The best 5 songs for the beginner

[NashTaylor]

What are the five best songs for the beginner to learn that incorporate strumming and fingerpicking? I know this is subjective but I just looking for some ideas.
Thanks

[jastevens]

Hey Nash,
How much of a beginner are you?
I've been at it for about 8 months. I'd be happy to pass along some of the tunes that kept (and keep) me inspired.

BTW, did you mean songs that are a mix of picking/strumming in the same song, or did you mean some picking songs and some strumming songs.

[waynep]

Originally Posted by jastevens

BTW, did you mean songs that are a mix of picking/strumming in the same song, or did you mean some picking songs and some strumming songs.

Not to answer for Nash . . . . I am in the same boat. Learning but feeling like I know chords but no real songs. How about 5 strumming and 5 picking??

wayne

[the carpenter]

I'd suggest songs that you already know how they sound and that you like, such as pop songs. Go to guitartab.com to get any tabs you need for these songs. One word of advice though - a lot to the songs on those sites have multiple versions of tabs, so learn to use your ear to decipher the good from the bad. They assign a star rating for tab approval. I've used it for 100 different songs and yet to find one that I haven't had to put my own little edit to. But they are good, and save you milleniums of time. If you are heart set on having the right tabs, you have to go to your local guitar shop and buy the book ,if they have it. Never less than $20.

Side note: As a beginner you are always looking for the perfect way to approach. The best advice I can give is to just approach and don't give up the big picture. I have disembarked on many songs that I was not ready for. Come back to them later if you want. No rules. The mistakes and wasted time are what make you better. Like anything in life I guess.

[freestyle]

Horse with No Name, it's easy, just E and A.
Dont Think Twice It's Alright, its a little tougher, G,D.C,A7
Really, what ever interests you. You will learn the chords and how to change them better with songs you already like. There are an amazing number of songs out there in just three chords. I tought myself out of a Mel Bay book, and jumped into Bob Dylan and Paul Simon, cause that's what I like. Just buy the book of music from the album of your choice and start figuring out how it goes. You already know the songs Just have to teach your fingers where and when to go to make it sound right.

[jastevens]

So far I've mainly concentrated on the "strum" stuff, but for the last few weeks I've been working on some flat-picking and finger-picking.

Some of my favorite strummers:
Super Easy: (all CAGED stuff ... no barres)
Eagles - Take it Easy
Dylan - Knockin' on Heaven's Door
CCR - Bad Moon Rising
G'nR - Sweet Child
A little more advanced: (brings in the beloved barre F)
Counting Crows - Mr. Jones

Mixed picking / strum:
Floyd - Wish you were here
On of my favs... was/is a great way to break the ice on isolating strings and some hammer-on stuff.

Fingerpick: Just getting started here...seemed too overwhelming 'til I got a teacher
Currently I'm working on
Kansas - Dust in the Wind
EXTREMELY fun! Seems like a lot of chords but most are just one finger variations on the same chord (if interested, I'll explain).

As far as the strumming stuff goes, unless you are absolutely dead-set on being an accurate "technical" player, just have fun. Find a comfortable strumming rhythm and cut loose... don't worry about "nailing" the song. Any time we have any sort of get together I always bring my axe and a stack of chords/lyrics to do the "singalong" thing. Talk about something pushing you , my fingers felt they were going to fall off several times, but having everyone so into it just pushes me on .

You can always work on accuracy after you have the basics down.

BTW, let me know if these song suggestions are along the right vein... I have dozens more.

[NashTaylor]

Thanks for joining this thread and your replys. I have been playing for about 9 months also jastevens. I know cords and can change them well. I bought a book on strumming patterns and scales which I have been practicing. I know some songs as far as basic cords structure goes, but they sound blah. I guess what I am looking for is some good tunes where I can learn the chords and learn breaks and fills (whatever they are) to make the song sound more interesting and cooler. I am starting lessons next week with Stan Lassiter next week here in Nashville and I wanted to have a few songs to suggest that have both fingerpicking and strumming. What are your favorite 5 beggining songs to begin to sound cool?

[mapletrees]

I'd get TAB books for bands like the Eagles and Beatles.....(tunes that have multiple guitar parts)...lots of fundamental stuff and all sorts of levels of difficulty...

they'll have rhythm-slash-hockey stick notation for strumming....lots of second guitar parts/fills, solos....etc...

you could find them at www.sheetmusicplus.com or amazon.com or any of the other big sites on the internet....

if you want to learn to fingerpick go to www.accentonmusic.com and get Mark Hanson's The Art of Contemporary Travis Picking and The Art of Solo Fingerpicking....

[the carpenter]

Crash - Dave Matthews; Disarm- Smashing Pumpkins; Elderly Woman Behind a Counter - Pearl Jam; Times Like These - Foofighters; Landslide - The Original Stevie Nicks.

These are the first 5 songs I started on with my instructor and he about laughed, because a couple are way hard for a beginner...but I wanted it, so I learned.