| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | ||
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1 | Artist | Song | User Difficulty Rating | User Notes (make these as detailed as you like) | Mike's Difficulty Rating | Mike's Notes | Style (see: style_guide) | Learn these! | Tuning (Standard if blank) | MMM Tutorial LInk | Time Sig (4/4 if blank) | ||||||||||||||||
2 | Adrianne Lenker | Two Reverse | 7 | Quite hard bc it's so goofy and unconventional. | Travis w Melody | ||||||||||||||||||||||
3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Benjamin Tod | End With You | 5 | Sneaky Hard. Nothing technically complicated, but the variations are so random and endless! Not much extra melody, but hammers. | Travis w Melody | ||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Bill Withers | Ain’t No Sunshine | 2 | Nice beginning picking patterns | Finger Picked | * | |||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Bill Withers | Use Me | 5 | Very easy and short, but requires easy use of barre chords. | Strummer | ||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Blaze Foley | Big Cheese Burgers and Good French Fries | 5 | Not too hard except for one flourish and its tempo! | Travis w Melody | ||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | Blaze Foley | Clay Pigeons | 4,4,4,4 | 4 | A classic! Learn it | Travis w Melody | * | ||||||||||||||||||||
9 | Blaze Foley | Fat Boy | 6 | This is about as tricky and fast as Blaze gets! Lots of killer flourishes. | Travis w Melody | https://youtu.be/4szzsqrnuYg | |||||||||||||||||||||
10 | Blaze Foley | If I Could Only Fly | 7,5 | 5 | Great piece for picking arpeggios! Lots of cool color but thankfully a slow tempo. | Finger Picked | |||||||||||||||||||||
11 | Blaze Foley | Let Me Ride in Your Big Cadillac | 2 | A great flat picking primer. Uses the "pick strum" technique. | Flat Pick | ||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | Blaze Foley | Lovin' You | 3 | If you're new to strumming might be hard, otherwise pretty straight fwd. | Flat Pick | ||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | Blaze Foley | Moonlight Song | 6 | 5 | Excellent! Learn this for flat picking! | Flat Pick | * | ||||||||||||||||||||
14 | Blaze Foley | Ooh Love | 1 | Perfect for getting use to your fingers | Fingerpicked | ||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | Blaze Foley | Our Little Town | 3 | Another great Blaze song for picking arpeggios. | Fingerpicked | ||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | Blind Blake | Police Dog Blues | 9 | Difficulty mainly stems from unfamiliarity of ragtime. Unfamiliar chords, rhythm, and flow | 10 | A master class in Ragtime Picking! | Travis + | * | Open D | ||||||||||||||||||
17 | Bob Dylan | A Hard Rain’s A-gonna Fall | 1 | Easy Picking | Strummer | Drop D | |||||||||||||||||||||
18 | Bob Dylan | Blowin In the Wind | 2/3 | Basic pick-strum, but it is pretty fast. | Pick-Strum | No Tab Provided | https://youtu.be/4hjuUuLwGHI?si=S2AfAFOSs965gbNO | ||||||||||||||||||||
19 | Bob Dylan | Girl From The North Country | 3 | Great Beginner Travis PIcker | Travis - Basic Pattern | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbiVTMuCW4c | |||||||||||||||||||||
20 | Bob Dylan | Boots of Spanish Leather | 3 | 3 | Great Beginner Travis Picker (though I prefer Girl From the North Country | Travis - Basic Pattern | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb_dz09_qps | ||||||||||||||||||||
21 | Bob Dylan | Buckets of Rain | 3,4 | Open E/D | |||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | Bob Dylan | Don’t Think Twice | 6,5 | 7 | I have both a SIMPLFIED version (3) and the actual version (7). This song is FAST. | Travis w Melody | |||||||||||||||||||||
23 | Bob Dylan | I Was Young When I Left Home | 6 | Tricky bc of the varied thumb and changes in rhythmic feel | Travis/Fingerpicked | Open G | |||||||||||||||||||||
24 | Bob Dylan | Moonshiner | 3 | Great Travis Picking song! | Travis w Melody | ||||||||||||||||||||||
25 | Bob Dylan | Mr. Tambourine Man | 2 | Great Beginner Strummer | Strummer | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6Xr-GtHMmU | |||||||||||||||||||||
