# I wanna learn some new acoustic tunes... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 1, 2010, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wanna-learn-some-new-acoustic-tunes/559144 "2010-11-01T23:15:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wanna-learn-some-new-acoustic-tunes/559144/1 "2010-11-01T23:15:00Z")
…what are your faves? I am sitting here with guitar in hand looking for something new and fun. If its obscure at least point me to a youtune vid or something. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wanna-learn-some-new-acoustic-tunes/559144/2 "2010-11-02T02:10:40Z")
Little Martha is nice, if you don’t mind alternate tunings, and it’s also bite-sized at 2 1/2 minutes. I just learned it, and it was a lot of fun, and nice a diversion from my usual flatpick electric guitar playing. It’s in open E (E B E G#B e), but you can tune down instead to D A D F# A D and use a capo. [Here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1PiHsS8LP8)’s the album recording up on YouTube, [tabs are here](http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/search.php?value=little+martha&search_type=title). [This guy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FXHdiOX9Rw) has a TouTube tutorial; he uses the capo method. When you’re done with all that, [watch Kottke play it](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQNCTJ6cUmI) and be humbled. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wanna-learn-some-new-acoustic-tunes/559144/3 "2010-11-02T04:02:03Z")
Some Bert Jansch tunes: [Needle of Death](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-HkBak9lmM) Not exactly cheerful, but anyway… [Running from Home](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3mGV5pDDsM&feature=related) - I play it with the G string tuned down to F# so your thumb goes B (5th string)-F# B F# A F# A F# and melody is just some easy things on the B and E strings. Very simple pattern. John Fahey - [In Christ There Is No East or West](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ_ay0p2_vo) - this is in standard tuning. [Poor Boy a Long Way From Home](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReW9uUYm-DA&feature=related) - in open D (DADF#AD from 6 to 1). He takes his liberties in this video, but you can see how easy it is to wander off on tangents in this tuning. I love the Fahey videos. I’d never seen them before. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wanna-learn-some-new-acoustic-tunes/559144/4 "2010-11-02T05:30:36Z")
There are a couple of good books of Bruce Cockburn’s music - here’s a [link](http://cockburnproject.net/news/9912acousticguitar.html) to the Bruce Cockburn Project where they give you hints about his tunings and some leads on where to find transcriptions. His 3 sheet music books (All the Diamonds, Rumours of Glory and Dancing in the Dragon’s Jaws) are no longer in print, but they’re available from many libraries. ([Toronto Public Library link.](http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/search.jsp?Ntt=bruce+cockburn+sheet+music)) Some YouTube links for him - his ‘[One Minute Guitar Lesson](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK4GJp7MyIc&NR=1&feature=fvwp)’ and a [snippet](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK64qc-Mbts) from the documentary ‘My Life and Times’. Some of his easier material - [All the Diamonds](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IPbWwNfNV0) [Wondering where the Lions Are.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL4CdHd9ma4) [Going to the Country](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7i6uGMyzE0) [Foxglove](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCBY9Fb8YGo&NR=1) [Foxglove](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMyBJYm61xc), covered by Adriano di Folco in a street in Rome. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wanna-learn-some-new-acoustic-tunes/559144/5 "2010-11-02T12:55:28Z")
[Moondance](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBnuwwWxfsI), by Van Morrison. Great groove; good chords; good rhythm/moving bass exercise. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wanna-learn-some-new-acoustic-tunes/559144/6 "2010-11-02T13:18:19Z")
One I always enjoy plunking away at is the riff from [The Doors - Riders on the storm](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKbPUzhWeeI) Also, check out [Learn to play A Horse With No Name by America acoustic guitar lesson](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbqyWSI1Zj0) ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wanna-learn-some-new-acoustic-tunes/559144/7 "2010-11-02T13:28:45Z")
You might have some real fun with [the tunes on this page](http://www.visionmusic.com/lessons/percussive.html) ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wanna-learn-some-new-acoustic-tunes/559144/8 "2010-11-02T18:01:51Z")
I’ve been having a lot of fun with this one the past few days … lots of room for changing tempo and just plain messing around with expression. It’s about as obscure as it gets. You can be the first one to put it on YouTube. Don’t get upset … it is actually a classical fingerpicking piece but it looks to me like it should be very doable with a flatpick. I even worked up TAB for it. Enjoy. Hope these links work; never used this uploading service before. [http://www.easy-share.com/1912838489/Le%20Dispute.pdf](http://www.easy-share.com/1912838489/Le%20Dispute.pdf) [http://www.easy-share.com/1912838500/Le%20Dispute%20-%20TAB.pdf](http://www.easy-share.com/1912838500/Le%20Dispute%20-%20TAB.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wanna-learn-some-new-acoustic-tunes/559144/9 "2010-11-02T18:27:28Z")
Here are a couple of guitar lessons I shot of a friend of mine teaching finger style blues: [Part 1](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7dTh7aQr1I) [Part 2](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jwrQPzSRe8) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wanna-learn-some-new-acoustic-tunes/559144/10 "2010-11-02T18:35:27Z")
