Guitar thread

[stray]

Nothing but love for trem bars here. I wish I sounded like this. MBV is sex.

I've always dug the more traditional stuff as well. The guy who taught how to play was an old surf guitarist, and that's never left me.


And I freakin' love those harmonic dives Dimebag used to pull off. They're the only reason why I'd want a shredder axe. Otherwise, Jazzmasters and Jags are fine by me.


I like pretty much whatever I can do to warp guitar sounds. Whether it be with different tunings or effects or slides or trem bars.

[climbjtree]

I'm in the market for an acoustic resonator. If it's old an worn, that's great since I'll be using it for slide guitar. I don't mind buying online since I can be less particular about quality since it'll be set up for slide.

If you guys are selling one, or happen to see one, let me know?

Thanks

[stray]

You can get new ones pretty cheap.

Or relatively cheap. I mean, you're not going find anything good for $50 if that's what you're after. I wouldn't even recommend any of those off brands under $200.


Here's the cheapest Regal for $260.

[climbjtree]

Yeah, I'm looking at the 200-300 dollar range. I don't have any experience with guitar makers other than the big names. Do you have any good info on lower end guitar makers? I'm not good enough to take advantage of having a really nice guitar. I sound the same either way.

edit: Also, what about ebaying instruments? Any experience with that?

[stray]

Regal is good (they range from semi-budget to pricey). They're one of the only companies that specializes in them these days (and they've been around since the 30's).

National/Dobro is the more expensive brand. The truly old school resonator maker. They're owned by Gibson now. Don't bother though -- Their cheapest instruments are still in the $1000 range.

Fender is Fender. I've messed with them a bunch in stores. Servicable quality like their acoustics, but nothing to get crazy about. You can't really go wrong with one though.


Off brands are crap like "Rogue" that you see at GC or Musicians Friend. Sometimes another store may have the same exact Korean made guitars under a different brand name. Don't bother. Don't buy electrics, acoustics, or anything else from these companies. You're lucky if they're even set up right when you get them -- or even warped -- and even if they are, they'll magically fall apart in your hands eventually. Don't buy off brand electronics either (even practice amps). They'll crap out on you and sound like shit anyways.

[climbjtree]

Thanks Stray. I'll see if I can find a Regal around here. I'm excited to get a resonator because I love the sound they give my blues, and if I develop my slide stuff I'll have a real good time. My biggest problem with slide is an alternating bass line. I've started to play with fingerpicks, but I broke my hand in a motorcycle accident once and my ring finger doesn't cooperate well. With any luck I'll be able to work with a two finger setup.

[stray]

I can't do alternating bass lines with slide. A whole lot of pros can't either. Hell, not even Robert Johnson did that (though he'd move to bass parts at the closing of a verse or whatnot, or maybe just do a simple pluck on the open bottom string).

[EDIT] Or maybe I'm misunderstanding what you're saying.

If you're going for pick heavy slide playing, you're going to have more difficulty alternating through certain types of bass parts. Picking is better for focusing on leads.

If you want a fuller rhythm slide sound with bass parts, drop the pick. Pluck everything.

[climbjtree]

I'm tuned to open D, and my typical playing is something like a low D bass line, then work my way up the strings for licks and back down to the D for a bass line. I don't sing at all, so I use the high D(and other strings, but mainly the D) like my vocal and the low D in between. That's how I get around alternating bass.

While I'm not as loud without a pick, I pretty much play with a bare thumb and forefinger.

[stray]

Hmm, can't say I give much advice for open D.

I play open D a lot, but rarely do it for sliding (I like open E and G, and even this weird Gm tuning I sort of..made up. I think.).

[penfold]

Nothing but love for trem bars here. I wish I sounded like this. MBV is sex.

I've always dug the more traditional stuff as well. The guy who taught how to play was an old surf guitarist, and that's never left me.


And I freakin' love those harmonic dives Dimebag used to pull off. They're the only reason why I'd want a shredder axe. Otherwise, Jazzmasters and Jags are fine by me.


I like pretty much whatever I can do to warp guitar sounds. Whether it be with different tunings or effects or slides or trem bars.

