The Fretboard Guitar Songbook - phase 1

soma1975

UPDATED - 30/05
Speaking to the chaps at the recent SE meetup, we thought it might be worth coming up with a list of like 10 songs that can be the Fretboard Standards so there’s always something someone can play on and always something people at meetups can come together and play when they run out of ideas.
As such I've started a list and hopefully you lot will chime in and we will have a ton of suggestions that we will then whittle down. 
I think it’s really good to have a working rule when starting is was not the most obvious song that I, and I assume others are utterly sick of hearing so, no Teen Spirit, Seven Nation Army, Hard to Handle or Hey Joe. 
There’s plenty of great songs out there without going to those boring ones. Cool, interesting but maybe not too difficult things. The one I chose all have easy bits people can do, and lots also have cool solos and other bits for people who are into that as well.
Let’s add to them with other ideas and I will organise some sort of world cup of songs with voting to whittle it down to 10-15
Maybe need something for the acoustic people too?
UPDATED PRELIMINARY SONG LIST AS OF 30/05 - LOADS AT THE MOMENT. WILL LEAVE IT OPEN FOR THE REST OF THIS WEEK AND THEN THERE WILL BE A PLAYOFF BEFORE THE WORLD CUP COMMENCES TO GET IT DOWN TO 100 FOR THE FIRST WC GROUP STAGE. 
AC/DC – Back in Black
AC/DC - Highway to Hell
AC/DC - It's a Long Way to the Top
Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion
Alice in Chains – Them Bones
The Allman Brothers Band – Stormy Monday
Arctic Monkeys - RU Mine
The Beatles – Come Together
The Beatles - Get Back
The Beatles – Helter Skelter
The Black Crowes – Remedy
The Black Crowes – Struttin Blues
The Black Crowes - Sometimes Salvation
The Black Keys - Gold On The Ceiling
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Spread Your Love
Black Sabbath/FNM – War Pigs
Bluesbreakers – Stepping Out
Blur – Song 2
Bon Jovi – Wanted Dead or Alive
Bryan Adams – Summer of ‘69
Bryan Adams – Run to You
The Cars - Just What I Needed
The Clash – Should I Stay or Should I Go
Creedance Clearwater Revival – Fortunate Son
Cream – Badge
Cream – Sunshine of your Love
Cream – White Room
The Cult – L’il Devil
The Cult – She Sells Sanctuary
The Cure – Just Like Heaven
David Bowie – Let’s Dance
David Bowie – Queen Bitch
Deep Purple – Highway Star
Faith No More - Epic
Fleetwood Mac - The Chain
Fleetwood Mac - Oh Well pt1
Freddie King – Have You Ever Loved a Woman 
Freddie King – Hideaway
Freddie King – The Stumble
Free - Alright Now
Free – Wishing Well
The Foo Fighters - Everlong
The Foo Fighters - Times Like These
Fountains of Wayne – Survival Car
Funkadelic – Maggot Brain
The Georgia Satellites – Keep Your Hands To Yourself
Golden Earring - Radar Love
Guns N Roses = Don’t Cry
Iggy Pop – Lust for Life
Iron Maiden - The Trooper Jethro Tull - Aqualung
Jimi Hendrix – All Along the Watchtower
Jimi Hendrix – Purple Haze
Jimi Hendrix – Who Knows
Kenny Burrell – Chitlins Con Carne
The Killers - Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll
Kings of Leon – Molly’s Chamber
Led Zeppelin - Communication Breakdown
Led Zeppelin – Custard Pie
Led Zeppelin – Immigrant Song
Led Zeppelin – Heartbreaker
Lenny Kravitz – Always on the Run
Living Colour – Love Rears Up Its Ugly Head
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Gimme Three Steps
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Call Me The Breeze
The Meters – Cissy Strut
Metallica - Enter Sandman
Metallica - Lux Aeterna
Neil Young – Rocking in the Free World
Neil Young – Cinnamon Girl
New Order – Blue Monday
Nirvana – In Bloom
Nirvana – Heart Shaped Box
Oasis – Cigarettes and Alcohol
Ocean Colour Scene – The Riverboat Song
Paul Weller – Changing Man
Poison - Talk Dirty To Me
Pearl Jam – Alive
Pearl Jam - Black
Pink Floyd – Shine on You Crazy Diamond
Primal Scream – Moving on Up
Primal Scream - Jailbird
Prince – Purple Rain
Queen – Tie Your Mother Down
Queen – Keep Yourself Alive
Queens of the Stone Age – Make it Wit Chu
Queens of the Stone Age – Little Sister
Queens of the Stone Age – No One Knows
Ram Jam - Black Betty
The Red Hot Chilli Peppers – Can't Stop
The Red Hot Chilli Peppers – Dani California
REM - What's The Frequency Kenneth
Rolling Stones – Jumping Jack Flash
Rolling Stones – Start Me Up
Rush - Spirit of Radio
Samantha Fish - Lay It Down
The Sex Pistols – Pretty Vacant
Smashing Pumpkins – Today
Smashing Pumpkins – Cherub Rock
Stone Roses – Love Spreads
Stone Temple Pilots – Plush
The Strokes – Last Nite
The Strokes - Someday
Soundgarden – Loud Love
Soundgarden – Black Hole Sun
Therapy - Die Laughing
Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak
U2 - New Years Day
The Undertones - Teenage Kicks
The Velvet Underground - Waiting For My Man
Weezer – Buddy Holly
The White Stipes – Fell in Love with a Girl
The Who - Baba O’Riley
The Who - Substitute 
Yes - Roundabout

