Posted 2015-12-14 9:24 AM (#519337) Subject: What song are you working on right now?
Joined: December 2015 Posts: 20
Location: Castle Rock, CO
This is always a good forum topic that garners a lot of interesting replies:
Tell us about the song(s) you are currently working and any victories or difficulties you might be having with them!
For my part, I am currently working on several simultaneous projects:
1. TE's "Blood Brothers". This is a really cool sounding finger style song that's not terribly difficult to learn. It has about four repeating main sections in it. Currently, I've got all of the sections satisfactorily learned, but am still working on smoothing up the various fingering transitions, dynamics, and polishing to bring it up to 'public performance' level.
2. Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata - I've always loved this tune, and the various guitar renditions I've seen on YouTube and such. Found some good score/tab sheets, and am painstakingly muddling my way through it. Progressed through about first third of the piece, but it's going slow.
3. This is not a song, but I'm learning the CAGED system of chords. This entails learning chords up and down the fret board utilizing the various standard C, A, G, E, and D chord shapes. At this point, I've got most of the major and minor chords learned, now working on all the various forms of 7 chords - dominant, major, and minor.
Posted 2015-12-14 10:44 AM (#519338 - in reply to #519337) Subject: Re: What song are you working on right now?
Joined: December 2003 Posts: 849
Location: Canada
I recently acquired a 1687 and she has told me she wants to be fingerpicked and not strummed hard as I tend to do. So I'm trying to learn to fingerpick again after almost 40 years of abstinence. The first song I'm doing this way is Elton John's "Your Song" next in line I will try an instrumental "Anji" though I'm not sure I will be able to get through the whole thing. On Ukulele I just added "Imagine" to the set list though will need a few more practices.
Posted 2015-12-14 10:55 AM (#519339 - in reply to #519337) Subject: Re: What song are you working on right now?
Joined: December 2015 Posts: 20
Location: Castle Rock, CO
"Your Song" is a gorgeous tune. There are a lot of Youtube renditions and tutorials you can draw from to learn it. "Imagine" is also a good tune for guitar. It lends itself very well to playing simultaneous chords and melody line. Good luck with all of these!
Posted 2015-12-14 3:18 PM (#519348 - in reply to #519337) Subject: RE: What song are you working on right now?
Joined: September 2012 Posts: 811
Location: Thredbo, NSW, Australia
I'm currently working on finger-style versions of:
1. I've just begun to care written by Mike Nesmith but I follow the arrangement that The Nitty Gritty Dirtband did. I've pretty much got it memorised, next step is to perform it. and
2. The Diamantina Drover by Hugh McDonald from Aussie band Redgum from 1982. This is a great song that I've played guitar for for a friend, but I'm trying now to both play and sing and memorise it along the way.
I find it harder to memorise songs now than when I did when I was younger.
Posted 2015-12-14 4:17 PM (#519349 - in reply to #519346) Subject: Re: What song are you working on right now?
Joined: December 2003 Posts: 849
Location: Canada
gitfiddler - 2015-12-14 1:06 PM You've got a Theremin? How cool is that ?!!
They are around, my local luthier had one sitting around on the counter of his store for a while. Not sure if it was for sale or just for the kids to play while daddy was checking the new guitar inventory ...
Posted 2015-12-19 1:56 AM (#519539 - in reply to #519337) Subject: RE: What song are you working on right now?
Joined: December 2015 Posts: 287
Location: Katmandu
I'm revisiting the Cat Stevens classics currently, transcribing each song the way Cat Stevens played them on guitar. I, then, upload the tab to a site specifically created for that purpose (Cat Stevens Guitar). So far, I've got the main of his first album out of the way moving onto Tea for the Tillerman.
Posted 2015-12-19 11:10 AM (#519553 - in reply to #519337) Subject: Re: What song are you working on right now?
Joined: March 2005 Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho
I'm embarrassed. I spent a few minutes with Lightfoot's Winter Night recently and, like most Lightfoot songs, I just don't feel I do it justice with only one guitar. I wish it was on my Pete Huttlinger DVD, but he doesn't teach that one.
I have the Hal Leonard, Acoustic Masters for Guitar book on Cat Stevens and it is really good, but I haven't spent enough time on it. My excuse is going back to full time work for part time pay, but my only true excuse is laziness. You guys are my usual source of inspiration, so keep it coming.
Posted 2015-12-19 1:14 PM (#519558 - in reply to #519337) Subject: Re: What song are you working on right now?
Joined: November 2009
I constantly look for songs I have overlooked or dismissed for decades. Not a complicated song by any means, but I'm currently working up a solo arrangement of The Rascals' "Groovin."
Posted 2015-12-19 6:48 PM (#519566 - in reply to #519337) Subject: Re: What song are you working on right now?
