Tell me about songs every guitar player should know.

**pyroguy305** · 06-01-2009 03:05 AM

I want to focus on acoustic guitar but some electric is alright. Mainly I want to build up a repertoire of songs that MOST people will know if heard and be able to sing a long. Currently I know very few songs such as this but I have been playing off and on for years. Any really popular (old or newish is fine) songs that are not impossible to play would be great. Thanks!

**Kiloisalb** · 06-01-2009 03:08 AM

this

[Deleted by Mod. Please don't post this kind of material on the board.]

jk, actually just try and learn some zeppelin songs. They aren't too hard. Over the hills and far away is a good one.

**pyroguy305** · 06-01-2009 06:23 PM

Does no one play guitar here? Cmon people, what are some good songs for my collection to know?

**SomeDreamer** · 06-01-2009 06:26 PM

Well when it comes to acustic songs my knowledge is quite limited ^^ And all the songs I could suggest I'm pretty sure most peopel don't know, despite coming from popular bands! But oh well:

-Over the hills and far away (led zeppelin=
-Sweet child o' mine! (GnR)
-Paradise city (GnR)
-Mr. Brownstone (GnR)
-Don't cry (GnR)
-Patience (GnR, pure acustic, well the studio version anyway)
-Black Dog (led zeppelin)
-Hotel california (Eagles, some nice riffs and chord playings in there)
-Back in black! (AC/DC!!

)
-You shook me all night long (AC/DC)
-War machine (AC/DC)
-Young lust (Pink Floyd)
-Under the bridge (Red hot chili peppers, most people MUST know this intro!)
-Californication (Red hot chili peppers, also very well known intro and easy to get going with)
-Can't stop (red hot chili peppers)

Most of this is originally eletric... but atleast you got something to pick from now

I really tried to pick from songs that atleast should be well known for some... I could suggest more but I'm pretty sure that would narrow down the audience quite a bit when it comes to how well known it is..

**starry eyes** · 06-01-2009 06:52 PM

Originally Posted by pyroguy305

I want to focus on acoustic guitar but some electric is alright. Mainly I want to build up a repertoire of songs that MOST people will know if heard and be able to sing a long. Currently I know very few songs such as this but I have been playing off and on for years. Any really popular (old or newish is fine) songs that are not impossible to play would be great. Thanks!

Since the guitar is your instrument ... It does kind of depend on your audience though, age group and the general culture of where you are performing.

But, a lot of Jimi Hendrix would be easily recognizable, even on accoustic.
Maybe some Bo Diddley?
Eric Clapton?
If you were going to do the Eagles, I'd say that Jackson Browne's version of it has much better guitar play. (I think he co-wrote that song?)
Most everyone would recognize Bob Dylan's "Tangled up in blues", but hardly anyone can remember all the words

**Bucketheadjamz** · 06-01-2009 06:57 PM

i'm not sure if you can find a tab of the song but it's called "Solen." this is a fun song to play. not too difficult either. sounds great!

**Creativename** · 06-01-2009 08:41 PM

Hey There Delilah is a song pretty much everyone knows, and it's not that hard to play at all. I only play guitar a little and I learned how to play it.

**pyroguy305** · 06-04-2009 10:03 PM

Thanks guys I got some good ideas from these. Any more would be great too.

**Man of Shred** · 06-05-2009 01:47 AM

THIS:

**DuB** · 06-05-2009 08:06 AM

My initial reaction would be to say that it depends what genres and styles you're into. But upon further reflection, I suppose that there are certain univerals:
--songs that most people just expect for you to know
--songs that people will request for you to play
--songs that you will commonly come across in jam situations
--songs that are usually all around hits at parties and etc.

Here's my attempt to catalog those songs. Note that these are not necessarily my personal favorites by each artist, although I think all of them are at least pretty good. I tried to stick to at least "acoustic-friendly" songs. They range from incredibly simple to fairly complicated, but nothing is near-impossible. I omitted several popular piano tunes that would be easy to learn on guitar. Also note that many if not most of these are intended to be sung simultaneously for full effect. And finally, yes, the songs are in alphabetical order because I thought of most by scrolling down my iTunes list

Spoiler for popular acoustic-friendly songs:

It's a pretty intimidating looking list, but honestly as a repertoire it's pretty limited. I pared it down quite a bit.

**mindwanderer** · 06-08-2009 05:04 AM

One that I love listening to, and playing, is Under the Bridge - RHCP... also if you're not yet intermediate it's a good transition from beginner to more intermediate/advancey stuff. Anyways a lot of Beatles is good... same with Eric Clapton, John Frusciante and John Mayer. Really anything that is considered 'mainstream' is good to learn, 'cause odds are you already know it... making it easier to learn.

**The Invisible Man** · 06-08-2009 05:31 AM

Mississippi Queen. Everybody loves that song.

**Lëzen** · 06-08-2009 04:03 PM

Another Hero Lost [Shadows Fall]
Black Water [The Doobie Brothers]

A couple of good acoustic/sing-along ones.

There are numerous others that I know the tune to in my head, but I can't remember what they're called for the life of me.