Jonathangus

I've just remembered this thread:
https://thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/285/one-chord-progression-songs-suitable-for-jams-or-encores/p1

soma1975

Is that a roundabout way of nominating Katy Perry -Roar for the songbook? 

Neilybob

Thanks for setting up this thread @soma1975 ;

mrkb

As a regular jam drummer this would help me out with supporting the jams, as every one seems to choose new tracks! 

If you get a regular list of set staples, I’m happy to learn them and can also make drum backing tracks so they could be used if I can’t attend.

soma1975

Brilliant.

My plan was to eventually get backing tracks for every song with all variations so no drums, no bass, no vocals etc and to have them all in a central depository for us all to grab so there is always something people can do.

As an aside yesterday I was looking for just some 5min+ song beats in different styles that Fretboarders could use as a basis for having an impromptu jam if that's something you could possibly think about being involved in?

prowla

soma1975 said:

Is that a roundabout way of nominating Katy Perry -Roar for the songbook? 

Roundabout is a good one!

prowla

soma1975 said:

Speaking to the chaps at the recent SE meetup, we thought it might be worth coming up with a list of like 10 songs that can be the Fretboard Standards so there’s always something someone can play on and always something people at meetups can come together and play when they run out of ideas.

As such I've started a list and hopefully you lot will chime in and we will have a ton of suggestions that we will then whittle down. 

I think it’s really good to have a working rule when starting is was not the most obvious song that I, and I assume others are utterly sick of hearing so, no Teen Spirit, Seven Nation Army, Hard to Handle or Hey Joe. 

There’s plenty of great songs out there without going to those boring ones. Cool, interesting but maybe not too difficult things. The one I chose all have easy bits people can do, and lots also have cool solos and other bits for people who are into that as well.

 The following list are some thoughts off the top of my head. Some I have never ever tried t play. Some titles might be better suited in different categories but will do that once all suggestions are in. Let’s add to them with other ideas and I will organise some sort of world cup of songs with voting to whittle it down to 10.

Maybe need something for the acoustic people too?

 

So please make suggestions and state a category for them. If I missed a category you think we need let me know. Will update this until we set a cutoff date and then set up a world cup group stage.

 

Modern Songs

I couldn’t begin to tell you what a modern song was, although I’d pay money to see a Fretboarder try to sing Greta Van Fleet…

 

Hopefully someone knows some that would be good to play?

Acoustic Songs

Hopefully someone knows some that would be good to play?

Britpop and Indie

 

Oasis – Cigarettes and Alcohol <= There's a lot better Oasis songs

Ocean Colour Scene – The Riverboat Song <= Good

Blur – Song 2

Paul Weller – Changing Man

Stone Roses – Love Spreads

 Primal Scream - Movin on Up <= That could be fun!