I'm still upset whenever I see a Dime vid, such a waste.  Tom Morello is also one for making sounds that don't sound like he's playing it on a guitar. The Dragonforce guys have some excellent whammy tricks too. I can't get enough of Dragonforce, video game music+ridiculously fast dual lead shredding+tons of tricks=teh fun.
 
Doubt anyone else here is into metal as much as I am, but for that type of music the ESP Ltd range is the best quality and guitars for the 300-900GBP bracket, played 3 or 4 of the models and they've all played and sounded really nice, on the higher end Korean made Ltds you get original brand electronics and hardware too (EMGs, original Floyd's and other bridges, Sperzel tuners etc), something lacking from most other makes at that price. 

[Sky]

Hmm, can't say I give much advice for open D.

I play open D a lot, but rarely do it for sliding (I like open E and G, and even this weird Gm tuning I sort of..made up. I think.).

Iirc, open D and E are just a whole step different, same intervals. Open G is the oddball (and the one I play in, because lots of the delta blues guys used it). You could also look into clawhammer banjo style, it only uses thumb + 1, again iirc.

[stray]

The voicing just sits with me better in Open E. It's just one of those weird things...

The tension level on my guitars is better set up for the tightness of E as well. It just doesn't feel right sliding in D to me. I play completely different in D.

[Sky]

My open G guitar is set up wicked high action and like a friggin' high tension wire. Great for sliding, though.

[SnakeCharmer]

Guitar-ish question:

I've been wanting to start 'playing' again.  'Playing' being used very loosely.  Problem is, I don't have anyone to noodle or jam around with.  I'm mostly selftaught, and pretty much suck.  But I enjoy(ed) it nonetheless.  Anyway, what I am looking for is something that I can throw a CD in or other media in which music is saved, start it up, and play along with it with my guitar mixed in.  The ghetto version would just be to turn up my stereo to a decent level to match my amp, but that's not really feasible with a 5.5 month old in the house.  Something that mixes the guitar/amp with the music and with a headphone output would be ideal.

Anything like that, or am I SOL?

[stray]

Tascam has this guitar trainer thing I've seen around. I haven't used it though, so I'm not sure if it works well.

http://www.tascam.com/Products/cdgt1mkii.html

Basically, it's a portable CD player that allows you to "cancel" out guitar sounds on CD's, so you can jam along with songs (I'm really not sure how it accomplishes that, since there aren't multiple tracks for CD audio). Basically, it's karaoke for guitarists.

It also allows you to change tempo and loop parts to help you learn riffs better.

[SnakeCharmer]

Very cool, that's exactly what I was looking for - thanks.  Good set of earphones and I'll be living arena rock dreams in my living room and scaring the shit out of the dog.

[climbjtree]

And what about keyboards? I was thinking of buying one to use for input to a computer. I'd want a semi-nice once, but I don't know the first thing about them. I'd expect it to have a few different sounds, i.e. piano and synth and strings. I really dont know what I'm looking at as far as keyboards go, so if you've got any experience I'd appreciate it.

[stray]

This may seem like a ghetto choice, but you really can't go wrong just starting with a simple Yamaha. They have enough decent, built in instruments to have fun with, as well as MIDI connectivity to expand on that. Most of them usually come with helpful training materials, so you can at least throw down some chords in no time. Just get something with at least 61 keys and you'll be set.

[Sky]

I dunno, I really want to get a keyboard for the old lady. She used to play, and now she feels I'm pressuring her too much. Hell, I just want someone to jam with, and she only needs three chords to get up and running on the blues, I'm not expecting Billy Powell (Skynyrd, great keyboarder). My motto is 'if you had bought (instrument x) when you first said you wanted to, you'd have been playing for (x years) already!'. The president of our blues society got that one last week when he was pining away about playing bass.

You just gotta jump in feet first and swim to shore, imo. Best way to learn is to start playing.

Anyway, I want to get something with full keys and good weights so it feels like a real piano. Good natural piano sound, maybe a leslie sound, probably wouldn't need any other gadgety stuff. Looks like anything decent is in the $1000+ range.

[Raph]

Posted another old track. Stretch Williams on lead guitar, me on the acoustic. It's a blues, Stray & Sky. :)

http://www.raphkoster.com/2007/05/27/the-sunday-song-share-some-secrets/

[Sky]

Cool on the whole, gets a bit too jazzy for my tastes. I like the kinda darker tone, though. I've been too lax in recording to share :(

I've written a couple nice stubs, though. Good beginnings to songs, seeds. I'm just not used to doing all the fleshing and finishing by myself, curse of having a band full of talented writers. I'd bring in a stub and have a full song an hour later.

