[tigerstrat]

You guys might be overthinking it a little with this FOTM bashing.

Bashing? Quite the opposite. I'm glorifying it.

[strumminsix]

+1 to TS! The song is a magnificent!

Every member is doing something slightly unique!
And it is intermingled with syncopation points!

[IamDocWatson]

with all the mention of cold rain and snow i will point out that is also not a dead original thats a traditional tune arranged by the GD..

id say go with ripple theres room for everyone if u have two guitars just split the rhythm and melody bass line is simple keys can do all kind of trickling cool stuff to kinda take place of a mandolin

G C D Am..you all should be able to nail these chords easily without looking or thinking, i recomend u do sing just to keep u from looking at your guitar the whole time...

also with the crooked meters in ripple where they throw the extra 2 beat measure in is good to work on as a band...get together tight on your timing

[krzykat]

jack-a-roe is a fairly easy one to play

[G'Dad]

How about Friend Of The Devil

[Django]

Franklin's Tower was the tune that I got a non-Dead cover band to play.

[Tennessee Jedi]

Another "easy one" I like to try is Mr.Charlie.Most people can hear the changes real quick(well it is the blues),so its good for non-heads.Good luck...

[nicolasalk]

Weather Report Suite Preulde > Weather Report Suite > Let It Grow

[hotasaPistol]

Women are Smarter
Knockin on Heavens Door
She Belongs to me

[jackr]

+1 to TS Fire is only an easy song to play badly.

I hear you on that and it makes sense. I play it with my begginer nephew who kind of has the hang of the rythm now and I play lead.

Anyway, Knockin on Heavens door I thought was a real great suggestion.

I play that with the kids from the neighborhood. A bunch or 12 and 13 year olds and one of thier dad's who is a begginer and we can hold that together pretty well and it is not a hard song to sing.

[Rev_Roach]

You guys might be overthinking it a little with this FOTM bashing.

Bashing? Quite the opposite. I'm glorifying it.

Oh come on you know I wasn't saying that you intended to demean the song or anything. I meant bashing the choice for a beginning band. Yes the song has some great subtleties, but even if you don't get all of them it still has the potential for a lot of fun.

[krzykat]

Let the Good Times Roll, would be a good one, the chord progressionis fairly simple. Or me and My Uncle is a good one too.

[d-v-s]

I think with a beginning bass player you're going to struggle to learn a lot of GD songs (at least to make them sound Deady). I remember when I was just learning the bass - my first instrument - the only 2 GD songs I could play were Love Light and FOTM. Something simple that I could keep together, without too many chord changes.

It's a good place to start.

Oh yeah, and there were 2 other good covers. Knockin' on heaven's door was mentioned before, but I haven't seen this one, yet.

Dear Mr. Fantasy was a song that I could explore a little bit as a new bassist. Simple repeating pattern, with lots of room for fills and exploration.

[st. stephen]

thanks fot all your great ideas
what do you think abput Candyman? It has quite easy chord progressions, what about the bass line? Is that too difficult for a beginner?

[Tennessee Jedi]

CandyMan rocks.
If the bass guy has never heard it,it might be alot to pick up at first.
Another song w/beautiful singing all thru out.
What about jamming on Eyes intro and solo parts?