[musicman2000]

i wanted to learn some well known folk songs that i can play and sing with some buddies of mine, but i can't think of any of the top of my head that alot of people would know. i'm thinking of songs that use a guitar, mandolin, fiddle, and maby a banjo, and also have some vocal harmony parts that you can sing by ear. any songs, CD's, books, suggestions would be appreciated. thanks.

[matt_theripper]

Look at some Peter Rowan:

Midnight Moonlight
Tumbleweed
Land of the Navajo

Or you could also try "Angel From Montgomery." Lots of people know that one.

[imadique]

Neil Young:

Heart of gold
Comes a time
I am a child
Needle and the damage done
Ambulance blues etc

To be honest I don't know exactly what's well known by him, but I'm guessing those ones are. They don't have the instrumentation or harmonies you're after but there's no reason adding them wouldn't work.

Maybe some Simon and Garfunkel too, try:
Kathy's Song
The Boxer
Me and Julio down by the school yard
Mrs. Robinson etc.

and The Grateful Dead, eg:

Ripple
Bird Song
Truckin'
Uncle Johns Band
China Doll

and Jerry Garcia also did a cool version of "Whiskey in the Jar" with david Grisman, their arrangement might be suitable.

Dunno if that helps, I reckon most of those would be suitable.

[matt_theripper]

Cortez the Killer

All Along the Watchtower (a la Bob Dylan's original version)

Knocking on Heaven's Door

House Carpenter

Ain't Gonna Work Tomarrow

Whiskey Before Breakfast


some more for ya!

[stuartmerenbloom]

Look at Peter, Paul and Mary/Dylan/Kingston Trio

[TheJosh]

as i advocate all the time: BUY THIS BOOK http://www.amazon.co...5Fencoding=UTF8

its 15 bucks and its honestly the greatest folksong collection i've ever seen. its got dylan and guthrie and leadbelly and the beatles, and gordon bok, and donovan, and judy collins, and greg brown, and stephen foster and arlo and phil ochs and pete seeger and the weavers and all those folkie cats- plus like all kinds of stuff

i honestly recommend this book to you as a person who uses it just about everyday

[matt_theripper]

James Taylor is some other good stuff.

[x-SURFACING-x]

Here are some more..these are more contemporary folk.

-Indigo Girls - people would know their really famous songs (Closer To Fine, Galileo, Least Complicated)
-Ani DiFranco - more advanced music, fun to play, I doubt many people would know her music (Not a Pretty Girl, Jukebox)
-Jewel - her old stuff (from the album Pieces of You) is pretty famous (Pieces of You, You Were Meant For Me)
-Sarah McLachlan - pretty famous, most of her stuff is a little bit more pop-rock than contemporary folk (Building A Mystery, Hold On, Ice Cream - these are fairly famous and sort of folky)

Hope it helps..

[Captain_Trips]

Neil Young:

Heart of gold
Comes a time
I am a child
Needle and the damage done
Ambulance blues etc

To be honest I don't know exactly what's well known by him, but I'm guessing those ones are.  They don't have the instrumentation or harmonies you're after but there's no reason adding them wouldn't work.

Maybe some Simon and Garfunkel too, try:
Kathy's Song
The Boxer
Me and Julio down by the school yard
Mrs. Robinson etc.

and The Grateful Dead, eg:

Ripple
Bird Song
Truckin'
Uncle Johns Band
China Doll

and Jerry Garcia also did a cool version of "Whiskey in the Jar" with david Grisman, their arrangement might be suitable.

Dunno if that helps, I reckon most of those would be suitable.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

First off ditto on the Neil Young he has some real classic tunes that are catchy and recognizable. Id add Harvest, Out on the Weekend and yes Free World (or Rockin in a ...)

but now down to business, I am gassed that you (imadique) brought the Dead up and the first song you mentioned is just a great tune, Ripple. Really look at anything from Workingmans Dead or American Beauty. And Ive heard some of the Jerry Garcia and David Grissman stuff and if you want to jam out with a banjo player it is great. Whiskey is terrific but the version of Friend of the Devil (another really easy and great tune!!!) by those two is by far the best version I have ever heard, including any performance by the Dead. Its out there look for it, it was on Letterman I think. Garcia/Grissman also do killer bluegrass/folk versions of Panama Red and the Stone's Wild Horses -- I also believe this to be the best version of this song

[mrbojangles111]

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band put out a double album titles "will the circle be unbroken"a long while back, it featured a bunch of greats, doc watson, earl scruggs, Mother Maybell just to name a few. These ladies and guys sang a bunch of classic folk music, many of which had those instruments you were talking about, guitar, banjo, fiddle etc. Check out that album. I would suggest the classic Carter Family song, "will the circle be unbroken" (on the CD) for a good song that can involve many instruments and has a great chorus that anyone can pick up on. On that album everyone sings the chorus and the different lyrics can be sung by dirrerant people.

