I have a guitar; what should I learn to play?

Flay

I've been taking (acoustic) guitar lessons for around 5 weeks now. I'm acquainted with all five positions of the C scale, and know some of the major chords and their variations (i.e. D and D7 etc...).

Anyway, my teacher wants some ideas for songs I'd like to learn. 'Course I have my own ideas, but I was wondering if you guys had any suggestions for suitable songs to learn. Mostly beginner to intermediate, of course, but more complex songs are good too (I'll just have to make them a long term goal). Remember, I'm playing acoustic guitar, but that doesn't mean they have to be acoustic songs.

A few of the ideas I've had: Paint it Black (Rolling Stones), Swing Life Away (Rise Against), Wonderwall (Oasis), Boy with a Coin (Iron and Wine), Gerudo Valley (Ocarina of Time), Heartbeats (Jose Gonzalez), Black Magic Woman (Santana). Several of these won't be particularly easy, however...

Raneados

don't do wonderwall, replace it with Blackbird

devCharles

A good long term song goal I had when I started was "Classical Gas." It requires you to learn a number of interesting techniques.

Tav

FREEEEEEEBIRD

Also, Stairway.

Reckless

Raneados wrote: »

don't do wonderwall, replace it with Blackbird

This song will teach you fingerpicking skills like nothing else. Also it's very pretty.

Visti

I would suggest some Dave Matthews. Particularly The Stone has a really interesting guitar. It will destroy you if you try and sing at the same time, though.

i n c u b u s

Visti wrote: »

I would suggest some Dave Matthews. Particularly The Stone has a really interesting guitar. It will destroy you if you try and sing at the same time, though.

I was just about to suggest this, I'd make it a personal goal to eventually play something like "So Much To Say." I felt so awesome when I got that song down and its a real crowd pleaser for me.

Cyrofex

One song I sometimes use with my students is "Fly By Night" by Rush - uses some simple chords but gives you some good picking practise. You can find the tab here http://www.cygnusproductions.com/rtp/guitar/fbn-fly_by_night_1.tab.

Then, having let the Rush in, it's time to look at Xanadu and Limelight...

Erandus

Isn't there some sort of law that you have to learn Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here"?

jeddy lee

Erandus wrote: »

Isn't there some sort of law that you have to learn Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water"?

And don't. Or if you do, don't play it in public. Yes, great song, no, not impressive to play, unless you know the entire damn song and sing it while you play.

My suggestion would be "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica for the soul reason that the way you play that song will always improve with you, and it is noticable. Lots of intracacies to an otherwise fairly easy song. I would say the same for "Blackbird" as mentioned above.

Masked_Mullet

Flogging molly- The worst day since yesterday. very simple chords

Hlubocky

I started by learning about 10 different Howie Day songs... though I enjoy singing them more than playing. They aren't particularly interesting without the words. Now I play:

Brace Yourself
Morning After
Collide
She Says
Be There
Longest Night
Perfect Time of Day
Sorry So Sorry
... a few more

They all have really simple strumming patterns and a small number of chords (usually C/F/Am/G).

blakfeld

Replace Boy with a Coin with Sodom South Georgia, or Upwards Over the Mountain

acidlacedpenguin

you could learn the Johnny Cash cover of Trent Reznor's song Hurt. It sounds really good acoustic and is really easy.

There's also a lot of songs by The Decemberists that are very straight-forward chord progressions that are fun to sing and play. To pick a handful, check out Engine Driver, Legionnaire's Lament, and We Both Go Down Together.

Santeria by Sublime -- good for learning syncopation strumming and it sounds nice.

A Tout le Monde by Megadeth -- who knew Dave Mustaine could write a song that sounds good on an acoustic

*cough*Through the Fire and Flames by Dragonforce*cough*

Sir Red of the Manti

Running Down a Dream - Tom Petty. Fun intro, the rest is fairly easy.
The Trees - Rush. The intro is meant for acoustic, and like most Rush songs it's a good learning experience.

EggyToast

You mention chords, so I assume you're looking at rhythm? Or are you interested in some fingerstyle/picking stuff, as well?

Also, you might have a lot more fun if you don't limit yourself to songs that are originally recorded with acoustic guitar. For example, Nirvana's Unplugged album is a good example that songs done originally with electric guitars can certainly still be interesting and relevant when done acoustically.

Flay

EggyToast wrote: »

You mention chords, so I assume you're looking at rhythm? Or are you interested in some fingerstyle/picking stuff, as well?

I'm trying to get the hang of both, yeah.

EggyToast wrote: »

Also, you might have a lot more fun if you don't limit yourself to songs that are originally recorded with acoustic guitar. For example, Nirvana's Unplugged album is a good example that songs done originally with electric guitars can certainly still be interesting and relevant when done acoustically.

Exactly. I mentioned in the OP that they don't have to be acoustic songs, but I'm not sure which ones would sit well when played on acoustic.

Some other ideas for songs: Dust in the Wind (Kansas), Sound of Silence (Simon and Garfunkel), Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen*).

