Easiest Dave Song to learn? [Archive] - Weekly Davespeak

he who rocks

05-12-2006, 06:41 PM

your in the same boat i am
the easiest song to learn by far is bartender

others noted would be, typical situation, seek up (intro) gravedigger is pretty good, joyride is a bit of a stretch but you can get it... hmmmmthe guitars in my lap, im tryin to remember what i can do thats easy... ill get back with more in a minute

he who rocks

05-12-2006, 06:44 PM

crash isnt too bad... what can you do now?

btw www.dmbtabs.com (http://www.dmbtabs.com)

watchthis

05-12-2006, 08:40 PM

big eyed fish, diggin a ditch, grey street, hallowen, too much, proudest monkey, ain't it funny, pig, dreaming tree, spoon, and tripping billies. just kiddin about that last one, but these are some of the easier ones dave plays. best of luck to ya.

he who rocks

05-12-2006, 08:49 PM

lol, tripping billies my asshole, thats the last song ill learn

Jason

05-12-2006, 11:43 PM

lover lay down, it's pretty repetitive and slow. tripiping billies is pretty much the same chords, just faster.

Rob

05-13-2006, 10:38 AM

Crash is fun because it isn't too hard and you can really hear the sound of the song right away.

tiglet26

05-13-2006, 10:58 AM

I've always wanted to learn to play the guitar....maybe I'll recommend it to my little one in a couple years...then she can teach me!

djurzi

05-13-2006, 04:24 PM

tripiping billies is pretty much the same chords, just faster.

that is a fun song. I have a guitar. I stink though. I need to practice more... if I only had more hours in a day.

Joe

05-13-2006, 06:40 PM

stay (the beginning) grey street, LIOG, american baby intro

cornflake girl

05-14-2006, 09:27 AM

Thank you for all the suggestions. I seem to have figured out Typical Situation already, which was easy enough. I'm trying to decide which one to attempt now. thanks again for the ideas :boings:

AllAlongTheWatchtower

05-14-2006, 06:13 PM

hunger for the great light isn't bad for a beginner

AllAlongTheWatchtower

05-14-2006, 06:16 PM

it took me awhile to get satellite, but if you play it over and over again it starts to get easy... so try satellite its fun

pancake_ice

05-14-2006, 06:50 PM

it took me awhile to get satellite, but if you play it over and over again it starts to get easy... so try satellite its fun

ooo, same for #34. Once it's etched into your mind it just flows out of your fingers.

:chicken:

he who rocks

05-14-2006, 09:06 PM

im workin on 34...

DMBNL

05-15-2006, 04:01 AM

louisiana bayou is fun to play and not that hard same for recently I think..

cornflake girl

05-15-2006, 02:22 PM

Trying to learn these songs depresses me because I find that I don't know all the words to a bunch of my favourite songs. And the songs which I know all the words to, I don't really know how the music behind them goes.

It is a strange experience but fun nonetheless.:boings:

Dave L

05-15-2006, 04:02 PM

If you have a capo (on seven), Stay or Leave is quite pleasant and fairly easy to pick up, though the end changes are bit challenging but you can wing it and make it sound ok. Hell just sing louder!

I always shyed away from movin up the neck cuz I never really had any formal training but once you pick up different voicings for the same chords your set.
Definitely will give props to dmbtabs.com (http://www.dmbtabs.com/) remember not to just play the easy stuff over and over or you wont get any better than that one song.:thumbsup:

dmb2yes

05-28-2006, 07:33 PM

proudest monkey

Joe

05-29-2006, 10:30 AM

Ants Marching is really easy to learn.

kjdenison

05-30-2006, 04:58 AM

oh man, probably typical situation

HarrisonB57

05-30-2006, 07:07 AM

once you learn one or two and figure out daves style, most of them are fairly easy to pick up

ToySoldiers

06-01-2006, 05:03 AM

Just pick a song and play it until it sounds good. That's how I picked up The Stone, JTR, Tripping Billies, etc.

