• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Acoustic GuitarGAF, I need a challenge

Status
Not open for further replies.
T

Tenebrous

Member
First of all, sorry if I missed out on a guitar OT, but I did a forum/google search in the community section and it came up blank.

Alright, I've been playing for 12 years now, and I'm a pretty capable player. Last year I decided to give up electric as I only played plugged in every now and then, so I sold all my electric equipment and banked the money I raised. I've gone from having well over £5k in gear total to having a Martin DRS1 and a tuner, haha.

Now, here's where I'm stuck... I REALLY want a Martin D18. It's the holy grail guitar for dreadnaught lovers, and would be a guitar-of-a-lifetime purchase. But the truth is, the DRS1 is doing everything I need it to do. I teach on it/with it, and I enjoy spending time with it... But I still want the D18.

I'm one of those players that doesn't really play too many songs from start to end, and this is no doubt my biggest failure as a guitarist. So, what I'm looking for, is a selection of ten challenging acoustic guitar songs (within reason - no Emmanuel, haha), to justify my purchase. I'm a big fan of fingerstyle playing, so please keep that in mind.

In the acoustic space, I'm a big fan of artists like Nick Drake, Dylan, Elliott Smith, Neil Young, Simon & Garfunkel... Anything by them (or similar artists you think I'll like) you can suggest is great, and I promise I won't buy my dream guitar until the job is done.
 
A

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
jasonng said:
First song to come to mind, may not be what you're looking for though.


But for real, Andy Mckee is badass.
Click to expand...

Drifting is apparently not as hard as it looks (that said I can't even close to play it) but there's like fifty lessons for it and every one of them says its nowhere near as hard as Rylynn.
 
T

Tenebrous

Member
jasonng said:
First song to come to mind, may not be what you're looking for though.


But for real, Andy Mckee is badass.
Click to expand...

It certainly isn't what I'm after, but he certainly is a badass.

Dice said:
Baba Yetu is fun and Sandra has gotten a lot better since then, so there is a lot of other cool stuff she has put on youtube along with her new labelmates at namuare.
Click to expand...

Ahh, video game music... After 20 years of piano, I probably know more VGM than I do classical pieces, haha. That's a really fun cover, and she's an awesome player, but I'm after something a tad more conventional and boring, sadly. However, I do a mean Tristram Town (Diablo 2) cover!
 
J

Jokab

Member
jasonng said:
First song to come to mind, may not be what you're looking for though.
Click to expand...

Nappuccino said:
Tallest Man on Earth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG2ccH8jlCA
Click to expand...

Definitely second these, especially The Tallest Man on Earth, his songs are so much fun to play.

I'll also add José Gonzalez: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ui80vxSwaS0. Despite being a guitarist (although a beginning one at the time), the first time I heard this song I was convinced there were two guitars, but there is only one.
 
N

Nappuccino

Member
F

FelixOrion

Poet Centuriate
D

dhlt25

Member
Tenebrous said:
I can play quite a few classical pieces (albeit with unconventional technique - but still accurately enough), but I'd rather stick to piano for that sort of stuff. I've played since I was six and consider it my main instrument.
Click to expand...

I see, I wish I could play the piano well T_T. The piece I posted was written for the guitar tho, I've seen some people play it on the piano on youtube but it doesn't sound as nice.
 
T

Tenebrous

Member
Nappuccino said:
Awesome! I tried to give some pretty varying recommendations, but I hope you dig the other two as well.
Click to expand...

Sadly not, haha. Well, they're certainly cool enough (I've heard Ocean before), but I'm more about the one man/one guitar/one voice kinda thing... I can't sing, but damnit I'll try! Glad to see TTMoE albums are on Spotify, so I'll be throwing on the HD800s and going through it all tomorrow.

We've got our first song!

