14 replies to this topic

[TapouT]

I'm pretty new to guitar. To give you an idea of my skill level, I can play "Adam's Song" by Blink-182 and "Good Riddance" by Greenday. Does anybody know any fairly simple or easy fingerpicking songs that sound really cool? Thanks.

[TapouT]

thanks alot!

[MakoMako]

Take a look at Romanza ( sometimes labeled as Spanish Romance ). I always suggest it, and I always do because it is a great song to get used to finger-picking. The picking pattern is the exact same from beginning to end, but the rolling nature of it helps to practice keeping your fingers from tangling up in themselves.

[airscape17]

Simon and Garfunkle - Scarborough fair

[Nate.]

You've Got Her In Your Pocket - The White Stripes

Standard tuning.

D G C A Amin F

EADGBe EADGBe EADGBe EADGBe EADGBe EADGBe
xx0232 320033 x32010 x03330 x03320 133211

The rhythm is pretty easy, so just listen to the song.

Intro:

D G C G A
e-------2------------------------------------------------------
B-----3---3---3-------------------------------------2h3-2---2--
G---2-------2---------0-----------0-------0-------2-------2----
D-0-----------------0---0---0---2---2---0---0---2--------------
A-----------------2-------2---3-------2-------0----------------
E---------------3----------------------------------------------

Play this through twice, then

Chorus:

You've... pocket... no way out...
D G C G A
e-------2------------------------------------------------------
B-----3---3---3-------------------------------------2----------
G---2-------2---------0-----------0-------0-------2---2---2----
D-0-----------------0---0---0---2---2---0---0---2-------2------
A-----------------2-------2---3-------2-------0----------------
E---------------3----------------------------------------------

Repeat this but then at the A chord, instead of picking it,
just strum it.

Verse:

A Amin G D
Nobody ever... wrong way

Amin G D
to trick... her way

C G
and you'll... blue

C F
and you'll... new

A
what to do

Chorus

Verse

Chorus

Verse

Chorus

At the end of the last chorus repeat "home sweet home" but
strum the chords so it goes

C G A
home sweet home

That's everything. Enjoy.



[grzeg]

Just don't kill me, but...

Stairway to Heaven. I mean you have to at some point, and it's good to learn it early. It's easy.

Good Bye Blue Sky by Pink Floyd. Easy and really enjoyable.

Try some fingerstyle or classical. Moonlight Sonata, or some fingerstyle arranged tune, like Freight Train, etc.

[Nate.]

Road Trippin' is definately something to work up to

[planetalk]

all tabs courtesy of Kirk Loranges free guitar lesson website
http://www.guitarforbeginners.com/

"courtesy of" implies that you asked permission to link to the tab from my site, Black Betty, which you didn't. Please ask in the future.

Edited by planetalk, 13 August 2007 - 02:51 AM.

[dadfad]

QUOTE (planetalk @ Aug 13 2007, 04:24 AM)

QUOTE
all tabs courtesy of Kirk Loranges free guitar lesson website
http://www.guitarforbeginners.com/

"courtesy of" implies that you asked permission to link to the tab from my site, Black Betty, which you didn't. Please ask in the future.


It's a link to your site, simple as that. Giving a link to a site requires no one's permission. He didn't take anything or give anything away for free that you charge for. It's available to anyone on the net. (I checked to make sure it wasn't a link that "got around" any kind of pre-registration or per-fee requirement.) Actually you should be glad he posted a link to your site, and even gave your name as the tab/lesson/site's owner. You should look at it as free advertising. You've been posting links to your site on GTU for years which were basically ads promoting your site and lessons. It had been discussed by several mods a number of times whether or not to prohibit your links, whereas I was one of the mods who thought your links were helpful to other guitarists and were well within the "spirit" of GTU even if it did violate the letter of the rules regarding commercial promotion. Your tabs and instruction were very well done and benefitted members who saw them and if you personally benefitted by having someone then sign up for paid instruction or purchase your material that was all well and good and a very fair trade-off. You probably only opened this thread to post your same link and found Black Betty had beaten you to it. If you don't want any links to your site posted on GTU that can easily be arranged.

[rweezera]

QUOTE (dadfad @ Aug 13 2007, 12:01 PM)

QUOTE (planetalk @ Aug 13 2007, 04:24 AM)

QUOTE
all tabs courtesy of Kirk Loranges free guitar lesson website
http://www.guitarforbeginners.com/

"courtesy of" implies that you asked permission to link to the tab from my site, Black Betty, which you didn't. Please ask in the future.


