Good Intermediate Finger Picking Style Songs?

AusSi · #1 07-29-2014, 07:50 AM

So I have learned a few pinger picking style songs in the last year or so. And now I am on a search for another good one. Anyone got any suggestions as well as maybe a link to either good tab or a you tube instructional?
Someone mentioned Lagrima, though it sounds amazing, I only play steel string so not sure how it would sound, plus it looks like a LOT to learn.

For those of you who are also looking for something good, my favorites up until now have been these, I would say intermediate songs:
More than Words: I used this Video, it as quite detailed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyZ0nAtHe4A
But here is a Marty Shwartz one if you prefer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGY98o2-efU

Desperado by The Eagles:
I used this video, it comes with tabliture as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cl503kJA6zI

Or this really easy one:
Traffic in the Sky by Jack Johnson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e7aS7hrKxE

Have fun and yeah gimmie some awesome recommendations

Si

000JB · #2 07-29-2014, 11:46 AM

Check out Toby Walker's web site.

jthorpe · #3 07-29-2014, 04:03 PM

Windy & Warm!

stanron · #4 07-29-2014, 06:42 PM

Since retiring a few years ago I've kind of lost touch with what would be intermediate and what would be easy. Would this be easy, intermediate or tricky?

Code:

Constant Billy (session Key) (South UK Morris tune)

A part

E╓───╥─────────────┬─────────────┬─────────────┬─────────────╖R
B╟───╫─────3───────┼─1───────────┼─────────────┼─────────────╢E
G╟───╫─0─────4h2p0─┼─────2───────┼─4p2─0───────┼───────0─────╢P
D╟─0─╫─────────────┼───────4h5─7─┼───────2h4─2─┼─0h2─4─────0─╢E
A╟───╫───────2─────┼─3─────0─────┼───────3─────┼─────────────╢A
E╙───╨─3───────────┴─────────────┴─3───────────┴─2─────3─────╜T

 . + . 1 + + 2 + + . 1 + + 2 + + . 1 + + 2 + + . 1 + + 2 + +  

B part

╓───────0───0─┬─────────────┬───────0h2─0─┬───────────2─┐
╟─0h1─3───────┼───────3───3─┼─0h1─3───────┼───────3h5───┤
╟───────────0─┼─2h4─5───────┼───────────0─┼─2h4─5─────2─┤
╟─────────────┼───────────0─┼─────────────┼───────0─────┤
╟─────2─3─────┼─────────────┼─────2─3─────┼─0───────────┤
╙─3───────────┴─2─────3─────┴─3───────────┴─────────────┘

 .1 + + 2 + + . 1 + + 2 + + . 1 + + 2 + + . 1 + + 2 + +


┌─3───────────┬─────────────┬─────────────┬─────────────╖
├─────3───────┼─1───────────┼─────────────┼─────────────╢
├─0─────4h2─0─┼─────2───────┼─4p2─0───────┼───────0─────╢
├─────────────┼───────4h5─7─┼───────2h4─2─┼─0h2─4─────0─╢
├───────2─────┼─3─────0─────┼───────3─────┼─────────────╢
└─────────────┴─────────────┴─3───────────┴─2─────3─────╜

 .1 + + 2 + + . 1 + + 2 + + . 1 + + 2 + + . 1 + + 2 + +

I'd be interested to know what you all think.

NOTP · #5 07-29-2014, 07:11 PM

I'm a "beginner" fingerstyle player and even posted a topic in the General subforum (http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=351086) where I mentioned I was also learning Extreme's "More Than Words" but considered it a beginner's song since I'm able to get the gist of it, even with my lack of experience going completely without a pick.

If you consider that song "intermediate", what would you consider "beginner"?

I'm interested because your taste is similar to mine... good choice going with Extreme and the Eagles.

AusSi · #6 07-30-2014, 08:47 AM

Hey guys,

To the windy and warm suggestion, I will definitely consider it, I have seen Tommy Emannuel play it (here if you have not seen his awesome performance of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhPQFQOLqoE)

I also see there is a really good video instruction for it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1KVKQb-zqQ

As for toby walkers site, I did have a good look there the other day as toby really helped me out, however i don't remember seeing any song suggestions for finger picking? His courses do look unreal though, is that maybe what your talking about?

