Help? An easy song to play?

[greenskies]

I need some advice to point me in the right direction and I'd really appreciate suggestions/comments on songs to learn for myself as I am taking up guitar. Which songs are the easiest to master? Are there any other beginners out there who want to share experiences? I just watched the version of Lady d'Arbanville by workaholis on youtube and thought it was brilliant. Would you recommend this for beginners? I'd be really grateful for any help. Thanks.

[SuzieQ]

Welcome to Majicat, Greenskies



I'm not a musician, I only wish I was! But, IMHO, I don't think you would go far wrong starting off with THE WIND

uk.youtube.com/watch?v=4DFp00tnSv4

[workahollis1]

Greenskies. Thanks for you comment. If you are just learning guitar learn the major chord shapes first. Every song has these in them. Most of Yusufs songs are deceptively simple. Mostly just simple chords arranged in a simple progession. For your first song pick a 3 chord song like The First cut is the deepest or something. Don't waist your time learning how to play songs from your guitar book just jump right in and pick a song you want to play then learn those chords. Make sure you don't start any bad habits such as posture and hand position and get comfortable and you'll do fine. and buy a capo this makes semmingly impossible chords like E flat m7 into a familiar chord shape Am7 capoed at the 6th fret. Strumming will develop from listening and knwing where the chord changes need to go. You don't need to finish fingering a chord before you strum it. That's what gives the chord some dimension. I hope this helps.

[greenskies]

Thanks for your reply and comments. I'll take up your suggestions probably get myself a capo - sounds like good advice. I was speaking to another guitar player and they were saying the same thing about learning an easy song rather than going by a guitar book. It's more interesting and motivating learning something you like and enjoy listening to even though you don't play it that well. Thanks

[Leonard]

The guitar is probably the easiest-to-pick-up instrument. You can play almost anywhere with it - it's small and compact. Get a guitar book for beginners, and try to follow its instructions for a few weeks. If you notice that you don't make progress anymore, or if you think about abolishing the whole learning guitar idea altogether, get a teacher for a half year. After you nailed down the basics with that professional helping hand, you can go down the road of playing guitar yourself.

It's important to not practice once a week for five hours, but to practice on a regular basis. You'll find that unnerving. Therefore, you need to set yourself clear, not too far-off goals. Begin with strumming, easy non-barre chords before getting into finger-picking, etc.

You did that correctly! Pick easiest songs first. Best is to go to your teacher, tell him your primary motivation - "I wanna learn Father & Son", for example - and you'll get the answer to how hard it's gonna be and what chords and playing techniques you'll need for that.

For a do-able start I'd pick these Cat Stevens songs first - from easy to harder - with its main chords in brackets. That is not to say, that you shouldn't start with even easier songs from other artists ...

Don't Be Shy (A, E, D), Maybe There's A World, ....

[tiffany]

I tried the guitar a very long while ago, but because of my disability down the right hand side, I couldn't handle the fretboard and strings. Then I discovered the zither so I switched on to that one. My Mum bought me this zither, which was great, so I had a go on it, and finally I taught myself how to play it. Since then, we've been trying to buy a new one, but they don't seem to have one. However, I'm still looking for a new one, with a new sound.

When I first heard a zither, it was played on the television on certain programs, but it was once played in "The Third Man, and also by Australian Shirley Abicair, so this was the instrument I was inspired by. I play the chords on it, to make the melody, and sing along with it, too, and the Cat Stevens songs I can play almost sound gentle

[tioneb]

Hi, my first songs where Father and Son and then WildWorld.

So i would suggest to start with them, i will allow you to have fun while learning the basic chords

[tiffany]

Here is a list of some of my favourite song, which I play and sing with my zither, or just with my vocals.

Here are the following songs I play on the zither, starting with:

I Love My Dog
Portobello Road
Blackness of the Night
Maybe You're Right
Trouble
Fill My Eyes
Lilywhite
Where Do The Children Play
Miles From Nowhere
Longer Boats
Into White
On The Road To Find Out
Tea For The Tillerman
The Wind
Rubylove
How Can I Tell You
Morning Has Broken
Moonshadow

[tiffany]

Here's a few more

Peace Train
The Boy With The Moon and Star on his Head
Ruins
Angelsea
How Many Times
Oh Very Young
Child For A Day
Just Another Night
Daytime
Midday/Avoid City After Dark
Maybe There's A World
In The End
There Is Peace
Roadsinger
Thinking 'Bout You

[tiffany]

Well, that was a list of the Cat songs I can play on my zither, including "All Kinds Of Roses" from Roadsinger. Now here are some songs I sing using my voice.

Wild World
Sad Lisa
Hard-Headed Woman
Katmandu
Lady D'Arbanville
I Never Wanted To Be A Star
I'm Gonna Be King

and more to come later on