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Disney Pirates

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(@kroikey)
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Hey all, first post in a while. I've been playing the same old songs over and over for months due to having a 2 year old who goes nuts when a guitar is out, and so has been hampering any practicing I could manage - BUT - I finally found something to sink my teeth into with these fingerpicked Disney songs. I saw the book on Amazon but was put off when it had a bad review saying it was ridiculously easy with rubbish harmonics. I saw the book again in a music shop over the weekend and thought I'd get it.

After settling on the first piece "the Bare Necessities", I just thought I'd say how much I'm enjoying the learning process and the result. I have a very limited repetoire of fingerpicked songs, yet I enjoy playing them the most. I really can't understand the Amazon reviewers points as I find it very musical.

I've been learning it slowly all weekend, with a lot of 5 minute intense focus sessions and playing to get it burnt into those neurons :) There are some sticky fingerknot places, but I've kep the mantra "slow-and-steady correct practice = fast uber playing later".

I just wondered if anyone on here has learned any of these specific pieces and would like to share a bit of knowledge about which feel great to play? The difficulty of each piece? Does anyone agree with the Amazon review for it? etc. I guess I just fancy chatting about these pieces beacuse I'm enjoying the one I'm playing so much. So what its from the Jungle Book and not Metallicas next album :D


   
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(@lue42)
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That was my very first Fingerpicking songbook.

I was inspired to buy it by Joe Hempel... when he put out a video of him playing Candle on the Water.

My favorite song in that book is "Can you feel the love tonight". I like both those songs... I think Candle has a tricky barre chord... but otherwise, both are fairly easy to play.

Here is Joe playing "Candle..."... pretty much *the* song and *the* performance that started me on Fingerstyle playing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNeeURb1VBA

Since then, I have bought about 8 other books in Hal Leonards Fingerpicking series. My two favorites are "Acoustic" and "Rock".

My Fingerstyle Guitar Blog:
http://fsguitar.wordpress.com

My Guitars
Ibanez Artwood AWS1000ECE-NT
Schecter S-1 30th Anniversary Edition
Ovation CS257
LaPatrie Etude
Washburn Rover RO10


   
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(@kroikey)
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I will have to give that video a watch later as I'm blocked at work unfortunately.

There are at least six songs in this book I'm not that familiar with, although no doubt once I've listened to the originals I'll remember at least the main melody. I think these songs are exactly the right level for me at the moment, mainly to allow me to make steady progress and get that syncopation down. On top of that almost all people will have heard them so they're a nice party piece lol. Fingerstyle looks so much more complex than flatpicking doesnt it!

If my girlfriend hears me play "Bare Necessities" once more though, I'm afraid she might murder me :D
I'll post a version up before too long, I just want to get it down pat and iron out the timing issues I've got before I go posting another naff song somewhere.

Which of those other songs have you learned? I fancy "A whole new world" or "You've got a friend in me"


   
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(@lue42)
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Honestly, I haven't really learned many songs in that book, except for "Candle..." and "Can you...".

I just reorganized all the songs in my binder that I regularly play. I haven't been playing very long... so I don't have a huge list yet. Almost all of them are from the Fingerpicking series of books... here is my current songlist of songs I regularily play...

Abracadabra, Alone, Angie, Behind Blue Eyes, Best Of My Love, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Brown Eyed Girl, Can You Feel the Love Tonight, Can't Help Falling In Love, Candle on the Water, Every Breath You Take, Everything I Do (I Do It For You), Free Bird, Goodbye Blue Sky_Is There Anybody Out There, Here Comes the Sun, Hey Jude, I Believe My Heart, I'd Love to Change the World, Imagine, In My Life, kiss_from_a_rose, Learning to Fly, Leaving on a Jet Plane, Love will keep us alive, Mad World, My Cherie Amour, Right Here Waiting, Still the Same, Tears in Heaven, Think Of Me, When the Children Cry, You've Got A Friend, Your Song, Yesterday, Unchained Melody

I transcribe all my music into Guitar Pro. That way, all of them look the same, can always fit on less pages, and I can "play along" with Guitar Pro and adjust the tempo to my skill level. (sorry, no... I can't give them out)

On another note...you mention "nice party piece". I don't want to burst your bubble... but solo fingerstyle guitar in my experience is just that... solo. Even after 2 years of learning to play the guitar, I hate going to gatherings, parties, etc and not be able to join in (jamming) when people pull out their instruments. I am definitely not the type of person to do a solo "performance" in a party/group situation.