[Raph]

Posted this from gak, maybe 1998. Off analog tape. Tune's still fun though.

http://www.raphkoster.com/2007/06/17/the-sunday-song-son-de-don-con

[Sky]

Oh snappity snap.

We hosted a jazz night with a great local musician last week, my band had recorded our only studio work with him in Jan 91. On a lark (because one of my core beliefs is the closed mouth does not get fed), I asked if he still had our master laying around. Not only did he remember the session, he said he had the tape.

I didn't post it here, because I frankly didn't want to get my hopes up. We had little money and he said he was probably going to record over the master. The last copy I had of that tape was one a fan had given me and went missing (ok, stolen) a solid twelve years ago.

Just got back from the studio, master in hand!  :-D

Now the problem is getting it off this 8-track reel to digital files so I can remix it to cd and try to look up my old band members' addresses and sent them this incredible find out of the blue.

It's a goddamned good day...hopefully I can find someone to do the transfer...I still can't believe it and I'm looking at the tape.

[Sky]

Posted this from gak, maybe 1998. Off analog tape. Tune's still fun though.

You say it like it's a bad thing. I liked the sound of it, I favor rough live-sounding recordings. Was always getting into trouble when I was in school for that. Might be my favorite of yours, nice and vibrant, and as you say, rockin'.

[Phildo]

Just got a new 12-string acoustic by Carlo Robelli.  Sam Ash was giving them away.  Now I just need to learn how to play.

[Raph]

I was adding a half dozen tunes to my fakebook tonight (prompted by the Paul Simon Gershwin Prize special on PBS) and I thought I would post the song list. I can play anything on this list, to varying degrees of competency depending on how recently I have played it and how often I play it. That's with the book in front of me, of course. No book, and all bets are off. :)

The book was designed after The Fat Man's famous fakebook from his 20-year running jam session in Austin. My song list has almost no overlap with his, however. Basically, it's built for drunken singalongs, campfires, song circles, that sort of thing. You'll notice a lot of the singer-songwriter stuff I like. Euro readers will note that there is actually a recent a-ha song in there (American readers will be dismayed and somewhat boggled). Also, there's an Xmas tunes section at the back, but I didn't bother listing it.

PS, yes, I know, I am missing a ton of Beatles stuff that ought to be in there.

0-9
1952 Vincent Black Lightning - Richard Thompson
3,000 Miles – Ellis Paul
32 Flavors – Ani diFranco

A
Across the Universe – The Beatles
Addicted to Love – Robert Palmer
Africa – Toto
Afterglow - INXS
Against All Odds – Phil Collins
Ain’t No Sunshine – Bill Withers
All Along the Watchtower - Bob Dylan
Alleluia - Dar Williams
Allentown  - Billy Joel
America – Simon & Garfunkel
American Tune – Paul Simon
A Most Peculiar Man – Simon & Garfunkel
And She Was – Talking Heads
Angel From Montgomery – John Prine
Angeline – James McMurtry
Another Folk Song - Uncle Bonsai
Ants Marching – Dave Matthews Band
April Come She Will - Simon and Garfunkel
Are You Happy Now? – Richard Shindell
Are You Out There - Dar Williams
As Close to Flying - Christine Lavin

B
Baby’s Gone Blues – Reckless Kelly
Bad to the Bone – George Thorogood
Bamboleo – Gipsy Kings
The Bare Necessities – Jungle Book movie
Beautiful Wreck – Shawn Mullins
Because the Night – Bruce Springsteen
Beer Run – Todd Snider
Bein' Green – The Muppet Movie
Biko – Peter Gabriel
Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
Billy From The Hills - Greg Brown
Birches - Bill Morrissey
Black Horse and the Cherry Tree – KT Tunstall
Black Sheep – Martin Sexton
Blacktop Train – Ellis Paul
Black Velvet – Alannah Myles
Blister in the Sun - Violent Femmes
Blood and Fire - Indigo Girls
Blow ‘Em Away – Chuck Brodsky
Blowin’ in the Wind - Bob Dylan
Born to Be Wild - Steppenwolf
Boy in the Bubble - Paul Simon
A Boy Named Sue – Johnny Cash
Boys of Summer  - Don Henley
Breakfast at Tiffany's - Deep Blue Something
Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel
Broken Wings – Mr. Mister
Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
Burning Down the House – Talking Heads