#40+1

06-01-2006, 01:54 PM

Dancing Nancies is really really easy

cubbies14

06-01-2006, 03:08 PM

#41 is pretty easy and Granny...once you figure out the rythym

greystreetkevin

06-02-2006, 10:26 AM

I learned Warehouse very quick and im a self taught player. Greystreet is probally the easiest along with #41. Really just pick a song, and be determined to learn it and you can play it

npfsu

06-06-2006, 03:48 AM

Once you get past the intro, #41 is pretty easy. I hope your pinky is used to playing!

npfsu

06-06-2006, 03:49 AM

Bartender is alos easy - Dropped D tunning though. Once you are in dropped D then also play Crush, then Dont drink the water.

cubbies14

06-06-2006, 08:49 AM

Bartender is alos easy - Dropped D tunning though. Once you are in dropped D then also play Crush, then Dont drink the water.
I have never played Crush in drop D....where did you get the tab for it? It is pretty easy in standard, but it might sound cool otherwise.

nomargparra

06-06-2006, 10:30 PM

yea well all the ones u guys said that are easy to learn you're right but what song is the easiest to play almost flawlessly to learn would be a better question//.... honestly its a good stretch satellite was the first dave song i learned just play the intro over and over again its a great stretching exercise and several other dave songs have that 5 fret stretch ie warehouse #34 the riff in minarets fool to think raven first 3 notes... sure theres a couple more cant think tho.. also grey street is a good one to learn cause those 3 chord shapes are really repetitive in alot of dave songs as well , like lover lay down , billies , too much intro , lie in our graves jam , hold me down or whatever that song is called forgot i could check dont feel like it , and then lie in our graves was the second dave song i ever learned its great cause it incorporates daves rhythm and lead lines and u can hear the song develop immedietely and if u play satellite and lie in our graves till you can perfect them (perfect them as far as a beginner goes) then you will be well on your way like me! i remember christmas of 2000 me and my best friend got guitars and started learning together he quit and i stuck with it and i love playing when hes around so he beats himself up about it and wishes he didnt quit...

greystreetkevin

06-07-2006, 06:02 AM

Greystreet, One Sweet World, Granny, Lie In Our Graves, DDTW, #41, and a few tohers are easy..

Teuvil

06-07-2006, 12:51 PM

Typical Situation, Crash, Crush, Cry Freedom.. many others.

Billies, LIOG, OSW isnt really that easy. except on what you say is easy. Billies is hard to play.

jadelake

06-07-2006, 04:32 PM

Crash is pretty basic if you're fingers don't cramp from being in the same position for so long

theman14

06-07-2006, 09:44 PM

halloween and grey street

DMBNL

06-14-2006, 05:07 AM

Ddtw

cubbies14

06-14-2006, 09:13 AM

Does D&F count? 'cause Save Me is realy easy too.

ToySoldier

06-18-2006, 09:44 PM

Digging a Ditch is the easiest in my opinion, though it requires a little strum technique and loses it's appeal quickly. Grey Street is great to learn because of the 2xx2xx, 3xx4xx ... chords, which are used in many Dave songs. As for Tripping Billies, if you practice the opening chord enough the rest will follow, but tis a stretch. I still fumble, but I'm working on it.

ColdFire

06-19-2006, 12:45 AM

I like Big Eyed Fish, its a nice little slide and awesom to play plus u can fool around with it and play other shit pretty cool song

ColdFire

06-19-2006, 12:47 AM

Also Dream Girl is very easy in fact might be one the most easiest song to play, and American Baby

joyrider86

06-19-2006, 02:31 PM

come on people hands down Proudest monkey!

dmbfan092487

06-19-2006, 09:02 PM

lol, tripping billies my asshole, thats the last song ill learn

i've been trying to learn all the dave songs too, and that was the last song to finish them all, lol

i would definitly go with typical situation, thats the first one i learned, and for the chorus chord progression u can use: G, F, Am, C instead of what you see on dmbtabs.com

good luck pluckin'!

joyrider86

06-26-2006, 03:18 PM

i've taught myself most of the songs im just trying to get DIDO and Fool to think chorus. i got billies and nature intro before the stone.

dmbfan092487

06-26-2006, 05:10 PM

i've taught myself most of the songs im just trying to get DIDO and Fool to think chorus. i got billies and nature intro before the stone.

i had to get my metronome for "the stone" verse just to make sure i stayed in 6/8 timing and didn't add another beat or two, that was def. pretty dificult

i bought both of the "live at luther college" songbooks yesterday and I"m gonna try to learn most of tim's stuff, but i'm gonna concentrate on "stream" cause i'd love to be able to play that

so if i don't repost in this forum for about 3 months, ya'll know why now lol

peterson9009

07-03-2006, 05:14 PM

With the double bass notes, Crash really is more difficult that everyone thinks, well i guess it is to me anyway...R&R and Billes have to be the hardest songs ive looked at

ColdFire

07-03-2006, 05:47 PM

come on people hands down Proudest monkey!

