#1
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Guitar and Djembe Song/Jam Ideas
Hi all -
was at a jam yesterday and was the only guitar player. Everyone else had djembes, rattles, little drums etc. Decided only to play driving-rhythm tunes of simple chord changes so that the drums could really shine through. I liken it to creating a constant "engine" with the guitar, which other instruments can then drop in and out of. The only problem is my repertoire of these types of tunes is limited!! Here's what I have (emphasis on campfire tunes everyone knows), and suggestions for additional songs would be great. - Fire on the Mountain - Iko Iko - Billie Jean (oh yeah!) - Instant Karma - Horse with no Name - Freedom (Havens) - Faith (Michael) - They call me the breeze - For the Turnstiles - Down by the River - Get up Stand Up thanks for your thoughts!!
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GF Sanders Classical 2012 (Sitka/African Mahogany) Martin JCPA4R 2012 (Sitka/EIR) Pono Parlor OP10-C 2013 (Cedar/Acacia) Voyage-Air VAOM-02 2012 (not sure/lam hog) |
#2
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bumping this back into the conversation! Thinking Bob Marley tunes are a no-brainer for this...
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GF Sanders Classical 2012 (Sitka/African Mahogany) Martin JCPA4R 2012 (Sitka/EIR) Pono Parlor OP10-C 2013 (Cedar/Acacia) Voyage-Air VAOM-02 2012 (not sure/lam hog) |
#3
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A couple of songs from Eddie Vedder's Into the Wild soundtrack: Rise, and Big Hard Sun
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#4
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I would offer a suggestion, but honestly, the appearance of a djembe is my cue to flee screaming into the night. It's not quite as bad as it used to be, but their popularity almost killed the campground jam scene at our local festival.
Funnily enough, my best friend was an early and enthusiastic African percussion player, playing in a couple of local African bands and becoming one of the go-to guys for djembe repairs. He thought I was just being difficult when it came to drums' disruption at jams, but then he started playing Irish pipes, and he's totally changed his mind! I found the transformation kind of amusing. About the best I can do by way of suggestion is to maybe try playing bass with the drums. You can add guitar too, either yourself if you find another bass player or by recruiting someone else, but African percussion is really overpowering stuff for a single guitar to balance. Holding down the bottom end with a bass will establish the "musical" side of the equation and create a solid foundation for guitar to build on. (Disclaimer - I played bass before I played guitar, so I might be a little biased.)
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merry irreverent freerange omnivorous intellect |
#5
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I remember hearing, many, many years ago, some guys playing the Allman Bros' "Love is in the air" in a subway concours. It was one acoustic guitar and a couple of hand drums, maybe with other percussion hand instruments. They sounded fantastic, I can still hear them in my mind after all these years.
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#6
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I like playing with a djembe - as long as it's real back-and-forth playing and not the drummer pounding out the usual djembe patterns (which gets tiresome after about 10 seconds). A good friend of mine is a real djembe player, and we get absolutely cookin' in some of our jams... but only when I'm playing in a style that he can interact with. Which makes perfect sense. Instruments have to find the level where their strengths meet....
That Big Hard Sun tune by Vedder is great, thanks for the reminder!
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GF Sanders Classical 2012 (Sitka/African Mahogany) Martin JCPA4R 2012 (Sitka/EIR) Pono Parlor OP10-C 2013 (Cedar/Acacia) Voyage-Air VAOM-02 2012 (not sure/lam hog) |
#7
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Paul Simon tunes.
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#8
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"End of the Line" by the Travelling Willburys. I tried it using my Boss Pedal to record the darbuka ,( in the ballpark with a djembes) and some shakers to play back while I played on guitar and sang. I think its a good tune for that and some harmonies backing up the lead vocal. Fun tune, lots of folks know it.
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Free speech...its' not for everybody |
#9
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Ben Harper has several. "Burn one Down" and "Oppression" from the album "Fight for Your Mind" come to mind, but I'm certain there are others.
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#10
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Well... You already know JJ Cale...
After Midnight works great with a a guitar and a little rhythm. It slows it down a bit from some other stuff in your set too.
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i got tired of updating my guitars. |