1. Where Do My Bluebirds Fly
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
 
N

Nappuccino

Member
Tenebrous said:
Sadly not, haha. Well, they're certainly cool enough (I've heard Ocean before), but I'm more about the one man/one guitar/one voice kinda thing... I can't sing, but damnit I'll try! Glad to see TTMoE albums are on Spotify, so I'll be throwing on the HD800s and going through it all tomorrow.

We've got our first song!

1. Where Do My Bluebirds Fly
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Click to expand...

Fair enough! The last one I linked (Owen) is very much a singer/songwriter guy. Though his albums get fleshed out, his live performances are always just him and a mic.

Also you might dig Into It. Over It. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPZGAnHaWc0 He's certainly less skilled at guitar, but he makes a lot of nice, subtle choices that work well with the vocal melodies--he might be another good one to start singing and playing to.
 
T

Tenebrous

Member
Wow, thanks a lot for all the suggestions guys! Discovered some cool new artists and finding plenty of new pieces to play is great, and I'm very appreciative of all the aide.

Nappuccino said:
Awesome! I tried to give some pretty varying recommendations, but I hope you dig the other two as well.

A bit more low key, but often deceptively simple (especially once you start singing along), Owen is one of my favorites to learn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ8M0nwnhao
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8JuS6KlDvw
Click to expand...

I really dig the guys musicality. I'm digging Love Is Not Enough, and putting it on the maybe pile.

FelixOrion said:
Here are some more challenging fingerstyle ones that I've come across, though I don't actively seek them out. I they're not in the vein of the artists you suggested, but you might find them good for practice/a challenge? idk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbsjrdbVCfI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdYJf_ybyVo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAP-8lJzXy4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiERPVIEvSc (played on 8-string electric with clean-ish signal, but you might be able to adapt it)
Click to expand...

Why am I watching Spiderman playing guitar? Thanks for the suggestions.

Lan Dong Mik said:
I suggest Blue Orchids by Sun Kil Moon. Here is a fantastic cover of it being played by a youtuber. The bridge/outro of this song is amazing.

http://youtu.be/C24cXKqZw2o
Click to expand...

Sounds to me like we've got our second song. Take the vocals out and I could convince myself Nick Drake wrote the verse to this... Very pretty. I'll check out Sun Kil Moon - Thanks!

1. Where Do My Bluebirds Fly (The Tallest Man on Earth
2. Blue Orchids (Sun Kil Moon)
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
 
U

ugly

Member
Do you play with other people? That will give you the gusto you need to play songs fully. It's not a failing, it's that you're bored, I think.
 
Z

zer0blivion

Member
I recommend some Bruce Cockburn and Lenny Breau.

Bruce Cockburn - Wondering Where the Lions Are
https://youtu.be/JY__agG_eXc

Bruce Cockburn - Lovers in a Dangerous Time
https://youtu.be/NKjgJ3oLJqE

Bruce Cockburn - If I Had a Rocket Launcher
https://youtu.be/h3gqoD12yCo

Acoustic Guitar Sessions Presents Bruce Cockburn: https://youtu.be/W8sYV_eo7_Y

Lenny Breau - The Claw
https://youtu.be/TZKUcGTmvos

Lenny Breau - It Could Happen to You & Visions
https://youtu.be/ZLmpWzExBlg

If you only listen to one of these, listen to Visions. If you only listen to two, also listen to If I Had a Rocket Launcher.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

[GI.biz] The future of storytelling with Ken Levine
32
1K
Mister Wolf replied
Coming to Xbox Game Pass: LEGO 2K Drive, EA Sports PGA Tour, Harold Halibut, and More
News
23
2K
cash_longfellow replied
True Stories is one weird movie and I love it.
5
2K
k_trout replied
INVERSE: PSVR 2 Ironically Has the Same Launch Problems as the Xbox Series X. More proof Sony’s latest VR headset desperately needs exclusive games.
2 3
110
10K
sachos replied
Starfield Q&A on Discord Details
15
2K
balls of snow replied
Top Bottom