C
California Dreamin’ - The Mamas and the Papas
Castanets - Alejandro Escovedo
Cat Came Back - Harry S. Miller
Cat Came Back (Muppets version)
Cat’s in the Cradle - Harry Chapin
Center Stage - Indigo Girls
The Chain – Fleetwood Mac
Changed the Locks - Lucinda Williams
Christians and the Pagans - Dar Williams
Chrome Plated Heart - Melissa Etheridge
Cinnamon Girl – Neil Young
Closer to Fine - Indigo Girls
Close to You – The Carpenters
Comes Love – Billie Holiday
Come Together – The Beatles
Coming Up for Air - Patty Larkin
Conversation With a Ghost – Ellis Paul
Copacabana - Barry Manilow
Copperhead Road – Steve Earle
Cradle and All – Ani diFranco
Crime for Crime – Ani diFranco

D
Dancing Queen - ABBA
Dangling Conversation - Simon & Garfunkel
Dear Abby - John Prine
Deep Soul Diver  - disappear fear
Desire – U2
Devil Inside – INXS
Diamond In The Rough - Shawn Colvin
Don't Ask Me Why  - Billy Joel
Down by the River – Neil Young
Downeaster 'Alexa' - Billy Joel
Down Under – Men at Work
Dude (Looks Like A Lady) – Aerosmith

E
Eleanor Rigby – The Beatles
End of the Innocence – Don Henley
Every Little Bit - Patty Griffin
Everybody Hurts- REM
Every Breath You Take – The Police
Eye of the Hurricane - David Wilcox
Eye of the Tiger – Survivor

F
Fast Car - Tracy Chapman
Father and Son - Cat Stevens
February – Dar Williams
Feelin’ Groovy - Simon & Garfunkel
Fields Of Gold - Sting
Flake – Jack Johnson
Flintstones – TV Theme
Follow That Road - Anne Hills
Folsom Prison Blues – Johnny Cash
For Emily, Wherever I May Find Her - Simon and Garfunkel
For my Lover -Tracy Chapman
The Fox – Nickel Creek
Fragile    - Sting
Free Fallin' - Tom Petty

G
Get Right With God – Lucinda Williams
Ghostbusters – Ray Parker Jr
Ghost of a Dog – Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians
Gimme Some Lovin’ – Spencer Davis Group
Give me One Reason - Tracy Chapman
Glory Bound – Martin Sexton
Goin’ Down Judah – Dana Cooper
Good Morning Coffee - Greg Brown
Goodnight Saigon  - Billy Joel
Good Thing – Patty Larkin
Graceland - Paul Simon
Great Day in the Morning – Dana Cooper
Grizzly Bear – Bill Morrissey
Gypsy Woman – Martin Sexton

H
Happy Days – TV Theme
Hard to Handle – Otis Redding
He Said, She Said - Loudon Wainwright III
Hearts and Bones - Paul Simon
Here Comes the Rain Again  - The Eurythmics
Homeward Bound - Simon & Garfunkel
Honesty – Billy Joel
Honky Tonk Women – The Rolling Stones
Horse with No Name - America
Hotel California  - The Eagles
Hound Dog - Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
Houses in the Fields  -  John Gorka

I
I Can See Clearly Now – Johnny Nash
I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll – Joan Jett
Imagine – John Lennon
I’m On Fire – Bruce Springsteen
In The Living Years – Mike & the Mechanics
In Your Eyes – Peter Gabriel
I Shot the Sheriff – Bob Marley and the Wailers
Istanbul (Not Constantinople) – They Might Be Giants
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For - U2
I Told Him That My Dog Wouldn't Run - Patty Larkin
I Walk the Line – Johnny & June Carter Cash
I Wanna Be Sedated  - Ramones
I Want To Hold Your Hand – The Beatles
I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor
If I Had Known - Greg Brown
Iko Iko
I'm a Lumberjack - Monty Python
I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) - The Proclaimers
In the Air Tonight - Phil Collins
Iowa (Traveling III) - Dar Williams
It's the End of the World As We Know It - REM

