Songs you learned that helped teach you a specific technique?

[Tayloway]

What are some songs you can think of that you ventured out to learn that ended up teaching you techniques valuable in learning OTHER songs.

For example... my learning to play Behind Blue Eyes when I'd first started playing guitar taught me how to alternate pick. Probably one of the most educational songs I've ever learned. :P Most everything I play is alternate picked in some fashion.

[Acoustic Rick]

Two that come to mind, my dad was a pro steel guitarists' and he played in some bands with Merle Travis so, Merle taught my dad to play thumb style. He (pop) was the first ever to move that thumb style to steel guitar and his hall of fame plaque says "The King of Thumbstyle" Bobby Garrett. When I was a kid of about 11 or 12 years old he gave me steel guitar lessons and in order to teach me to use my thumb along with my other fingers to play, he taught me Merles 9 Pound Hammer. That song did just what he wanted it to do. Taught me I had a thumb for a reason you know.

As anticlimactic as it is, Layla Unplugged by Eric Clapton has given me a great feel lately so, that's numero two.

Authors Note, I'm not at all bragging about my dad's career. I'm just very VERY proud of who he was.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Tayloway

...Probably one of the most educational songs I've ever learned.

Hi T-way…
It isn't about which song you have learned, but the fact you have learned in a song based fashion (which is a great way to learn guitar techniques).

The songs I learned from would be outdated and semi-irrelevant to you, so I recommend you find some you want to play and pursue them.

[Tayloway]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi T-way…
It isn't about which song you have learned, but the fact you have learned in a song based fashion (which is a great way to learn guitar techniques).

The songs I learned from would be outdated and semi-irrelevant to you, so I recommend you find some you want to play and pursue them.

I don't need to have heard of them myself to appreciate them or for them to be valuable contributions to this thread.

I've been playing acoustic for 7 years since I was 13. The same could be said for songs I've learned from artists ranging from Chet Atkins to Johnny Marr.

[dacrylic]

The Heart of Life by john mayer for slap-strummy stuff!

[David Hilyard]

A tune that Chet Atkins used to play, that I love a lot and decided I needed to learn years ago called "Misionera" has several techniques I had to learn that I use in other tunes now. The tune is an Argentinian folk piece by Fernando Bustamante and arranged by Jorge Morel, a friend of Chet's. It has tremolo and rasqueado techniques I hadn't played before as well as a rapid i, m repetition on the first and second string with a bass line, and some fast scales. Some of it is like rubbing your stomach and patting your head at the same time. It was way beyond me when I first learned it and is still challenging today.

Here is an inspiring version of it, played better than I'll ever get to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8DmNJEDpl4

[Glennwillow]

I really think that most every song I learn these days is teaching me something new that I can put to use elsewhere. I am working only on challenging stuff these days.

Lately I have been working much harder at gaining thumb independence from the rest of my right hand in Travis picking. I thought I could do this, but have found out that I'm not as good as I thought. I used to be bored by the Travis pick, and now I'm inspired by it -- I find it sounds "happy" and I really want feel a little happier these days.

- Glenn

[wcap]

The most profoundly challenging piece that I've learned in recent years was the Spanish Classical piece Recuerdos de la Alhambra. This really raised my playing to a new level. This piece taught me the classical tremolo technique, which is used throughout the piece from start to finish.

Here is someone else playing it (better than I play it): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64S1Pwor5lM

This piece mentioned below looks like it would be a blast to work on learning too, and I'm sure I would learn a lot from trying to do so. I wonder how many years it would take me to get this one down?!?

Originally Posted by David Hilyard

A tune that Chet Atkins used to play, that I love a lot and decided I needed to learn years ago called "Misionera" has several techniques I had to learn that I use in other tunes now. The tune is an Argentinian folk piece by Fernando Bustamante and arranged by Jorge Morel, a friend of Chet's. It has tremolo and rasqueado techniques I hadn't played before as well as a rapid i, m repetition on the first and second string with a bass line, and some fast scales. Some of it is like rubbing your stomach and patting your head at the same time. It was way beyond me when I first learned it and is still challenging today.