My friends know that I have been learning for this long and it is somewhat embarrassing to be put in that position and not know how to join in.

I decided a few months ago to put the fingerstyle aside for a while and actually learn to play rhythm… at least enough that I can join in a little bit. After a few frustrating days (I know, not enough time) I went back to my comfort zone and began fingerstyle again. I just didn't enjoy it.

This is why I originally began learning to play and keep at it to this day. For my own enjoyment. I just plain don't want to learn anything else… I am loving this too much.

So… I have learned to redefine what I am doing. I am learning to play “solo fingerstyle guitar”. I am not “learning to play the guitar” – that is too generic. I will continue learning to play solo and love it.

My Fingerstyle Guitar Blog:
http://fsguitar.wordpress.com

My Guitars
Ibanez Artwood AWS1000ECE-NT
Schecter S-1 30th Anniversary Edition
Ovation CS257
LaPatrie Etude
Washburn Rover RO10


   
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(@kroikey)
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Some good music in that list you gave, especially "anybody out there" and "goodbye blue sky". I realise that fingerstyle is kind of self-contained and wont make you able to play in a band situation, but it definitely makes a solo player seem very accomplished.

My playlist is tiny:

Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead or Alive
Patrick Swayze - She's like the wind
Floyd - Anybody out there, Goodbye blue sky, Wish you were here
Oasis - Half the world away
Coldplay - Don't Panic
Jack Johnson - If I Could, Banana Pancakes, Better Together, Belle
Animals - House of the Rising Sun
REM - Everybody Hurts
Childrens - Speckled Frogs :)
Blues - a few pieces from Justins blues lessons.

I do play a bit of rock/rhythmn, but its a bit so-so wit me due to being solo. I practice it with a few power chords on and off. I'm trying to work on musical knowledges so I can improvise a little, and sometimes it feels very natural when it comes, and then I think "Yes, its working!" and my concentration goes and I trip up. Always a mountain to climb though!
Looking at my list, it seems an awful lot of the pieces I play are fingerstyle...


   
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(@kroikey)
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Oh, and another thing I've been working on all this time is singing. This has obviously slowed my guitar development somewhat, but I think its better to work it in now rather than go backwards later and give up because my playing goes downhill. I love singing along to the groove in Jack Johnsons songs :D


   
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(@lue42)
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I am sure Joe will be by and he can add his 2 cents... especially when it comes to singing as well.

If you haven't checked out his stuff yet, I highly recommend JAW's tabs. The first song that I truly learned was his arrangement of Here Comes the Sun. For some reason... everything just "clicked" with that song. I love his arrangements... his Floyd stuff is great (Goodbye blue sky, and Breathe are a blast to play).

http://jaw.iinet.net.au/stuff/tab.html

My Fingerstyle Guitar Blog:
http://fsguitar.wordpress.com

My Guitars
Ibanez Artwood AWS1000ECE-NT
Schecter S-1 30th Anniversary Edition
Ovation CS257
LaPatrie Etude
Washburn Rover RO10


   
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(@rparker)
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As I have mentioned in other threads, my finger-picking song list is nearly singular. I did submit a disney song to the ESD at one point, but it's not in the book. It's the one from the Jungle Book with Louis Parma doing the ape. The song is call "I Wanna Be Like You". I just play the rhythm and sing (poorly). I dunno why, but always liked that tune.

A chord sheet is all I have. https://www.guitarnoise.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=40433

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


   
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(@joehempel)
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Just saw this topic, I've got the fingerpicking disney book as well, like lue42 said.

I haven't spent much time with it, although I do like to go back sometimes. Lately I've been learning new things with some classical music, and arranging songs on my own, and re-recording my fingerstyle cd.

I like You'll Be in My Heart.....You've Got a Friend in Me is tough, but do-able.

The ones I don't like are Under the Sea...it sounds okay, but something is just not right about it. And Go the Distance didn't hit home with me either.

