Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Keni Lee Burgess on May 3, 2011 at 8:40am

Yes Mark well said. I have friends that are professional guitar teachers. The usually face the same problems. Students want to learn songs by their favorite artists. Unfortunately, as you know learning a song as a complete beginner that was performed and written by an artist with 30+ years of paying experience can be a little too much. Not to forget to mention, the artist is not just an ordinary guitarist, but a gifted super star! Cream of the crop! Sometimes the basic simplified arrangements sound a little too watered down for the student too.

I am no different than anyone else. I tried learning by buying countless videos and tab books too. (Jimi Hendrix note for note Yikes!) When I made my videos I was really recreating how I relearned. I went back to the beginning and used basic theory to understand how songs are created. I tried to keep it simple by using relatively easy arrangements. I wanted the lessons to work for others like they worked for me. Teach them to fish.

I guess we beat this like a dead horse again...LOL, but I have a feeling it is going to rise from the dead again anyway...LOL Enjoy.       

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Permalink Reply by Michael Glenn on May 3, 2011 at 10:02am

I agree, we need a more basic basic.  A handful of songs in an easy format, and a quick and dirty "Here's how to form the I, IV and V chords in any tuning, now pick one of these songs and start playing."  That's what I'm working on right now on my website: http://101cigarboxguitarsongs.weebly.com/

 

Also it occurs to me that if we could get to Shane or someone to post a chord chart on CBNation, the Hal Leonard 3 chord songbooks could be really great, too.  (I almost bought one of those awhile back, when I was looking for ukulele songs.)  You just have to be able to SHOW a beginner how to form the basic chords, and then give 'em something simple that uses those chords, in order to get them playing (and, hopefully, addicted to playing.)

 

Otherwise a month or so goes by and their CBG is sitting in the closet, and they may never pick up music again.  Just my 2 cents.

 

Michael

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Permalink Reply by Habanera Hal on May 4, 2011 at 1:19am

How about:

You Are So Beautiful To Me"   Joe Cocker - nice and slow tempo for us beginners, plus it'll make the women in our life swoon.

 

Second on the Mustang Sally

 

Any Fats Domino, Ritchie Valens, or Buddy Holly would be great, too

 

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Permalink Reply by MichaelS Country Boy Guitars on May 4, 2011 at 2:07am

I like simple, simple is good. I have a whole mel bay book that is just songs with 3 chords. I think its called 3 chord songs. Most are popular songs everyone knows, and lots of them are 1 4 5 chords, couldn't be simpler. You just need to know the tune and that is just a matter of going to I tunes and listening to a song clip. Now practice. I can't argue with Keni though, if you want to be real good learning the more advanced stuff helps, although James Taylor always likes to point out that he can't read music.

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Permalink Reply by Hellhound Custom Built Guitars on May 4, 2011 at 5:59am

this is a topic right up my alley. I started this adventure as a builder that played 6string back in the day but never grew into an Eric clapton so I put up my guitars and sold them. Recently my passion for guitar came back through my love for simple artistry and woodworking. Being a builder and not a player I figured maybe six strings was a little overwhelming and chord shapes lets not go there. Simple to some but not this guy. Long story short a few youtube videos from uncle crow and cigar box guitar for extreme beginners some thing clicked. all the songs i play are in open G with the barre chord principle and many of them are 3-4 chords songs. I find the tabs on ultimateguitar.com I think of or hear a song that I think I can play i go to the tab site hit chords to see if it has been tabbed in chord form. The nice thing about this site is at the top of the tab you can hit a link that says listen to (song) and it takes you to a seperate page jango that will play your selection so now you can see your tab to play along with the music you are hearing.Here is a little note as well go to youtube and look up axes of awsome 36 songs same 4 chords kind of cool i think they are E-A-C#-B alot of songs use this progression with slightly diffrent strum patterns. Truley hooked on the CBG thang

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Permalink Reply by Keni Lee Burgess on May 4, 2011 at 7:23am

Thank you all for your responses. I appreciate the input and will certainly take your suggestions into consideration. Enjoy.

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Permalink Reply by Thomas Smith on May 4, 2011 at 1:02pm

A version of staggolee would be nice...Police officer, how can it be?  You 'rest ev'rybody but cruel ol' staggolee, he's a bad man, cruel ol' staggolee....

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Permalink Reply by YeahDoIt on May 5, 2011 at 12:00am

Old Time Rock And Roll - Bob Seger

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Permalink Reply by Keni Lee Burgess on May 5, 2011 at 6:03am

Here is a Basic Chord Chart for 3 string CBG in Open D Tuning (ADf#)

I hope you find this helpful.

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/a-basic-chord-chart-for-3?conte...

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Permalink Reply by Michael Glenn on May 5, 2011 at 6:46pm

I doubt Dan is still looking for a list of simple 3 chord songs (since he started this discussion well over a year ago) but, since the thread is still active, there must be other people that are looking for something...

 

I'm putting together a ton of 3 chord songs all notated "I, IV, V" so all anyone has to do is know where to find those three chords on their instrument, and they can play what will eventually be over 100 songs.  No learning all the major chords, or transposing to the right key, or anything.  (Also no advanced technique, no "strumming" patterns, no melody line, no tabs.  I know what I know, and I don't pretend to know what I don't.)  Anyway the URL is

 

http://101cigarboxguitarsongs.weebly.com/song-list.html

 

I started it for myself but someday I'm gonna start selling CBGs.  (I already have someone who wants me to build one for her son's birthday present, and I've only made one so far.)  Anyway I thought something like this could be a good resource for the absolute "I've never even seen a guitar before in my life" beginner to just learn three chord shapes and have hours of fun.  And then when they're ready to move on they can search the Nation and elsewhere for more advanced stuff.

 

What do you guys think?

 

Michael

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Permalink Reply by Vaughan S. Nelson-Lee on May 21, 2011 at 1:50am

I think you could maybe use some more olde time songs like Froggie Went A-Courtin', You Are My Sunshine, etc. (both of which are GCD btw)

Michael Glenn said:

I doubt Dan is still looking for a list of simple 3 chord songs (since he started this discussion well over a year ago) but, since the thread is still active, there must be other people that are looking for something...

 

I'm putting together a ton of 3 chord songs all notated "I, IV, V" so all anyone has to do is know where to find those three chords on their instrument, and they can play what will eventually be over 100 songs.  No learning all the major chords, or transposing to the right key, or anything.  (Also no advanced technique, no "strumming" patterns, no melody line, no tabs.  I know what I know, and I don't pretend to know what I don't.)  Anyway the URL is

 

http://101cigarboxguitarsongs.weebly.com/song-list.html

 

I started it for myself but someday I'm gonna start selling CBGs.  (I already have someone who wants me to build one for her son's birthday present, and I've only made one so far.)  Anyway I thought something like this could be a good resource for the absolute "I've never even seen a guitar before in my life" beginner to just learn three chord shapes and have hours of fun.  And then when they're ready to move on they can search the Nation and elsewhere for more advanced stuff.

 

What do you guys think?

 

Michael

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Permalink Reply by Michael Glenn on May 21, 2011 at 6:35am

Hi Vaughan,

 

Thanks for the feedback.  Froggie Went A-Courtin' is on the site, and I thought about You Are My Sunshine but all the information I've seen online leads me to believe it's still under copyright.  I could be wrong about that though, but my opinion is better safe than sorry.

 

I think I should've called the site "51 easy songs," or waited a bit more to put it up.  All of the sudden life is getting in the way and it's getting harder to find time to work on it.  :)  Oh, well, I'll get there.

 

Anyway thanks again,

Michael

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