Favorite easy-to-learn acoustic songs...

beecee

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whenever I play an F it's a barre F or F7, I find that much easier than the 4-string variety.

The first time I tried to learn to play being able to barre was like finally being able to parallel ski.

To the OP:

Dan Fogelberg had some good stuff early in his career.

Part of the Plan....fast but cowboy chords

Place in the World for a Gambler the hammer on the C and 4 FINGER F makes the song

Teach Your Children, Carry On, Helplessly Hoping & You Don't Have To Cry: Crosby Stills & Nash....these last two really remind me what a lousy voice I have...but if I had Stills and Crosby with me it would sound ok.....

Lay Lady Lay

Doobies: Black Water

A bit more on the rock side:

Rhythm to: White Room-Cream
 

Opsimath

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I think the first one I could play where it actually sounded like the song and was really easy was "For What It's Worth". As said previously, "Nights in White Satin". I found a YouTube video where a guy had taken the flute solo and made it a guitar solo. That was fun to learn, and wasn't very hard either. "House of the Rising Sun", but I pick that one.
 

GGJaguar

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I can't get my 12-string to sound very good, just muddy. Is there a 12-string technique, something I should do differently than on a 6-string?

A few things to try: brighter strings, use a thin pick or lighter touch, arpeggiate the chords as in this example (me and my F412).
 

NewOM240

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I rarely play that 4-string F anymore, but some songs do require it for proper transitions. Mainly though, whenever I play an F it's a barre F or F7, I find that much easier than the 4-string variety. But I do a lot of barres anyway and it is a comfortable position for me.

I can do barre chords, but they just don't sound as clean and natural as open chords. Its like I'm running through open chords nicely, then I hit a barre and it just sounds different. Don't know what it is...the notes are all there, but the tone is just different than open chords. I'm sure it's me and my novice technique, but throwing in a barre chord in the middle of open chords just seems slightly harsh to my ears. Is that weird?
 

F312

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I can do barre chords, but they just don't sound as clean and natural as open chords. Its like I'm running through open chords nicely, then I hit a barre and it just sounds different. Don't know what it is...the notes are all there, but the tone is just different than open chords. I'm sure it's me and my novice technique, but throwing in a barre chord in the middle of open chords just seems slightly harsh to my ears. Is that weird?
Lazy, we get lazy and don't concentrate on that part, keep that in mind.

Ralph
 

geoguy

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I can do barre chords, but they just don't sound as clean and natural as open chords. Its like I'm running through open chords nicely, then I hit a barre and it just sounds different. Don't know what it is...the notes are all there, but the tone is just different than open chords. I'm sure it's me and my novice technique, but throwing in a barre chord in the middle of open chords just seems slightly harsh to my ears. Is that weird?
Has your guitar been set up by someone who knows how to do so? Maybe the nut slots are too high, or relief is too large, resulting in more strings being pulled sharp. That could sound harsh.
 

Coop47

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IIRC - "The Bottle Let me Down" is 2 chords - A and D

I rarely play that 4-string F anymore, but some songs do require it for proper transitions. Mainly though, whenever I play an F it's a barre F or F7, I find that much easier than the 4-string variety. But I do a lot of barres anyway and it is a comfortable position for me.

I go to the 4 string F with an A bass for those fast transitions. I feel like I'm cheating, but it sounds familiar enough that I suspect it's pretty common.
 

Default

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Learn to play House of the Rising Sun! It has most of the chords you will use, jammed into one song.

Learn that, and you will be able to play most everything.
 

ezstrummer

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I rarely play that 4-string F anymore, but some songs do require it for proper transitions. Mainly though, whenever I play an F it's a barre F or F7, I find that much easier than the 4-string variety. But I do a lot of barres anyway and it is a comfortable position for me.

Same, my hand just automatically goes to a bar chord F....
 
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