By Far barely have to move ur fingers lol....
Loving wings is nice and stolen away get easier and easier...
Im having trouble with Recently all that song does is piss me off :pissed:

What everyones favorite song to play, i for one like Joy Ride, BEF, Grey Street, Bayou and Rider i think those are really awesome Jammers

dmbfan092487

07-03-2006, 06:03 PM

man, i love playing so much to say, its just so cool, that and what would you say.

i played both of them in my math class one morning, and a bunch of the people were like "whose that by?" I told them ofcourse Dave Matthews Band, and like 4 people the next day told me they went onto limewire and downloaded a bunch of their songs and said they are really good :)

the stone is fun to play too, and your right, joyride is fun, especially when playing with a drummer.

dangit i don't know, all i do know is that in the 2 hours i play everyday, at least 1 and a half of those hours is dmb stuff, just a bunch of fun tunes to play aren't they?

dmbfan092487

07-03-2006, 06:12 PM

Im having trouble with Recently all that song does is piss me off :pissed:

it took me a while to learn it too, i hated those opening chords, they are a biznitch, but just keep at it man, its well worth it!

weebs4224

07-03-2006, 09:14 PM

i think the most fun song to play has to what would you say... it took me a few mins to figure out the timing ...but once you have it down its a lot of fun! as for the easiest dave song , i would have to say proudest monkey by far ... and in close 2nd big eyed fish

joyrider86

07-04-2006, 05:23 AM

mcgovern10

07-04-2006, 09:04 AM

I strongly suggest starting with something easy like "Gravedigger" before attempting stuff like Lie In Our Graves, or Crash. Crash is a little easier to play, but almost impossible to play/sing simultaneously unless you've been playing for years. Once you get to the point where you are trying to sing along with yourself, you'll realize how freaking good dave is. All Along the Watchtower is easy. Only 4 chords and Dave plays it in A minor. You get used to his tempo changes and beat variations, too, and it'll make you realize you can spice up an easy song with some simple changes. Ants Marching was the first Dave song I ever learned how to play, fairly easy, and extremely gratifying. Same with Jimi Thing. Go early...check out his early work. Grace is Gone is another one that's easy to pick up...Stay (Wasting Time) is one I have yet to master...

Matty-G

07-24-2006, 10:01 PM

For sure #41. Easy. Groovy.

keithbagwell

07-24-2006, 10:44 PM

Even though someone correctly mentioned that Proudest Monkey is probably the easiest to play, Halloween is pretty easy too.

gabdp

07-25-2006, 12:34 PM

nancies for me was easy to learn...specially the beginning

David R

07-25-2006, 12:42 PM

bartender is the easiest for me, but it varies a lot for different people

Joe

07-25-2006, 12:50 PM

nancies for me was easy to learn...specially the beginning

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

thezeemaneffect

08-04-2006, 12:23 PM

Even though someone correctly mentioned that Proudest Monkey is probably the easiest to play, Halloween is pretty easy too.

Definately agree.. Bartender is even easier than Halloween IMO

dmbfan092487

08-05-2006, 10:16 AM

Definately agree.. Bartender is even easier than Halloween IMO

that is true, but we also have to keep in mind that there are alot of barre chords in daves music, and most people who are beggining guitar have a hard time getting the finger stretch of them down.

ZjR326

11-07-2006, 10:15 AM

So I'm trying to pick up guitar, but every website I go to has a lot of vocab and other mumbo jumbo that I have no idea what it all means. I understand how to read chords and tabs, very basic. I understand the finger placement on the frets and whatnot, but everything else is a blur. Is there a good website or book that anyone has used to help themselves learn guitar and guitar vocabulary? Any help would be great. Thanks...

