokia adverts. He throws in nutty inversions all over the fretboard and some finger-twisting hammer-ons and pull-offs. Oo-er.

Here's a link to a MIDI version:

http://www.vfcguitar.co.uk/midi_file/grd8p8b-2004.mid

Bear in mind, it should be played at double that speed. Well, it is a Grade 8 piece!

Here's the tab* if anyone's interested:

http://www.freetabs.org/zips/Gran_Vals-00.zip

* requires TEFView to be installed (download from http://freetabs.org/tefview/tefv.exe)

[Identity Crisis Ahoy!]

RHCP - My Friends

[A Passing Turk Slipper]

Bumpity bump.
I've just finished learning Hendrix's Castles Made of Sand (well, the opening cool bit) and very pleased with myself I am too. Here's a tab for the intro although I'm not sure it's 100% correct, I play one or two bits slightly different. It's very fun though:

Code Select Expand

Intro:
 ----3-|/5----5/8----8/10---10\8----8-|\5----5\3----3/5---------|---p3---------
 ----1-|/3----3/6----6/8-----8\6----6-|\3----3\1----1/3---------|---(3)--------
4 ------|------------------------------|-------------------------|--------------
- ----3-|/5----5/8----8/10---10\8----8-|\5----5\3----3/5---------|---(5)--------
4 ------|------------------------------|-------------------------|--------------
 ----1-|/3----3/6----6/8-----8\6----6-|\3----3\1----1/3---------|---(3)--------

 Slower = 94
      AH
 |-------    |-------------------------------------------|---------------------
 |-------    |-----------7h10p7--------------------------|----------5----------
1 |-------  4 |------------------7-------------7--\-------|----------5--5-5-5---
- |-------  - |-------7/9--------9---7-----7--(7)-\-------|----------5--5-7-5---
4 |-------  4 |-----5------------------10-----(10)\-p(0)--|--------3---------(7)
 |-3--3--    |-5/7---------------------------------------|-2/3h5---------------


                                                       Down the
|----------------------------|----------------------------------|
|----3-----------------------|----3-----------------------------|
|----4--------------5------5-|----4-------3-3-----5---(5)-------|
|----5------3-3-----5------5-|----5-------3-3-----5-5-(5)-------|
|-------3h5-----5/7----------|-------3h5------5/7---------------|
|-3--------------------6-----|-3-----------------------6--------|
 T                            T

Copy and paste into notepad.
I've also been playing along to some Kinks and doing a lot of White Stripes (after their fucking amazing Glastonbury show).

[A Passing Turk Slipper]

Anyone fancy helping me tab out Martin Stephenson's Rain? I've got most of LOL NO opening but I'm not 100% on all of it and there's a couple of bits I'm stuck on.

[A Passing Turk Slipper]

Well I've been playing Amazing Journey and Sparks recently, mainly playing along to Live at Leeds rather than Tommy. Here's a link to a tab of the whole of Tommy rather than just those tracks - http://www.guitaretab.com/w/who/20829.html

[Nuts 'n Gum]

I'm well into my manics at the moment, and I think I may have finally nailed Motorcycle Emptiness.

If only I could do the Solo in Faster, and A Song for Departure off "Lifeblood" has some great chords and solos in it, which I'm learning at the mo as well.

i picked up my guitar about a month ago and started trying to work out Yes, which I did for the most part.
then i tried to sing along.
it's bloody hard!

[Frinky]

lala

Since I'm shit with PMs, I've stuck you on my MSN list - re, telecaster. Just so you know.

[A Passing Turk Slipper]

Ah, okay, thanks a lot.

Amazing Journey is just amazing to play. Really nice chord progressions, I recommend you all learn it now. Townshend stuff in general is just great fun, it sounds great, you learn chords you never knew and my style of playing has really improved since learning some of Tommy and the like.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Didn't take long to work out The FutureHeads Decent Days And Nights, and it's a pretty fun tune to play. Lots of short stabbing motions, and it's a pretty catchy song anyway.

If only I could do the Solo in Faster

I'm actually learning that at the moment to try and please my brother. Some of the early part in the riff is too quick for me at the moment but I've got the 2nd half pretty much perfect. I guess it's all about technique, but I just can't move my hands quick enough!  You do feel like a bit of a rock god playing it though. It's also my first experience of 'Solo Gurn', where inexplicably you're pulling a face as it's going along, and you simply can't breathe...until...it's...finished.

[Flook]

My favourite song to play is Steet Spirit/Fade Out by radiohead. Its all Am, Em and C with simple variations on the B string. Nicely moody little ditty. Mind you its a bugger to sing.

[Ambient Sheep]

My favourite song to play is Steet Spirit/Fade Out by radiohead. Its all Am, Em and C with simple variations on the B string. Nicely moody little ditty. Mind you its a bugger to sing.

Yeah, it's one of those figures that's so easy to play once you work out how, that it defies belief that nobody else had ever come up with it before in the whole history of popular music.

Bastards.

[A Passing Turk Slipper]

Bump.
So what's everyone been playing recently then? I'm still doing some slide and I'm going to really get started making an effort to learn more of Lenny by Stevie Ray Vaughan, I've really enjoyed what I've done of it so far - it's challenging but sounds brilliant. The slide I've been doing has mainly been White Stripes stuff (because most of it's really easy) but I've done a few Led Zep ones as well, In My Time of Dying has some amazingly good slide in it. I learnt the chords to Do You Want To Know a Secret earlier, that's a good fun song to play, especially the descending G#m Gm F#m bit in the verses. The tab can easily be found on MX Tabs or any other place, the nice little bit before 'Listen, do you ...' isn't anywhere online though I don't think. It's pretty simple though, just 2--4--2--2h5--2--6 on the A string (or you can move to the d string and miss out the hammer on). Anyway, what have you been enjoying playing recently?

[Frinky]

I've done a few Led Zep ones as well, In My Time of Dying has some amazingly good slide in it.

You know, the bit I love about that song most is the pre-solo chords which don't actually use the slide.

Code Select Expand


x-xx---x-xx---x-xx---x-xx
5-55---5-55---3-33---3-33
5-55---5-55---3-33---3-33
5-55---5-55---3-33---3-33
8-77---8-77---6-55---6-55
8-77---8-77---6-55---6-55


And then you leep back up to the top of the neck to do the little slide stacatto bits. It's a fantastic song, very easy to loose yourself in and if you watch the DVD versions, you see where there's plenty of room for harmonics/octave messing about.

[Labian Quest]

The only Zep I know is 'Whole lotta love' and Stairway to you-know-what.

I'm currently learning 'Wolves, lower' by REM on guitar and bass (fortunately the only tab I could find for it appears to be spot on); I got a guitar mag the other day that had a tab for some nonspecific Bo Diddley song where he jumps from playing a Barre F type G chord at the third fret up to a 12th fret barre with a C and a G shape, sounds cool. I'm trying to learn the lead for 'Johnny B. Goode' too at the moment, but I've not really managed to get the phrasing right yet. I'm the king of Rock and Roll. Completely.

[V]

I think my favourite Led Zep tracks to play are probably:

The Rain Song
Ten Years Gone
Over the Hills and Far Away
Babe I'm Gonna Leave You

At the moment I'm stumbling through the SRV version of Little Wing, which is taking my playing style in a welcome new direction. I'm also reading It's Easy to Bluff Jazz Guitar, which has some great new chords I've never have found on my own.