I could play that!

Rocker · April 2023

Streets of London, Ralph McTell

I won’t back down, Johnny Cash

Ride On, Christy Moore

bertie · April 2023

TheOtherDennis said:

maltingsaudio said:

This one always been an I want to play like this , but never actually got round to even looking at it

https://youtu.be/1KN2qvtosmM

I'm pretty sure I have the tab for that in an old Guitar Techniques acoustic special buried away somewhere - want me to look it out for you?

reminds me of all the Steffan Grossman stuff I started "listening/learning" waaaay back when a teenager

JJ72 · April 2023

What I would really love to be able to achieve is to play and sing like this guy:

If anybody hasn't seen him, check out his YouTube channel...Great player and singer

thomasross20 · April 2023

Playing and singing (well!) is a GREAT goal imo

JonnyBgoode · April 2023

Tannin said:

Here is my top 3.
I stumbled across that wonderful Adam Rafferty arrangement of Superstition the other day and instantly wanted to learn it. (But not this week and maybe not this year - it looks bloody tricky!)

Tune! Adam is the guy for Stevie Wonder arrangements, used to play this one, digging it now and blowing the dust off..

Smellyfingers · April 2023

Altering, somewhat, your revealsome question, here are my top three guitar tunes that I could'nt couldn't play properly, at least not without six months on a desert island and/or a brain implant:

1. Mr Bojangles. This may seem deceptively simple in terms of note changes, but
please trust me, the rhythmic aspect is incredibly challenging. Not many folk could have the mojo to attempt it seriously.

2. Sweet child o' mine. I think the nailing the rhythm to sync consistently with the melodic quality would be very difficult.

3.Winner Takes it all. OK, it was not recorded as a guitar piece and seems deceptively si.ple But again you do need to trust that you would need to possess fine coniesseur qualities of timing to master this one. If you don't understand the importance of timing then this is probably not for you.

Incidentally please check out Neil Diamond's version of Mr Bojangles. When you listen specifically to the acoustic accompaniment you will almost certainly be witnessing a record of one of the world' s very rare, actual bona-fide rhythm guitar geniuses at work. You can trust me on that.

gordiji · April 2023

@Tannin ; What is your guitar tuned to in the Pink Panther, sounds great but that's some pretty deep bass if i'm not mistaken ?

Mellish · April 2023

@Rocker ; "Streets of London" - with you there.

KKJale · April 2023

I dipped into our Pink Panther friend Guido's FB. His dreadnought is an Aria AD50

On topic, ish, I've got a whole document full of "I could play that!" Youtube links somewhere, mostly loads of Jerry Reed, Doc Watson, Blind Blake, plus assorted 60-70s bluesy electric jazzers, y'know, the simple stuff, the kind of shit you could just knock off if you had another two lifetimes.

Sigh.

Soupman · April 2023

Top 3:
1. Girl from Ipanema
I can play this (but only on a good day).
2. Acoustic version of Zeppelin's Ramble On.
(On my large to-do bucket list).
3. Chet Atkins' version of Don McLean's Vincent.
I attended a pre-performance lesson by the late Eric Roche a good few years back, & he provided the 10 or so attendees with a tabbed booklet (!) of this. There are some wonderful parts in it. Unfortunately parts is all it ever came to for me. Never had the time/patience! Another for the expanding bucket list.

The trouble with choosing 3 is you start to remember all the other ones you fancied trying to do as well.
Also, next week's 3 could be different from this week's.

Tannin · April 2023

@KKJale - a lolwiz if ever I saw one.

bertie · April 2023

Mellish said:

@Rocker ; "Streets of London" - with you there.

surely that's a "rite of passage 70s learning choon" ?

along with house of the rising sun

Rocker · April 2023

bertie said:

Mellish said:

@Rocker ; "Streets of London" - with you there.

surely that's a "rite of passage 70s learning choon" ?

along with house of the rising sun

There are a lot of so called 'rite of passage' songs' but some/most of them might not interest you as a guitar player. And it depends on whether you strive for 100% clone of the original or a close approximation. I prefer the latter as it allows me to play the song to reflect how I hear it, yet be recognizabile to others.

bertie · April 2023

just saying, in the early / mid 70s there wasnt a lot around for leaners, save a "lot" of Beatles books which usually had "impossible" chords for beginners. SoL and HotRS were among the "staples" in beginners learning literature (and Simon & Garfunkel) , that got you on the chord changing dexterity and timing. Thats all

Shadow · April 2023

3. Chet Atkins' version of Don McLean's Vincent.

I learned this from a tutorial on six string country. It requires a subscription but it was worth it for me as I also learned Wildwood Flower, The Water is Wide, Danny Boy and Brad Paisley's version of What a Friend We Have in Jesus.

