# Favorite acoustic songs?



## Scotty (Jan 30, 2013)

I'm mostly an electric player but I'd like to play more acoustic. I'm looking for ideas on good acoustic songs (or songs suited to) that have a good mix of strumming and picking. (No overly technical songs - prefer standard tunings as much as alternate tunings are fun)
My main interests are hard and classic rock, blues etc. I mostly play along to Tragically Hip songs from the first 3 albums and started working on some Days of the New stuff.

What are your favorites?


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## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

Purple Rain is pretty easy and sounds great on acoustic.


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## StratCat (Dec 30, 2013)

Wild Horses - Stones
Interstate Love Song - Stone Temple Pilots
Wish You Were Here - Floyd
Please Be With Me - Clapton
Hard Luck Woman - KISS
Any Day Now - The Watchmen
Down by the Seaside - Zeppelin


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Have you tried any noodling yet?


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## TVvoodoo (Feb 17, 2010)

earl's guitar town is fun


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

Last time I posted my acoustic list no one had heard of any of them... lol


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

What about some acoustic ACDC! 

It would kick some serious ass!


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Select songs from Led Zeppelin (3), Rolling Stones (Let It Bleed, Beggar's banquet, Exile On Main Street), Gordon Lightfoot, Blue Rodeo, Tragically Hip, Jethro Tull, any number of old blues songs, Dire Straits...


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

Been playing some Eagles tunes on my acoustic guitar for awhile now. I've created some backing tracks with the hope of recording 3 or 4 this winter when the weather drives me indoors. Should be fun trying to lay down all the harmonies myself.


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

Here's the table of contents from my campfire jam songbook.

Barenaked Ladies - Call and Answer
Barenaked Ladies - Lovers in a Dangerous Time *
The Beatles - A Little Help From My Friends *
Counting Crows - Hanginaround
Counting Crows - Hard Candy
Daniel and the Lion - Death Head
Foo Fighters - My Hero
Frozen - Let It Go
Peter Gabriel - In Your Eyes
The Grapes of Wrath - What Was Going Through My Head
Grateful Dead - Franklin’s Tower
Grateful Dead - Mama Tried
Grateful Dead - Ripple
Grateful Dead - Sugaree
Glen Hansard - Winning Streak
Emmylou Harris - Wayfaring Stranger
Greg Holden - Bulletproof
Indigo Girls - Closer To Fine
Jack Johnson - Do You Remember
Kid Rock - All Summer Long *
The Lone Bellow - Bleeding Out
The Lone Bellow - Teach Me To Know
The Lone Bellow - Watch Over Us
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama *
Bob Marley - Redemption Song *
John Cougar Mellencamp - Jack and Diane *
Pearl Jam - Amongst The Waves
Pearl Jam - Daughter
Pearl Jam - Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In a Small Town*
Pearl Jam - Last Kiss *
Pearl Jam - Wishlist
Tom Petty - Free Falling
Tom Petty - Wildflowers
Tom Petty - You Don’t Know How It Feels *
Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
John Prine - Angel From Montgomery
Darius Rucker - Wagon Wheel
Stephen Stills - Love The One You’re With
Sublime - What I Got *
The Tragically Hip - 38 Years Old
The Tragically Hip - Ahead By a Century *
The Tragically Hip - Bobcaygeon *
The Tragically Hip - Courage
The Tragically Hip - Fiddler’s Green
The Tragically Hip - Fireworks
The Tragically Hip - Flamenco
The Tragically Hip - Nautical Disaster
The Tragically Hip - The Rules
The Tragically Hip - Scared
The Tragically Hip - Wheat Kings *
U2 - All I Want Is You
Eddie Vedder - Rise
Bill Withers - Lean On Me *
Hawksley Workman - Safe and Sound
Neil Young - Crime In The City
Neil Young - Hanging On a Limb
Neil Young - Harvest Moon *
Neil Young - Heart of Gold *
Neil Young - Helpless *
Neil Young - Powderfinger
Neil Young - Rockin In the Free World *
Neil Young - Unknown Legend *


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## Scotty (Jan 30, 2013)

Great song suggestions folks.Some stuff I have long forgotten



Sneaky said:


> Purple Rain is pretty easy and sounds great on acoustic.