26 | Bob Dylan | One Too Many Mornings | 5 | 3 | Fun Alt Tuning to explore | Travis | Open A | ||||||||||||||||||||
27 | Bo Dylan | See That My Grave is Kept Clean | 5 | Fast picking! | Flat Picking | Drop D | https://youtu.be/Pf2DgUqsI4c | ||||||||||||||||||||
28 | Bob Dylan | Song to Woody | 2 | Strummer Pick-Strum | |||||||||||||||||||||||
29 | Bob Dylan | The TImes They Are A Changin' | 1 | Strummer Pick-Strum | |||||||||||||||||||||||
30 | Bob Dylan | Worried Blues | 2 | No Left Hand Coloring. Just all RH pattern | Travis - Basic Pattern | ||||||||||||||||||||||
31 | Caamp | Strawberries | 4 | Very short, but given the barre chords and pattern it's a bit harder than it looks. | Fingerpicked | ||||||||||||||||||||||
32 | Charlie Parr | Cheap Wine | 6 | The hardest, simple looking tab I've played | 4 | Very simple chords, but it'll get your thumb moving at a clip! | Travis - Basic Pattern | ||||||||||||||||||||
33 | Charlie Parr | Remember Me If I Forget | 4 | Travis w Melody | Open G | ||||||||||||||||||||||
34 | Chris Smither | Leave the Light On | 8 | So fun! A masterclass in guitar playing! | Travis + | * | Open D | ||||||||||||||||||||
35 | Colter Wall | 1800 Miles | 4 | Easy to simplify. but tricky to get all his little flourishes at tempo. | Pick-Strum | https://youtu.be/yX1BA-Mw_0Y | |||||||||||||||||||||
36 | Colter Wall | Codeine Dream | 4 | Travis w Melody | https://youtu.be/cQHLl3yhsHo | ||||||||||||||||||||||
37 | Colter Wall | Evangelina | 4 | Pick Strum w/ Lovely Fills | Pick-Strum | ||||||||||||||||||||||
38 | Colter Wall | Motorcycle | 4 | Assessible Colter Wall song. Fun and simple, can be played however you like, while still sounding unique. | 4 | Travis w some fun Left hand color | Travis w Melody | ||||||||||||||||||||
39 | Colter Wall | Saskatchewan in 1881 | 7,7 | Has some difficult movemente used frequently. Requires a lot of attention and intention. Otherwise, a pretty simple folk song. | 6 | Left Hand color is going to be quite hard for many players | Travis w Melody | ||||||||||||||||||||
40 | Colter Wall | Sleeping on the Blacktop | 8 | Uniquely strange and difficult. Likely has many movements you aren't familiar with and are difficult to get used to. | 7 | Novel Left hand shapes and bends! | Travis w Melody | ||||||||||||||||||||
41 | Colter Wall | Speed of the Sound of Loneliness (Prine Cover) | 3 | Travis w Melody | Speed of the Sound of Loneliness - Colter Wall's cover of Prine - Guitar Tutorial w Tab + Chords - YouTube | ||||||||||||||||||||||
42 | Colter Wall | The Devil Wears a Suit and Tie | 7 | Not as hard as it looks! The song that gets me the most compliments, and has been my favorite to play for a year. | 7 | Fun Travis mixed with blues runs | Travis + | * | |||||||||||||||||||
43 | Colter Wall | Thirteen Silver Dollars | 4 | Strummer Pick-Strum/ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
44 | Dave Van Ronk | Another Time and Place | 5 | Great use of shapes up the neck | Travis w Melody | ||||||||||||||||||||||
45 | Dave Van Ronk | Come Back Baby | 7 | Tricky Blues song. Hard rhythms that vary quite a bit. | Blues - Fingerpicking + | https://youtu.be/lznQIXDQzCI | |||||||||||||||||||||
46 | Dave Van Ronk | Gambler’s Blues | 6 | Goofy Rhythm. Hard to lock it in. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
47 | Dave Van Ronk | Green, Green Rocky Road | 4 | Great Drop D song to try. Fun melody over simple bass | Travis w Melody | Drop D | |||||||||||||||||||||
48 | Dave Van Ronk | He Was a Friend of Mine | 5 | Sneaky tricky. | Travis - Basic Pattern | https://youtu.be/4ZMM5CO3rh4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
49 | Dave Van Ronk | Hang Me, Oh Hang Me | 4 | Travis w Melody | |||||||||||||||||||||||
50 | Dave Van Ronk | Mack the Knife | 4 | Pretty easy and beautiful song, some struggle sliding pinky from third fret to second | 5 | Awesome use of left hand melody | Travis w Melody | ||||||||||||||||||||
51 | Dave Van Ronk | Pastures of Plenty | 6 | Goofy Drop D song | Travis w Melody | Drop D | |||||||||||||||||||||
52 | Doc Watson | Deep River Blues | 8 | Build up to this one! | Travis + | * | |||||||||||||||||||||