@stanron, thanks for the suggestion, and +1 for supplying the tabs as well. I guess difficulty is very open to interpretation isn't it. I figure anything that is not built of open cords or very easy cords and simple picking is considered beginner. A beginner to me is someone who can just play the open cords and a few others and is getting the hang of strumming.
Something like Stairway to heaven to me would be the very beginning of intermediate maybe... someone who just picked up a guitar in the last month or so wouldn't be able to play it usually.

As for this song, it looks simple enough. Do you have a audio version of it? I love to hear a song before i learn it if i can?

Hey NOTP, haha just read your post, could not agree more about spending more time on the forum that actually playing. Ill have to read through your whole thread cos you put it really well. I prefer songs that stay in standard tuning too. As for beginner songs, as i mentioned above I figured it would be just anything you would show a person who is just getting started. I think Scarborough Fair looks pretty easy, and that jack johnsons one is really simple.

Also Dust in the wind is awesome, for others here is a finger picked version and instructional as well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BU-t9ROEVok

Scarborough Fair is pretty cool to, nice and easy. Here is a how to vid that looks really good:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LisLYZHht4A

I am starting to see that a good instructional also plays a big role in what I learn, it helps hold your interest and makes everything clear. My favorite song i ever learned was little wing by jimi hendrix, it was very challenging (still is) and has taugh me a lot, its not finger picking but the instructions are the best i have ever come across, thought maybe you might like it as its pretty cool to me:
http://youtu.be/1ZC16VQy5kg?t=9m29s

AusSi · #7 07-30-2014, 09:24 AM

Oh and i just remembered a couple other fingerpicking songs i learned as a beginner, both plain white tees songs. I learned them from tab but here are some awesome video instructions: Delila http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNciA_HZgUA and aeroplane: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYQa-t00c3c

Jberczel · #8 07-30-2014, 10:15 AM

I enjoyed learning these two John Mayer songs. I think they fall under the intermediate fingerstyle category.

Stop this Train https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NLZCLKppZs
Age of Worry - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKpArjKkUWE

stanron · #9 07-30-2014, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AusSi

Do you have a audio version of it? I love to hear a song before i learn it if i can?

Hi AusSi,

I don't have a recording of it played on guitar but here's a version of it played on melodeon by a guy named Lester Bailey.

http://lesters-tune-a-day.blogspot.c...adderbury.html

It's most commonly used for Morris dancing. It's slightly different from the version I've tabbed, mostly in the bass line.

StringFive · #10 07-30-2014, 11:42 AM

You gotta know this one...a fingerpicking rite of passage. Deep River Blues

Earwitness · #11 07-30-2014, 03:33 PM

"Intermediate" is such a dangerous thing to claim to be, because on AGF there are a lot of dang good players and semi-professionals who call themselves intermediate.

When I started my desperate effort to get better 18 months ago, I thought I was already intermediate, but turns out I was only a fairly good beginner despite all those years. Now, I think I may just be out of the beginner zone, because I just watched that video you posted with Hey Delilah on there, and the teacher was saying it was complicated, and I could easily play it fully through on pace on the first try, even while singing it.

I tend to always be practicing what is just out of my reach, which is good in some ways, but I just learned a good lesson, which is that it is very encouraging sometimes to take the degree of difficulty down and appreciate that there are some things you can already do.

Gcunplugged · #12 07-30-2014, 04:36 PM

I did a finger-picked arrangement of "Your Song" by Elton John that has been well received. It is not a solo arrangement, but meant to accompany a vocalist. Still, the song is immediately recognizable and fun to play, even without the melody. You can find it on my YouTube channel at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEyXhHEtPI4

I'm not sure what is beginner versus intermediate anymore, but perhaps that one will be up your alley.

Another song I just learned (not my arrangement) is "Every Breath You Take" by Sting. This was done by Hansel Pething, and is just fabulous. The YouTube link is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsEofMzxTQQ

If you want tab for Your Song, I can email that when I get home on Friday. Tab for Every Breath is listed in the comments under that song.