Never would have thought of Prince...will give that a look



Lola said:


> What about some acoustic ACDC!
> 
> It would kick some serious ass!


Pffft, this guy copied me....yeah, in my dreams...way cool!



Mooh said:


> Select songs from Led Zeppelin (3), Rolling Stones (Let It Bleed, Beggar's banquet, Exile On Main Street), Gordon Lightfoot, Blue Rodeo, Tragically Hip, Jethro Tull, any number of old blues songs, Dire Straits...


Never considered JT...love their stuff from the classics to the newer rock. Big into Knopfler too



Guncho said:


> Here's the table of contents from my campfire jam songbook.
> 
> Barenaked Ladies - Call and Answer
> Barenaked Ladies - Lovers in a Dangerous Time *
> ...


Holy mother of god, what a list, and a great one at that. 
I've got most of the Hip stuff down, but there's a great number of songs here that might be ideal


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## Scotty (Jan 30, 2013)

greco said:


> Have you tried any noodling yet?


Admittedly not much. I've been struggling with getting Re-Valver going - totally frustrated. I am NOT a PC guy. A few amp models sound great on the G3. If I cant get it to work soon, I'm just going to stick with that and buy a small mixer so I can jam to tunes through headphones. 
(I think that will work...)

No muss, no fuss. Plug in and play. Tired of the nonsense


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Scotty said:


> I've got most of the Hip stuff down


That is VERY impressive!!



Scotty said:


> No muss, no fuss. Plug in and play. Tired of the nonsense


You might want to consider distancing yourself and give it a rest for a bit. You might feel better when you can focus on it with fresh energy and clarity.


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## Scotty (Jan 30, 2013)

greco said:


> That is VERY impressive!!


Thanks, but nah...it's just about the only stuff I really ever stuck with over the years. And oddly enough, I didn't care for thier songs originally until I started playing along.


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## Scotty (Jan 30, 2013)

greco said:


> You might want to consider distancing yourself and give it a rest for a bit. You might feel better when you can focus on it with fresh energy and clarity.


Definitely. Trying to download th3 tonight but my service is beyond abysmal. Gonna fail again. Resorting to using my phone to surf. Don't feel like playing either


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

Scotty said:


> Definitely. Trying to download th3 tonight but my service is beyond abysmal. Gonna fail again. Resorting to using my phone to surf. Don't feel like playing either


Sometimes it's good to take a break! 

I really have to force myself though. I need to realize that there is life beyond my guitar but I don't really want to acknowledge that fact! 

I am actually making some home made chicken and dumpling soup for my boys! A mothers touch always makes you feel better when you're sick. It's a good way to divert my attention away from my guitar! It's only one night.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Anything by The Band.


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## Yikes (Oct 19, 2017)

Great suggestions above...how about some songs, not yet mentioned, which (I think) were made for acoustic? In group alphabetical order:
America - Tin Man, Sister Golden Hair, Ventura Highway (may need multiple guitarists for this one)
Cat Stevens - Moonshadow
Led Zeppelin - Ramble On
Neil Young - Old Man
...of course, hundreds others to select; just tried to suggest top 5-6.


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

I have a fairly limited list, but as an Electric player turned acoustic (occasionally)

- Over the Hills and Far Away - Zep
- Gallows Pole - Zep
- Stairway - Zep
- Dust in the Wind - Kansas
- Hole Hearted - Extreme
- Only Women Bleed - Coops
- Midnight Rider - Allmans
- Closer to the Heart - Rush
- Can't you see - Marshall Tucker
- Black Hole Sun - Sound Garden
- Here Comes the Sun - Harrison
- Jolene - Dolly or White Stripes
- Seasons in the Sun - Terry Jacks
- Creep - Radiohead
- Hotel California - Eagles (anything by the Eagles pretty much)
- Heart of Gold - Young
- Blackberry Blossom - Tony Rice (if you're into any Bluegrass type of stuff. Really fun song to play)

The guys more well versed in Acoustic will probably have a slightly different take....this is coming from an electric players perspective. This is just my small list of tunes I've played/attempted.