53 | Doc Watson | Sittin’ on Top of the World | 9 | Difficult open D song, but awesome | Travis + | Open D | |||||||||||||||||||||
54 | Doc Watson | Windy and Warm | 8, 9 | 8 | Another great long term goal | Travis + | * | ||||||||||||||||||||
55 | Doc Watson | Winter's Night | 7 | Sneaky Hard | Travis + | ||||||||||||||||||||||
56 | Eddie Vader | Guaranteed | 2 | Great Beginner Travis | Travis - Basic Pattern | ||||||||||||||||||||||
57 | Elizabeth Cotten | Freight Train | 4, 5 | Good song to build up speed with those cowboy fingerpicking songs. Classic chords, flow and structure. | 5 | Perfect level 5 Travis tune! Learn it! | Travis w Melody | * | |||||||||||||||||||
58 | Elliott Smith | Thirteen | 4 | Nice Variety of Picking | Finger Picked | ||||||||||||||||||||||
59 | Elvis Presley | Can't Help Falling In Love | 4 | Waltz Time with Melody | Travis w Melody | ||||||||||||||||||||||
60 | Etta Baker | Railroad Bill | 4 | Easy to learn, impossible to master. A fantastic song to explore having your own flow to the structure, adding licks, and making it your own. Dozens of covers by popular artists, all unique. Must Learn!!! | 4/5 | Another perfect mid-level piece | Travis w Melody | * | |||||||||||||||||||
61 | Fionn Regan | Be Good Or Be Gone | 5/6 | Branching out of folk, into more modern indie folk.Cool guitar playing. | Travis w Melody | ||||||||||||||||||||||
62 | Fionn Regan | Hunters Map | 6/7 | It the tuning and bridge weren't so ridiculous I'd make this a must learn | Travis + | * if looking to learn independent thumb/bass | |||||||||||||||||||||
63 | Fleetwood Mac | Never Going Back Again | 10 | Only 15 measures. But the speed and 2 over 3 rhythm with the ring finger. I hated learning this song! | Travis + | Drop D | |||||||||||||||||||||
64 | Geeshie Wiley | Last Kind Words | 6 | The Feel and Rhythm are hard to capture! | Blues/Fingerpicked | ||||||||||||||||||||||
65 | Gillian Welch | One Little Song | 3 | Cute Travis Picker | Travis - Basic Pattern | ||||||||||||||||||||||
66 | Gordon Lightfoot | Sundown | 2 | Strummer | |||||||||||||||||||||||
67 | Grateful Dead | Ripple | 6 | I arranged this great tune for solo guitar | Travis w Melody | https://youtu.be/mZDvCRP9yvc | |||||||||||||||||||||
68 | Gregory Alan Isakov | 3 a.m. | 4 | Modern folk picking | Travis w Melody | ||||||||||||||||||||||
69 | Gregory Alan Isakov | San Luis | 3 | Very straight forward, but a challenge to get the touch and feel of Mr. Isakov. | Stummer Pick-Strum | https://youtu.be/6W__GY0Ddfw | |||||||||||||||||||||
70 | Guy Clark | L.A. Freeway | 5,6 | 5 | Not hard but so much variation! | Hybrid: Travis + Strum | https://www.youtube.com/live/qSiRX3yprbI?si=g41iqMOeyRmicLxP | ||||||||||||||||||||
71 | Guy Clark | The Cape | 5 | Same as LA Freeway. Not hard hard, but subtly hard. | Hybrid: Mostly Travis | ||||||||||||||||||||||
72 | Haley Heynderickx | Bug Collector | 5 | 5 | Enjoyable! Cool up the neck stuff but not too hard | Travis w Melody | * | Amaj7: A A C# E G# E | https://youtu.be/G4EAcYRsZ8Q?si=VWau9BRFWPaCI9VE | ||||||||||||||||||
73 | Haley Heynderickx | Drinking Song | 4 | Fun use of blue note in main riff | Hybrid Pick/Strum | https://youtu.be/juKj_xs6ZD0?si=AI3tASeLxoNyQN-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
74 | Hank Williams | Hank Williams Song Book | 1 | A collection of Hank tunes to practice Strumming | Strum and Pick-Strum | * | |||||||||||||||||||||
75 | Hayden Pedigo | Carthage | 6/7 | Beautiful and not hard except for one section. | Travis w Melody | Bmaj9: B F# B D# A# C# | https://youtu.be/cu_7eieY5w0?si=BKZ1aoEUZBHrOHLq | ||||||||||||||||||||
76 | Hayden Pedigo | Rained like Hell | 6 | Some of the stretches, if new. will be hard. But the songs itself is short and loops. | Travis w Melody | DADGAD | https://youtu.be/Rh49ExUbXXI | ||||||||||||||||||||
77 | Ian Noe | If Today Doesn’t Do Me In | 3/6 | The chords + picking aren't hard, but it's his nearly endless variations! | Travis w some Melody | https://youtu.be/X_gbDDBH4ZI?si=UGftF9qqhgWjStuY | 3/4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