Hope that helps,
Gary

Earwitness · #13 07-30-2014, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gcunplugged

I did a finger-picked arrangement of "Your Song" by Elton John that has been well received. It is not a solo arrangement, but meant to accompany a vocalist. Still, the song is immediately recognizable and fun to play, even without the melody. You can find it on my YouTube channel at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEyXhHEtPI4

Hope that helps,
Gary

Gary, thanks so much. First, I love that song and had never tried to play it. Your version is exactly at the level I can play pretty comfortably while singing. It picks up quite a lot of the piano melody.

Two slight adaptations I made to fit it to myself were: actually playing an E major then dropping down to E7 where you have an Em; and sliding an Fmaj7 shape up 2 frets to a G on "both could live." I also may end up swapping that F6 for a Dm7, just to make it easier--we'll see.

Thanks again so much--you have given me the gift of a great song, so thanks for your efforts.

AusSi · #14 07-30-2014, 10:37 PM

Wow some great suggestions coming out of the woodworks today.

@Jberczel both of those songs are really nice, I would agree intermediate (for me) ill add them to the list

@stanron Hahah, I have not listened to a melodeon in a long time, that was kinda fun.

@StringFive lol, that really is a great song for teaching, it has a great mix of chords and scales, plus has a nice boppy rhythm too it.

@Earwitness Could not agree more, often finding the right song is half the battle. If its too easy it gets boring fast, if its too hard the progress is too slow and you get bored. Also yeah on the intermediate thing, its a difficult one, very open to interpretation. I came across this awesome guy called dan holloway last night, i this video he gives a good definition of intermediate "you can already do some pattern picking, you know all your cords but you would like to get into playing some melody". http://www.dancholloway.com/trial/what-if-god.html

@Gcunplugged really loving the tune of your song, I dont think i have ever heard it before somehow! "every breath you take" on the other hand its an old favorite i had forgotten about, definitely going strait to the short list.

Thank you everyone for your generous replies. We have build up quite the short list of finger picking songs, I hope that will help other on the finger picking journey as well.

I definitely think this guys needs another mention in the finger picking learning department, his resources are just endless, i am considering the intermediate package just to learn this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwtwHLQdvkQ

http://www.dancholloway.com/

Si

rick-slo · #15 07-30-2014, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stanron

Since retiring a few years ago I've kind of lost touch with what would be intermediate and what would be easy. Would this be easy, intermediate or tricky?

Code:

Constant Billy (session Key) (South UK Morris tune)

A part

E╓───╥─────────────┬─────────────┬─────────────┬─────────────╖R
B╟───╫─────3───────┼─1───────────┼─────────────┼─────────────╢E
G╟───╫─0─────4h2p0─┼─────2───────┼─4p2─0───────┼───────0─────╢P
D╟─0─╫─────────────┼───────4h5─7─┼───────2h4─2─┼─0h2─4─────0─╢E
A╟───╫───────2─────┼─3─────0─────┼───────3─────┼─────────────╢A
E╙───╨─3───────────┴─────────────┴─3───────────┴─2─────3─────╜T

 . + . 1 + + 2 + + . 1 + + 2 + + . 1 + + 2 + + . 1 + + 2 + +  

B part

╓───────0───0─┬─────────────┬───────0h2─0─┬───────────2─┐
╟─0h1─3───────┼───────3───3─┼─0h1─3───────┼───────3h5───┤
╟───────────0─┼─2h4─5───────┼───────────0─┼─2h4─5─────2─┤
╟─────────────┼───────────0─┼─────────────┼───────0─────┤
╟─────2─3─────┼─────────────┼─────2─3─────┼─0───────────┤
╙─3───────────┴─2─────3─────┴─3───────────┴─────────────┘

 .1 + + 2 + + . 1 + + 2 + + . 1 + + 2 + + . 1 + + 2 + +


┌─3───────────┬─────────────┬─────────────┬─────────────╖
├─────3───────┼─1───────────┼─────────────┼─────────────╢
├─0─────4h2─0─┼─────2───────┼─4p2─0───────┼───────0─────╢
├─────────────┼───────4h5─7─┼───────2h4─2─┼─0h2─4─────0─╢
├───────2─────┼─3─────0─────┼───────3─────┼─────────────╢
└─────────────┴─────────────┴─3───────────┴─2─────3─────╜

 .1 + + 2 + + . 1 + + 2 + + . 1 + + 2 + + . 1 + + 2 + +

I'd be interested to know what you all think.

It's all relative. Other fingerings are readily available.