The following content has been automatically translated by close 

Play Popular Music On Guitar

By Expert Author: Ricky Sharples | Article Abstract
Word Count: 592 words | Views: 88 view(s)
Lots of people can play guitar but what music do you play on your guitar when somebody says, "go on, play something"? Do you play a song, an instrumental, a simple classical piece? Songs are probably best as a general rule because even if you can't sing, somebody in the crowd will be able to help you out. Just in case you get the party started with your guitar, a repertoire of around twenty songs probably should get you into, and out of trouble.

Your fingerpicking skills will come in handy if you want to impress a crowd of friends. The best thing about that is that you don't have to be a virtuoso. Just the barest minimum of fingerpicking breaks or short solos in a song will impress the average Joe or Joelene greatly.

Here's a few suggestions from a wide range of artists and genres. "Feel" and "Angels" by Robbie Williams, "American Pie" by Don McLean, "From the Beginning" by Emerson Lake and Palmer, "Cecilia" by Simon and Garfunkel, "Feelin' Groovy" by Simon and Garfunkel, "Blowin In The Wind" by Bob Dylan, "Big Yellow Taxi" by Joni Mitchell, "More Than Words" by Extreme, "Under The Bridge" by Red Hot Chilli Peppers, "Yellow Submarine" by The Beatles, "House Of The Rising Sun" by The Animals, "Wild Thing by The Troggs and "Runaway" by The Corrs. These are songs that everybody in the world knows the words to, or at least they can fake it.

Some artists that are always popular at singalongs are James Taylor, Leonard Cohen and Greenday. Oh, and maybe Suzanne Vega. Billy Joel's "Piano Man" and "Captain Jack" are songs that get a crowd going but maybe you need some vocal skills for those.

"Wonderwall" by Oasis deserves a special mention. The name was taken from the name of an album by George Harrison, and the song was the subject of speculation regarding who was in the thoughts of the composer, Noel Gallagher when he wrote it. All that aside, "Wonderwall" has been covered by lots of artists and everybody loves it. It's the kind of song that unites strangers from all over the world.

When you are choosing your repertoire, you can spread your net wide. No need to stick to the Top Forty, go for the Top One Hundred of whatever decade you feel comfortable with. An easy way out that does not need too much research is to just jot down a bunch of Beatles titles. You can be as basic or as flashy as you like because the songs stand up by themselves with just basic accompaniment or you can use any of the classical guitar style arrangements that you can find in music shops. "Blackbird" and "Hey Jude" would be a good beginning and finale.

You might want to think about an instrumental piece to continue the mood once the singing has died away. "Classical Gas" by Mason Williams might be a little challenging if you don't think of yourself as a "real" guitar player but it is surprisingly easy to play.

Of course if you are not likely to be playing for strangers, you will have some idea of the kind of music your friends like, so just let their tastes be you guide with a little of your own style thrown in.

There are also songs that maybe should not be played. "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton, "Freebird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, "Smoke On The Water" by Deep Purple and "Yellow Submarine" by The Beatles are contenders for this list but that probably only applies if your audience is sober.
Ricky Sharples

About the Author/Author Bio

Do you want to learn to play the guitar? Learn How To Play A Guitar For Free is a constantly updated blog which contains all the resources you need for: learning to play solo guitar, how to learn guitar chords, how to learn to read and play easy acoustic guitar tabs, finding a free online guitar tuner, looking for free guitar lessons online, and how to learn guitar scales.

Article Source: http://www.et.articlesphere.com/Article/Play-Popular-Music-On-Guitar/186331

Article Submitted: 2009-05-15 | This Article has been viewed 88 times.
Related Videos

How To Read Guitar Sheet Music
How to Play Acoustic Guitar: Accenting
Learn how to Play "It Happens" by Sugarland
How to play Where I'm From by Jason Michael Carroll
How to Play Acoustic Guitar: Arpeggios
 

Related Articles

 
 

Listed below are more articles related to the above article from the "Music" article category.

People interested in the above article "Play Popular Music On Guitar" are also interested in the related articles listed below:

 

Concerts On DVDs For Concert Lovers Worldwide

When going for a rock concert, there are a number of things to bear in mind during the performance. There is much more to a rock concert than just music and performance, as any good band out there will get a crowd involved, one should be prepared for what to expect.

American Idols

When I talk about American Idols, I'm not talking about the TV show American Idol. I'm talking about the idea of idols. Idols can be anything. Some people might have money, a big house, fame, sex as their idol. Wikipedia's definition for Idol is "An idol is a man-made object that is worshiped in some way."

Acoustic Guitars As Your Fundamental Music Instrument

The guitar is one of the most widely used musical instruments of our generation. It has become a symbol for all music lovers and a must have for anyone who is musically-inclined.For a music professional, it is a basic instrument in which he can produce musical compositions and tunes. For a music fan who loves music to death, it is an enjoyable and pleasurable way of spending his spare time.

How Music Has Evolved

Music is no longer just something to pass time with has now become a very main stream business which deals with millions every year. We may just be aware of the end product that is the song that we hear, but we must realise that what we hear is just a very small part of the entire making of that song. It all starts with the singer singing though it may sound as the most important but today it is just one part of the entire machinery though essential but still a very small part.

Black Electric Guitar - How To Own Your Best Fit Black Electric Guitar By Avoiding The Top Five Mistakes

It is always delighted to buy your first black electric guitar. But it is surprisingly to know that there are many common mistakes made by guitar first time buyers in acquiring black electric guitars. They are just simply overwhelmed with too much advertisement or worse still listen to some mis-information sources or poor advices by promoters who just hoping for higher sales.

Get your Mood going with Online English Songs

Listening to music is such a practice that provides its incredible zeal that suits everyone at any point of time. Every mood has its own demand in terms of music. This is why there are so many genres available to provide every type of personality. One trend which is gaining huge popularity these days is listening to english songs online. Thanks to the exposure of music that people trying their tastes beyond their regional folks.

Music Trivia Quiz - Test Your Music Trivia Knowledge

I was listening to an oldies radio station earlier today, and boy did it bring back memories. I was in high school in the 60s and it was a time full of music. Jefferson Airplane played at one of our high school functions, before they were famous of course. Santana played for our senior prom believe it or not. Anyway, it got me in the mood for a trivia quiz, and here are the questions, with answers of course.
 
Article Directory Home All Categories Arts And Entertainment Music
 
 

Can't find what you're looking for? Try Google Search!
 
Copyright © 2005 - by Larry Lim, Singapore - Article Search Engine Directory at ArticleSphere.com™
All Rights Reserved Worldwide. All Trademarks and Servicemarks are the property of the respective owners.