Tunes for a beginner to play?

Kyle Dosskey · Post by **Kyle Dosskey** » 3 May 2008 5:36 pm

What are some very basic tunes, country or otherwise that a beginner like me can use to learn and play along to? I'm thinking of when I started on regular guitar I learned "House of the Rising Sun" and playing that over and over a thousand times just got me feeling comfortable with the instrument. So anybody have any suggestions?

Calvin Walley · Post by **Calvin Walley** » 3 May 2008 5:42 pm

i think the best thing any beginer can play is the scaleS

Kyle Everson · Post by **Kyle Everson** » 3 May 2008 10:13 pm

A good song to learn is "Wild Side of Life." It has one of the most popular "recycled" melodies in country music. The same melody applies to "The Great Speckled Bird," "I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes," and Kitty Wells' answer to the aforementioned, entitled "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels." You can find a great version in the Mel Bay/Dewitt Scott instructional book.

Bob Blair · Post by **Bob Blair** » 4 May 2008 7:25 am

Red River Valley

Bryan Bradfield · Post by **Bryan Bradfield** » 4 May 2008 8:15 am

When Kyle says that he played "House of the Rising Sun" on the guitar, over and over a thousand times, the answer should have been clear.

The perfect song to work on with a new instrument is a song that you know and love the sound of.

For me, the song is "Banks of the Ohio", which I use on any new instrument I consider taking up. On the instruments that I am comfortable with, it is the tune I most enjoy improvising with.

Recently, I've been teaching my grand-daughter how to play guitar, and the song she can't get enough of is "Tom Dooley", so we play that one over and over together, trying out variations, and handing off the leads.

Of course, this works only if your favourite tune is not "Flight of the Bumblebee", or "Orange Blossom Special".

J D Sauser · Post by **J D Sauser** » 4 May 2008 8:20 am

I think that most any song which may seem easy to one can bee intimidating to approach for an other as long that person does not feel "natural" with it, does not "hear" it from the "inside". So, instead of trying to achieve 3 things at once; learning to apply music, learning the instrument AND a NEW song, why not dig inside yourself and try a melody you've been whistling, humming or singing all your life and thus skip one out of 3 things.
This analysis of what your "own" music is what it will boil down to eventually anyway, if is your aim to become an improviser someday.

Listen to your self, analyze, gain consciousness and only then, sit at the instrument and try to play ONLY what you set your mind up to. Don't let yourself be distracted by the tuning and setup and all the things it can do or you may be led at first to believe it can't.
If overwhelmed at first, try to lay down your melody on ONE string, single note and gain awareness of the intervals and later fold them over across the strings and explore harmony options and finally chord and last but not least substitutions and embellishments.

... J-D.

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 4 May 2008 9:41 am

J.D. My old friend Good advice for anyone....al.

:)

Calvin Walley · Post by **Calvin Walley** » 4 May 2008 11:00 am

I like the one Kyle picked

it can be played as simple or as complex as you feel up to

Andy Sandoval · Post by **Andy Sandoval** » 4 May 2008 1:25 pm

Kyle, since you stated you used "House Of The Rising Sun" when you started out learnin six string guitar, why not use it again with pedal steel. Here's a link to some easy tab for House Of The Rising Sun to get you started. Click Here

Kyle Dosskey · Post by **Kyle Dosskey** » 4 May 2008 9:22 pm

Thanks for the ideas guys and for that tab to "House of the Rising Sun". Right now I'm just trying to form basic major and minor chords and get to a point where I can play along without having to stop at every chord-change to think how to make the chord. I guess I just need to put on a CD and learn by trial and error then huh.

Mike Winter · Post by **Mike Winter** » 4 May 2008 9:50 pm

Split your time between "mechanics" and playing along with CD's. Mechanics can be tedious...but necessary. Playing along with CD's will let you have fun along the way.

Antolina · Post by **Antolina** » 5 May 2008 3:18 am

Kyle Dosskey wrote:Right now I'm just trying to form basic major and minor chords and get to a point where I can play along without having to stop at every chord-change to think how to make the chord. I guess I just need to put on a CD and learn by trial and error then huh.

I'm gonna recommend you get Reece's "Missing Link" course. I believe it's just what you're looking for. It deals with the numbering system and patterns of playing using the major and minor chords. The course is surprisingly inexpensive and worth far more.

Reece Anderson reece@msapedalsteels.com

Kyle Dosskey · Post by **Kyle Dosskey** » 5 May 2008 3:39 am

That sounds cool RC, thanks for the tip- duly noted sir. Also check out my Bud, I just put up some pictures in the Pedal Steel section- Bari Smith already confirmed within 1/2 hour that is his old guitar!

Antolina · Post by **Antolina** » 5 May 2008 3:42 am

Kyle,

I just read the thread. I'm happy for you that you have a fine guitar.

Reece's course will challenge you but believe me, it's worth it.

Abel Khineche · Post by **Abel Khineche** » 7 May 2008 9:20 am

Hi Kyle,

I don't know if it's been mentioned, but James Kerr
posted 3 excellent beginners tunes and is also providing the backing tracks.

Also Mickey Adams has superb Youtube videos lessons (but to me it's at least for intermediary steel players really).

Here are the links:

James Kerr

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=130852
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=131498
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=132979

Mikey Adams

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=129191

Both are superb helpers for us beginners, unfortunately I havn't had time to reallty practice tthose great lessons, and also they are meant for Pedal steel, I only have a lap steel now.

Regards,
Abel

Antolina · Post by **Antolina** » 7 May 2008 9:44 am

Abel Khineche wrote:]Mickey Adams has superb Youtube videos lessons (but to me it's at least for intermediary steel players really).

If Mickey says it's for beginners, it's for beginners. It's hard to beat his note for note teaching. He covers basic scales as well as some great intros and songs.

and it's free

Abel Khineche · Post by **Abel Khineche** » 7 May 2008 10:14 am

I stand corrected RC.

If I had a pedal, it would be indeed fantastic to follow his step by step teaching.
A great giver. Thank you Mickey.

Blessings,
Abel

Jim Hankins · Post by **Jim Hankins** » 7 May 2008 1:50 pm

I think the Dewitt Scott Deluxe Pedal Steel course mentioned above would be an excellent choice. (This is not the Anthology) It has most of the songs mentioned in this thread, including House of the Rising Sun, and many more you will reconize, and you can get a CD with it to refresh your memory on the songs you may not remember. You will be able to get up and running on playing 25-30 of those old standards, just mainly using pedals A&B very quickly.