J
Jack and Diane - John Mellencamp
Jet Plane – John Denver
Johnny Rottentail – Amy Ray
The Joker – Steve Miller Band

K
Kathy's Song - Simon and Garfunkel
Keep the Customer Satisfied – Simon & Garfunkel
The Kid – Buddy Mondlock

L
Landslide – Fleetwood Mac
Late in the Evening – Paul Simon
Layla – Eric Clapton
Leave it Like it Is - David Wilcox
Lemon Tree – Peter, Paul & Mary
Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off – Gershwin
Life by the Drop - Stevie Ray Vaughan
Life in a Northern Town  - Dream Academy
Lightning Crashes – Live
Live Free or Die – Bill Morrissey
Logical Song - Supertramp
Long Ride Home - Patty Griffin
Losing My Religion  - REM
Love Keep Us Together – Martin Sexton
Love Shack – B-52’s
Lovesong – The Cure
Luka - Suzanne Vega

M
Makin' Whoopee – Ray Charles
Marlene on the Wall – Suzanne Vega
Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard - Paul Simon
Meanies – Jim Infantino
Mercedes Benz – Janis Joplin
Message in a Bottle - The Police
Metal Drums – Patty Larkin
The Mickey Mouse Club March – TV Theme
Money for Nothing - Dire Straits
Moon Over Bourbon Street - Sting
Moondance - Van Morrison
Moonshadow - Cat Stevens
Moses – Patty Griffin
Movin' Out - Billy Joel
Movin' Right Along - The Muppet Movie
Muppet Show Theme Song
My Wife Thinks You’re Dead – Junior Brown

N
Need You Tonight – INXS
New York State of Mind - Billy Joel
No Man's Land - Billy Joel
No One Is To Blame – Howard Jones
Not a Pretty Girl – Ani diFranco

O
Ocean -  Dar Williams
Ode to Billie Joe – Bobby Gentry
Old Time Rock ‘n’ Roll – Bob Seger
One of Us – Joan Osborne
Only the Good Die Young - Billy Joel
Orinoco Flow – Enya

P
Peggy-O – Traditional
Perfectly Good Guitar – John Hiatt
Poet Game - Greg Brown
Pretty Vegas – INXS
Pride and Joy - Stevie Ray Vaughan
Prince of Darkness - Indigo Girls
Puttin’ on the Ritz – Irving Berlin
The Rainbow Connection – The Muppets
Ready for the Storm – Dougie McLean
Reasons Why – Nickel Creek
The Remedy – Jason Mraz
Richard Cory - Paul Simon
The Road Goes On Forever – Robert Earl Keen
Robert Johnson - Bill Morrissey
Rock This Town - Stray Cats
Romeo and Juliet - Dire Straits
Rosanna – Toto
Roxanne – The Police
Runnin' Down a Dream - Tom Petty
Rusty Old American Dream - David Wilcox

S
Sad Lisa – Cat Stevens
Saga Begins  - "Weird Al" Yankovic
St. Judy’s Comet – Paul Simon
Santa Ana Winds – Survivor
Scarborough Fair - Simon and Garfunkel
Scenes from an Italian Restaurant – Billy Joel
Scream – Todd McKimmey
Sensitive New Age Guys – Christine Lavin
Shame on You  - Indigo Girls
She’s No Lady – Lyle Lovett
She’s Your Baby Now – Bill Morrissey
Shotgun Down the Avalanche – Shawn Colvin
Should I Stay or Should I Go - The Clash
Shy – Ani diFranco
Sing – Sesame Street
Sledgehammer – Peter Gabriel
Slip Slidin' Away - Paul Simon
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
So Far Away  - Dire Straits
Solsbury Hill - Peter Gabriel
Something to Talk About - Bonnie Raitt
Somewhere Over the Rainbow – Judy Garland
Song for a Deck Hand’s Daughter – James McMurtry
Son of a Preacher Man – Dusty Springfield
Space Oddity – David Bowie
Spider-Man – TV Theme
Stand – REM
Stand By Me – Ben E. King
Stayin’ Alive – The Bee Gees
Still Crazy After All These Years - Paul Simon
Strange Fire - Indigo Girls
Stray Cat Strut – The Stray Cats
Strings of Wings – Karen Goldberg
Strong Chemistry - David Wilcox
Sultans of Swing  - Dire Straits
Summer, Highland Falls – Billy Joel
Summer Moved On - a-ha
Summer of ’69 – Bryan Adams
Summertime – George Gershwin
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) - The Eurythmics
Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd

T
Take Me Home – Phil Collins
Take On Me - A-ha
Talkin’ at the Texaco – James McMurtry
Talkin' Bout A Revolution – Tracy Chapman
Talkin’ Seattle Grunge Rock Blues – Todd Snider
Tangled Up in Blue  - Bob Dylan
Tears in Heaven – Eric Clapton
Tempted – Squeeze
That’s All – Genesis
That’s My Toy – Steve Fisher
That’s Right (You’re Not From Texas) – Lyle Lovett
These Boots Are Made For Walkin’ – Nancy Sinatra
These Cold Fingers – Bill Morrissey
The Way It Is  - Bruce Hornsby and the Range
The Whole Of The Moon – The Waterboys
Thirteen Step Boogie – Martin Sexton
Thriller - Michael Jackson
Time Bomb – Reckless Kelly
Time After Time – Cyndi Lauper
Tom's Diner - Suzanne Vega
Too Long in the Wasteland – James McMurtry
Total Eclipse of the Heart – Bonnie Tyler
Train in the Distance – Paul Simon
Trees – Marty Casey
Twist and Shout – Isley Brothers
Two Princes – Spin Doctors

U
Unknown Legend – Neil Young
Up Until Then - John Gorka

V
Velvet – a-ha
Veronica - Elvis Costello

W
Waiting for the Rain – Bill Morrissey
Wake Up Little Susie – Everly Brothers
Walk of Life  - Dire Straits
Walking in Memphis - Marc Cohn
Waltzing With Bears – Dr. Seuss
Washington Work Song - disappear fear
Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key - Woody Guthrie/Billy Bragg
We Can’t Dance – Genesis
We Didn't Start the Fire - Billy Joel
Welcome Me - Indigo Girls
What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
What I Am – Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians
What I Like About You – The Romantics
What’s Up? – 4 Non Blondes
When Fall Comes to New England  - Cheryl Wheeler
When I Was a Boy - Dar Williams
When Love Comes To Town – U2
When You Love Somebody and They Dick You Around, Doesn't That Really Suck - David Wilcox
Where Have All the Flowers Gone - Pete Seeger
Where the Streets Have No Name - U2
Whip It – Devo
Who Will Save Your Soul? – Jewel
Who Woulda Thunk It? - Greg Brown
Why Aye Man – Mark Knopfler
Wicked Game    - Chris Isaak
Wild Abandon – Damion Schubert
Wild Night – Van Morrison
Wild World - Cat Stevens
With or Without You - U2
The World Ain’t Slowing Down – Ellis Paul
World Falls - Indigo Girls
Wrapped Around Your Finger – The Police

X

Y
YMCA – The Village People
Yoda  - "Weird Al" Yankovic
You Can Call Me Al - Paul Simon
You Can Sleep While I Drive - Melissa Etheridge
You Can't Always Get What You Want - The Rolling Stones
You Never Get What You Want – Patty Griffin
You’re the One That I Want – Grease
You Shook Me All Night Long – AC/DC

Z
Ziggy Stardust – David Bowie

[Sky]

That's a good idea I should lift since I've been jotting tunes in a notebook anyway. I've got a dozen or two songs listed, mostly for lyrics, though I can't sing and play simultaneously on all but a couple (Hootchie Cootchie Man, Mannish Boy, Kind Hearted Woman Blues (ala Thorogood)). I also know the bulk of a couple more tunes without the fake book, Since I've Been Loving You by Zep is my favorite, though song form and I share an uneasy truce. Me likee jammy.

Dickey Betts was on HDNet again, his gig at the R&R hall of fame. I love jamming along with that show as it really stretches my major key jamming and I improve with every show. Then he kicks in Liz Reed in the middle of the set and I just crush it and cry at my crappy major key skills (Liz Reed being a minor key song with extended jams).