Joe

11-07-2006, 02:08 PM

ZjR326

11-07-2006, 03:46 PM

Dave songs, anything like DMB.

Joe

11-07-2006, 03:52 PM

Dave songs, anything like DMB.

Alright, the best way if you a beginner is to strum around, get to know the pic. Cortez The Killer is a great song for this, heres the whole thing.

http://www.dmbtabs.com/song.php?sid=90

Basicly just strum around, make different patters, have fun with it. If you're looking for a book, I'd just head to your closest music store, becuase I could recomend you one, but I don't know how well you know music (notes, rhythms, etc.).

Peace:thumbsup:

ZjR326

11-07-2006, 04:01 PM

well I'm looking at Proudest Monkey (http://www.dmbtabs.com/song.php?sid=33) cuz it looks super easy, but the two questions I have- its not strumming, its plucking right? and what do the numbers running along the bottom of the lowest string mean? is that a count of how long to hold the note? I have an acoustic, otherwise I'd try the 'Cortez', i just don't think it would sound anything like the way its suposed to if I tried...

Joe

11-07-2006, 04:37 PM

The numbers at the bottom are a recomendation for what fingers to use on your left hand (if you are a righty). And its not plucking, all you gotta do is hit the string with the pic. This is a great starter song by the way, if you're looking to do songs without chords. Once you get Monkey down, more onto the next step, which I would recomend to be Loving Wings. If you have any questions or anything, feel free to hit me up with a PM.

Peace man.

wild4penguins

11-15-2006, 08:42 PM

I started playing dave stuff about a year ago and have picked up about everything except jimi thing and to tell you the truth.... many of these songs are easy.. especially watchtower, halloween, and with a couple of spare minutes warehouse and #34 will come (same basic chord shape)

Charles

11-18-2006, 04:22 PM

The first dmb song I learned on guitar was Pmonkey. And I agrea that it is a great begginer song to learn.

my favorite to play though is The Stone or Save Me on accustic.

SpecialDMBfan

11-25-2006, 11:24 AM

i think Pmonkey...i got a black accoustic yesterday and ive just started to pick this song up...hopefully ill be like my aunt who jams on Minerets like its nothing..lol

DMBFANINDY

12-18-2006, 03:32 PM

The Stone was the first I learned to play. It wasn't that bad really.

Charles

12-19-2006, 12:27 PM

The Stone was the first I learned to play. It wasn't that bad really.

to this day it is one of my favorites to play. But i truely have more fun playing around on ants or nancies

troublethom

12-21-2006, 08:05 AM

So much to say is easy, and incredibly fun to play.

How long have you been playing to say that this is an easy song to play. C'mon. I learned "typical situation" first. Then Bartender, lover lay down, too much, 41, gravedigger, pig, ants marching, I'll back you up, Crash (harder than you think if you want to do it right), Oohh I almost forgot Blue water babboon farm, Grey street isnt that bad once you get his chords down. Half of playing DMB songs is playing like dave. Using his chords and what not. Once you get his style down things get easier. Oh and if you can start off by playing "the Stone" you must be a prodigy.

PWFIII

12-21-2006, 12:50 PM

many of these I'm sure were already listed, but this is what I learned when I first picked up the acoustic...

Halloween...its pretty much all octave chords and bar chords so its easy as hell...fun to sing to actually.

Typical situation...pretty easy

crash into me...the easiest song in the world

bartender..played in drop d...pretty easy as well

don't drink the water..also in drop d. fun to play mixed in with bartender..example...storytellers

what you are- the lead riff after the intro is the hardest thing about this song.

last stop- pretty easy once you get the rythym down.

too much- simple

so much to say. fun as hell to play. very repetative.

dancing nacings- one of my personaly favs to play

the stone- great practice to get your fingers movin..works as a great warm up. I can play that intro for hours and never tire of it.

AllAlongTheWatchtower

12-21-2006, 04:31 PM

jimi thing fer surrrre

DMBFANINDY

12-26-2006, 08:06 AM

Oh and if you can start off by playing "the Stone" you must be a prodigy.

You don't have to be a prodigy to learn any song. It comes with practice. I'd been playing guitar for 15 years before I even tried a Dave song (The Stone). It came easy for whatever reason, but I had to practice for a while to perfect it. Prodigy-- NO, Experienced-- YES....