It's a link to your site, simple as that. Giving a link to a site requires no one's permission. He didn't take anything or give anything away for free that you charge for. It's available to anyone on the net. (I checked to make sure it wasn't a link that "got around" any kind of pre-registration or per-fee requirement.) Actually you should be glad he posted a link to your site, and even gave your name as the tab/lesson/site's owner. You should look at it as free advertising. You've been posting links to your site on GTU for years which were basically ads promoting your site and lessons. It had been discussed by several mods a number of times whether or not to prohibit your links, whereas I was one of the mods who thought your links were helpful to other guitarists and were well within the "spirit" of GTU even if it did violate the letter of the rules regarding commercial promotion. Your tabs and instruction were very well done and benefitted members who saw them and if you personally benefitted by having someone sign up for paid instruction or purchase your material that was all well and good and a very fair trade-off. If you don't want any links to your site posted on GTU that can easily be arranged.

.

well put dadfad

as for a fingerpicking song, try "lion's mane" by iron & wine. that's what taught me to fingerpick.

Edited by dadfad, 15 February 2012 - 02:19 PM.

[-ism]

Anonymous - Romance (Romanza)

It's not extremely easy nor extremely hard. You will impress the ladies or ...maybe guys?

It's a classical song; maybe i'm wrong about the time period, but it's a classical song.

[dadfad]

While not exactly easy, this is a beginner-fingerpicker's "standard, especially in the Folk/Folk-Blues alternating-bass tradition." It's "Freight Train Blues" by Elizabeth Cotten (also done by Pete Seegar, Peter, Paul and Mary, and lots and lots of others).

FREIGHT TRAIN BLUES
By Elizabeth Cotten (rec. 1957)
Freight train, freight train, runnin' so fast
Freight train, freight train, runnin' so fast
Please don't tell what train I'm on,
They won't know what route I've gone.
When I am dead and in my grave
No more good times here shall I crave.
Place a stone at my head and feet.
Tell them all that I've gone to sleep.
When I die, Lord, bury me deep
Way down on old Chestnut Street
Then I can hear old Number 9
As she comes rolling by.
Freight train, freight train, runnin' so fast
Freight train, freight train, runnin' so fast
Please don't tell what train I'm on,
They won't know what route I've gone.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This tab is made to work with a sound-byte segment
I've recorded (forgive the poor recording quality)

