Topic: NEED HELP selecting songs for show!!!!
-I'm doing a short solo acoustic show next month.
-What songs should I play?
-I'm open to all kinds of music.
What are your TOP TEN favorite songs to hear/play?
Thanks for your help!!!
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Guitar chord forum - chordie → Acoustic → NEED HELP selecting songs for show!!!!
-I'm doing a short solo acoustic show next month.
-What songs should I play?
-I'm open to all kinds of music.
What are your TOP TEN favorite songs to hear/play?
Thanks for your help!!!
What kind of crowd is it?
Well, you probably have heard the old saying, "If you can't play something good, play something we know."
Decide if you're going to do covers or originals. I presume by asking here that you're talking covers.
I like 1970's era folk/pop music and country music. So my answers will go in that direction.
James Taylor stuff - easy to mix it up, old or new. If you need the name of a particular song it's tough to wrong with Sweet Baby James. But you've got Steamroller and a million other tunes. Copperline is another good one.
Cat Stevens - Zero, Father & Son, his cover of Another Saturday Night, plus about a zillion others
Tough to go wrong with John Denver. Everyone knows Take Me Home Country Roads, I'm sure you can get some folks singing along with that. But he's also got a million songs to go with.
I like Land of Canaan by Indigo Girls, but the part I like best about it is the interplay of guitars in the instrumental section, and you'd have to be talented beyond description to play both parts simultaneously. So maybe go with Galileo.
Can't go wrong with Beach Music at the end of summer. Up on the Roof, Under the Boardwalk, 60 Minute Man, whatever.
Have I got to ten yet?
- Zurf
i guess it depends on what kind of crowd it is....
if its country then just pull out some Hank Williams or Johnny Cash and people oughta respond pretty well... me and my bro and my cousins play for ppl sometimes and 'flushed from the bathroom of your heart' always gets a good reaction lol
if its rock then i'd say there are plenty of good acoustic pieces out there to choose from... Staind's everything changes is pretty cool, and shed some light on me by shinedown, or even doing some acoustic versions of older stuff like Creedance Clearwater Revival or something....
but like i said it depends on the audience.
I would often complain to my Mom when she'd ask how my gigs were going. I felt as though I wasn't(&still aint) getting an adequate response to my efforts. She told me to listen to and heed the lyrics of Rick Nelson's "Garden Party"."Well it's, alright now, I learned my lesson well. You see you, can't please everyone so you got to please yourself." Moral of the story; play what you like man, play what moves you, ya dig? You of all people know what you play best. If you are genuinely happy with your music it will transcend to your crowd. Just do what you do, the best you can do.
Thanks for the suggestions so far! I really appreciate it!! I will throw in some James Taylor and some John Denver....Country Roads is that type of song EVERYONE knows.....or should know.
What type of crowd.....let's see. Sports bar. 21-55 crowd. Wednesday night. I'm a regular at open mics there but I'm the featured artist next month so I get to play 45min-1 hour. My friends own the bar so I know many people there and some regulars. I guess I'm a regular too since I try to drink them out of Fat Tire or Blue Moon when I'm there....hehe. It's hit or miss as far as the attention you get from the crowd....if there's a Cubs game on......or.....what's that other team?.....oh yeah, the Sox, then it's pretty hard to work the room.
I'm playing covers and I might mix in some new originals I've been working on. I almost always play songs that I really like, but those aren't always what the average person likes. Here is a list of songs I've done there over the past couple of months in order to give you an idea of what type of stuff I play.
Caymen Review-Trey Anastasio
She Caught the Katy and Left Me the Mule to Ride-Taj Mahal
Birdhouse In Your Soul-They Might Be Giants
The Crossing-The Freddy Jones Band
Dance Hall Days-Wang Chung
Gumbo-Phish
Late in the Evening-Paul Simon
Let it Be-The Beatles
Adalae-The Pink Spiders
Karma Police-Radiohead
Pretend That This is Fiction-The Pink Spiders
Can't Get Enough of Your Love-Bad Company
Down Under-Men At Work
Laid-James
Inaudible Melodies-Jack Johnson
Say It Ain't So-Weezer
I Will Follow You Into the Dark-Death Cab For Cutie
Jolene-Ray LaMontagne
You Got To Hide Your Love Away-The Beatles
Trouble-Ray La Montagne
Here We Go-Dispatch
Black-Pearl Jam
Masters of War-Bob Dylan
Waste-Phish
Not So Usual-Jason Mraz
Garden Grove-Sublime
Feelin' Alright-Dave Mason
Drift Away-Dobie Gray
Let it Be-Beatles
Bad Bad Leroy Brown-Jim Croce
The Times They are a Changin'-Bob Dylan
Blue Suede Shoes-Elvis Presley
Hide Your Love Away-The Beatles
Indescribable-Chris Tomliin
Empty-Ray Lamontagne
Bubble Toes-Jack Johnson
I Don't Need No Doctor-Ray Charles
Big Empty-Stone Temple Pilots
AC/DC Bag-Phish
The General-Dispatch
Curbside Prophet-Jason Mraz
Caress Me Down-Sublime
Chariot-Gavin Degraw
What's Up?-4 Non Blondes
Beauty of Grey-Live
Overcome-Live
Stoppin' the Love-KT Tunstall
It's Still Rock n Roll To Me-Billy Joel
A Woman-Mofro
Amie-Pure Prairie League
Drown-Stuart Davis
Drift Away-Dobie Gray
Jive Talkin'-Bee Gees
Cecilia-Paul Simon
Walk On By-Cake
Blitzkrieg Bop-The Ramones
Gone-Jack Johnson
Ripple-Grateful Dead
Bittersweet-Big Head Todd
Thanks for your help!!
