Help Me Pick A Song

[Dr. Sak]

For Christmas I got a gift card for 6 guitar lessons at a music store close to my house. Last year I bought an acoustic guitar, but never really learned how to play it. I went yesterday to set up my lessons and pick a time to which I was told, bring a song in you want to learn how to play and by the end I should be able to play it.

A few of my thoughts...

How's It Gonna Be - Third Eye Blind
Hey Ya - Obadiah Parker (cover of the Outkast version)
Every Rose Has Its Thorn - Poison
Forever in Blue Jeans - Neil Diamond

I know the obvious answer from most would be Freebird or Stairway to Heaven, but what are some other ideas.

[Kodos]

Eruption!

[Honolulu Blue]

"Over the Hills and Far Away"

[Mustang]

Get your money's worth and pick 'Green Grass and High Tides'

[CU Tiger]

Foggy Mountian Breakdown

[Bad-example]

Never Going Back Again by the Fleetwood Mac

[johnnyshaka]

LOL...I did the same thing several years ago and picked the Foo Fighters' "Times Like These" and was no better than I was before I took the lessons.

Hope your experience is better than mine was.

[FrogMan]

I like Every Rose has its thorn very much but Patience by Guns N' Roses could be good too, no?

FM

[FrogMan]

dola, been on a big GNR kick lately, with my son practicing Sweet Child O Mine on drum every night or so... :)

FM

[DrAFTjunkie]

Every Rose is tit, go with that.

GCG
DCG
G

[cuervo72]

Sundown

[cuervo72]

Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)

[cuervo72]

Time In A Bottle

[Pumpy Tudors]

I suggest "Reverend Blue Jeans" by Neil Diamond.

[Passacaglia]

Either Allentown by Billy Joel or Philadelphia Freedom by Elton John. They're pretty much the same song, though.

(yes, this joke would have been funnier if you were learning piano, but I work with what I've got)

[Lathum]

Wonderwall

Friends in Low Places

[Pumpy Tudors]

Kung Fu Fighting

[cuervo72]

Venus (original version, not Bananarama)

[cuervo72]

No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature

[Pumpy Tudors]

Crazy in Love by Beyonce

I'll give you $30 if you do it.

Edit: We may have to do the $30 in weekly $1 installments, though.

[Radii]

Nothing Else Matters by Metallica(awesome accoustic) or More Than Words by Extreme. Fuck I'm old. Personally if I had a bunch of free guitar lessons I'd probably just bring in the James Taylor anthology and say "teach me as much of this as possible." All of those are songs that aren't simple rhythm guitar chords tho.


For simple songs that are probably reasonable to learn in a short time w/ just a few chords, Every Rose Has its Thorn is nice and simple, All Along The Watchtower, Keep on Rockin in the Free World, Elderly Woman Behind a Counter in a Small Town(the pearl jam song), Wonderwall, The World I Know(collective soul), and anything by Hootie, Mr Jones (Counting Crows) if you're stuck in the mid 90s like I clearly am, are all great choices IMO. I dunno shit about music that was released in the last 10 years!

[cuervo72]

"Over the Hills and Far Away"

Gallows Pole wouldn't be bad either.

[cuervo72]

Or Bron-Y-Aur Stomp.

[cuervo72]

Leather and Lace

[johnnyshaka]

Or Bron-Y-Aur Stomp.

My all time favorite song...nice.

[Dr. Sak]

I was also thinking Shimmer by Fuel but that sounds a little tough.

[Karlifornia]

She's Not There by the Zombies

[Radii]

I was also thinking Shimmer by Fuel but that sounds a little tough.

Other than being faster than the ballady type songs I don't think its much tougher, probably a pretty good choice too.

[Dr. Sak]

She's Not There by the Zombies

That's a good one...plus I really like 60s music.

[BYU 14]

Time In A Bottle

Great call Cuervo, I would second this one.

I would throw in "Heartbreak Station" by Cinderella too.

[MIJB#19]

Time In A BottleI thought you were more of a Genie In A Bottle fan.

[Lonnie]

Once you use up all your free lessons goto justinguitar.com he has a ton of free lessons online including how to play quite a few of the songs listed here. Very awesome site. The guy mainly runs off of donations, but he also sells his lessons on DVD if you think that would be a better way to learn.

[Lonnie]

Here's an example of Justin doing Hey Ya.

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0hgi0mSDpGM&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0hgi0mSDpGM&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

[Sgran]

Do you want to pick or strum? Also, what kind of singing range do you have? Creedence have a lot of easy songs that you probably already know the words to (Proud Mary, etc.)

[Karlifornia]

Nah, on second thought, just learn to play Wonderwall. It's easy, and it will get you laid.

[Dr. Sak]

I hate that song...and Oasis...

Come to think of it...maybe that's why I don't get laid.

[Lonnie]

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-7iV4TTeSos&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-7iV4TTeSos&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

[johnnyshaka]

Oh, "Wish You Were Here" would be a gooder, too.

[k0ruptr]

Alcohol - Brad Paisley.

[Karlifornia]

Right now I'm screwing around with Tiny Dancer. Pretty fun song to play.