.
http://www.soundclic...&songID=3023773

On that sound-byte is:
.
0:00-0:26 -Two basic instrumental progressions of the tune
0:27-0:55 -A progression where I've added the first verse
0:56-1:42 -Each line (1-9) of the tab/progression played slowly
1:43-2:47 -Played at full speed using improvs and syncopation
2:48-4:06 -The Real-Deal... Elizabeth herself live in 1966
.
Below is:
.
-The complete tab for the first part.
-The progression positions chorded over a verse.
-Each line 1 through 9 explained in greater detail.
-Some alternative ways to improv and syncopate
-A brief biography of Elizabeth Cotton
.
.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
.
The Complete Tab For The First Progression
.
.
E)--3-------0--------------------------------
B}-------------------3---------1-------------
G)------0-------0---------0---------0--------
D)------2-------2---------2---------2--------
A)--3----------------3-----------------------
E)----------3------------------3-------------
.
E)---------------3-----1---------------------
B}--0---0------------------------------------
G)------------------------0--------0---------
D)------0--------0--------0--------0---------
A)-------------------------------------------
E)--3-------3---------3-------3--------------
.
E)--3-------1-------0------------------------
B}--------------------------3----------------
G)------0-------0-------0-------0------------
D)------0-------0-------0-------0------------
A)-------------------------------------------
E)--3-------3-------3-------3----------------
.
E)----------------3-----0--------------------
B}--1---1------------------------------------
G)----------------------------0-------0------
D)------2---------2-----------2-------2------
A)--3-------------------3--------------------
E)----------3---------------------3----------
.
E)--0-----------------0----------------------
B}---------------0------------------3--------
G)------1-----------------1------------------
D)------2--------2--------2------------------
A)--2-------------------------------2--------
E)----------0---------0--------0-------------
.
E)-------------------------------------------
B}--1-----------3----1-------1----3----------
G)------2----------------2-------------------
D)------3-------3--------3--------3----------
A)-------------------------------------------
E)--1-------1--------1-------1---------------
.
E)---0---------------------------
B}--------------1----------------
G)--------0----------------------
D)--------2----------------------
A)---3----------3----------------
E)-------------------------------
.
E)------------------------------------------------------
B}--------------0------------------------1--------------
G)---0-----0---------0----(to C-chord)--------0---------
D)---------0---------0------------------------2---------
A)--------------2------------------------3--------------
E)---3--------------------------------------------------
.
E)----------------------------------------------------
B}-------0--------------------------1-----------------
G)---0-------(0)-----(to C-chord)---------------------
D)------------0---------------------------------------
A)----------------------------------3-----------------
E)---3------------------------------------------------
.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
.
In its simplest form, here is the tune showing where the simple chord-changes are:
.
[C]Freight train, freight train, [G]runnin' so fast
Freight train, freight train, [C]runnin' so fast
[E]Please don't tell what [F]train I'm on,
They won't [C]know what [G]route I've [C]gone. [G][C]
.
.
.
++++++++ PLAYING IT LINE BY LINE ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
.
Notes for playing line-by-line:
.
I'll take each line above one at a time as simply as possible. This entire arrangement
can be played using only the thumb and index fingers for picking. I'll give a "starting
position" to begin the line from and then how to pick and make changes for the complete
line. For the sake of brevity below I'll use just "s" and "f" to mean string and fret.
For example 4th-string/2nd-fret will be shown 4s/2f, 3rd-string played open would be
3s/0, etc.
.
.
E)--3-------0-------------------------------- (Line 1, out of the C-chord)
B}-------------------3---------1-------------
G)------0-------0---------0---------0--------
D)------2-------2---------2---------2--------
A)--3----------------3-----------------------
E)----------3------------------3-------------
.
First, hold a C-chord X32010 using XRMOIO. (You're going to be adding your
pinky on and off the treble strings and also moving your ring finger back
and forth alternating between the 5th and 6th-strings.) Add your pinky on
the 1st-string/3rd-fret. Now, begin by pinching the 5s/3f and 1s/3f with
the thumb and index. Then thumb the 4s/2f and 3s/O. Moving your ring-finger
over to the 6th-string and raising your pinky up, pinch the 6s/3f and 1s/O.
Thumb the 4s/2f and 3s/O again. Moving your ring-finger BACK to the 5-string
again and also putting your pinky down on the 2nd-string, pinch the 5s/3f
and 2s/3f. Thumb the4s/2 and 3s/O again. Ring goes back to the 6th-string and