The other resource I use a lot is Tim Van Roy who teaches mostly Tommy Emmanuel songs where he usefully offers alternatives for some of the trickier passages. Another subscription but well worth the £3 per month to me.

CaseOfAce · April 2023

bertie said:

just saying, in the early / mid 70s there wasnt a lot around for leaners, save a "lot" of Beatles books which usually had "impossible" chords for beginners. SoL and HotRS were among the "staples" in beginners learning literature (and Simon & Garfunkel) , that got you on the chord changing dexterity and timing. Thats all

I was messing around with adding House of the Rising Sun to the repertoire the other day and got as far as most guitar players out there who learnt the repetitive chord progression and suddenly discovered the vocal is crazily high to reach.

Mellish · April 2023

bertie said:

Mellish said:

@Rocker ; "Streets of London" - with you there.

surely that's a "rite of passage 70s learning choon" ?

along with house of the rising sun

House of the Rising Sun I can play but Streets of London (just how Ralph McTell does it) I'm still struggling with.

stufisher · April 2023

Not really wishing to rank these but here are two that I've targeted for a rainy year, when I can put in the graft to attempt to learn them properly.

Go to 8'50" on the timeline of this one:

bertie · April 2023

Mellish said:

bertie said:

Mellish said:

@Rocker ; "Streets of London" - with you there.

surely that's a "rite of passage 70s learning choon" ?

along with house of the rising sun

House of the Rising Sun I can play but Streets of London (just how Ralph McTell does it) I'm still struggling with.

I actually played and sang it in church at a mates wedding, (not exactly per Ralph but 99% close)

AND despite that - 35 years later they're still together

perhaps we ought to do a "go to / sig tune" thread like the did in "leccy" section

Mellish · April 2023

@bertie ; I can do Streets of London but not exactly how HE does.

It would bother me back in the day, and I'd get annoyed with myself, but now I just do the best I can and don't let it get to me.

Shrews · April 2023

I can strum most songs in my own way, using 7 open chords at the top of the fretboard, unless I put a capo on. No finger-picking, that's way beyond my ability or motivation to learn.

Those 7 chords are usually two finger versions except E, AM7, D.

...and likely played incorrectly.

Nevertheless, I can make a tune, singalong and I think my timing is ok.

I would love to be able to play

1. Pete Doherty - What a Waster. I am nearly there, but want it to sound like the version below
2. I would love to be able to play a medley of Ibiza classics
3. I would love to play 'Sky Full Of Stars' Coldplay

I will put my version of What a Waster up to show where I'm at. But the other two are beyond me at the moment.

Kilgore · April 2023

Shrews said:

I can strum most songs in my own way, using 7 open chords at the top of the fretboard, unless I put a capo on. No finger-picking, that's way beyond my ability or motivation to learn.

I completely understand if you don't have the motivation but it is undoubtedly not beyond your ability.

Learning a bit of alternate bass and some picking patterns is not as difficult as it may appear to get started.

Tannin · April 2023

Tannin said:

Here is my top 3.

.......

There is no #3 on my list.

Actually, I have always had a third all-time favourite tune but I didn't mention it because it's not really possible to play it adequately on guitar, let alone solo acoustic. Or so I have always believed until, for no special reason, You-tube threw this up into my feed

Strewth! That's an amazing bit of playing. Mrs Tannin glanced over at my desk and said "That's not one guitar." I'd already had the same thought - but if you watch his fingers, it unquestionably is.

Sadly, this is not the new #3 on my "I could play that" list because I assure you, I couldn't. Not this year, not next year, and very likely not any other year. In fact it would probably be quicker and easier, if I really want to master Take 5, to hire a jazz band and learn to play the saxophone.

Soupman · April 2023

@Tannin I've always loved that tune. Great playing, also well beyond my skills though!

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