good "learner" songs?

[tommytomthms5]

the title says it all what are some good songs that are okay for a beginner to practice with???

im into classic rock if it helps at all

[TrippinOnAcid]

Well when i started playing i started with some AC/DC because its pretty simple and fun to play.....then when you get better I would go with some Rage Against The Machine....but thats just my opinion....

[Deacon_Blues]

Steady eights are underrated. Takes a good deal of practicing and good timing to play them evenly and tightly in everything from staccato to legato. If you have the possibility, record yourself to check your own timing. During recording, try to relax and play like you normally would.

Also learn some walking bass. Any old rock'n'roll song like "Rock Around The Clock" in the 12-bar blues pattern are excellent simple songs to start with. Although the following song doesn't contain much walking bass, ZZ Top's "Tush" is great rock song to practice simple chromatic transitions on, and it's a blast to play if you ask me.

Play some songs by the Beatles. "Lady Madonna", "All my loving" are two songs with good walking bass patterns. Play some Rolling Stones songs, some Aerosmith, some Elvis, Kiss, Lynyrd Skynyrd etc. as well as songs from totally different genres.

However, just playing songs is not the best way learning technique. Exercises are better technique boosters, and I have explained two of my favourite ones here in the technique forum. The first one deals with plucking technique and is very useful for playing steady eights well, among other things. Check out the thread "How to get even plucks?" (do a search for it). John Patitucci explains this exercise in his instruction videos too. The other exercise is the "spider", which is very useful for left hand technique. This one is also explained very well by John P. in his videos.

[tommytomthms5]

yeah you know what it just now dawned on me that theres most likely better forums i could have asked this in because im not as interested in technique as i am in learning in general so with that said im sorry if i was off topic for this forum

but thanks for keeping to my question and ignoring the fact it was off topic....

ill take your advice and try those songs

[Deacon_Blues]

When you said "beginner", as well as this question being posted in the Technique forum, my immediate thought was to give some advice on songs that could boost your technique.

You SHOULD be interested in technique, because it's easier to learn a good technique already when starting off than to change a poor technique later, as I had to do. Many technique exercises are great warming up exercises, too. Don't underestimate a good technique - I know it from own experience. I had no clue about how bad my right hand technique really was before I got a teacher that showed me the technique exercises I mentioned in my previous post. At that point I had been playing for 3-4 years. I only had 4-5 lessons, but they boosted my playing to totally new levels. My fingers got much faster, I could keep higher tempos for longer times without getting tired, and I got a much better accuracy in terms of note lengths (staccato/legato style playing) and general timing. Staccato eights on the same note was something I couldn't do before, without lifting my left hand fretting finger after every pluck to mute the string.... (Yes, I actually did that)

This is of course only my own experience, but don't think that technique only is for "super-fast, technical playing", it's helpful for all kinds of music. I only wish I had realized this many year earlier than I did.

[PrimusNut]

Squealer - AC/DC
For Whom The Bell Tolls - Metallica
Seek and Destroy - Metallica
Whole Lotta Rosie - AC/DC

Those are 4 of the first song I ever learned entirely. Also the Overture in 2112 by Rush is a good one, this was the first semi-difficult song I learned.

[iamlowsound]

Originally Posted by Deacon_Blues

When you said "beginner", as well as this question being posted in the Technique forum, my immediate thought was to give some advice on songs that could boost your technique.

You SHOULD be interested in technique, because it's easier to learn a good technique already when starting off than to change a poor technique later, as I had to do. Many technique exercises are great warming up exercises, too. Don't underestimate a good technique - I know it from own experience. I had no clue about how bad my right hand technique really was before I got a teacher that showed me the technique exercises I mentioned in my previous post. At that point I had been playing for 3-4 years. I only had 4-5 lessons, but they boosted my playing to totally new levels. My fingers got much faster, I could keep higher tempos for longer times without getting tired, and I got a much better accuracy in terms of note lengths (staccato/legato style playing) and general timing. Staccato eights on the same note was something I couldn't do before, without lifting my left hand fretting finger after every pluck to mute the string.... (Yes, I actually did that)

This is of course only my own experience, but don't think that technique only is for "super-fast, technical playing", it's helpful for all kinds of music. I only wish I had realized this many year earlier than I did.

I would argue about lifting the the fretting finger to play stacatto being a bad technique. IMO if it is done right, it sounds just as good as doing it with the plucking hand. Also, in a band setting, if there is a little fret buzz, no one will notice.

lowsound

[Charling]

Originally Posted by iamlowsound

I would argue about lifting the the fretting finger to play stacatto being a bad technique. IMO if it is done right, it sounds just as good as doing it with the plucking hand. Also, in a band setting, if there is a little fret buzz, no one will notice.

lowsound

^^^ agreed, there should be no fret buzz if performed correctly, and its a perfectly acceptable way of muting the strings. Very complex, lyrical lines would be near impossible without it!

good post in general though

[Deacon_Blues]

Originally Posted by Charling

^^^ agreed, there should be no fret buzz if performed correctly, and its a perfectly acceptable way of muting the strings. Very complex, lyrical lines would be near impossible without it!

good post in general though

I said "on the same note", not complex lines... When I used only that technique, I couldn't play with the same staccato on open strings, which was quite irritating. Except from that, it wasn't such a bad technique, I just found the other one to be much more versatile - it became easier to control the lengths of the notes, it eliminated the fret buzz and I could keep a staccato sound for longer periods without getting tired in my left hand. I.e., it worked for me...

[Charling]

Originally Posted by Deacon_Blues

I said "on the same note", not complex lines... When I used only that technique, I couldn't play with the same staccato on open strings, which was quite irritating. Except from that, it wasn't such a bad technique, I just found the other one to be much more versatile - it became easier to control the lengths of the notes, it eliminated the fret buzz and I could keep a staccato sound for longer periods without getting tired in my left hand. I.e., it worked for me...

cool, yeah sorry i didnt read your post correctly, its all about knowing both and knowing when to use em

[Audiophage]

Take anything you listen to, and try to figure out the basslines until you can play along with them. Maybe check out some books or online resources with transcriptions. Either way, go with what you like.