Hey y’all. CMC here. Ready for today’s quick-shout out? Good! Today’s mini-lesson is all about good acoustic guitar songs. And heck, who doesn’t want to know all about that, right?
It’s like, not all of us can ever be (or want to be) guitar gods or rock stars…right? But who among us wouldn’t at least love to be the hit of any party or gathering? And what better way, right than to grab that gee-tar with both hands and make a splash? (And hey, maybe even some cash, on occasion.)
Yep, that’s right–you know how some memories just never leave us? Well, one of those for me (and probably a lot of you out there) was when I was in Junior High, at our schools track and field stadium, sitting in the stands. Although I’ve completely forgotten the point of the event, I’ve never forgotten that dude with the acoustic guitar. He was surrounded by all the babes and more than babes-just people in general, dudes, teachers, who knows who else?
You see, the acoustic guitar is like a warm fire on a cold night (and this was in late spring, middle of the day.) No matter whether you are -at a party, at school, or busking on the street, there is something magnetic and attractive about an acoustic guitar player. While someone with a Strat or Les Paul and a Marshall stack draws a certain segment of people (like me) it also turns a lot of people OFF.
There are so many stereotypes about rock stars and frankly a good segment of the population could care less. And for good reason-maybe they know this: that bank of effects you have there on the stage by your right foot, can cover up a lot of unskilled playing. Heck, you can make a UFO land right there on stage with that thing! But the good news/bad news about acoustic guitar is this: you can’t cover up sloppy playing and you can’t cover up sloppy playing. Yes, it good news in that people know they are hearing the unadulterated truth about your skillz. But it’s also bad news that they will hear every single mistake you make. And that brings us right up the door step of the reason for this little shout-out: good acoustic guitar songs. If I remember correctly (and I do) the dude in the stands wasn’t sitting there soloing.
And there is a reason for that: people like to feel as though they are a part of what’s goin’ on. In some cases, they want to sing along. At the very least, rhythm invites participation more than soloing. So, to wow that crowd, to grab that guitar with both hands and make a splash, you will need some songs and
here they are.
Now, this is by no means, the definitive list. If it were, I’d tell you. This is just a few suggestions to get you started; a starting point. You’ll have to do the rest: keep your eyes and ears open, surf the web, turn on the radio.
In any case, here we go, with some good acoustic guitar songs. You might have heard me mention these in previous articles but no worries, they bear repeating.
Here’s my Fantastic Five for ya’:
1. House of the Rising Sun
2. Hey Joe
3. Venus (Shocking Blue)
4. Stairway to Heaven
5. This Old Man