I'll do some research when I get home from work.

**CryoDragoon** · 06-09-2009 08:03 PM

"Dust in the wind" by Kansas is a classic one that is a part of most guitar players' repertoires. If anything, it's a nice fingerpicking exercise.

I do remember that when I played it at this little concert arranged by the music school I'm a part of, the people that came there were highly excited about hearing it. Whispers about the song everywhere. Incidently, I also got the biggest applause.

Then again... They were pretty much 90% middle aged people in the age-range of 30-50. So...

Still: it's a nice song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkbdP...x=0&playnext=1

But it doesn't really matter whether you have 'famous' songs or anything... Just find some nice, melodic songs, by anyone and learn to play them. I just learnt myself these songs from some swedish (?) guy (he is awsome, though):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe3c1VHAPX8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vIGxW6M4Gs

Nobody knows 'em, but everybody likes 'em

Oh! P.S.! Incidently, the youtube-account of that swedish guitar player is FULL of cool "songs every guitar player should know". So just check him out! He's awsome!

P.P.S. !! Another one: http://www.youtube.com/user/Fretkillr

**Pastulio_** · 06-09-2009 08:59 PM

Black Sabbath-Into The Void Is one of my favorite riffs to play, it just flows so well.

**ninja9578** · 06-10-2009 12:58 AM

Layla - Eric Clapton
Dust in the Wind - Kansas
Smoke on the Water - Deep Purple
Freebird - Lynyrd Skynyrd
House of the Rising Sun - Bob Dylan
All Along the Watchtower - Bob Dylan
Yesterday - The Beatles

**Lëzen** · 06-10-2009 02:36 AM

Now here's that more complete compilation I promised:

The Bard's Song [Blind Guardian]
(Don't Fear) The Reaper [Blue Öyster Cult]
Crazy On You [Heart]
The Wind Cries Mary [Jimi Hendrix]
Stairway to Heaven [Led Zeppelin] (not necessarily the solo, though)
Sweet Home Alabama [Lynyrd Skynyrd]
The opening to Good Mourning/Black Friday [Megadeth]
The opening to My Last Words [Megadeth]
Nothing Else Matters [Metallica]
The Unforgiven trilogy [Metallica]
The Day That Never Comes [Metallica] (again, up until the solo)
Los [Rammstein]
Ein Lied [Rammstein]
Put Your Lights On [Santana feat. Everlast]
House of the Rising Sun [The Animals] (their version's a bit more vigorous than Dylan's)
Message In a Bottle [The Police]
Fall to Pieces [Velvet Revolver]

**RockNRoller123** · 06-10-2009 02:38 PM

Crossroads [Cream]

**[SomeGuy]** · 06-10-2009 07:59 PM

Learn this:
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?ktmjdivyimx

**pyroguy305** · 06-13-2009 11:10 AM

Thanks everyone again. Dub thats a great list. What I've been doing is building an itunes playlist called "Songs to Learn" and once I learn them I move them over to my playlist called "Repertoire". So I'll be sure to add a bunch of these! thanks!

**[user-name]** · 06-15-2009 12:25 AM

Have you tried? :

Naked As We Came - Iron & Wine
Heart Shaped Box - Nirvana
Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
Good Riddance - Green Day
Santeria - Sublime
Pride And Joy - Stevie Ray Vaughn
Free Fallin' - John Mayer
Waiting On The World To Change - John Mayer
Little Wing - Jimi Hendrix
Cometary Gates - Pantera
Back in Black - AC/DC
Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne
Fade to Black - Metallica

There's probably some that have already been mentioned(if not all). Also, I don't know how good you are, so some of these might be too hard for now, but none of them are too impossible.

and watch this kid : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm9L60YBj3s

**[SomeGuy]** · 06-15-2009 02:37 AM

Originally Posted by [user-name]

Have you tried? :

Naked As We Came - Iron & Wine
Heart Shaped Box - Nirvana
Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
Good Riddance - Green Day
Santeria - Sublime
Pride And Joy - Stevie Ray Vaughn
Free Fallin' - John Mayer
Waiting On The World To Change - John Mayer
Little Wing - Jimi Hendrix
Cometary Gates - Pantera
Back in Black - AC/DC
Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne
Fade to Black - Metallica

There's probably some that have already been mentioned(if not all). Also, I don't know how good you are, so some of these might be too hard for now, but none of them are too impossible.

and watch this kid : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm9L60YBj3s

Looks like a good list. I know a few on there.

And by the way, I like the brackets. I really think they add a nice touch.

**[user-name]** · 06-15-2009 02:50 AM

Looks like a good list. I know a few on there.

I dont know what pyroguy305 likes, so I tried to throw a little of everything in there.

And by the way, I like the brackets. I really think they add a nice touch.

lol

**[SomeGuy]** · 06-15-2009 02:52 AM

Haha, yeah. Looks like you did.

I'm very proud of you, my bracket-bretheren.

**Universal Mind** · 06-16-2009 02:57 AM

A good place to start when getting into guitar is learning how to play this song...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT8sJ...e=channel_page

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