pinch 6s/3f and 2s/1f. Thumb the 4s/2f and 3s/O.
.
.
.
E)---------------3-----1--------------------- (Line 2, out of the G-chord)
B}--0---0------------------------------------
G)------------------------0--------0---------
D)------0--------0--------0--------0---------
A)-------------------------------------------
E)--3-------3---------3-------3--------------
.
You're going to start with the G-chord 320003. You need to hold it in this
way RMOOOP for making changes in the treble notes and switching to and from
the C-chord more easily. Pinch the 6s/3f and 2s/0, then pinch the 4s/O and
2s/O. Thumb the 6s/3f. Pinch the 4s/O and 1s/3f. Lifting your pinky, add your
index to the 1s/1f (making a G7-chord) and pinch it with the 6s/3f. Thumb the
4s/O and 3s/O. Thumb the 6s/3f, and then thumb the 4s/O and 3s/O.
.
.
.
.
E)--3-------1-------0------------------------ (Line 3, still out of G)
B}--------------------------3----------------
G)------0-------0-------0-------0------------
D)------0-------0-------0-------0------------
A)-------------------------------------------
E)--3-------3-------3-------3----------------
.
Pinky back down on the 1s/3f, pinch 6s/3f and 1s/3f. Thumb the 4s/O and 3s/O. Lifting
your pinky and adding you index again, pinch the 6s/3f and 1s/1f. Thumb the 4s/O and
3s/O. Pinch the 6s/3f and 1s/O. Thumb 4s/O and 3s/O. Now put your pinky on the 2s/3f
and pinch it with the 6s/3f. Thumb the 4s/O and 3s/O.
.
.
.
E)----------------3-----0-------------------- (Line 4, back to C-chord)
B}--1---1------------------------------------
G)----------------------------0-------0------
D)------2---------2-----------2-------2------
A)--3-------------------3--------------------
E)----------3---------------------3----------
.
Pinch 5s/3f and 2s/1f. Pinch 4s/2f and 2s/1f. Move ring-finger over to the 6s/3f
and thumb it. Put your pinky on the 1s/3f and pinch that with the 4s/2f. Moving
your ring-finger back over again to the 5-string, pinch the 5s/3f and 1s/O. Thumb
the 4s/O and 3s/O. Ring back to the 6-string again, thumb 6s/3f. Then thumb 4s/O
and 3s/O.
.
.
.
E)--0-----------------0---------------------- (Line 5, out of the E-chord)
B}---------------0------------------3--------
G)------1-----------------1------------------
D)------2--------2--------2------------------
A)--2-------------------------------2--------
E)----------0---------0--------0-------------
.
Hold the E-chord 022100 OMRIOO. Pinch the 5s/2f and 1s/O. Thumb the 4s/2f and 3s/1f.
Thumb the 6s/O. Pinch the 4s/2f and 2s/O, then pinch 6s/O and 1s/O. Thumb 6s/O. Then
thumb4s/2f and 3s/1f again. Thumb 6s/O. Now, adding your pinky to the 2nd-string on
the third fret (to form an E7-chord), pinch the 5s/2f and 2s/3f.
.
.
.
E)------------------------------------------- (Line 6, out of an F-chord)
B}--1-----------3----1-------1----3----------
G)------2----------------2-------------------
D)------3-------3--------3--------3----------
A)-------------------------------------------
E)--1-------1--------1-------1---------------
.
Use this F-chord 10321X held TORMIX. You'll need it to easily make the simple change in
this position. You can make the common F barre-chord if you want but it's MUCH easier
this way. Pinch the 6s/1f and 2s/1f. Thumb the 4s/3f and 3s/2f. Thumb the 6s/O. Pinch
the 4s/3f and (adding your pinky to the 2nd-string) 2s/3f. Pinky back off and pinch 1s/O
and 2s/1f. Thumb the 4s/3f and 3s/2f. Pinch the 6s/1f and 2s/1f again. Then (pinky back
down again) pinch 4s/3f and 2s/3f.
.
.
.
E)---0--------------------------- (Line 7, a quick C-chord)
B}--------------1----------------
G)--------0---------0------------
D)--------2---------2------------
A)---3----------3----------------
E)-------------------------------
.
Pinch the 5s/3f and 1s/O. Thumb 4s/2f and 3s/1f. Pinch 5s/3f and 2s/1f. Thumb 4s/2f
and 3s/1f.
.
.
.
E)------------------------------------------------------ (Line 8, a quick G to C
B}--------------0------------------------1-------------- combination)
G)---0-----0---------0----(to C-chord)--------0---------
D)---------0---------0------------------------2---------
A)--------------2------------------------3--------------
E)---3--------------------------------------------------
.
Pinch 6s/3f and 3s/O. Thumb 4s/O and 3s/O. Pinch 5s/2f and 2s/O. Thumb 4s/O and 3s/O.
Then (changing to a C-chord) pinch 5s/3f and 2s/3f and thumb 4s/2f and 3s/O.
.
.
.
E)--------------------------------------------------- (Line 9, an even quicker
B}--------0------------------------1----------------- little G-to-C end-tag to
G)---0-------0------(to C-chord)--------------------- the progression)
D)-----------0---------------------------------------
A)---------------------------------3-----------------
E)---3-----------------------------------------------
.
Change back to the G-chord pinching the 6s/3f and 2s/1f. Then use the index to pick
the 2s/O and quickly thumb the 4s/O and 3s/O in sort of a combination move with a
sort of "twist" to it. (Like playing "dum a-dum"). Change to the C-chord and resolve
the progression by pinching the 5s/3f and 2s/1f.
.
And that's it!
.
.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

