Practicing / Non-Dead songs to learn

[dleonard]

Hi all, I'm wondering if anyone wants to enlighten me with a good practice itinerary. Like, for the first 15 mins do this, for the next hour do this, etc. What I've been doing is starting off doing some patterns with the metronome, learning some new licks or transcribing, then jamming to cd's....in that order, for a while. I think a change might be good.

Also, does anyone have any good "campfire" songs? I found myself in the middle of a party with an acoustic and realized i don't know many solo acoustic songs.

[strumminsix]

man campfire songs could be its own thread!

brown eyed girl
hotel california

etc..

[abica]

I work on these...trying (in vain) to develop my voice and coordination

Flaming Lips "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" and "Fight Song"
Guns n Roses "Don't Cry"
Chilli Peppers "Under the Bridge"

I'm drawin' a blank...derrrrrr

I was just thinking about a practice routine that someone told me recently...put it in another thread. (I've yet to implement it much)

Start with a scale for a few minutes, play a tune in that key, re-do the scale. Then jam some familiar tunes. Then work on a new one you're learning. Then go back to the scale and tune in that key.

Like I said, I haven't done it many times, but it sounds good from a psych standpoint.

[NashvilleMike]

WTF?

...maybe it's just me.

[dleonard]

??? just wondering how to improve the daily practice

[amyjared]

Campfire songs:

Me and Julio
Angel From Montgomery
The Weight
Everything Dylan has ever done
Werewolves of london
Friend of the Devil
Blackbird
Melissa
Can't Find My Way Home
Lay Down Sally
Little Wing
Closer to Fine
Is She Really Going Out With Him?
Lola
Gimme Three Steps
Wish You Were Here
Everything Neil Young has ever done acoustic
Angie
Dead Flowers
Can't Always Get What you Want
The River
Take Me to the River
Sitting on the Dock of the Bay
Midnight Hour
Folsom Prison Blues
Jet Airliner
Pinball Wizard
Blister in the Sun
Camarillo Brillo
No Woman No Cry

these are just off the top of my head and usually get people singing. I also have some "funny" songs that I throw in in between when people just want to hear something instead of sing along.

As for a practice routine, play a scale forwards and backwards. Then play it skipping every other note. Then skip to third notes and so on. It's difficult, but once you get the hang of it, it helps you immensely.

[IamDocWatson]

every songs a campfrie song to me. if you cant play through and sing some songs around the fire whats the point?

[rockstarbobbyw]

Little Wing as a campfire song? I have never looked up tab or even attempted this song. Definitely one of my favorites of all time, but always assumed it was way to complicated to even attempt. I am partial to the SRV version. Damn what great song. I think I may try to find some tabs now...anybody have link handy?

Also anything off Reckoning, or really any dead....all songs can be campfire songs...Hunter's lyrics though..you just cant get more 'Americana' ...what a poet...Is anyone else ever puzzled by the genius of his writing? how can it be so good? I like looking for really old timey songs to play and it always amazes me to find to some random song from 18 or 1900's that has a line that ended up having a Hunter song written about it...I think I'm rambling now...but music just kicks ass doesn't it?

[Maybeck09]

Campfire. Other than the fine list thats already been posted......
I recommend gems like:
Summertime (I'm partial to Doc Watson version)
Shady Grove
any of the Reckoning stuff like: Dark Hollow, On the Road Again, Monkey&Engineer, Ripple.
The Band (Cripple Creek, The Weight, Ophelia, etc.)
Willie Nelson
Woody Guthrie- Classics like This land is your Land or Do Re Me Blues.
Dylan: Especially: It Takes a Lot to Laugh, etc. Masterpiece
Have you ever seen the rain? And other CCR songs.
John Prine
John Hiatt

I'll suggest a fake book called : "Rise Up Singing" which has simplified versions of many awesome Americana songs.

[Pete B.]

Fiddle tunes make for great scale practice.
Black Mt. Rag
Blackberry Blossom.
Devils Dream
Beaumont Rag
etc...

As mentioned, Doc Watson was a master of this style and he is a rippin' solo player.

[NashvilleMike]

Here are some campfire songs that amyjared left off

Hell's Bells
Freebird
Faries wear boots
Helter Skelter
My ding a ling
Snoopy vs. the red baron
I can feel your heartbeat (original Partridge family recording NOT the David Cassidy solo!!)
I'm eighteen
Rainy days and Mondays
Somebody's baby (Love theme from Fast times at Ridgemont high)
Sean Cassidy version of - Da Doo Ron Ron

[NashvilleMike]

oh yeah and also...

Eastbound and Down (Smokey and the Bandit theme)
The Streak
November Rain

[tcsned]

I would look into some Django Rhinehardt stuff - old jazz standards are great practice for learning melody and improv. Jerry's style had a lot of the gypsy swing/jazz thing in it. Django's stuff is a lot less complex than the bebop stuff that came later, revolved around a recognizable melody and had a good swing to it. Great for practicing to.

The modern guys playing this stuff are some of the best guitarists on the planet and are very much worth checking out. Jimmy Rosenberg, Angelo Debarre, and Bireli Lagrene are a good place to start. Also, the recording Stephane Grapelli did with David Grisman is top notch too.

[strumminsix]

oh yeah and also...

Eastbound and Down (Smokey and the Bandit theme)

Every see the Dempsey's do that tune? Besides a helluva great show the do this song up right! However they are Memphis-based.

[Mick]

A couple more "camp fire songs", especially for the less-than-expert:

"No Rain" - Blind Melon
"Time of Your Life" - Green Day

Wish You Were Here is a great song, and easy to just chord through if you haven't practiced any of the licks in the intro or anything. It is also a fairly easy song to sing. I view it as a little sad for a campfire song, but that is up to the player All the licks are right on the G major pentatonic too, so if you have a few minutes to figure them out, they are pretty easy.

"Yesterday" by the Beatles is a song that I learned a simplified version of from a book. I can play it decently on my acoustic, and it sounds great. I have never been able to sing that one decently though.