One thing I do not like is everything seems to be in the first position, and that limits what can be done, and like Candle on the Water, it's just too low compared to the original. I don't have a Capo on for the video, but I use it live. I was surprised by how many people knew that song when I did play at Borders Books. Here's the link to the video though:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNeeURb1VBA

Audio is low, and the sync is off, but it's passable LOL.

Fingerstyle is a very relaxing thing for me, I don't get into all the tapping and slapping and finger gymnastics, it just doesn't do it for me, although is very cool to listen to sometimes. So if you take it slow enough if you're having problems, then you'll get through it. Hope you stick with it!! If you have questions just let me know!

In Space, no one can hear me sing!


   
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(@kroikey)
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I like You'll Be in My Heart.....You've Got a Friend in Me is tough, but do-able.I've watched a few youtube videos of "You've Got a Friend in Me", and although it seems tough, its very upbeat and I like it a lot!
The ones I don't like are Under the Sea...it sounds okay, but something is just not right about it. And Go the Distance didn't hit home with me either.I can agree with both of these. In fact, after looking at as many youtube versions as I can find, I think "Beauty and the Beast" is next on my agenda.
One thing I do not like is everything seems to be in the first position, and that limits what can be doneI noticed that myself when I saw others playing "Bare Necessities". The only problem I have with open position is its more difficult to keep the notes at the same volume level, especially at speed. I'm often moving through a piece at a nice pace and volume and then I overpick an open string and get a horrible TWANGGGGG noise coming through. I guess more practice will even those out though.
Audio is low, and the sync is off, but it's passable LOL.I like your version of Candle on the Water, but I have to say it sounds very sedate compared to the speed I have to play Necessities. I'm not familiar with the original, so I can't say if its a good version or not, but it sounds sweet for sure. I got around the audio problem by using headphones.
Fingerstyle is a very relaxing thing for meI find that too, although while im learning a piece, and at the more difficult passages (because I play it a bit faster than im capable of), I get so tense. Its very enjoyable though.
I don't get into all the tapping and slapping and finger gymnasticsI've actually been trying to develop a bit of this style, but thats came from my appreciation of Jack Johnson and his solo guitar style.

I hope to post up a version of Bare Necessities over the next few days to let you see where I'm at. I've basically played it for about 8 hours since Saturday, and I've been warned by the missus that if she goes to bed with that song in her head one more night then she'll slap me :)


   
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(@joehempel)
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I'm sure you know, but the version of You've Got a Friend in Me that's on youtube isn't anywhere near whats in the book, at least what I can tell anyway.

Can't wait to see a video of this!

In Space, no one can hear me sing!


   
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(@kroikey)
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Hey, I finally got around to recording where I'm at so far. I bought the Disney book last weekend, and heres my effort with Bare Necessities so far. Shame I couldnt use my acoustic, otherwise it'd be cleaner at speed, but I played it slowly first to demonstrate my understanding of it before spoiling it with muddy speed lol. After the two versions is also Better Together by Jack Johnson, although I've refrained from singing on it...for now! :D

I hope you enjoy!
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=903342


   
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(@joehempel)
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EXCELLENT!!!

I preferred the faster one for sure. Great job and it sounded great on the electric! Better Together sounded great too!

In Space, no one can hear me sing!


   
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(@kroikey)
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Thanks Joe, if you liked it on this awkward recording, you'd love it on my acoustic after I'd warmed up. This was so frustrating as the pickups were getting on my nerves and the strings felt like elastic bands lol.

My Fingerpicking Ballads should arrive soon, so I hope to get something else under my fingers soon (Heart-Alone, or BJ's I'll Be There For You probably). I've also followed the links from some posts here and found Roxettes Listen To Your Heart, and I love a bit of Roxette :). Basically I'm getting some really cool finger picking songs to work on.

I think the Bare Necessities has got me through a plateau! Yey!


   
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(@joehempel)
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Cool man good to hear!

I've got the Ballads book and it's got some great arrangements in there! If I weren't so ADD when learning things I would stick with one song myself and learn Leader of the Band from the Fingerpicking Pop book. That has some good arrangements as well.

Good job, and keep it up, can't wait to hear more!

In Space, no one can hear me sing!


   
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