The purpose of a balanced practice routine should be to help you achieve the skills you need to play the songs you want. But what songs should you be working on?
Many guitar students will fall into traps when it comes to choosing their repertoire. Many will fall into traps of playing too easy tunes and then getting bored, or too hard songs and then getting discouraged!
So how does one find the balance? Well, I'm glad you asked. :)
I recommend that all guitar players work on three types of songs at any one time. Here are they:
🏕 Campfire
🎯 Developers
🙌 Dreamers
You might think this makes no difference, but I promise - it's a big deal! And that simple trick can really help you stay motivated, something many guitar players struggle with. It will also help you refine your practice routines and help you explore new techniques and concepts!
Now, let's explore the different types of songs and how and why they are so beneficial. Then I've got a bunch more tips on using your song repertoire to develop any new skill or technique you learn!
If you play guitar, you'll probably want to play songs in front of people at some point! So I still get surprised when encountering people who have played for a long time and never developed a good repertoire! Please, don't be that person - and here are my tricks to help you out.
Well, Campfire Songs is what I call the songs you should be able to play with ease. The ones you can REMEMBER and play confidently. As an advancing beginner guitar player, you should have at least ten songs you can play at a party!
I'd recommend thinking about your social circle when deciding what will be on your list. Think about where and with whom you might play those songs, and then choose appropriately.
For example, in my circle, super popular guitar songs that people will sing along with me are:
Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd
Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen
Heart Of Gold by Neil Young
Free Fallin' by Tom Petty
But if your social circle's taste is more country or alternative rock, choose your songs accordingly! ;) Pick songs you like that are easy to remember even after a few beers! Campfire songs should NOT be complex songs or push you at all. I also suggest revising them every few months to keep your repertoire in mind. Even do some extra revision if you know you have something coming up where you might be playing!
👉 Need some inspiration? I've got over 600 Song Lessons for you! Step-by-step tutorials with chords, lyrics, and TABS to follow along. :) You can filter by difficulty level, chords, and much more!
There's a subcategory in the Campfire Songs section! :) I call it Campfire Plus, and they are songs that are not easy but that you have put effort into and can now play comfortably!
The point here is to collect tunes that you can play with confidence in any situation. Some suggestions:
Sweet Home Alabama (with riffs!) by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Hole Hearted by Extreme
Blackbird by The Beatles
Under The Bridge by Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Let's go further from our comfort zone and talk about Developers.
Developers are songs that you can mostly play but have some things that are still a struggle. You should focus your practice routine on developing skills and techniques to play these songs! They could be any style, but do pick things that you're likely to be able to play after some consistent practice.
Be as realistic as you can about your choices here, but don't stress if you underestimate how hard a song is to play. It happens to me all the time.
Eventually, you should play the Developers so well that they will become Campfire Plus! :) As you get more confident on guitar, the songs in that Campfire collection will likely get more challenging. You can always revisit them and include chord melody arrangements, fancy intros, and more.
Some examples:
Angeles by Elliott Smith
Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin
Norwegian Wood by The Beatles
The Needle And The Damage Done by Neil Young
Can't Stop by Red Hot Chilli Peppers
You could also be working on some Rock riffs or Jazz tunes… whatever it is that flips your switch! In this section, you should still be realistic and focus on the songs you'll be able to play well.
Now it's time to dream a little bit! In this last category, Dreamers, we have the songs you hope to play one day. If you go at these with the right intention, they can be fun and rewarding. I've met many students who started trying to play Dreamers and got frustrated and upset. The result? They lost interest!
So, you should approach songs like this with curiosity! How hard will you have to work to be able to play it? Test out where you are with it. See what things you might need to get onto your practice routine to play it one day.
Sometimes, you will find that song is easier than you thought. Sometimes, you'll find it harder. But giving it a go is the only thing that will let you know! I don't recommend just keeping on a challenging song without the right attitude. It's just depressing. :(
💭 When teaching this 3 Song Type Concept, I made a list of Dreamers and just had a go. It was wonderfully fun and liberating! The secret is to approaching complex songs with curiosity instead of fear. That changed everything.
I’d given up on ever trying any songs by Tommy Emmanuel, assuming they would be just impossible for a mere mortal. Still, when I actually took it slow and gave it a try, I found that I could get my fingers around them easier than I thought. Not saying it was easy by any stretch, but I was thrilled to finally muddle my way through a couple of my faves. Once I realized that some were possible, I popped a few into my Developers list.
But in contrast, I’ve always wanted to get Cliffs Of Dover under my fingers, but that Eric Johnson thing just doesn’t work for me. I have a go every now and again… add some picking practice to my routine for a bit, but it seems futile! I don’t think I’ll be doing an Eric Johnson cover band anytime soon, but I really enjoy trying.
As your skill set grows, the distance between the three types of song narrows in some ways and expands in others! :) You'll find that there are far more possible songs than you thought! But if you want to branch out more, you might try things you haven't tried before, like Classical, Jazz, and Flamenco… Use your Dreamer Time to explore and have fun!
Taking the pressure off and remembering to have fun with your guitar is super valuable. That's important for guitar players no matter where they are in their journey!
These days, I've been learning all kinds of songs for work, but what I'm talking about here are songs for yourself (in case you're a working musician too!) Sometimes, I deliberately mix things up and teach songs that I really love, even if many students won't be into learning them! Song For George by Eric Johnson and Angeles by Elliott Smith are recent examples because we all have to balance our work and fun time.
If you're following my Beginner Guitar Course, you're familiar with the Growers category! :) That's an extra one, and it's what I call songs that you can easily play but that you could develop when your technique grows.
You'll start with easy chords, maybe in a slower tempo, and as you get comfortable with the basics, you can add some embellishments! Wish You Were Here is a nice one to start with, easy chords, not fast - but you can then add intro, maybe the first solo, some slash chords...
House of The Rising Sun by The Animals is another great example! You can play it with strumming and then learn it on fingerstyle or arpeggios with a pick like the original recording!
Many songs fit in this box - many of which you'll encounter in my Beginner Guitar Lessons.
If you're still unsure about how awesome this "guitar trick" is, here's another point! :) Categorizing the songs you learn will help you apply new songs and techniques!
I suggest that when you learn something new, you first experiment with it on a song you're confident with - like a Campfire song! For example, if you want to try fingerpicking, you should do it with a song you know the chords for. You should be comfortable with its chord changes to give your full attention to the fingerstyle - or whatever the new technique might be!
As I mentioned earlier, I think the point is playing the songs you love - or writing them. So, your practice schedule should reflect the things you like.
Use the songs you are learning or want to play to help you decide which skills and exercises you will work on in your practice schedule.
💡 Do remember that I suggest your practice routine is half fun and half work. Songs can be either set practice or the fun bit - totally up to you how you schedule things like that!
If you're uncertain about what or how to practice, check out my Effective Practice Course and make the most of your time. :)
Wishing you many years of guitar fun, y'all take care of yourselves, and see you soon.