ALTERNATE WAYS OF PLAYING POSITIONS IN THE PROGRESSION ABOVE
These are some alternate ways to play parts within the progression. They
aren't necessarily tabbed as a complete progression below, just a bit of
variations that can be substituted in parts of the above tab which might
add a bit of variety and syncopation, similarly to how I played the more
stylized syncopated progression in the sound-byte. I won't try to explain
each little move on them because once you've done the lines above it's
pretty apparent how to do these below. Anyway, just a few ideas to try. 
.
.
E)--3--------0-------------------------------------------- from C
B}-----1-----------------3---------1----------------------
G)--------0--------0--------0-------------0---------------
D)-----------------2-----------2----------2---------------
A)--3--------------------3--------------------------------
E)--------------3----------------------3------------------
.
E)-----------------------------------1------------------ from G
B}------------------0--------3--------------------------
G)---0------2-------------------------------------------
D)------0---------------0--------0----------0-----------
A)------------------------------------------------------
E)---3---------3-------------3-----------3--------------
.
E)--3----------0--------------------------------------- from G
B}-----0----------------3---------0--------------------
G)-------0---------0-------0---------------------------
D)-----------------0---------0---------0---------------
A)-----------------------------------------------------
E)--3----------3--------3----------3-------------------
.
E)----------------------------------------------------- from C
B}--0h1------------------------------------------------
G)-------0---------------------------------------------
D)-------2---------------------------------------------
A)---3-------------------------------------------------
E)-----------------------------------------------------
.
E)--------------0--------------0----------------------------- from E
B}---------------------0------------------3------------------
G)---0h1------------------(1)------(1)----------(to F-chord)-
D)--------2----------------2--------2-----2------------------
A)-----------------------------------------------------------
E)----0------------0-----------0-----------------------------
.
E)---------------------------------------------0------------ from F
B}---1----------3----------------------1-------------1------
G)------2----------(F into a D9-chord)-------------------2--
D)------3-------3---------------------------0------------0--
A)----------------------------------------------------------
E)---1-----1--------(move thumb up)----2----------2---------
.
E)------------------------------------------------------------ from G
B}--------------------0--------------------------1------------
G)--0-------2-----------------(into C-chord)---------0--(etc)-
D)------0-----------------0--------------------------2--------
A)-----------------------------------------------3------------
E)--3------------3--------------------------------------------
.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
.
ELIZABETH COTTEN
.
Elizabeth Cotten was born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina in 1895. She
began playing at about age eight on her brother's banjo. She soon learned
guitar as well, playing her brother's and her father's instruments. This
is one of the reasons her exact fingerstyle pattern is so hard to play
exactly like she did. She was left handed and because she had no guitar
of her own she simply reversed the position of those normal right-hand
strung guitars and played them with the strings upside-down, picking with
her left hand, fretting with her right. Her thumb picking the treble
lines while her fingers picked the bass. Unless you are a left-handed
guitarist who learned the same way she did (like Robert Cray for example),
it would be extremely difficult to duplicate exactly the way she played.
.
She'd become a single-mother and a domestic by her early teen years. When
she joined the church, she gave up playing (many Black churches back then
believed the guitar "the Devil's instrument" in a very literal way). She
eventually moved north, living in New York City and still working as a
maid. Her affiliation with the Pete Seeger family actually began shortly
after moving th Washinton, DC. when Mrs. Seegar was shopping in a downtown
department store. Her young daughter had wandered away and gotten lost.
Elizabeth found the child and returned her to Mrs. Seeger. The grateful
Mrs. Seeger offered her a job as the Seeger's maid.
.
One day while cleaning alone in Seeger's music-room, she took a guitar down
from the wall and began playing it. Seeger came in and she was afraid she
would lose her job and quickly hung it back up and apologized, but instead
he asked her to play some more and was extremely impressed by her skill.
Soon afterwards Seeger, who was quite a popular musician, fell out of favor
with the public and record labels in that McCarthy Era because he was a Com-
munist. A few years later as that era wound down and he regained popularity
again, he helped establish Cotten's career as a folk-blues artist during the
Folk Revival of the early '60s. She toured a great deal and was recorded by
several blues historians. She also appeared several times on television,
including Pete Seeger's public-TV show "Rainbow Quest." She retired as a
domestic around 1970 and not long after began to tour full-time. Near the
end of her life she was given a National Endowment for the Arts National
Heritage Fellowship Award as a living national treasure and also won a
Grammy as well in 1979 for a compilation of her tunes in the best Tradi-
tional Music category.
.
In the years before she died she continued to play until very near the end.
I was fortunate enough to see her in concert in very early 1987 where she
shared the bill with (of all people) Donovan. While her playing was weakened
by her age, it was still delicate and beautiful, her voice clear. She died
at the age of 92 on June 29th, 1987.
.
.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ END +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I hope this works for you. There are a lot of others in this forum done in the same way, from easier tunes to more advanced ones.

[Migdelina<3]

well this helped me! thanks

[dadfad]

well this helped me! thanks

Glad the posts above helped. And welcome to GuitarZone.

[satriani08]

Hey!

My skill level is pretty much the same as TapouT.
Thank you for your recommendation guys!