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Joined:
April 2008
Posts: 1851
Location: Newington, CT | As some of you may know, I have a style that's mostly improvisational, and I enjoy that style immensely. However, I determined a while ago to branch out a bit; to go learn some songs. The only rule: no recourse to the guitar tabs web sites until I get stuck.
If I liked the song for whatever reason, I'd go to the guitar, and start picking out some of its melody to see to what chords that would lead, and so on from there. At some point the melody would lead me to a more complete chord sequence. Before too long, I'd have a good start on learning the song. I don't sing the songs that have vocals...the point is to learn the song in such a way as to play the vocals on the guitar and to play the chords that support the vocals at the same time. Same idea for those songs with a dominant instrumental melody. The idea is to play the melody and the chording at the same time. Tommy Emmanuel is spectacular at this. This performance of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," for example, is just astonishing. Here's what I've picked up so far in the past several months:
Songs learned:
Somewhere over the Rainbow - Danny Boy
- The Carnival is Over (the Seekers)
- Memory from Cats
- Spanish Eyes
- You raise me up
- Polovtsian Dances - Stranger in Paradise
- Ghost Riders in the Sky
- Going Home (Knopfler)
- Walk, Don't Run
- What a Wonderful World
- Halleluja
- Across the Universe
- Battle Hymn of the Republic
- Rachmaninov - Fantasia on a theme by Paganini
- Unchained melody
- Jesus Remember Me
- Brahms' Lullaby
Learning:
- La Gitane (Chords and Lead. I was delightfuly surprised to find that this one was not as difficult as I thought it would be. Though I'm not quite to Angelo Debarre's level.
 ) - Mediterranean Sundance (Chords for improvising over)
- The Summer Wind
Songs still to learn (this list will continue to grow):
- America
- Be Not Afraid (Hymn)
- Caruso
- The Prayer
- La Gitane
- Here I am, Lord
- On Eagle's Wings
- Mediterranean Sundance
- Prayer of St. Francis
- The Summer Wind
Just looking over it...kind of an all-over-the-place collection of songs. Just songs that struck me for whatever reason.
I've found in these recent travels, that some of the chord combinations in these songs have proven absolutely delightful to improvise with. Adding the greater structure of the songs has deepened my love for improvisation, while improvising with these songs, has greatly increased my appreciation for songs in general!
Well...to quote OMA, who'd a thunk it?!?!
Kind of a nice realization.
Edited by AlanM 2013-01-19 11:02 AM
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Joined:
October 2012
Posts: 349
Location: Denver, CO | Once there was a small dog who looked up at Albert Einstein and marvelled, "How does he hold that cup in his paw like that?" | |
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Joined:
April 2008
Posts: 1851
Location: Newington, CT | I forgot to mention that, to figure out these songs, I was using a beautiful older Ovation Classical (don't have it in front of me, so can't tell the model number) with a 1.0mm Dunlop pick, or a Zero Gravity pick. I really like the sound of a pick on the classical nylon strings.
Sometimes, I'll use the gorgeous OFC II, or one of my MWoody collection (I think I have three now). Same pick selection. I need to re-string my other favorite: the spectacular-sounding FD-14, so I can use that.
I have about 15 or so other Ovations and Adamii that I trot out from time to time as well, but the above are the ones I'm using currently.
So, what songs are YOU all learning? And using what guitar(s)?
Edited by AlanM 2013-01-23 11:59 AM
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Joined:
March 2008
Posts: 355
Location: Wichita, KS | AlanM - 2013-01-19 10:58 AM
Songs still to learn (this list will continue to grow):
Would that be "America" the patriotic standard, the one by Simon & Garfunkel, or the one by Neil Diamond?
Not so sure about the Neil Diamond song, but I think the other two would both be nice pieces in the style you've described.
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Joined:
October 2012
Posts: 349
Location: Denver, CO | aminer2000 - 2013-01-23 10:56 AM
So, what songs are YOU all learning? And using what guitar(s)?
The little dog says: I'm teaching myself to fingerpick with "As The Deer," a slow quarter note thing in G, and I'm working on a more elaborate blues riff that is 6/8 over a 1-beat shuffle feel in Am...
Arranging and charting "Someday" and "My Old Friend the Blues," by Steve Earle, "Perfectly Good Guitar" by John Hiatt, "Power Windows," by Billy Falcon
plus 4 little blues progressions I'm working on rhythms and timings, that are just verse/chorus right now, and just scraps of lyrics so far.
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Joined:
April 2008
Posts: 1851
Location: Newington, CT | Dale: it was the patriotic standard...I should have been clearer. I meant America the Beautiful
dwg...Time for me to YouTube the songs you mentioned. I haven't heard of a one of them! | |
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Joined:
October 2012
Posts: 349
Location: Denver, CO | Oh, and I forgot "Guitar Town," another Steve Earle tune. It's a little more complicated because the lead guitar is in a drop tuning that I don't quite understand...
All my formal training was in drums, so I can't just hear and understand, or even necessarily watch and figure out the notes/chords. When I'm learning a song, I have to first look up a tab, either ultimate-guitar or songselect, and see if it's got any chords that I can't play. Then I will cut-and-paste the lead sheet to a word doc and arrange it so it looks like the structure as I hear the song. Because of my limitations in music theory, along with some residual short-term-memory issues, I really find I need to be able to see it to learn it well.
I am jealous of your obvious facility with guitar theory, as well as the dexterity required to not only cover rhythmic and chord structure but melody at the same time. At this point I would be ecstatic if I could just pick up a guitar and play the sounds I hear in my head. | |
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Some new things...