Ways to select;
1) Record yourself playing all your best songs on camera or with a computer mike. Leave some time and then review it. Don't get critical of yourself, just look for solidity.
2) Which songs can you always play even when tired, nervous, drunk... Look for songs that support you, safety net songs.
3) What people know. Pure Top40 radio fodder. You might think people would be more critical if they know a song well but actually they'll do half the singing for you...
Throw in some Jimmy Buffett. How can you go wrong with Jimmy Buffett in a bar? Use I Will Play For Gumbo along with Phish's Gumbo and make it a gastronomic set. If a ball game is one and your humor is dry, you may want to add Everybody's Talking. I don't recall the composer but the best known version is by Harry Nilsson.
I'm a 50+ intermediate beginner and have just started playing a small open mike in my little town. I'm strictly an open chord strummer, while some of the other folks are very, very good. I play what I know and like, it's a lot different sitting in front of people than doing it at home by yourself!
I made a comment one night that I'm not as good as the others, and one gal said, "yeah, but you play fun songs". I almost always do a Buffett song, Johnny Cash and of course some Beatles. People like that stuff and can sing along with it. "Brown Eyed Girl" is another good one.
You'd be surprised at the reaction to fun, simple songs. To quote Forrest Gump, open mikes are like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get.
Daughters- John Mayer
Tangled up in Blue - Bob Dylan
Wanted Dead or Alive- Bon Jovi
Looking out my Back Door- CCR
I Will Survive- Gloria Gainer
Thanks for the suggestions dudes and dudettes. I'm actually pretty comfortable with everything I play. I'm usually tired.....and drunk and they still sound decent. Just kidding....I like to play all kinds of stuff. I'm really looking for actual songs. What do you like to hear when you are out? What song has someone played that made you go "Wow, I haven't heard that in years!! I love that song!" or "Wow, that is an interesting take on that song, that works well" For example, I'm going to play Crazy by Gnarls Barkley, but I'm going to do a Reggae version of it. I want to make some interesting choices and have a memorable performance.
Wanted Dead or Alive is a perfect song. Everyone knows it and I'll play it close to the original.
I Will Survive- Another perfect song. Actually, it is another one that could transfer well with a reggae rhythm.
Buffet is always good. John Denver, enough said.
Daughters is an awesome song. Might do that one too.
I've played Gumbo by Phish before. Love that song.
Under the Boardwalk....Probably going to play that too.
I have a loop pedal that I use as well so I can solo on top of what I just laid down. If I want to get really fancy, I can get my GNX3 and loop a bass line, play some riff or chords and then solo. I've done that before with "Who Knows" by Hendrix (Band of Gypsys) I mean Billy Cox, Buddy Miles and Hendrix!!!! Does it get better???
So What are your top 10 or 5 or maybe even 3 FAVORITE songs that you've have heard or played at a show. Remember.....1 Guitar. 1 voice. I need some WOW factor!
Feel free also to suggest a song and change the style that I could perform it in.
Thanks so much.
Hello Cleveland!!!!!!!!!
how about knocken on heavens door,almost any ccr song or buddy holly tunes.sittin on the dock of the bay. good luck dino
Hi Zappa,
Please try PATIENCE by Guns N Roses. Its a wonderful acoustic song. Crowd will love to listen it.
Try These tunes
Fattening Frogs For Snakes- Sonny Boy Williamson
Pawn Shop Blues- Brownie Maghee
No More Cane On These Brazo's- Sam Lighting Hopkins
Steam Roller Blues- James Taylor
Pancho and Lefty- Willie Nelson, Merle Haggart
Dust My Broom- Elmore James
You Can't Get That Stuff No More- Tampa Red
Kind of on the blusey side but its all good.
Take Care ...Badeye.
Ok....I think I have a tenative set here.....let me know what you folks think....
Mary Jane-Rick James
Crazy-Gnarls Barkley
Sunglasses at Night-Corey Hart
Creep-Radiohead
Sheep Go To Heaven-Cake
Don't Look Back in Anger-Oasis
Lola-The Kinks
Show Me A Little Shame-Ben Harper
Who Can It Be Now-Men At Work
Country Roads-John Denver
Ain't No Sunshine-Bill Withers
I Am The Walrus-The Beatles
Blue-Jayhawks
Dear God-XTC
Come on Eileen-Dexy's Midnight Runners
Cruel To Be Kind-Nick Lowe
Africa-Toto
Can't Let Go-Lucinda Williams
Ophelia-The Band
Watching The Detectives-Elvis Costello
Thanks for your help!!!
you forgot Wonderwall - everybody can sing that for you.
and try Waterloo Sunset as a finish ....
Radiohead could be a minority taste in the bar.
Good choice with Ain't No Sunsine!
Hate to be a downer Sumelton, but I don't think I've ever heard Wonderwall. Not saying it's not a good song though.
Not sure I've ever heard "Sunglasses at Night" in a pub situation. Interesting choice. Another sunglasses song that might work well is "My Future's So Bright I've Got to Wear Shades" by Timbuk3.
Another song that I think people would dig in a bar that seems in line with your choices is that one with "Don't give me no lines and keep your hands to yourself." I forget the name of the song (unless that was it). Georgia Satellites did it.
- Zurf
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