AllAlongTheWatchtower

12-26-2006, 09:55 AM

jimi thing fer surrrre

thats a lie this is too hard for a first song, but its fun as hell:biggrin:

ColdFire

12-30-2006, 08:25 PM

Wow no one even mentioned Two Step that an easy song to plus u can fool around with many variations and its great if u have some one to play with too.

Charles

12-30-2006, 08:58 PM

thats a lie this is too hard for a first song, but its fun as hell:biggrin:

You understand you just quoted yourself right and called yourself a lier?

AllAlongTheWatchtower

01-01-2007, 03:01 PM

You understand you just quoted yourself right and called yourself a lier?

hahaha yea, i forgot we were talkin about easiest song not the most fun:biggrin:

Just Josh

01-04-2007, 03:13 PM

American Baby Intro...ONLY 4 NOTES!

DMB91291

01-05-2007, 05:55 PM

Most of Dave's songs have repetition in them, so if you can get the chords down for one verse, you pretty much have the whole song (The Space Between, Crash Into Me, and Grey Street are particularly easy)

Dwill26

01-11-2010, 01:19 PM

i forgot about this thread!

Dwill26

01-11-2010, 01:22 PM

spotlight is pretty simple if you are looking for something that isnt the same thing over and over and over (i.e. proudest monkey, typ sit, ABI)

yelladkcir

01-11-2010, 03:42 PM

Rye Whiskey (good luck singing)

humble_monkey

01-11-2010, 04:23 PM

Rye Whiskey (good luck singing)

Really? It's easy?! Awesome... I'm gonna give it a try. I love that song and will NOT attempt to sing it.

lovingwing

01-11-2010, 04:49 PM

Really? It's easy?! Awesome... I'm gonna give it a try. I love that song and will NOT attempt to sing it.

It's basically two chords and a simple little riff. The falsetto bit is a bit tough to pull off (for me anyway :lol:).

Here's the tab if you need it.
http://www.dmbtabs.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=35787

yelladkcir

01-11-2010, 09:09 PM

I wish you guys could hear me sing it. I'll do the world a favor and never record it though.

Granny Pantala

01-12-2010, 03:26 PM

One of the first few I learned were Lie in Our Graves, Halloween and Warehouse. Warehouse is a blast to play once you get even just the main riff down. It's a little bit of a stretch but once you get the feel for it and get the dead notes right, it is a blast. Same for LIOG. Once you get the feel for it, it is a really, really fun song to play.. at least for me.

Edit: Check this guy's videos out. He's got like 40 instructional videos of all Dave songs. He does a fantastic job of explaining and breaking things down. I've pulled the majority of my Dave repertoire from this guy. There's another good guy floating around youtube but the name escapes me.. you'd have to poke around for him.
http://www.youtube.com/user/mastamef00

cory1988

01-12-2010, 04:30 PM

i would say typical situation or gravedigger as the easiest songs to learn.

biggrux

08-28-2010, 05:41 PM

watchtower: AM G F and repeat all day probably the easiest he has

Fan#41

08-28-2010, 05:50 PM

Everyone is obviously going to have a different answer. For me, the easiest was the first I learned which was Pay For What You Get.

ultrauber

08-29-2010, 06:57 PM

I don't really play guitar (piano's my thing) but I can play blue water and the main riff of kind intentions with a capo.

^^I cant sing in anything but falsetto....haha

blip4383

08-30-2010, 06:43 AM

watchtower: AM G F and repeat all day probably the easiest he has

Good call and with those same three chords, you can play some Zeppelin and Tenacious D - Tribute. :lol: I think you might even get Counting Crows Mr. Jones out of those chords...

I haven't picked up my guitar in a looooong time, the action is all screwed up and I never got around to getting it repaired.

BigEyedPhish2

08-31-2010, 10:07 AM

watchtower: AM G F and repeat all day probably the easiest he has
definitely.

And I didn't read through the thread, but from someone that knows a bunch of them, his songs in Dm and Am are usually pretty easy

Dont drink the water
Bartender (nearly the same as DDTW)

2-step is pretty easy in terms of chords, not so much rhythm and timing

Lie in our graves is decently easy
#41 is easy

Halloween is pretty easy