As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/

Classic guitar songs

GrundlterrorGrundlterror Registered User regular
edited September 2007 in Help / Advice Forum
I've been playing guitar now for probably about 6 years. I know most of the basics and I can get my hands to do what I want them to do. Mostly when I'm playing guitar I learn a song, play the shit out of it and then I don't play it for a while and end up totally forgetting how it goes.

What I'm looking for in this thread is some pretty simple songs that are more or less just chords. I think I'll be able to remember these better over the years. What I'm looking for are songs like The Who's "Baba O'Riley", Green Day's "Time of your Life" (although I hate the friggin song) or Weezer's "Jamie". Any ideas on what I should learn?

steam_sig.png
Grundlterror on

Posts

  • TavTav Irish Minister for DefenceRegistered User regular
    edited September 2007
    Stairway to Heaven by Led Zep
    Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes


    Um, maybe try some stuff off The Black Album by Metallica and some stuff by Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly might be up your alley, too.

    Tav on
  • GrundlterrorGrundlterror Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    Hmmmmm.

    I was more getting at songs that can be played with just chords. I know how to play both of those songs and for the most part they are riffs and not chord progressions.

    What I'm looking for is more just songs that can be recognized just by playing the chords that are in the song. Admittedly, I could just look up the chords on google or something but I kinda wanted a starting place.

    For example, the who's Baba O'Riley is G D C

    Thats basically the whole song

    So again, I'm looking for easily recognizable songs that are mostly chord based. I'm talking strumming here, not picking.

    Grundlterror on
    steam_sig.png
  • MrBallbagginsMrBallbaggins Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    Tom Petty's Free Falling is just A D C

    Pretty much everything by Bruce Springsteen is G D C Em.

    MrBallbaggins on
  • GrundlterrorGrundlterror Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    Tom Petty's Free Falling is just A D C

    Pretty much everything by Bruce Springsteen is G D C Em.

    Thats weird, free falling is what I had in my head as an example of what I wanted to do. That requires a capo though doesn't it?

    Grundlterror on
    steam_sig.png
  • MrBallbagginsMrBallbaggins Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    Tom Petty's Free Falling is just A D C

    Pretty much everything by Bruce Springsteen is G D C Em.

    Thats weird, free falling is what I had in my head as an example of what I wanted to do. That requires a capo though doesn't it?

    I didn't think so. I suppose I could just be playing it wrong, but to me it sounds perfect just with the chords. It's just A D D A C.

    MrBallbaggins on
  • A-RodA-Rod Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    Roy Orbinson - Anything you want
    Neil Diamond - Girl youll be a woman

    A-Rod on
  • EggyToastEggyToast Jersey CityRegistered User regular
    edited September 2007
    Freebird?

    EggyToast on
    || Flickr — || PSN: EggyToast
  • KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    Sounds like "Hey There Delilah" is only broken chords... dunno if you like that song or what...

    KalTorak on
  • TavTav Irish Minister for DefenceRegistered User regular
    edited September 2007
    Hmmmmm.

    I was more getting at songs that can be played with just chords. I know how to play both of those songs and for the most part they are riffs and not chord progressions.

    What I'm looking for is more just songs that can be recognized just by playing the chords that are in the song. Admittedly, I could just look up the chords on google or something but I kinda wanted a starting place.

    For example, the who's Baba O'Riley is G D C

    Thats basically the whole song

    So again, I'm looking for easily recognizable songs that are mostly chord based. I'm talking strumming here, not picking.

    Well, um, sorry. I don't play guitar myself and dunno the difference between strumming and picking, and I don't get what you mean by chord progressions, etc. I was just suggesting songs that people I know play...

    Tav on
  • DrFrylockDrFrylock Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    It depends, do you play a real or electric guitar?

    If it's a real guitar, then most Bob Dylan songs are 5 chords or less, and many Eagles songs are quite straightforward as well.

    DrFrylock on
  • SliverSliver Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    Some of Sugar Rays stuff from their first two albums is 95% power chords. (Speed Home California, Mean Machine, Tap Twist Snap.) Down by STP and Spoonman by Soundgarden are also some pretty straightforward songs.

    Sliver on
  • GrundlterrorGrundlterror Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    Tav wrote: »
    Hmmmmm.

    I was more getting at songs that can be played with just chords. I know how to play both of those songs and for the most part they are riffs and not chord progressions.

    What I'm looking for is more just songs that can be recognized just by playing the chords that are in the song. Admittedly, I could just look up the chords on google or something but I kinda wanted a starting place.

    For example, the who's Baba O'Riley is G D C

    Thats basically the whole song

    So again, I'm looking for easily recognizable songs that are mostly chord based. I'm talking strumming here, not picking.

    Well, um, sorry. I don't play guitar myself and dunno the difference between strumming and picking, and I don't get what you mean by chord progressions, etc. I was just suggesting songs that people I know play...

    It's cool, I appreciate the suggestions. Basically I'm talking about in every note of the song they play all the strings at once (strumming) instead of single notes on individual strings (picking). I want to be a karaoke machine of classic songs that are chord based :P
    DrFrylock wrote: »
    It depends, do you play a real or electric guitar?

    If it's a real guitar, then most Bob Dylan songs are 5 chords or less, and many Eagles songs are quite straightforward as well.

    It's a real one (I assume you are referring to acoustic guitar).

    Bob is perfect, most excellent suggestion, thank you! :)

    Eagles too!

    Grundlterror on
    steam_sig.png
  • ReznikReznik Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    I think one of the first mostly-chords songs I learned was Karma Police by Radiohead. Dunno if you like Radiohead but it's not too hard of a song. Also, Fake Plastic Trees.

    Reznik on
    Do... Re.... Mi... Ti... La...
    Do... Re... Mi... So... Fa.... Do... Re.... Do...
    Forget it...
  • GrundlterrorGrundlterror Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    Reznik wrote: »
    I think one of the first mostly-chords songs I learned was Karma Police by Radiohead. Dunno if you like Radiohead but it's not too hard of a song. Also, Fake Plastic Trees.

    I love Radiohead, more great ideas :)

    Grundlterror on
    steam_sig.png
  • WarkWark Registered User new member
    edited September 2007
    See anything by Johnny Cash, his songs sound best on acoustic: Cocaine Blues, Hurt, Man Comes Around, Man in Black. All very chord heavy, slow they're quick to learn and a lot of fun to play. Heck even the intro to Walk the Line is a fun little riff I warm up with from time to time.

    I'd also suggest any classic punk, if you're into that, any Sex Pistols (Anarchy in the U.K.) or the Clash (White Riot), all very chord heavy, all very basic but fun to play.

    Wark on
  • amateurhouramateurhour One day I'll be professionalhour The woods somewhere in TennesseeRegistered User regular
    edited September 2007
    KalTorak wrote: »
    Sounds like "Hey There Delilah" is only broken chords... dunno if you like that song or what...

    it's actually just three strings... that's why its the most learned song on the guitar tab sites right now. I'm not a huge fan of it but hell, if you're in college, and can remotely play the guitar, it'll probably get you some ass, just don't get cocky in case they ask you to play something else : )

    amateurhour on
    are YOU on the beer list?
  • TaterskinTaterskin Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    I've been praticing 'House of the Rising Sun' by the Animals.

    The intro: Am C D F Am E Am E

    The rest of the song uses the same chords in slightly different order.

    Taterskin on
Sign In or Register to comment.