I recently got 2 Hal Leonard play along books and CDs. These are the 8 songs in each book. What would you recommend me tackling first? The songs are below. A little background. I've been playing for about 9 months. I've really tried to shy away from tackling full songs and focusing on finger dexterity, rhythm, the real basics. I try and play between 5 and 7 hours a week. I know a lot of scales and stuff like that but I want to tackle a song and learn it all the way through. All I can play right now that is some what recognizable is the opening riff of Back in Black, every Rose Has It's Thorn, and a Bob Seger song called "Shame on the Moon". The only song I can play all the way through by memory is the Star Spangled Banner. I've also gone all the way through some very basic books called "You're in the Band" that have some pretty easy original songs by the author and it had a play along CD which I liked quite a bit.
Can't You See * Flirtin' with Disaster * Hold on Loosely * Jessica * Mississippi Queen * Ramblin' Man * Sweet Home Alabama * What's Your Name.
Angie, Behind Blue Eyes, Best of My Love, Blackbird, Dust in the Wind, Layla, Night Moves, Yesterday
Thanks.
IMO the second set of tunes is easier.
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I agree with Noteboat. Angie, Behind Blue Eyes and Night Moves stand out.
They seem like 'classic song' type books because the skill level required doesn't seem very consistent. The other book has some really tricky stuff. Don't know all the songs, but I definitely wouldn't tackle Jessica or Ramblin' Man just yet. :shock:
Regardless, have fun!
:)
Don
I agree with the above. I got the book that has the first set of songs in it for Christmas and it's definitely not the easiest songs I have tried to tackle. If you know the Star Spangled banner all the way through, you can always play around with that and do all kinds of variations.
Good luck and keep us posted.
JIm
I learnt sweet home alabama early on - its quite straightforward, and might be a good starting point.
Some of the other sounds very complicated..
I've got two versions (at least) of "Can't You See". One of them is super-easy. Basic D-C-G strumming will get you singing and playing in minutes. The other version has more detail and such. I play the easy version. Same for Sweet Home Alabama. D-C-G. If you can do the D-C-G strumming pattern, you can play a few other classics as well. Werewolves of London for one.
Angie can be sort of easy. It can be sort of difficult. Depends on the sheet music or TAB. I play an easy version and have for years. Good enough for me.
Jessica....Do they give you the backing track and have you playing lead? How cool is that, eh?
Dust in the Wind intro has a managable picking pattern. It's basically form an Am chord. Pick a few strings, lift your index finger, pick the strings again, slam your pinky down, play the same strings, put your index finger back. Repeat for the C chord. Bascially, you're playing six chords. A few more during the song after the intro I just described.
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
Jessica is quite easy until you get to the "solo" following the piano part. The speed that duane Allman did the bends is such that you can use slides instead and not really notice much difference.
I started with nothing - and I've still got most of it left.
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Best of My Love is super easy other than one tricky chord change that shows up twice. if the book teaches the correct way to play it, it is a sure thing. Behind Blue Eys is also easy and fun (the picking part in the begining is not hard and the chording over rthe faster stuff is pretty common chords. Sweet Home Alabama is also pretty easy and is a guitar standard.
Thanks everybody. I'm taking on Night Moves. Great song and real familiar with it and love Bob Seger. I've been messing around with it tonight and I think I can pull it off.
Thank for the replies.
Thanks everybody. I'm taking on Night Moves. Great song and real familiar with it and love Bob Seger. I've been messing around with it tonight and I think I can pull it off.
I played that right before heading out for an errand this evening. I used to have the hardest time with the G-F-C and back chord pattern. Seems like so long ago, but probably not more than 2 or 3 years. Stick with it and have fun. 8)
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
