I’m consolidating Grade 1 and have a list of 5 songs to learn, but, I’m not sure I “dig” them all. My songs cover all 8 essential chords. Sometimes I think I should just do the simplest songs just to pass grade 1. But, that might be “cheating myself”. Also, I picked a minor chord song, Ain’t No Sunshine. I don’t really care for it, but there is a lack of minor songs out there to choose from. Yet, I also feel like I’d be cheating myself if I didn’t include at least one minor song.
Think of songs as chord progressions to be learnt to develop the skill to learn the songs you do like.
If you use the chord filter in the Songs Section on the web site and filter using chords Am Em and Dm you’ll fine about 10 more songs some in grade 2 but you can always do a simplified version.
Or do a search on a tab site for songs using these chords to see what comes up.
It’s like eating your vegetables when you were a kid. You didn’t like them all but learnt to like some of them.
There is a public playlist on Spotify with Grade 1 song suggestions from Justin Sandercoe. Perhaps there is something there for you? There are also thousands of songs that you can play with simple chords. Sometimes you have to adapt them a little using a Capo or trasposing the chords, and more difficult songs can usually be simplified by replacing the difficult chord by simplier ones.
The question is rather, which songs would YOU like to play? Can you name a few titles or bands?
You wont care once you are in level 2 and then there are a ton more. I would not worry what so ever. Do each song you chose the best you can and move on you can certainly learn the others once you move on. I play a number of song I dont really like but I know my daughter and wife love them. So I play them. They will be popular so worth putting in the pocket. You will be stoked when you see the increasing choices in the next group.
I also didn’t enjoy many of the grade 1 options but like another community member said, grade 2 really opens up huge possibilities and options for songs so hang in there. There’s so much good stuff coming.
Yeah, I’m just trying to include all 8 essential chords in my 5 song list. Proving a bit difficult. Dm is the hard one. There’s more songs with Am and Em.
But that’s not necessary to complete Level 1; it’s enough if you can play a handful of simple songs. Don’t make things too difficult for yourself if you want to progress.
Oh, so, can it be looked at like this? My 5 songs should be ones I want to play, and the chords I need to use, just need to be from the 8 essential chords, but I don’ t have to include all of them. It would be nice to use all of them, but liking the songs is more important.
Check out Chocolate Jesus if you’re after a fun, beginner song with some minor keys.
It was one of my first songs. The cover by Joe Bonomasa and Beth Hart is a great play along.
It’s also a song in the Justin app if you’ve purchased that.
Justin does a less uptempo version in an early lesson
I checked what songs in the JustinGuitar songbook I have include Dm besides the ones listed in the module 4 lesson, and it has I Belong to You by Lenny Kravitz, Natural Mystic by Bob Marley, Low by Lenny Kravitz, and Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5.
Maybe one of these is a song you like more than the six listed in the lesson
To practice Dm (and Am) I played Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life simple with C-Am-Dm-G all the song through, in verse you start with Dm, in chorus with C, in chorus you can try G7 optionally, thats all. Simple catchy song and good for practicing with singing and whistle if you like Monty Python
What Withold is saying is true. You should pick the songs that you like to play. When I was first in grade one, I played beautiful things by Benson Boone. I wanted to play it even though it was a bit above my grade level.
Okay, my wife plays piano and she’s yelling at me (not really), she agrees with you guys. Pick 5 songs I like, I can always pick up the left out chords later as I progress. LOL.
