[Music_Appreciation]

Everytime I listen to a song, I have the urge to play it but then it's really a song made for 2 guitars and it must be electric guitar. Does anyone know songs that I can play on my acoustic guitars.

And does anyone know any sites of how to do down guitars. My concern are tuning guitars down to C and C#. Thanks

[Lcjones]

Hey Music_App,

You don't have to give up playing tunes of songs because of multiple guitars in them or they were written for electric guitar. Learn the primary part and improvise. The acoustic guitar is flexible enough that you can play any tune on it. It doesn't matter about multiple guitars, electric of acoustic.

**
LC

[Music Lover]

Originally Posted by Music_Appreciation

Everytime I listen to a song, I have the urge to play it but then it's really a song made for 2 guitars and it must be electric guitar. Does anyone know songs that I can play on my acoustic guitars.

And does anyone know any sites of how to do down guitars. My concern are tuning guitars down to C and C#. Thanks

Hi Music Appreciation. This is just a response to the first part of your question. I was just about to sign off and saw your question. I was a classical guitarist and taught that and steel string for many years (now retired due to illness). But the question of playing pieces of music that were written for multiple instruments (guitars or full orchestras) always came up. I used to have a tape (which later became a CD ) of the Beatle's song "Yesterday". It has the distinction of being the second most recorded song in the past 40 years. Think about how many versions you have heard; everything from the original Beatles version (which is a 4 member/instrument version), solo guitar to full orchestras to duets.

My point is this, any song can be given a decent rendition on the guitar (hollow or solid body...acoustic or electric). No matter how many instruments are playing, one or one hundred they all follow the same pattern to start.

First find the sheet music and learn the chord progressions. Then, work your way up to a simple rendition (usually done by just pulling the melody out of the chords by plucking or picking that one note harder than the others in the chord and maybe adding one or two notes that aren't necessarily part of the chord but finish defining the melody). Once you have that worked out you can start to embellish the simple tune you have come up with by turning the chords in to arpeggios and again just plucking the melody note a little harder.

I don't know your experience level but after that is worked out try adding a few other "flourishes" such as an occasional hammer on or pull off, bending a note or adding a roll off or trill. If you know what that means, great. If you don't those terms you will in time on a message board/forum like this where someone will tell you how to accomplish anything.

The steps I outlined were an exercise I always gave students because it will also teach you how to do simple arrangements of music and over time and with a little experience you will be able to make the arrangement become more complex. And in the end, you will have a full arrangement and I doubt anyone would notice or care whether what your playing was written for one guitar or an orchestra.

I don't have most of my teaching materials any more but I used even have an arrangement of "Dueling Banjos" played on one guitar. And it actually sounded like two guitars playing. It was done by using syncopation and audiences loved it.

Start with simple tune (even if it isn't the ultimate tune you want to play) and the techniques and skills you learn from the start to finish of this process will allow you to get to that song you want to in time.

My point, in a nutshell, it can be done.

ROCK ON or play softly...just always keep playing.

[Lcjones]

Originally Posted by Music_Appreciation

And does anyone know any sites of how to do down guitars. My concern are tuning guitars down to C and C#. Thanks

Well, it's hard to determine what genre of music you are asking to play C tunings in. I would assume perhaps Celtic flavored music????

Dougie MacLean is a great C tuning player.

As far as tuning to C,

Open C - C G C G C E

Here are a multitude of tunings

**
LC

[starsailor]

You've got some great feedback here, most songs begin as stripped down versions so they can be stripped down again, the melody is the key, a couple of years ago MTV did a series of unplugged sessions one of the best I thought was Nirvana with Kurt Cobain doing acoustic versions of his songs, I play songs from Snow patrol and Green Day, I'm not brilliant but even with one acoustic guitar they sound like the song just with all the layers stripped away.
Just my opinion and it is good to put a twist on songs that you've only heard after they've been mixed in the recording studio.

[Noodler]

They say that a good song will still sound good when played on an acoustic guitar. Who knew Cindi Lauper was so talented:

YouTube - Caroline: Time After Time

YouTube - Cynthia Page - Girl just wanna have fun

Then there's this:

YouTube - You Weren't In Love With Me

As music lover was saying music can be "arranged" different ways. Some very clever people can finger-pick the chords and play the melody of a song at the same time. (So jealous)

[geitenvla]

Acoustic is the only way I know. I understand your "problem" but I have to agree with noodles here; most music sounds great when played acoustic. Think of the unplugged versions like Layla by Clapton/Cream. The unplugged version is just as good (if not better) as the electric one and they both have a unique touch to them.

I really appreciate the sound of my 6 string and I found that lots of songs sound great on an acoustic guitar, maybe even somewhat classical. Fact is most people are surprised to hear songs played differently and I don't think I've had a negative comment on the acoustic thing even once...

[scott58]

Improvising songs to acoustic is alot of fun. Most of the stuff I can play on electric I can give an acoustic flavor to. Chording some of the vocals also adds some quality to the play.

[justinthyme]

Originally Posted by Music Lover

First find the sheet music and learn the chord progressions. Then, work your way up to a simple rendition (usually done by just pulling the melody out of the chords by plucking or picking that one note harder than the others in the chord and maybe adding one or two notes that aren't necessarily part of the chord but finish defining the melody). Once you have that worked out you can start to embellish the simple tune you have come up with by turning the chords in to arpeggios and again just plucking the melody note a little harder.

I don't know your experience level but after that is worked out try adding a few other "flourishes" such as an occasional hammer on or pull off, bending a note or adding a roll off or trill. If you know what that means, great. If you don't those terms you will in time on a message board/forum like this where someone will tell you how to accomplish anything.

Now THERE would be a great lesson or series of lessons on video!!

[Noodler]

Originally Posted by justinthyme

Now THERE would be a great lesson or series of lessons on video!!

If I can suggest a song that lends itself to this, it is "(You Left Me) Just When I Needed You Most". Go, open A, Amaj7, A7 just going from 2,1 to open on the G sting. It then goes to a D chord. But by then you'll be hearing the song.


--------0------0------------0-----2
--2--3----2-3------2---3----------3
--2-------1--------0--------------2
--2-------2--------2---------------0
--0-------0--------0-----------------
--------------------------------------

Play notes out of each chord individulally (ie rest on each chord) before playing the D and E notes each time. I did this without a guitar, so I hope it's accurate.

[LarryKu]

If you are into arranging songs for fingerstyle guitar, the lessons at the following site might be helpful to you.

Creating Fingerstyle Guitar Arrangements

[ken.clark]

Nice Link!

[si16]

Originally Posted by LarryKu

If you are into arranging songs for fingerstyle guitar, the lessons at the following site might be helpful to you.

Creating Fingerstyle Guitar Arrangements

Great Larry, thanks.

[carol m]

I've just caught up with this thread, but the link to Creating Fingerstyle Guitar Arrangements doesn't work. It just says vDeck-Error. I Googled that title but nothing of that particular title came up. Does anyone know the actual web address?

[si16]

Originally Posted by carol m

I've just caught up with this thread, but the link to Creating Fingerstyle Guitar Arrangements doesn't work. It just says vDeck-Error. I Googled that title but nothing of that particular title came up. Does anyone know the actual web address?

I think that's actually hosted on LarryKu's own website Carol.