[matt_theripper]

Neil Young:

Heart of gold
Comes a time
I am a child
Needle and the damage done
Ambulance blues etc

To be honest I don't know exactly what's well known by him, but I'm guessing those ones are.  They don't have the instrumentation or harmonies you're after but there's no reason adding them wouldn't work.

Maybe some Simon and Garfunkel too, try:
Kathy's Song
The Boxer
Me and Julio down by the school yard
Mrs. Robinson etc.

and The Grateful Dead, eg:

Ripple
Bird Song
Truckin'
Uncle Johns Band
China Doll

and Jerry Garcia also did a cool version of "Whiskey in the Jar" with david Grisman, their arrangement might be suitable.

Dunno if that helps, I reckon most of those would be suitable.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

First off ditto on the Neil Young he has some real classic tunes that are catchy and recognizable. Id add Harvest, Out on the Weekend and yes Free World (or Rockin in a ...)

but now down to business, I am gassed that you (imadique) brought the Dead up and the first song you mentioned is just a great tune, Ripple. Really look at anything from Workingmans Dead or American Beauty. And Ive heard some of the Jerry Garcia and David Grissman stuff and if you want to jam out with a banjo player it is great. Whiskey is terrific but the version of Friend of the Devil (another really easy and great tune!!!) by those two is by far the best version I have ever heard, including any performance by the Dead. Its out there look for it, it was on Letterman I think. Garcia/Grissman also do killer bluegrass/folk versions of Panama Red and the Stone's Wild Horses -- I also believe this to be the best version of this song

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Are you a fan of Old and In the Way? Garcia/Grisman/Rowan/Clements/Kahn? This band is largely responsible for bringing bluegrass/folk music to the larger jam band audience (i.e. Deadheads during the 70's). Between them and New Grass Revival, the genres of New/Jam/Slam-Grass were created.

[Captain_Trips]

ripper
Indeed I am a fan of any band that ever had Jerry Garcia in it in any capacity, the Dead, Jerry Garcia Band, and any of the bluegrass stuff that he was doing a lot of in his early years. The combo of Garcia and Grissman is killer and if you add in Kahn that is good music. I dont think I have any of that, time to head over to the Dead store and pick some up, (the only bands music I would legally purchase online). And you are right on target with the merging of the folk style scene, albums like Workingmans Dead and American Beauty were quite folky and features some crisp dual acoustics and stacked vocal harmonies under the guidance of Garcia's friend Graham Nash, and of course we know thats a good place to get advice about that.

[matt_theripper]

I gotta say that I dig Jerry. He was a man of many talents and lots of influence.

[TheJosh]

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band put out a double album titles "will the circle be unbroken"a long while back, it featured a bunch of greats, doc watson, earl scruggs, Mother Maybell just to name a few. These ladies and guys sang a bunch of classic folk music, many of which had those instruments you were talking about, guitar, banjo, fiddle etc. Check out that album. I would suggest the classic Carter Family song, "will the circle be unbroken" (on the CD) for a good song that can involve many instruments and has a great chorus that anyone can pick up on. On that album everyone sings the chorus and the different lyrics can be sung by dirrerant people.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

WORD...nuff said

[sixgunsound]

Woody Guthrie.

[TheJosh]

word

[guitarfan19]

try a version of Wayfaring Stranger. I suggest Johnny Cash's version or Jack White's (on the Cold Mountain soundtrack).

[epearson]

If you wanna go genuine folk buy some collections by the Kingston Trio, early Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell. Peter, Paul and Mary is very traditional folk with a lot of recognizable tunes. I'd highly recommend some John Hurt who was great folk/blues and Woody Guthrie will buy you all sorts of credibility. The Kingston Trio sound most like what you want. They had three part harmonies, guitar, tenor guitar and banjo. I highly recommend them.