First Song to Learn?

busted stuff · Unread post by **busted stuff** » Sun Nov 03, 2002 1:18 pm

Hello all-
I'm just beginging guitar ( a few months in) and have only tired a few Dave songs. They all seem to be very hard with really far stretches (when will my hand stretch out??) and I was wondering what everyone thought would be a good song for a beginer to learn. You know, a confidence booster.

AnandPatel · Unread post by **AnandPatel** » Sun Nov 03, 2002 2:18 pm

There are many songs for you to start out with to boost your confidence. I personally learned Typical Situations and Christmas Song (Christmas Song requires a semi-far stretch - but its very doable). Both songs are simple to play once you get them down (obviously!

). I'd stay away from songs like Warehouse, The Stone, Tripping Billies, Lie In Our Graves... etc, all they do is lower your confidence. Definitly come back to them when you are better! Dave makes them look so damn easy. And most definitly take heed to the finger notation below the fret number - thats what make these tabs so kick ass. Your hands will stretch out with time - make sure you use your 4th finger for long stretches and not your 3rd (Not that you do use your 3rd). Hell I do not think my hands have even stretched out - and I have been playing for a while.

Hope that helps

Chumpnet · Unread post by **Chumpnet** » Sun Nov 03, 2002 3:48 pm

The first song I learned was Crash Into Me. At the time, it was more or less a random choice but now that I look back it turned out to be a good song to start out with.

You can learn the entire song fairly easily. You can practise an interesting strumming pattern along with picking bass notes which will come in handy later on. Gives the hand a bit of a stretch while allowing the string(s) to be muted without a lot of trouble.

The first time I got the bass notes going steadily was very rewarding. I carried that motivation into the next DMB songs that I took on.

waffle_house_jam · Unread post by **waffle_house_jam** » Sun Nov 03, 2002 5:13 pm

i'd definitely agree that you should stay away from trying songs like warehouse and the stone. ive been playing for four years and i still dont think i have warehouse down pat.
however, lie in our graves might be a good choice. at least the beginning riff, anyways. it was one of the first DMB songs i learned and it didnt give me too much trouble. the riff itself is really simple, you can learn that and gradually add on the muting techniques Dave uses as you get better.
as for other songs, i'd say proudest monkey, but you will get bored of it.
hmm...
where are you going is simplistic, but not very rewarding if youre into old DMB stuff like me. typical situation is good, fun, and will improve your picking style. same with crash, but you might have trouble with the stretches.
good luck, keep playing, and dont give up on the hard ones!

chucayes · Unread post by **chucayes** » Mon Nov 04, 2002 12:06 am

i've been playing for around 6 months and i started off w/ LIOG tripping billies and grey street they were all pretty easy and kept me playing.

gravedigger · Unread post by **gravedigger** » Mon Nov 04, 2002 12:52 am

come on now, easy? that's a great way to discourage people who are practicing their ass's off on these tunes. These songs are not easy to learn but are fun as hell.

busted stuff · Unread post by **busted stuff** » Mon Nov 04, 2002 1:51 am

hey now grave digger, I didn't call any of these songs easy. Ha, everything is hard for me right now. But I think they just mean easy for dave songs. So I've started to learn LIOG, it's a song I really like and the tab does not seem that hard (key work here is seem). I think I have the first part down (slow) but I am getting confused on the stumming/picking issue. I can't seem to tell when dave is picking and when he is strumming. Is this just practice adn more listening? For the jam sections I just want to pick with two fingers, but I think dave is stumming and muting the second and thrid strings. Any advice? Hints? Anything?

gravedigger · Unread post by **gravedigger** » Mon Nov 04, 2002 2:08 am

sorry for jumpin' down yer throat there chucayes, I just get kinda erked sometimes when some say that these tunes are easy and when they play them for you, they sound like shit. I think I'm just tired and grumpy, I had a rough night last night *oh the booze* for a starting Dave song, I'd go with Grey Street - cause it is relatively simple and straight forward, and plus you can practice your muting on the verses, and its the same chords as Tripping Billies chorus, so you got a head start on that one when you give her a try.

peace,
Ken

AnandPatel · Unread post by **AnandPatel** » Mon Nov 04, 2002 2:49 am

Yeah, LIOG is all about the strumming and muting. Wait, isn't that all Dave songs?

But yeah keep on listening to it. I would listen to live shows, so you can hear the strumming and mutting a bit better. The studio version seems to drown those out, I think - the CD is in the car so I'm not sure. For the jam i strum, but I started out finger picking it.

Hope that helps.

chucayes · Unread post by **chucayes** » Mon Nov 04, 2002 11:01 am

its allright gravedigger but LIOG was the first song i learned and i didn't have that much trouble with it but yes grey street is a good choice also. Some people have better luck with learning songs than others but practice is the key

dmfollower · Unread post by **dmfollower** » Thu Nov 07, 2002 4:05 pm

i think the first dave song i ever learned was crash, but that's only becasue the song came out when i got my first guitar. its a big stretch to master but i think if you start dificult and work your way down it opens diferent doors for you and it broaden's the picture a little. after crash i learned ants marching and typical situation. song that jane likes is a good standard chord song to get down. dancing nancies isn't that hard, and you get to move into those trippin' billies and lover lay down chords in the process. its all in what you want to learn. i had no desire to learn how to play the guitar, i just wanted to learn how to play dave(if that makes sense).
peace.

dmfollower · Unread post by **dmfollower** » Thu Nov 07, 2002 4:09 pm

hey gravedigger, in lie in our graves, when it goes to the jam part(up to a d at 110012)he does strum it for the most part. i'm sure there's a live version where he picks it but i like to strum it, getting the open strings of the A and D makes all the difference in nailing the sound of the jam. hope it helps ya.

gravedigger · Unread post by **gravedigger** » Thu Nov 07, 2002 4:49 pm

I wasn't asking for help with the song, but its a good tip nontheless. LIOG is one my favorites to play. I can play the mellow jam for ever - so sweet.

peace,
Ken

crimsonPhantom · Unread post by **crimsonPhantom** » Fri Nov 08, 2002 2:23 pm

how about say goodbye?? thats an easy song

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First Song to Learn?

First Song to Learn?

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