Joined: September 2006 Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR
"We Wish You A Merry Christmas" for people who request a Christmas song.
Along with "Jingle Bells" and "We Three Kings"...
In a week I will forget them until next year.
Posted 2015-12-20 10:05 AM (#519587 - in reply to #519553) Subject: Re: What song are you working on right now?
Joined: December 2015 Posts: 287
Location: Katmandu
Mark in Boise - 2015-12-19 11:10 AM
I have the Hal Leonard, Acoustic Masters for Guitar book on Cat Stevens and it is really good, but I haven't spent enough time on it. My excuse is going back to full time work for part time pay, but my only true excuse is laziness. You guys are my usual source of inspiration, so keep it coming.
The Acoustic Masters series is quite good. They don't get everything right in that book, but for such a publication it's of exceptionally high quality.
Posted 2015-12-21 12:20 PM (#519614 - in reply to #519539) Subject: RE: What song are you working on right now?
Joined: December 2015 Posts: 20
Location: Castle Rock, CO
leonardmccoy - 2015-12-19 12:56 AM
I'm revisiting the Cat Stevens classics currently, transcribing each song the way Cat Stevens played them on guitar. I, then, upload the tab to a site specifically created for that purpose (Cat Stevens Guitar). So far, I've got the main of his first album out of the way moving onto Tea for the Tillerman.
That's cool! I cut my guitar-playing teeth on the Tea For The Tillerman album way back when. That's where I learned all my basic chords. Have fun with it!
Posted 2015-12-21 12:41 PM (#519617 - in reply to #519337) Subject: Re: What song are you working on right now?
Joined: May 2011 Posts: 758
Location: Muenster/Germany
In the last few weeks I worked on a bossa nova version of "Oh Tannenbaum" and a Django-Style Jazz version of "Kling Glöckchen Kling", makes lot of fun! (These are German christmas songs)
Besides that I have been trying to play "Busted Bicycle" by Leo Kottke (with more or less success) for some decades....this man has one thump more than I have.
Posted 2015-12-21 1:56 PM (#519626 - in reply to #519337) Subject: Re: What song are you working on right now?
Joined: March 2005 Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho
I worked on some fingerstyle versions of Silent Night and other classic Christmas songs over the weekend. I did a pretty good job on Silent Night in G, but I won't write anything down and like OMA, I'll forget them in a week. Unlike OMA, no one is likely to request that I play anything.
Posted 2015-12-21 5:47 PM (#519635 - in reply to #519337) Subject: Re: What song are you working on right now?
Joined: March 2013 Posts: 359
Location: undisclosed
I do this, trying to remember the melodies and jazz them up on the fly. After Christmas I'm with you and OMA. What Child /Greensleeves is the only one that can double out of season.
Posted 2015-12-21 8:12 PM (#519648 - in reply to #519337) Subject: Re: What song are you working on right now?
Joined: April 2008 Posts: 2985
Location: Sydney, Australia
Slat Key Soquel Rag (Doobie Bros) - in a weird tuning DGDGBD. Spent a whole lot of time learning a version in a different tuning which turned out to be wrong.
Black Water (also Doobies) - double drop D - almost have this nailed, Muzza demands it.
Here comes the Sun - Normal tuning, Capo 7 - this will take a while, have about the first 7 segments worked out.
Theme from Hawaii 5-0 - have to learn something on the VXT!
Posted 2015-12-21 9:09 PM (#519650 - in reply to #519648) Subject: Re: What song are you working on right now?
Joined: August 2005 Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia
TAFKAR - 2015-12-22 12:12 PM Slat Key Soquel Rag (Doobie Bros) - in a weird tuning DGDGBD. Spent a whole lot of time learning a version in a different tuning which turned out to be wrong.
You've been learning this since I've known you... (Great song BTW. Quite the challenge you've set yourself)
TAFKAR - 2015-12-22 12:12 PM Blackwater (also Doobies) - double drop D - almost have this nailed, Muzza demands it.
Uh oh... I'd better start playing it again. I don't think I've practiced it since you lived in Brisbane.
TAFKAR - 2015-12-22 12:12 PM Here comes the Sun - Normal tuning, Capo 7 - this will take a while, have about the first 7 segments worked out.
Capo 7, same here. I can play the whole song... close, but not note perfect. (My own version, I guess... just like it's my own version of Blackwater...) Do you fingerpick or flatpick? I do the latter.
TAFKAR - 2015-12-22 12:12 PM Theme from Hawaii 5-0 - have to learn something on the VXT!
Hawaii 5-0? That should take you all of half an hour. (Slack Key Soquel Rag to Hawaii 5-0 in the same post. What a comedown...)
Should I bring an amp and my Maton electrics when I come down?
What song are you working on right now?