 

Alt Rock

 

Smashing Pumpkins – Today

Smashing Pumpkins – Cherub Rock

Pearl Jam – Alive

Pearl Jam - Black

Nirvana – In Bloom

Nirvana – Heart Shaped Box

Alice in Chains – Them Bones

 

90s & 00s Rock

 

Lenny Kravitz – Always on the Run

Black Crowes – Remedy

The Strokes – Last Nite

White Stipes – Fell in Love with a Girl

Living Colour – Love Rears Up Its Ugly Head

 

80s

Prince – Purple Rain

Bon Jovi – Wanted Dead or Alive <= or Living on a Prayer?

Guns N Roses = Don’t Cry <= any of the singers in the room at weybridge are better than Axl.

The Cure – Just Like Heaven

Byan Adams – Summer of ‘69 <= Good

The Clash – Should I Stay or Should I Go

U2 - New Years Day

Metal

 

Metallica - Enter Sandman

Black Sabbath/FNM – War Pigs <= That's got a lot of drums work!

Iron Maiden - The Trooper (or Aces High, or anything else)

Dio - Holy Diver

 

Classic Rock

 

Iggy Pop – Lust for Life

Queen – Tie Your Mother Down <= Or maybe one of the older ones?

Rolling Stones – Jumping Jack Flash <= Good

Rolling Stones - Start Me Up

Led Zeppelin – Immigrant Song <= Anybody up for singing that? Maybe Heartbreaker?

Jimi Hendrix – All Along the Watchtower <= How about Purple Haze?

The Cult – She Sells Sanctuary

AC/DC - Highway to Hell <= Good (or Back In Black?)

Cream – White Room <= Good

Cream – Sunshine of your Love <= or Badge?

Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak <= Good

Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama

Neil Young – Rocking in the Free World

Something by the Beatles (not the song "Something")

Alice Cooper - Halo of Flies

 

Jam Tracks for eveyone to have a wigged out solo for 20mins

 

Funkadelic – Maggot Brain

Pink Floyd – Shine on You Crazy Diamond <= That's a good song, but Money is better

Jimi Hendrix – Who Knows

Bluesbreakers – Stepping Out

Prog

Rush - Spirit of Radio (that got some interest when I played the riff at Weybridge)

Yes - Roundabout (dunno if it'll work with no keyboards though?)

Jethro Tull - Aqualung (the main riff changes key every bar!)

 

My thoughts in bold...

soma1975

Nice one I'll add them to the list and the people can decide. 

Personally if I hear hear Purple Haze again it will be a decade too soon. And that's from a Hendrix fan with an octave pedal! 

Agree there's a lot better Oasis songs - I'm not really a big fan, but it's pretty much something even a  beginner can play after a few months so could take part in. 

If peeps can list some songs I will add them at some point. I imagine there will be quite a large Initial Group Stage of the WC. Maybe 2 group stages. 

Funkfingers

Blue Monday (inna Metal stylee)

marooned

How about adding something by the Who, maybe Baba O’Riley or Substitute 

As for Metallica maybe a newer track  like Lux Aeterna….Sandman has been played to death.

TTony

@stratman3142 - as the owner of many a tFB meet-up session songs spreadsheet - could probably add a few that have worked well in practice, from those past meet-ups.

It's the in practice bit that's probably most important.

I've always been amazed at how well some of the chosen songs turn out on the day, bearing in mind that the people playing them have never played together before.  Compare that to all the rehearsal sessions that we might have been to where songs are all over the place because the guitarist forgets that there are 2 verses before the second chorus, or the bass player forgets about the break after the third verse, or the drummer misses the bridge, or (etc, etc!).

soma1975

marooned said:

How about adding something by the Who, maybe Baba O’Riley or Substitute 

As for Metallica maybe a newer track  like Lux Aeterna….Sandman has been played to death.

Will add them to the list. The people can decide. Used Sandman as an example of something not too difficult for people of varying abilities to play. 

soma1975

TTony said:

@stratman3142 - as the owner of many a tFB meet-up session songs spreadsheet - could probably add a few that have worked well in practice, from those past meet-ups.