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

I love me some Zeppelin but the problem with playing their tunes around the campfire is that every song goes to super high pitched screaming at some point.

Rush don't get me started!


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

haha. WHo can't do a Geddy impersonation around a campfire? It's easy peasy. 

But joking aside, I just figure if you're getting into acoustic as a fairly seasoned electric player who likes the heavier side of Rock, a few of my suggestions may work for you. They obviously have a huge range of difficulty level, depending on how you approach them of course.


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## georgemg (Jul 17, 2011)

Guncho said:


> Here's the table of contents from my campfire jam songbook.
> ....
> *Frozen - Let It Go*
> ...


I really should learn this song. I'd be my daughter's hero for life (LOL).


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

Exactly! 


Let It Go - Frozen

Capo 1st fret

Em C D A - Em C D Asus4 A

Em C
The snow glows white on the mountain tonight
D Asus4 Am
Not a footprint to be seen
Em C
A kingdom of isolation
D Asus4 A
And it looks like I'm the queen 
Em C D Asus4 Am
The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside
Em D A
Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I've tried

D C
Don't let them in, don't let them see
D
Be the good girl you always have to be
C
Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know 
Well, now they know

[Chorus]
G D
Let it go, let it go
Em7 Cadd9
Can't hold it back anymore


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## BGood (Feb 20, 2015)

Anything from Steve Howe


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## mario (Feb 18, 2006)

Lot's of great songs mentioned. Off the top of my head here are a few I enjoy playing on my acoustics and Resonator.

Led Zeppelin "Over The Hills And Far Away"
Led Zeppelin "Bron Y Aur Stomp"
Fleetwood Mac "Gold Dust Woman"
Grateful Dead "Friend Of The Devil"
Rory Gallagher "Out On The Western Plain"
Robert Johnson "Terraplane Blues"


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## Guest (Oct 25, 2017)

for you Toronto Tonto's
Max Webster - On the Road


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

I like Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen songs because it's easy to sound as good as the original when singing


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## StratCat (Dec 30, 2013)

Guncho said:


> I love me some Zeppelin but the problem with playing their tunes around the campfire is that every song goes to super high pitched screaming at some point.
> 
> Rush don't get me started!


It’s all in the delivery.


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## Scotty (Jan 30, 2013)

More fantastic tunes...There's a lifetime of stuff to learn right here.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

I love some of Page's acoustic stuff. 

Thank You
The Rain Song (a decent challenge and only an approximation if in standard tuning)
Over the Hills

...............and if the singer's being arrogant, The Immigrant Song


A couple others I like but more solo pieces and not very 'jammable':

Behind Blue Eyes
More Than Words


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## Fox Rox (Aug 9, 2009)

Lots of GREAT suggestions here. I also love Fire and Rain by James Taylor, and also some Lightfoot like Carefree Highway and Early Morning Rain.


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## mawmow (Nov 14, 2017)

I like to play a bunch of fingerstyle instrumental ballads...

But these days, I am on Yuletide pieces ! ;-)

Otherwise, my favorites amongst the numerous songbooks I have :
Beatles ballads : Something, Yesterday, Let it be, And I love her, In my life, When I'm 64...
Simon & Garfunkel : Bridge over troubled water, The Boxer, Scarborough Fair...
Clapton's acoustics : Layla, Nobody knows you when you're down and out, Tears in heaven, 
"Willie Nelson" : Always on my mind, Blue eyes crying in the rain, Crazy, 
You've got a friend (Carole King/James Taylor)
Piano man (Billy Joel)
Roy Orbison : Crying (I am on the verge to work his successs songbook)
Time in a bottle (Jim Croze)
More than words (Extremes)
A whiter shade of pale (Procol Harum)
Dust in the wind
By the time I get to Phoenix, Wichita lineman
"Celts" : Carrickfergus, Danny Boy, Loch Lomond
"Jazzy" : In a sentimental mood, Misty, Georgia, Moon river, and so
Rev. Gary Davis (Stefan Grossman songbooks) Blues/Rag repertoire

And my personal tab of "The nights they drove Old Dixie down" (Joan Baez)

I really love them all !!!


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