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Guitar chord forum - chordie → Acoustic → Need a song..
I'm currently studying music for GCSE and i have to do a performance of an acoustic song. The song must have slides or finger picking in inorder to get a higher level..any ideas? <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_rolleyes.gif" border=0 alt="Rolling Eyes">
What is a GCSE? When you say song, do mean an instrumental piece or do you mean a song (with actual singing & playing)? What sort of stuff do you like? Who will your audience be? How long of a piece do you need?
GCSE is the grades you get in the UK.
I think it stands for general cetrificate in standard education? If not then looks bloody good to me,lol
I got a few of them, but my grades are called 'O ' grades, before the GSCE's came in
so a song ?
depends on how good you are at playing but if you are good at finger picking then might I sugest " tears in heaven" by Eric Clapton. I have heard one guy ( apart from Mr Clapton ) doing this and it sounds amazing. No slide in it thought, but ye might be able to put a slide in? not too sure, but certainly for finger picking, this song is superb.
Ken
p.s. Good luck, but you got months before you do it, so start practicing
OK - now I get it - GCSE is just a hoop to jump through. My suggestion is this - "Ode to Billy Joe" by Bobbi Gentry. The chord cycle is nice blues thing (not fast and with plenty of room for picking and sliding). The lyric is like a William Faulkner novel in five short verses.
The song won several Grammys back in '69 or whenever - so it is probably close to the same vintage as many of your judges or teachers or whatever they are called. Also, since I live in Mississippi not far from where Ms. Gentry grew up - I just think it is a great tune . . .
The only versions of the tune indexed on chordie have incomeplete lyrics (and wrong chords) so I will send a corrrect copy of the song to you via chordie's private messaging system.
I would suggest some James Taylor's songs for fingerpicking. For sliding, maybe a song by Bonnie Raitt? She uses the slide a lot in her tunes.
Or you may try one from the Allman Brothers, Seven turns or Dreams I'll never see.
WEll you say slides OR finger picking so how about Streets Of London by Mr R McTell? Even a crappy version of that can bring a tear to the soberest of eyes.
I'm off to learn Ode To Billy joe now. What a good idea that was!
Hello dwvallance - I just published a songbook that includes "Ode to Billie Joe" correct and complete (see 3-Chord Rock& Roll Relics).
Other versions indexed on Chordie are missing verses and have questionable chords. Hope you find my version to be useful . . .
Thanks, James. I've just noticed your reply to my request for Anchorage too. I'll need to get my thinking cap on now for the "special" lyrics... Cheers,
D.
Streets Of London - very good call DWV
Scarborough Fair - several versions, look for a simple one and it can work great.
Mad World - yep, amazingly a slow pick sounds cool.
Love Is All Around - best reverse arpeggiod but even a standard pick sounds good.
Wonderful Tonight - there are several complicated picks to match Eric but even a straight pick or arpeggio sounds nice.
Guitar chord forum - chordie → Acoustic → Need a song..