[tiny]*Jeff Buckley's version is better.[/tiny]

Nappuccino

blakfeld wrote: »

Replace Boy with a Coin with Sodom South Georgia, or Upwards Over the Mountain

Scratch that.

Learn them all.

(Upwards over the mountain will take 5 min tops, its a very simple but beautiful song)

acidlacedpenguin

let her cry by hootie and the blowfish.

clearsimpleplain

Unsatisfied by the Replacements is one of the songs I learned early on that I still play almost every time I practice because it's fun.

Demerdar

Rocky Raccoon by the Beatles is a great tune, and only uses 4 chords.

lifeincognito

Breezy from FFVIII. Pinball Wizard by the Who. 316 by Van Halen. They all sound pretty good on acoustic guitar, at least to me. Enjoy.

jeddy lee

chords to the Beatles - "You never give me your money"

Or atleast, that's what I'm learning on the piano right now to teach myself piano. The chords look easy enough on guitar that you could learn it, but difficult enough to give you a lot of variation.

Sheep

Go learn some Neil Young.

Smug Duckling

Here are the songs I know that are good to play:

Classical Gas (NOT as hard as it sounds, especially the intro, but very fun to play)

Nothing Else Matters (Sounds cool and is once again not as hard as it sounds)

Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah (Very cool song and great if you can sing. You can easily move its key around with a capo to fit your range, too.)

Blackbird (Easy but sounds impressive)

Wonderwall (Yeah it's cliched, but it's easy and there's no reason not to learn it. I find it to be pretty fun to play.)

Fade to Black by Metallica (I admit I haven't learned the whole thing, but even the main riff alone is very cool sounding and not too hard once you've mastered basic chord positions and basic fingerpicking)

Crazy on You by Heart (I can't play this very well, but the intro especially is very fun and sounds cool)

Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer (Sounds cool and is instantly recognizable. Easy chords too.)

Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton (One of the most beautiful main riffs of any song, imo, and not too hard at all to play. Also instantly recognizable to a lot of people and just a cool song.)

Trentus

Various Posters wrote:

Classical Gas

Tommy Emmanuel does an awesomely rockin cover of this. I should learn guitar...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQJ1k2HMoRU

The audio seems to have suffered somewhat during compression. Bit of a shame that.

Smug Duckling

I used this tab, which seems to be pretty accurate to the Clapton way of playing it.

exis

Sheep wrote: »

Go learn some Neil Young.

Yes, this. That guy knew how to make simple chords sound amazing.

Smug Duckling

Any specific song suggestions? I'd be interested in learning some Neil Young.

exis

Smug Duckling wrote: »

Any specific song suggestions? I'd be interested in learning some Neil Young.

Needle and the damage done, My my, hey, hey, Thrasher, Pocahontas are all fantastic. The last two are more strummy and should be a bit easier to pick up.

Klorgnum

I'd recommend Song For Stephen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpvHyo5UQ-0

It'll be a bit of a challenge for you, but it's really not that difficult a song, and it'll help get you used to alternate tunings. Just take it slow and you should be able to manage it.

Also seconding classical gas.

Smug Duckling wrote: »

I used this tab, which seems to be pretty accurate to the Clapton way of playing it.

Clapton never wrote or recorded Classical Gas. It's just a popular myth.

Daebunz

Enter Sandman is fairly easy if you play the rythm part. Though most of the lead part is similar if I remember right.

Smug Duckling

Klorgnum wrote: »

Smug Duckling wrote: »

I used this tab, which seems to be pretty accurate to the Clapton way of playing it.

Clapton never wrote or recorded Classical Gas. It's just a popular myth.

Wait what.

Holy shit. You just shook the foundation of my belief system.

Chen

Karma Police

theconductor221

The House of the Rising Sun-The Animals is always a great song
Anything by James Taylor-Awesome
Beatles stuff is solid (eleanor rigby)
Fleet Foxes is a somewhat obscure band (somewhat, i say that lightly) from Seattle, and their acoustic stuff is amazing.
Nirvana isnt too tough, and sounds pretty great. (Polly, About a girl)
Good luck, post vids when you learn stuff

EDIT:
The Smiths-There is a light and it never goes out.
Greatest song ever.

Visti

theconductor221 wrote: »

The House of the Rising Sun-The Animals is always a great song
Anything by James Taylor-Awesome
Beatles stuff is solid (eleanor rigby)
Fleet Foxes is a somewhat obscure band (somewhat, i say that lightly) from Seattle, and their acoustic stuff is amazing.
Nirvana isnt too tough, and sounds pretty great. (Polly, About a girl)
Good luck, post vids when you learn stuff

EDIT:
The Smiths-There is a light and it never goes out.
Greatest song ever.

Yaaaay. If you have a capo, there's so much great Smiths stuff.

FyreWulff

for non-freebird skynyrd songs I would recommend Simple Man.

However anybody would recognize the opening notes to Sweet Home Alabama

Nappuccino

Alot of elliott smith is great...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2sfwky4RqQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQrhA6QtWOM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfWxa-FN8X4&feature=related

MikeMan

yellow ledbetter