Favourite Songs To Play On Guitar?

So Ive noticed there's a good handful of musos on the boards. I was wondering; whats that song (or songs) you just love to play? Whether to "showcase" your abilities (or "show off"; oh yes, hello ladies ) or just because you f**king love that song.

I figure Ill start:

Classical Gas. Always great. There's really only four or five different runs, just repeated and in different keys. Actually a reasonably simple song, but sounds great and awesome for practicing fingerpicking.

Norwegian Wood, by the Beatles. Oh yeah. Simple sort of lick around the D and C chords, sounds great and light and kinda fluttery.

Trying to learn the solo arrangement of Con Te Partiro. Freakin' tearjerker at the right time. The hardest part is picking out the right drone notes arond the melody to make it sound more full.

On an electric: basically anything by System Of A Down (Drop C for purists, Drop D if you're lazy) anything by Nirvana (well, nearly everything; most of the "Unplugged" stuff sounds vastly better acoustically anyway) Smashing Pumpkins or Pantera. Simple yet heavy as shit.

I love most metal and prog., but some of those arrangements are complex as hell. There's nothing like chugging away on a simple yet effective riff.

After a decade or so of playing, Im yet to learn anything beyond the intro and opening chords of Stairway To Heaven. Blasphemy, I know. But for a song that supposed to be a staple of every guitarist, Ive actually only met one guy who could play it note for note all the way through. He thought he was Jimmy Page. No seriously. that guy was a little...disturbed. Great guitarist though.

Mashing out some classic Beatles and Elvis is always a hit. And there's so many songs (even electro-pop) that can be stripped down to a basic underlying chord prog. And bouncing around the Blues scales can always make you sound vastly more proficient then you actually are .

Anyway, sorry for the double post. Hope to hear from some other guitarists.

I find that easier to play on my electric acoustic. I recently just bought an ovation electric acoustic off a friend of mind and play on that a lot. I practiced finger-picking a lot while in S. Florida at an inpatient facility while battling my addiction to opiates.

MMDeM, Interesting topic. I think we've danced around it ...but I play a 1973 Martin D-35 that I bought slightly used back in 1976. Since then I "electrified" it with a Fishman Thinline pick-up which I play through a Behringer Acoustic ACX 1000 amp. Sweet sounds. But since I’m an old folkie from the 60s-70s, my ole standard is “City of New Orleans”, written by Steve Goodman, made famous by Arlo Guthrie. I’ll also play “America” by Paul Simon or “Mr. Bojangles” by Jerry Jeff Walker. I mix in some Jimmy Buffett, James Taylor, Neil Young and of course some Dylan. My Martin is a great friend and comfort.

Neil Young - Old Man ..Great Song and also fun to cover as well.

I have an acoustic Guild D-25, 1985 vintage, sunburst design. I love classic rock and roll, but can't really play much of it.

What I also love - and play - is classic folk and some old pop songs. Grew up with Pete Seeger, The Weavers, Theodore Bikel, Chad Mitchell Trio, The Limeliters, Josh White, Lead Belly, Harry Belafonte, and stuff like that. Lots of others too, but you get the idea.

I play a lot of Woody Guthrie, too. Also, "City of New Orleans." One of my favorites is "The Ballad of Lizzie Borden" by the Chad Mitchell Trio (a comedic song about an axe murderess!).

My "style," if one could call it that, is nothing spectacular. Mostly bass notes with my thumb and a one-finger scratch for the rest. Occasionally, I'll try something a little more daring, but what I do seems to work for these types of songs. I don't use a pick - I just never seemed to be able to get the hang of it, but I still try sometimes in private.

I do like getting together with people who are much better than me and playing - I let them play all the nice stuff like leads and solos, while I concentrate on the rhythm part.

Signor V.

Wish i could play the guitar. I have a left handed acoustic but i've never got around learning it..

You have that right my friend, I have made alot of good deals. On some truly sweet guitars . I might have posted had one like Willy's but didn't play it as much.

Spent some time up in Montana , got to even build up the finger tips there and then had some stuff.

What you pick in private should stay in private!

I don't play a guitar and no nothing so my contribution to this thread is my laughter at that remark.


TIS

"Down Payment Blues" but that was literally a lifetime ago I'm sorry to say and it was done by ear. I keep meaning to take lessons.

I can barely play, but I like playing "Lyin' Eyes" by Eagles, "Stairway," "Wild Horses," and "Girl" and "In My Life."

I used to play guitar. I started playing in the eighth-grade, and played pretty regularly up until about 7 years ago when I broke my left wrist. I can still play, but it doesn't come as easy due to the arthritis and reduced range of motion in my fretting hand.

During the rehabilitation process, I started playing piano, and I have played almost every day since the day I started. Knowing how to play guitar made the transition to keys pretty easy.

SC, have you ever tried sitting on your hands till they go numb? SO if you decide to jerk off, it feels like a stranger doing it!

Don't you play video games all day? That must of been devastating breaking your wrist, what the hell did you do all day?

I only picked up guitar in high school cuz I was friends with a band -- was probably 17 when I got my '78 Les Paul Pro (for like $450; add a grand to that now), also one of the loves of my life I will never part with until I hit my grave!