+2 SkyPts for Life By The Drop. Should sub Simple Man for Sweet Home Alabama imo. Also, you should learn Melissa by the Allmans (in my fakebook!), good, simple acoustic jam. Lots of good tunes on the list, though!

Hmm. I'm actually inspired. Thanks, Raph.

[Righ]

You need to make fakebook entries for:

Queen Jane Approximately - Bob Dylan

Radio Radio - Elvis Costello and The Attractions

X-Ray - The Kinks

[Raph]

I can't drop Sweet Home Alabama, it's exactly the sort of tune that everyone knows and wants in the fakebook. Heck, I should add Freebird. :P

Righ, none of those three are ones I know really.

[Sky]

How about Uneasy Rider by Charlie Daniels?  :-D

[Righ]

Righ, none of those three are ones I know really.

Okay, how about:

Question - Moody Blues (cool Cdim, G7sus, C)

Red House - everybody, not least Hendrix

Xanadu - Olivia Newton John

Okay, I'm just trying to complete your alphabet. ;)

[Sky]

Nix on Red House. Decent enough song, but the blues catalog has SO many better tunes, especially for campfirey applications. Go for something pre-war and funny like I'm a Doctor for Women by Champion Jack Dupree or Brown Skin Shuffle by Big Bill Broonzy.

You could also go for Guster's X-Ray Eyes to flesh out X. And add Airport song while you're adding Guster, that's a cool acoustic tune.

This is fun. I forgot to jot down the contents of my nascent fakebook. Inspiration...it comes and goes for me.

[Raph]

Hmm. So, I imagine that for you guys some of these tunes fill the same role as the Ellis Paul and Greg Brown tunes do for me. But I barely get to slip those in when doing the jam sessions, and I don't really expect otherwise -- because nobody knows them. :)

The popular songs are the ones people know from their teen years, basically. :) Among the Cub Scouts, the little kids all want Weird Al "Saga Begins" and (boggle) "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree." The older parents want Simon & Garfunkel. The younger parents want Talking Heads and Police, unless they are sensitive or liberal types, in which case they also want Simon & Garfunkel. (In general, actually, most everyone wants Simon & Garfunkel or Paul Simon -- talk about cross-generational appeal...)

[Nebu]

Hmm. So, I imagine that for you guys some of these tunes fill the same role as the Ellis Paul and Greg Brown tunes do for me. But I barely get to slip those in when doing the jam sessions, and I don't really expect otherwise -- because nobody knows them. :)

The popular songs are the ones people know from their teen years, basically. :) Among the Cub Scouts, the little kids all want Weird Al "Saga Begins" and (boggle) "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree." The older parents want Simon & Garfunkel. The younger parents want Talking Heads and Police, unless they are sensitive or lebal types, in which case they also want Simon & Garfunkel. (In general, actually, most everyone wants Simon & Garfunkel or Paul Simon -- talk about cross-generational appeal...)

I think it's a matter of having different lists for different purposes.  I have a set of songs I play for myself (depending on mood and lesson goal) and song lists tailored for my audience.  I don't play out as much as I used to, but have played a large variety of gigs.  If I'm playing a coffee house, I have different solo sets than if I play with a friend for example.  I'll also play very different tunes at a bar gig than I would at a wedding... though I'm sure this is all common sense. 

I like your list though.  It shows a great deal of variety for both you and your audience. 

[Sky]

Yeah, sorry. I'm an artist, not a DJ :P In fact, that's what really pissed off the DJ I used to work with, he thought I was so good at it but in the end I couldn't just sit and play music I was so tired of just because someone else loves it. And the metric we always used was to gauge the age of the audience and play stuff from their high school years. Works every time. Maybe not surprisingly, it doesn't work real well for me...

I have made some compromises because I'm building a basic set to play at the blues open mics, but even those are songs I dig anyway. I'd rather play other stuff, but you have to start on the standards and work your way out from their as you get to know some of the guys. It's kind of a rite of passage, if you can rock Hootchie Cootchie Man, you're in. I do think I have a workaround with Early In The Morning by Junior Wells because a newer band likes to play that one.

If I could play and sing simultaneously, all bets would be off. Bringing the metal grit and volume to blues is friggin' awesome, especially when all but a couple of the other singers have that generic white guy blues voice.