i need help

[Childbride]

[snicker... ]

so my teach is going to let me expand from my 'old country' venue into some instrumentals for a recital i have coming up in the fall.

for the first time, he's like, 'ok, pick your songs'

i boggled. does that make sense? i've heard so many songs, in so many genres, that i just boggled. i could spend the entire weekend trying to listen to my music collection to try to find stuff on my 1.5 year level that i feel i could play in public.

i want to play a 70's song, an 80's song, and then i'm going for a wild card.

a total instrumental on guitar at beginner level that isn't 'cheesy easy', but not improbable.

Marnold, as the 80's rawk man, do you have suggestions on my 80's pick?

any picks out there as to the others?

[warren0728]

holding up a lighter and screamin' "freeeeebiiiird"

just kidding...that's a tough one...will have to think about it!

ww

[marnold***]

This isn't 80s rawk, but The Ventures' "Walk, Don't Run" would be a good choice, I think. It would certainly challenge you but not be impossible by any means. I mean, I can play it (although it sounds much cooler with my Floyd now). An 80s instrumental might be a bit more problematic since all of my favorites are way hard.

[Childbride]

This isn't 80s rawk, but The Ventures' "Walk, Don't Run" would be a good choice, I think. It would certainly challenge you but not be impossible by any means. I mean, I can play it (although it sounds much cooler with my Floyd now). An 80s instrumental might be a bit more problematic since all of my favorites are way hard.

[sigh] all my 80's faves are way hard too. will check into your vote, and thank you!

[just strum]

[sigh] all my 80's faves are way hard too. will check into your vote, and thank you!

Why not list a bunch and it will get the idea juices flowing for you and the gang.

[sunvalleylaw]

Try "Found out about you" by the Gin Blossoms for the wild card. Not too hard, a cool, fun lick, easy chords to solo against, and lots of room for expression. Cool power chord chorus that is fun to rock out on, and well, I think it is a fun song.



EDIT: Dang it! I can't find a youtube version that will let me embed it here. Just go to youtube and search Gin Blossoms and the song. You will find it.

EDIT OF EDIT: OOOPs I didn't see it was supposed to be an instrumental. Maybe that would still work. Hmm.

[piebaldpython***]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lbvSBNLLoo

GUITAR BOOGIE by Tommy Emmanuel. This is a great instrumental, has been around forever and.........your teach should be able to pare it down sufficiently so that you can play it at your skill level......lots of scale-type runs, it bounces in the beat so the OLD folks (or anybody really) will love it........kind of the acoustic version of SRV's RUDE MOOD.....speaking of which, for your 80's music........uh.......pick any SRV tune (Pride and Joy ??) where the chords aren't bad and see if he can pare that down for you..

[evenkeel]

The good Reverends Ventures suggestion is a great one. Walk, Dont Run; Pipeline; Apache, or even a medley!!!!

Do you want to stick with electric tunes? If not certainly Classical Gas or a instrumental version of Blackbird could be crowd pleasers and very doable for you CB. Although a bit older than your 70's requirement.

[Katastrophe]

It's not instrumental, but for an 80s tune, how about Tesla's "Love Song"? Great tune, not too hard to play, and popular in it's day. Plus, the intro is kinda cool...

[wingsdad]

Wow... the Rev's suggestion, backed by 'keel's idea of a medley, points in the direction of what was probably 'the golden age of Fender surf guitar garage guitar bands', '60-'64, backed with Mr. Chuck Berry, toss in a bit of Duane Eddy, stir it up a bit with some Chet Atkins, and spice it up with echo-loopy Les Paul. There's loads of highly playable stuff in those catalogs. Stuff older farts like me ate up & learned on....in a garage or basement.

Things got 'a bit harder' once a guy named Dylan came long and made lyrics more important to listen to than guitars. Then Clapton came along and lit a bit of a fire under the sound. Then this guy Hendrix comes along and throws gas on it to raise the bar. But by then, if you'd been playing stuff before these tunes, you could take a shot at handling what they were throwing at you. The next 2 decades morphed everything, because the electric guitar was no longer a simple instrument to feature; unless it was played with astonishing skill and pyromania, it could sound pretty lame compared to the sounds of electronic and synthesized instruments that it didn't have to compete with back in that 'golden age', when a guitar simply had relatively low-wattage amps with small speakers, not stacks and walls of them, and just spring reverb, tremolo, a fuzz box and maybe a tape echoplex to effect it.

I guess my point is: 70's & 80's guitar instrumentals within reach of a developing player like you, CB, whose only relatively recently ventured into electric guitar, could be tuff to find.

Maybe 'Back To The Future' would be the way to look....

[pes_laul]

childbride would this work?

http://www.guitarbackingtrack.com/

here you can download almost any song without the vocals or lead guitar.

so it's just the rythm section in the backround

[aeolian]

For some reason I think the theme song from "Friends" can work as a relatively simple instrumental song. One good thing is most people will recognize it with the first riff.

[Rocket]

Sleepwalk is a nice mellow instrumental that appeals to a variety of people... easy to learn & play too.
Choice of versions include: Santo & Johnny, Larry Carlton, The Ventures, Johnny Farina, Chet Atkins, Jeff Beck, Ron Eschete, John Cafferty, Joe Satriani, Brian Setzer, etc...

[sunvalleylaw]

Rocket, good call. I need to learn that one as well.

[mrmudcat]

Indeed good call on that one.

[Childbride]

WOW!

cool, you guys! i'm going to be spending some significant time on youtube tomorrow, i can tell. Wings, your point is well taken; i've rethought the whole decade-specific picking and now am just going for cool songs. timeless cool songs. [uhhh... that i can play and properly homage]

as for wh/not they should all be electric vs acoustic, i think maybe it would be more fun/interesting to mix it up and play a little of both. especially since most of my teacher's students that will perform at the recital are electric-oriented.

i should be a good girl this weekend and work...

but Music Calls, and that call is like siren song. i think i work on picking my music all weekend. o, while spending quality time with my husband, of course... and playing lots of guitar.

[warren0728]

i think maybe it would be more fun/interesting to mix it up and play a little of both. especially since most of my teacher's students that will perform at the recital are electric-oriented.

i think throwing in an acoustic song is a great idea.... :

ww

[Rocket]

Another good option for a solo instrumental is Samba Pa Ti. Slow & easy to learn & play... even a grandma can do it:

[just strum]

Another good option for a solo instrumental is Samba Pa Ti. Slow & easy to learn & play

That's one that has my vote.