[Every Rose Has Its Thorn](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u78mYhVG34M) ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wanna-learn-some-new-acoustic-tunes/559144/11 "2010-11-02T18:37:59Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Here are a couple of guitar lessons I shot of a friend of mine teaching finger style blues: > > [Part 1](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7dTh7aQr1I) > > [Part 2](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jwrQPzSRe8) Just wow. What a talented player. My hybrid work is moving in that direction, but not that complex yet - and I don’t use a thumbpick since they slip on my thumb too much and I can’t get the bite I can when I hold a flatpick. Thank you for sharing - really cool; good filming, too ;). ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wanna-learn-some-new-acoustic-tunes/559144/12 "2010-11-02T21:10:49Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Just wow. What a talented player. Yeah, no kidding. +1 Wow. (Man, I wants me a dobro.) ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wanna-learn-some-new-acoustic-tunes/559144/13 "2010-11-03T03:02:42Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Just wow. What a talented player. My hybrid work is moving in that direction, but not that complex yet - and I don’t use a thumbpick since they slip on my thumb too much and I can’t get the bite I can when I hold a flatpick. I don’t know how he does it, but I think the Rev spends a lot of time re-shaping his thumbpicks to fit. > [@](#): > > Thank you for sharing - really cool; good filming, too ;). Thank you. I shot with two cameras to I could get closeups and a wide shot simultaneously, and cut out pauses and re-takes. [Here is a bit I shot](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMMbFQ3K0Vc) of the Big Damn Band at a school a few years ago, so it is a bit more basic. > [@squeegee](#): > > Yeah, no kidding. +1 Wow. If you get a chance to see them, I’ve never known him to miss an opportunity to talk to other players about music. > [@](#): > > (Man, I wants me a dobro.) He is a little miffed at the current owners of National Guitar, who won’t even discuss a sponsorship. Pretty silly, as he is playing classic National guitars and, more importantly, playing them before an audience who has [probably never ever heard of one before](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4k_g2a4q31Y). ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wanna-learn-some-new-acoustic-tunes/559144/14 "2010-11-03T03:47:33Z")
[Modoc](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ahtNyyvaiU&feature=related)by Steve Morse is a great piece to learn. Note, that isn’t Steve 🙂 The song is good for practice. There are some great stretches, the right hand work isn’t too hard but is a decent work out and it is way pretty. Also, the song sounds as nice played slow as it is at speed. Plus, chicks dig it 🙂 Slee ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wanna-learn-some-new-acoustic-tunes/559144/15 "2010-11-04T00:34:35Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > There are a couple of good books of Bruce Cockburn’s music - here’s a [link](http://cockburnproject.net/news/9912acousticguitar.html) to the Bruce Cockburn Project… Thanks for the Bruce Stuff! I had no idea there was all this available. I’ve seen him live sololy acoustically, and I kept looking around for the other guitarists… he was playing rhythm, keeping a bassline going AND throwing in lead licks. I can’t imagine any of his stuff being easy! ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wanna-learn-some-new-acoustic-tunes/559144/16 "2010-11-04T19:53:12Z")
You might want to give some John Prine songs a try. He plays fingerstyle guitar and uses a lot of travis picking, and his melodies are beautiful. One of my favorites of his in terms of guitar melody is [Souvenirs](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DYQe454YVs). Here’s a tutorial for the song on youtube: [Souvenirs lesson](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20Noezvz8Ww). The video has a link to the tab for it. An easier Prine song (and one of his best): [Hello in There](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_PbfxNsdZs). Lots of video lessons and tabs around for that one too. ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wanna-learn-some-new-acoustic-tunes/559144/17 "2010-11-04T20:15:37Z")
[Angeles](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQrhA6QtWOM) by Elliott Smith is fun to play. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wanna-learn-some-new-acoustic-tunes/559144/18 "2010-11-04T21:13:11Z")
[This is Part 2 of a video lesson](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP5XMB8sVrg&feature=related)featuring Bryan Sutton a well-respected bluegrass flatpicker. About 7 minutes in, he plays through a reel with a variety of picking techniques and hammer-ons and pull-offs. Gives Rev Peyton a run for his money - but a different style of music, bluegrass vs. country/fingerpicked blues… I want to be him when I grow up if I can’t be the Rev. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wanna-learn-some-new-acoustic-tunes/559144/19 "2010-11-05T06:40:27Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Gives Rev Peyton a run for his money - but a different style of music, bluegrass vs. country/fingerpicked blues… Definitely. > [@](#): > > I want to be him when I grow up if I can’t be the Rev. 😉 Hopefully you’ll be able to see the Reverend and his band in concert at some point. I’ll be seeing them towards the end of the month in Chicago at one of my favorite clubs, Schubas. If we have time, I’d like to film more tutorial footage, but I really need input from a guitar player - I don’t play at all. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wanna-learn-some-new-acoustic-tunes/559144/20 "2010-11-05T12:14:22Z")
Wow…some of the stuff you guys are posting is wicked difficult! I’m not much of a picker, though I do love to strum. For basic acoustic practice I usually revert to songs like “Hey Hey What Can I Do?” or “Going TO California” by Zeppelin. Those songs are fun to play, especially if you have a 12-string. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wanna-learn-some-new-acoustic-tunes/559144.md?page=2)