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What fingerstyle songs are your favorites to play?

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Coloradoguy:
I'd like to learn what advanced fingerstyle solos other guitarists are playing at home when no-one is listening.  I've learned all or parts of 30 fingerstyle arrangements, but am always interested in trying out something new.  What are your favorite few solos to play, just for your own enjoyment? 

I can tell you that right now I'm loving Amazing Grace and The Rose by Martin Tallstrom.  I put my Tonewood Amp on the back of my 514ce and do my best to get all the feeling Martin puts into his performances.  After that I might play Berkeley Springs by Don Ross or West Wind by Al Petteway.  Something about all these solos warms my soul.  They are all in alternate tunings, so my tuner gets a lot of work.  Next up for me to learn is The Water is Wide by Ed Gerhard, I'm just getting started on that one. 

What are some other suggestions of your most enjoyable fingerstyle solos to play?  I know many of you compose your own music, but for the sake of this discussion, please recommend pieces that are available to the rest of us in Tab.

donlyn:

--- Quote from: Coloradoguy on November 26, 2022, 08:24:30 AM ---I'd like to learn what advanced fingerstyle solos other guitarists are playing at home when no-one is listening.  I've learned all or parts of 30 fingerstyle arrangements, but am always interested in trying out something new.  What are your favorite few solos to play, just for your own enjoyment? 

I can tell you that right now I'm loving Amazing Grace and The Rose by Martin Tallstrom.  I put my Tonewood Amp on the back of my 514ce and do my best to get all the feeling Martin puts into his performances.  After that I might play Berkeley Springs by Don Ross or West Wind by Al Petteway.  Something about all these solos warms my soul.  They are all in alternate tunings, so my tuner gets a lot of work.  Next up for me to learn is The Water is Wide by Ed Gerhard, I'm just getting started on that one. 

What are some other suggestions of your most enjoyable fingerstyle solos to play?  I know many of you compose your own music, but for the sake of this discussion, please recommend pieces that are available to the rest of us in Tab.

--- End quote ---

Coloradoguy,

Sorry, I can't tell the differfence between tab and Ogham. I know my way around a G-clef and some music theory, but I can't 'sight read' (look at written music and play from it). I mostly play by ear and do my own arrangements, sometimes on the fly.

That said, I mosly get a kick out of playing 60s intrumentals. I keep a 6 string in DADGAD, and a 12 string tuned down a semi-tone to D# (all my four 12 strings are tuned to D#) in DADGAD intervals (c#C# to C#C#). Otherwise I play in 'standard' tuning. I also play (or try) most anything on both a six and a twelve. Many songs on either, whether as instrumentals or as vocal accompanyment. And I fingerpick everything using my nails as picks.

As for songs, I also play 'Amazing Grace', in standard or DADGAD, 6 or 12, and sometimes with a slide on 6.

For examples of instrumentals in standard tuning, I play 'Walk Don't Run', 'Pipeline' (with a quick 'Roundabout' as medley intro), 'Maria Elena', 'Walk Right In' (sometimes with vocal), and 'Apache' (Ingmann version, 6 string only; 12 doesn't sound so good).

In DADGAD, I especially like to play in a raga style on a 12 string. For example, 'Rising of the Moon', '12 Kingfishers' (a Donovan song; sometimes will incorporate other pieces like 'Eleanor Rigby' into it), 'Old Folks at Home', and various Irish pieces. Playing a 12 string in DADGAD or DADFAD provides some amazing dronage in open tunings.

I mention all this as maybe some suggestions, as I cannot provide any written sources. I've been playing since the 60s on both 6 string and 12 string, and used to play electric back in the day. I am mostly self-taught, but have a pretty good 'ear'. I think there are a lot of us out here in the same general catagory as far as playing guitar goes. And knowing some music theory allows me to add notes to make up or suggest chords as I go along. An advantage in making my own arrangements is that no song is ever 'done' and can incorporate new things and make new medleys on the spot. An example is to sometimes use 'Spanish Harlem' (Ben E King song) as an instrumental opening to 'Maria Elena' which I did ad hoc one day while noodlng around and it stuck. Final 'C' note and chord is the smooth transition to the intial 'C' note and chord in 'Maria Elena'.

One of these days I'll learn that 'Smokey Mountain' thing by Petteway. Think he does it in DADGAD.

Be well and play well,
Don

Frettingflyer:
I am pretty much a hack when it comes to music, but I can’t get enough. I usually warm up with some arpeggios and then Windy and Warm(Chet Atkins). If on my own, my favorites to play next are Lewis and Clark by Tommy Emmanuel and Vincent(starry starry night) by Don McLean which I play in drop D. While in drop D I will likely play Here Comes the Sun and maybe stay there and practice some songs I am working on.
Back in standard tuning I am likely to play a couple Eddie Vedder tunes with lyrics(Just Breath and Society).
Any of the above could cause a diversion down another rabbit hole but are pretty regular for me. Lewis and Clark being one of three bucket list songs for me and the first of the three I am able to play it is my favorite.

Earl:
I have some fingerstyle playing skill and depth in several segments:
 - ragtime and country Piedmont blues
 - Hawaiian slack key
 - 60's-70's-80's singer-songwriter accompaniment when singing

Ragtime was my big thing but once I discovered slack-key in 2003 that put those studies onto the back burner.  My repertoire includes about an hour each of those instrumental styles, plus about two hours worth of James Taylor, Gordon Lightfoot, Jimmy Buffet, Dan Fogelberg, Paul Simon, etc.  It takes me about four hours to work through my repertoire each month to keep it fresh and up to speed.  Sorry, there are no videos or recordings posted anywhere.

TrampsLikeUs:
After 3years of lessons,  I’m just now getting into the fingerstyle playing.  My instructor has started me off with Dust in the Wind.  Hopefully this direction, mixed with what I have already learned will make me sound like a better guitar player.

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