I know many chords, but not many songs. I can do simple blues leads, but nothing fancy. In fact, I used to write my own (lame) songs simply because I didn't learn any covers all the way through.

Anyway, to answer the question... I like playing Rush's Tom Sawyer (also on bass). On acoustic I like Hank Williams (Sr!). Electric, any 80's riffs and songs I remember (REO comes to mind).

And while I love basic/simple, I also love loud/raunchy crunching metal (Anthrax, for instance). It seems easier to sound like a rock star when you have tons of distortion and compression lol.

I don't hardly play anything these days, but now and then it's a pleasure pretending through my old PODxt.

I forgot to mention, as a nod to Mickey_Meatballs and other friends Down Under, that two songs I like to play are Australian:

"And When They Dance" by Roy Abbott (taught to me by a friend here in Brooklyn who learned it in Australia from Danny Spooner). There's an excellent live version on YouTube by the group Wongawilli - click here. Also a favorite is "Aussie Barbecue" by Eric Bogle (a really funny song - and, no, I don't play "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" because I wouldn't be able to get through the thing without crying).

Signor V.

Ahhh, another addition to my bucket list.

I'm sure someone named DickNose knows what he's talking about when it comes to jerking off, but this joke is getting old already. Get some new material.

LOL ALRIGHT BOSS

I wish I had the time to play video games even a QUARTER of the day!

Breaking my wrist wasn't that big of a deal until I found out I couldn't play guitar like I used to. As I said, I can still play, it just takes more effort now.

When I did play on a more regular basis, my favorite style of music was of the 50's era, bluesy/rock n' roll/Chuck Berry style. I play a similar style on the piano. Jerry Lee Lewis is one of my favorite pianists.

I play mostly Nirvana or other 90s rocjk, and some more recent stuff too, i'm not too picky on it though.

I thought there'd be a few responses to this post, seeing as there's often guitar talk on the site. A little embarrasing though...every one seems to have such nice guitars, and Im currently playing on a shitty Epiphone Acoustic.

Seriously, I go through guitars like underwear. Ive played on a Fender Tele (it still hurts to think how much I sold it for ), a BC Rich Warlock ( \m/ ), an Ibanez RX-7, a Maton (not a Martin, a Maton; a great Aussie made line) and numerous Chinese and Korean knock offs; now Im playing on this Epipone (the poor mans Gibson) and seriously thinking its time for an upgrade.


Holy hell. Les Paul for $450? Best. Purchase. Ever.


And The Band Played Walzting Matilda...classic. It almost brought a tear just thinking about it. You're a legend Signor V., I cant believe I hadn't listened to that song on so long. Im going to bump it now.

Forgot to mention in the OP, but one thing Ive really enjoyed enjoyed for a while is taking old/random hip-hop songs (some old 2pac, some newer Kanye and Kid Cudi, Santogold, etc) and figuring how to pick out the synth riffs on the guitar and singing the chorus, like "Unplugged" versions. They can sound surprisingly awesome.

...failing that, yep, there's nothing like mashing out some folk classics. To the mix, Im going to add some Johnny Cash. Love that shit, and so simple really.

Yeah, tell me about it. But when you're 17, that's a lot of money. But I remember being in the store, and had $600 on me. I was looking at (and loving) the stereo Rick (John Lennon style), but that would've cost me all of my $600. Instead, I got the Paul w/ a Peavy practice amp (I still use) plus an effects pedal and a cord. No regrets!

Anyone ever sell one of there guitars to buy some hammer LOL

Did you ever notice that you can hum/whistle circus music (here, 0:11-0:18) over any rap song (in time) and it'll fit? It's never failed yet. Probably because it's almost atonal... try it!

U Can't Touch This.

Story of my life mofo.



Holy hell. I just tried that. You're right.

If you're not talking about MC, then please explain... cuz according to urban dictionary, you're talking about private parts of the male variety. Not that there's anything wrong with that. lol

Were using coded language

Nirvana songs are so hard to play with all the power cords lol

The H word?

Up to you if you wanna leave a trail... up to Mickey, too... all I'm sayin'...

I'll remove it

As you know, of course, the important thing is how it sounds. A guitar can cost a ridiculous amount of money, but if it sounds bad? Just a waste of money, IMO. But, these days, I know there are more "budget" instruments made in places like the far east that actually sound more than respectable.

My favorite example is my friend Peter, an astounding acoustic guitar player who plays an instrument that looks like it was recently rescued from a garbage dump. He explained that years ago, he acquired the guitar and immediately took it to the best instrument repairman around. (Everyone else had told him that the guitar wasn't worth saving, couldn't be saved, and would be better if used for firewood.) Well, that fellow did an amazing job of salvaging the guitar, repairing it and improving the interior so that the sound is as good or better than many expensive instruments. It certainly sounds better than my Guild, that's for sure. (Of course, the fact that he's been playing for over 50 years just might have something to do with it... )



Only in my own mind!

Signor V.

yea lol but honestly, i've never been into soloing or any of that, and since i perfer to play and sing, it works out better.

Nightrain from GNR on my les paul.