Guitar lesson update - I need song recommendations

[Electric Mayhem 35]

Lessons are going well! The kid teaching me is schooled in all forms - classical, jazz, rock etc and really knows his theory. He went to school for it and composes, plays etc. He doesn't have the 'shredder' focus I was kinda hoping for, but the techniques he has taught me have been EXTREMELY helpful. Just learning the correct way to hold a pick, hold the guitar, pick, strum, finger notes and chords is really paying off. Just learning to straighten my wrist and 'pull' my hand against the neck rather than just squeeze the neck using my thumb and fingers was HUGE.

 

My scales are going well. Just started getting into blues scales, but to be honest I haven't been practicing my scales very much recently. i kinda make another small jump in my playing so I've just been learning songs that I always wanted to play but couldn't handle. I'm almost through the solo in 'Eyes of a Stranger' - I still can't do the wheedely-wheedely-wheedely part right before the second guitar comes in, but the rest sounds friggin SWEET!

 

Also started doing Crazy Train. I can do the main opening riff, but those friggin' chords during the verse are damn tough (using the tabs from the 'Best of Ozzy' book I bought).

 

Anyhoo... I'm looking for suggestions on songs that I can learn that are fun to play but not too tough - but still challenging. A friend of mine plays bass, so we're planning on getting together to kinda jam on a couple songs and I want to come up with a couple. He's an accomplished player so really no constraints on the bass line.

 

Here's what I'm thinking:

Vicarious (Tool)

The Pot (Tool)

Eyes of Stranger (this one will be tough but man I'd love to pull it off)

Mr. Brownstone

Ain't Talkin' Bout Love

Tush

Sweet Emotion

 

I'd rather do more modern stuff that would be fun to play and not just lame after running through the verse and chorus once. With no drum kit or vocals it could get boring quick, ya know?

 

Oh- sidebar story for the fun of it:

 

Me: I'm having trouble playing standing up for some reason

Him: Let's see

Me: (puts on guitar and tries to go through scales with little luck)

Him: Hmmm... try raising it up higher

Me: Um, okay (raises guitar a little) How that?

Him: No, raise it higher

Me: Ummm... how high?

Him: Here, like this. (he shortens strap so the top of the guitar is literally like 8 inches from my chin and I look like the old players from the 50s, only even more so) There, try that.

Me: (after a couple scales) I look ridiculous. I'm not playing like this.

Him: But your technique is much better. youre getting a flat attack on the strings

Me: I don't care. I'm not playing like this.

Him: Lots of pros play with their guit..

Me: Dude. I look absolutely ridiculous. I'll practice as long as it takes. I don't care. i'm not playing with it up this high.

Him: well, I'm just saying that lots of really great players play with it up high. It's the correct way.

Me: noted

 

[yostevo 0]

Moby D!ck

[Recidivist 1]

Song suggestions:

 

Metallica: Harvester of Sorrow & Am I Evil - both are relatively easy but with cool riffs

 

Dio: Last in Line - cool fingerstyle intro; might sound less cheesy w/out the keyboards

 

Cream: Sunshine of your love - main riff will help you master your pentatonic scale

 

Don't give up on the Crazy Train verse chords - the stretching is a good thing. Don't worry about the tempo when practicing - just focus on fingering each chord properly and making the change to the next one. If you really want to stretch try playing the intro to Diary of Madman - that'll work you out.

 

Also: guitar strapped high = better playability > guitar slung low = crappy playing

Besides, you're not Jimmy Page so what's it matter?

[frank 2,147]

Maybe too easy for you but - Breaking the Law - Judas Priest

I learned that one very quickly.

 

 

You might start with the guitar really high and gradually lower it.

[TommyGavin 788]

my first three songs (20+ years ago)

Smoke on the Water

Breaking the Law

Honky Tonk Woman

[PastorOfMuppets 0]

Besides, you're not Jimmy Page so what's it matter?

 

 

My first ever lesson, when I was 13 ... instructor had me do "Heartbreaker" from LZII. Wailed that sh!t 'til my fingers bled. Helped with my dexterity quite a bit.

 

Then I heard the Ramones LESSONS BE DAMNED! Self taught after that

[kutulu 1,551]

 

[Electric Mayhem 35]

Also: guitar strapped high = better playability > guitar slung low = crappy playing

Besides, you're not Jimmy Page so what's it matter?

 

I can see your point - but this was out of control high. The entire guitar was above my belly botton.

 

Besides, I practiced all week with it at a normal level and worked out my problems (for the most part). Going to show him today to see what he thinks. yay. =)

 

I'm also going to show him the tab for/play Eyes of a Stranger to see what he thinks. That and the Tool songs are what I'd like to play thte most I think right now.

 

I'm also trying to make a heavy version of the old Beach Boys tune Fun Fun Fun. if I can get teh intro down that would kick ass.

 

Honky Tonk Woman

 

I don't like the Sones, but i love that tune. Great suggestion! thanks

 

 

 

sweet

[frank 2,147]

 

 

 

I'll have to check this out later. I'm learning that song now. Zakk is slightly better than me though....

[Recidivist 1]

I'll have to check this out later. I'm learning that song now. Zakk is slightly better than me though....

 

Downstrokes only.

[vuduchile 1,941]

Man in the Box. Simple, but Heavy Chord progression. Decent solo that's fun to play.

 

Sweet Child - Pretty cool intro and lead breaks. Solo is pretty much wailing with a wah in the blues box.

 

Cold Hard ###### - Kinda fun to play loud

 

Are You Gonna Go My Way - Cool riff, chord progession isn't too tough

 

You Really Got Me - Pretty easy to get the hang of.

 

It may not be the kind of stuff you're into, but listening to and playing along with both SRV and Santana helped me to learn some of the subtle nuances of playing lead.

 

Try Europa from Santana or SRVs instrumental version of Little Wing.

[Electric Mayhem 35]

Man in the Box. Simple, but Heavy Chord progression. Decent solo that's fun to play.

good one - I'll give it a shot

 

Sweet Child - Pretty cool intro and lead breaks. Solo is pretty much wailing with a wah in the blues box.

Almost have the intro down. Have to practice it more, but yeah, that's right up my alley.

 

Cold Hard ###### - Kinda fun to play loud

I have no idea what this is. I'm embarassed to say it. Cold Hard D1ck? Cold Hard Sh1t?

 

Are You Gonna Go My Way - Cool riff, chord progession isn't too tough

actually tried playint the main riff last night. That second fret bend is a b1tch. i can't get it to sound right.

 

listening to and playing along with both SRV and Santana helped me to learn some of the subtle nuances of playing lead.

 

Try Europa from Santana or SRVs instrumental version of Little Wing.

 

Listen to SRV & Santana I can do. Play along? Oof. We'll see. =)

[vuduchile 1,941]

Cold Hard B!tch - Jet

 

It's basically just loud rythm playing. It might just be me, but I think it's a fun song.

 

You might also wanna try some Collective Soul. Shine (best played in dropped D tuning) is sorta fun.

 

If you're playing scales, you're only a few steps away from learning to play around with Little Wing. It's basically just using the blues scale all over the fret board. (well in E mostly) Pop it in, and try to find the notes he's playing in the E blues scale. You'll eventually hit a few of them right, and it will help develop your ear as well.

 

Good luck

[parshall2marshall 0]

I'll give a vote for Sweet Emotion. It's one of the first songs I learned to play, and it really helps with speed.

 

La Grange (ZZ Top) is another fun one.

[Concrete Charlie 0]

If you're so inclined, a lot of Neil Young songs are not too hard to pick up on.

[TommyGavin 788]

Downstrokes only.

thats what I keep telling my wife