It's the in practice bit that's probably most important.

I've always been amazed at how well some of the chosen songs turn out on the day, bearing in mind that the people playing them have never played together before.  Compare that to all the rehearsal sessions that we might have been to where songs are all over the place because the guitarist forgets that there are 2 verses before the second chorus, or the bass player forgets about the break after the third verse, or the drummer misses the bridge, or (etc, etc!).

Anyone feel free to name some songs and I will add them to the list ahead of us whittling them down. 

stratman3142

TTony said:

@stratman3142 - as the owner of many a tFB meet-up session songs spreadsheet - could probably add a few that have worked well in practice, from those past meet-ups.

It's the in practice bit that's probably most important.

I'll give some thought to which songs that seemed to work well in practice and come up with a list.


In the mean time, this is probably a case of too much information but here's a full list of songs we've done at the past few Western Jams and who played in the various roles.

https://i.imgur.com/EeZoo1m.jpg

robgilmo

Gimme Three Steps is an easy song to learn and great fun to play?

soma1975

Thanks all just looking for song names nominated to add to the list for now. 

Worth saving the discussion about their relative merits when it comes time to whittling them down, which is hopefully where the fun begins

I think I'll put a cap on it like 100 songs before starting to put them in groups. 

Will update each morning until we have 100 to start it from. 

soma1975

And just to reiterate I haven't listed any songs that would be my first choice to do. I have listed songs to start us off that I feel most people would be able to contribute to but that aren't boring as shit (to me at least). 

stratman3142

TTony said:

@stratman3142 - as the owner of many a tFB meet-up session songs spreadsheet - could probably add a few that have worked well in practice, from those past meet-ups.

It's the in practice bit that's probably most important.

I think some of the songs that worked well might fall into the category of obvious songs, probably because many are familar with them. So I'll just mention them anyway and you can chuck them out

Songs that follow a 12 bar format are easy to blag on the day, even if people haven't played them before. But maybe they're too obvious as well.

Based on past experience, you have to watch out for songs that are recorded with the guitars in Eb standard, and also songs where it's necessary to change the key for the singer. 

I'm afraid I can't categorise them, as I'm too old to know what's new and I've no idea what's what. So I've just listed them in alphabetical order

These are songs that I think worked well, but it would be good to get a second opinion from @mrkb ;;; who drummed on most of them. Also, @Brocco ;;;and @Neilybob ;;; as they've been involved in organising these things.

Alright Now (Free) - yes I know that's probably too obvious

Call Me The Breeze (Lynyrd Skynyrd) - It's just a 12 bar in A

Come Together (The Beatles)

Die Laughing (Therapy)

Fortunate Son (CCR) - We did it in A, a tone higher than the original

Gold On The Ceiling (The Black Keys)

Hard To Handle (Black Crowes) - Yes I know this has been mentioned as an obvious one

Jailbreak (Thin Lizzy) - we did it a semitone higher than the original, so we didn't have to tune down

Just What I Needed (The Cars) - but you need someone brave enough to tackle that tricky guitar solo

Keep Your Hands To Yourself (The Georgia Satellites) - It's just a 12 bar in A

Lil' Devil (The Cult) - might need to drop the key a semitone, depending on who's singing it

Molly's Chambers (Kings Of Leon)

Pretty Vacant (The Sex Pistols)

Queen Bitch (David Bowie) - But a tricky bass line. I know because I ended up playing it.

Run To You (Bryan Adams) - we did it in Em instead of F#m, which is kinder to the vocals and avoids having to use a bloody capo on the 2nd fret

Spread Your Love (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club)

Survival Car (Fountains Of Wayne)

Talk Dirty To Me (Poison) - we did it effectively in F# by using guitars tuned to Eb standard and playing it as if it were in G

Teenage Kicks (The Undertones)

Waiting For My Man (Velvet Underground)

Wishing Well (Free)

soma1975

Many thanks. Will add. Except Hard to Handle

There's 100 Black Crowes songs I'd rather than that so am using my one veto!

Brocco

One track I would add to those mentioned by @stratman3142 is Let's Dance (Bowie) which worked well and on which the stratman himself worked his magic