#11095  by hesgone95
 
Myself, I play mostly originals. I have about a dozen original songs that I play, and fill in the space with a couple of covers. I can do two 30-45 min sets w/o repeating anything. I play solo acoustic and I dunno, I've always composed music. I learned a lot about music playing chord progressions of other people, but have never really had much desire to play their music in a serious way. I do a couple of Dead and Dylan covers, but that's about it
 #11096  by hlblyhipy
 
I'm in a duo with another guitarist.Sometimes we play with a whole band other times it's just two of us.Our entire set is made up mostly of covers although we do play originals I think about 3 a set right now.As for covers or originals being hard to learn I think it depends on the song and what you are going to do with it.I have found when I write a song I prefer to have the whole bands input.What really changes is more the arrangement.the melody seems for the most part to stay the same.Guess the guys in my band like my melodies lol
just my 2c.
Peace Andrew

 #11103  by b weird
 
Hey, Hesgone95 I was just wondering what Dead and Dylan covers do you play? Do you do stuff like Truckin' and Touch of Grey or stuff like let's say Brokedown Palace and Black Peter? Peace.

 #11124  by hesgone95
 
b weird wrote:Hey, Hesgone95 I was just wondering what Dead and Dylan covers do you play? Do you do stuff like Truckin' and Touch of Grey or stuff like let's say Brokedown Palace and Black Peter? Peace.
The first song I ever learned to play and sing was 'Tangled up in Blue'. I also have a very slow version of 'Tonight I'll be staying here with you', that I play with jazz inversions of the major and minor chords. I play those two fairly frequently. I also like to play the 'It's all over now baby blue' from Biograph, but that can get rather monotonous. 'Visions of Johanna' is fun too.

As far as the dead I play Black Peter and I'll pull out Scarlet fairly frequently. I also do a FOTD>Rider that I finger pick.

 #11125  by Jimkkc
 
hey hesgone95 - we might have talked about this before, but when you posted fotd>rider, it brought to mind the fotd>little martha>rider jam my trio used to play.

What about lazy river road or althea? Two more songs that can be given a nice acoustic workout.

 #11128  by jck_strw
 
hesgone95 wrote:I also do a FOTD>Rider that I finger pick.
You wouldn't by chance want to post an audio clip of that, would you? I'd like to hear it.

 #11141  by Shaggy
 
I'm mainly an acoustic guitarist these days, I play without a pick, using fingers only.

I play many dead originals, some in their original form and others taken into my own setting and style. Many of the dead's covers helped open up a number of windows into new worlds of music many years ago for me. Like all good music should. It's all about sharing and spreading the word.

 #12874  by Django
 
Jayhoser,
I have had the same experience in Omaha. Original only bands usually share a bill, each playing maybe for an hour. And the only people in the audience are usually band members and friends/wives.
I had some luck twenty some years ago playing Dead. But we were kind of a 'punk' band in that we didn't de-construct and learn a tune off a record part by part. We kind of learned a tune away from the reference and just DIY.
Then I joined a good writer and had no luck with his and my originals in an alternative (think Husker Du or Meat Puppets) band.
That said I'd love to play with anyone now :-?

 #12880  by Sasquatch
 
i find it easier when just jamminjg instrumentally to make up whole songs and patterns and whatnot. the hardest part in my opinion is to come up with fitting, actually good, lyrics