Here is an inspiring version of it, played better than I'll ever get to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8DmNJEDpl4

[RussL30]

Stop this Train by John Mayer. It took a very long time, but it taught this slapping and striking with my thumb at the same time technique. I've incorporated this into some of my own doodles and absolutely love the sound. If you get it just right on Stop this Train, it sounds like a train chugging along.

[flagstaffcharli]

Al Pettaway's "Spindrift" is an excellent workout for two things:

1. Controlling hammer-ons and pull-offs. Practicing this with a metronome is great for identifying problems with rushing tempo when using these techniques.

2. A lot of the tune feels like pattern playing, but when you get into Al's variations you've got to really concentrate on each finger stroke.

Plus, it's a good tune!

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Tayloway

I don't need to have heard of them myself to appreciate them or for them to be valuable contributions to this thread.

Hi t-way…
OK some which pushed me way down the road...

Carpenter Gone Bad - Bob Bennet (Dropped D amazing running 3rds and 6ths)
My Redeemer Lives - Bob Bennet (Amazing & very tasty fingerstyle accompaniment)
Healings - Bob Bennet

Song for Sarah - Randy Stonehill
Christmas Song for All Year Round - Randy Stonehill (tricky stuff in there)
King of Hearts - Randy Stonehill
Lung Cancer (Lament) - Randy Stonehill

Phil Keaggy - 3 specific albums - ''Master & The Musician'' ''Acoustic Sketches (I & II)'' and ''Wind In The Wheat''

Karen Lafferty - drop strumming
Nancy Honeytree (Henningbaum) - chord voicing

Scott Underwood - Jesus Be the Center his arrangement (written by Michael Frye)
Brian Doerkson - voicing chords for maximum implementation in accompaniments

These have been some of the most influential...

[Bryan T]

Michael Hedges' "Bensusan" really cleaned up my pull-off technique and helped me coordinate left hand pull-offs and right hand plucks.

[jayhawk]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi t-way…
OK some which pushed me way down the road...

Carpenter Gone Bad - Bob Bennet (Dropped D amazing running 3rds and 6ths)
My Redeemer Lives - Bob Bennet (Amazing & very tasty fingerstyle accompaniment)
Healings - Bob Bennet

Song for Sarah - Randy Stonehill
Christmas Song for All Year Round - Randy Stonehill (tricky stuff in there)
King of Hearts - Randy Stonehill
Lung Cancer (Lament) - Randy Stonehill

Phil Keaggy - 3 specific albums - ''Master & The Musician'' ''Acoustic Sketches (I & II)'' and ''Wind In The Wheat''

Karen Lafferty - drop strumming
Nancy Honeytree (Henningbaum) - chord voicing

Larry

Excellent choice of music here. I think I have all the albums with those songs. Great music. You and I could have a great listening party.

BTW, I was so 'in love' with Nancy Honeytree when I was about 17. I got to meet her once. She was very gracious and I was totally tongue-tied. Ah to be young and stupid.

Jack

[Misifus]

Originally Posted by Acoustic Rick

Two that come to mind, my dad was a pro steel guitarists' and he played in some bands with Merle Travis so, Merle taught my dad to play thumb style. He (pop) was the first ever to move that thumb style to steel guitar and his hall of fame plaque says "The King of Thumbstyle" Bobby Garrett.

Authors Note, I'm not at all bragging about my dad's career. I'm just very VERY proud of who he was.

As well you should be.

So far as songs that lead to a technique, I think "Freight Train" opened the door to a world of fingerpicking for me.

-Raf

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by jayhawk

...BTW, I was so 'in love' with Nancy Honeytree when I was about 17. I got to meet her once. She was very gracious and I was totally tongue-tied. Ah to be young and stupid.

Hi Jack…
I’ve seen, met and picked the musical brains of all the ones I listed - except Phil Keaggy. I hope to meet him too sometime.

Nancy Honeytree did a concert for us once on a Sunday night, and it was supposed to be outdoors and it rained so she was shuffled to an indoor venue where I threw together a small PA and we all had a glorious time. She is an incredible player.

She used to hang out with Phil Keaggy and Peter York when she toured the coffee houses in upper Penn/lower NY. I’ve seen them all live multiple times and they each influenced and furthered my playing style and techniques.