Songs for a Beginner

[bscott]

Can anyone suggest some songs for a beginner, me, to learn, but would also strech my learning into new territories??

Brian

[Paul]

1) Do you have a teacher?
2) What do you already know?
3) What do you want to know?

We cannot possibly steer you to new territories if we don't know in what territory you are currently are.

[bscott]

1) Do you have a teacher?
2) What do you already know?
3) What do you want to know?

We cannot possibly steer you to new territories if we don't know in what territory you are currently are.

Yes I have a teacher. Doing music theory and CCR songs right now - Green River, etc.
Not much. Just started playing about 5 weeks ago. Know a few chords, F, G D and several derivatives, E, Em, C. Practicing a lot of fingering word on the fretboard in order to try and get my fingers doing "guitar stuff" rather than looking like spazed out mutants. Making not bad progress.
I am looking for a few songs, in standard tuning, that would build my chord knowledge gradually. Maybe 2 to 3 new chords in each song. Not songs with 15+ chords in it yet.

[Paul]

Yes I have a teacher. Doing music theory and CCR songs right now - Green River, etc.
Not much. Just started playing about 5 weeks ago. Know a few chords, F, G D and several derivatives, E, Em, C. Practicing a lot of fingering word on the fretboard in order to try and get my fingers doing "guitar stuff" rather than looking like spazed out mutants. Making not bad progress.
I am looking for a few songs, in standard tuning, that would build my chord knowledge gradually. Maybe 2 to 3 new chords in each song. Not songs with 15+ chords in it yet.

CCR is a good place to start. Neil Young is cool, in that you will start to see more minor chords. NY also uses a lot of hammer-on and pull-off grace notes to make the chord changes more interesting. Some of the Pink Floyd repertoire that translates well to campfire songs will challenge you, too.

One thing you can try is to take a song you know....Green River, for example....and transpose it up or down a tone. The 3 or 4 chords in Green River that you know become 3 or 4 chords that you now need to know. The song will sound different for sure. Don't confuse different with wrong. Sometimes it's about learning something new for the sake of learning something new. There may not be an immediate need to play Green River in F# or C#, but you never know.........

If you know a particular song in the key of A, capo up one fret and learn it in G.

I'm 25 years or more into this guitar playing thing, and I still find a new chord shape or voicing to work into my repertoire at least once a week. I don't say that to be discouraging, only to let you now that if you choose, music can be a lifelong journey of love learning and the occasional wall of frustration.

[suttree]

excellent advice from paul here. i'll second neil young specifically because he does a lot of moving within a chord (lifting and fretting individual notes within the chord), that's great excercise for your fingers.

the beatles are another one to check out for chord knowledge. start with their early stuff, you'll know most of the chords, but they always seem to slide in a real head shaker at least once per song.

[bscott]

Thanks. Much appreciated.