78 | J.J. Cale | Drifter’s Wife | 6,7 | Not as hard as it looks. Fast, but the same verse repeated with minor changes. | 6 | Fun! Short w simple chords, but fast! Excellent fills and style. | Travis w Melody | * | |||||||||||||||||||
79 | Jackson Browne | Song For Adam | 4 | Fun to get clean w a warm tone. | Travis - Basic Pattern | ||||||||||||||||||||||
80 | Jackson C. Frank | Blues Run The Game | 4 | People love this song! Some strange chord coloring. | Travis - Basic Pattern | ||||||||||||||||||||||
81 | Jamie N. Commons | Lead Me Home | 5 | Strangely hard bc of hammers and inconsistent thumb. | Travis - Hybrid | Drop D | |||||||||||||||||||||
82 | Jason Isbell | Streetlights | 4 | Besides a couple of tricky passages it's a 4. | Travis - Basic Pattern (some melody) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
83 | Jeffrey Martin | Theif and a Liar | 3 | Easy to simplify | Travis - Basic Pattern | ||||||||||||||||||||||
84 | Jeffrey Martin | There is a Treasure | 3 | Fun travis picker to break out of basic patterns | Travis w some Melody | There is a Treasure - Jeffrey Martin - Guitar Tutorial - Accurate Tab + Chords - Complete Lesson - YouTube | |||||||||||||||||||||
85 | Jerry Jeff Walker | My Old Man | 5 | Beautiful piece! Simple chords with great color and emotion. | Travis - Basic Pattern | ||||||||||||||||||||||
86 | Joan Shelley (Nathan Salsburg) | Easy Now | 9 | A lot of unique and complex movement. Will likely require skills you don't have, at a high level, but an absolutely beautiful song worth the struggle. | 8-9 | Hard difficulty but even if you're at a Level 5 it's worth a shot! You'll learn a lot by just taking it slow and learning a few measures. It'll change the way you think about the guitar. | Travis + | * | |||||||||||||||||||
87 | John Denver | Sunshine On My Shoulders | 2 | Easy fingerpicker | Fingerpicked + Strummed | ||||||||||||||||||||||
88 | John Fahey | Sligo River Blues | 3 | Easiest Fahey song. Great song to get lost in and get a taste of his "Primitive Folk" | 4 | Mesmorizing song! the 3 over 4 passage is tricky but otherwise not that hard. Learn it! | Travis - Basic Pattern | * | |||||||||||||||||||
89 | John Prine | All the Best | 3 | Prine, the master of G C D | Travis - Basic Pattern | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRM73gQF4OU | |||||||||||||||||||||
90 | John Prine | Caravan of Fools | 3 | Prine in a minor Key | Travis - Basic Pattern | ||||||||||||||||||||||
91 | John Prine | Clocks and Spoons | 4 | 4 | Travis - Basic Pattern (some melody) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
92 | John Prine | Egg and Daughter Nite | 2 | Almost no flair. Great beginner Travis. | Travis - Basic Pattern | ||||||||||||||||||||||
93 | John Prine | Fish And Whistle | 3 | Travis - Basic Pattern | |||||||||||||||||||||||
94 | John Prine | Hello in There | 3 | Another great one to learn. Basic Travis picking but lots of string set changes making sure you have mastery over moving the right hand to different strings despite it just being simple travis picking. | * | ||||||||||||||||||||||
95 | John Prine | How Lucky | 4,5,5 | Really good song for introduction to cowboy finger picking. Moves you'll use forever. | 4 | A perfect introduction to Travis w Melody. Mostly basic patterns, but some basic left hand coloring and occasional thumb breaking the rules. | Travis w Melody | * | |||||||||||||||||||
96 | John Prine | I Have Met My Love Today | 1 | Perfect song for the absolute beginner | Strummer | ||||||||||||||||||||||
97 | John Prine | Knockin’ On Your Screen Door | 1 | 1 | Perfect song for the absolute beginner | Strummer | |||||||||||||||||||||
98 | John Prine | Long Monday | 4 | 3 | Great introduction to Left Hand melody, a great piece after you graduate from the "basic pattern" picking | Travis - Basic Pattern w (some Melody) | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DytN4l13Nt8 | ||||||||||||||||||||
99 | John Prine | No Ordinary Blue | 3 | Perfect for developing some thumb independence | Travis with some playful Thumbing | ||||||||||||||||||||||
100 | John Prine | Only Love | 3 | Travis - Basic Pattern | https://youtu.be/vlQM9TMpf2s |