Playing Songs That Aren’t Guitar-Centric
Most of my students want to play songs they like, and those songs aren’t always performed by a single voice and guitar. In fact, most of them are recorded by bands, some of which don’t even include a guitar. It’s not a problem, though, because I can create an arrangement of the song that’s suitable for one guitarist to play. I’ve done this all my life for myself and it’s really fun to be able to do it for other people. With a little thought and some practice, you can do it, too!
Things to Consider
When helping someone learn a song, I usually start by asking the person a few questions:
- What do you like about the song?
- What part of the overall sound most defines the song? Is the rhythm the most compelling element, or is it the melody, the lyrics, or some other element?
- Do you want to interpret the song, making it your own, or would you rather play it so that it sounds as much like the original as possible?
Try asking yourself these same questions and use your answers as a guide toward creating your rendition.
Prioritizing
I recommend starting with rhythm, which may mean not only listening to and replicating sounds from the drummer, but also the bass player and, if there is a rhythm guitar player, the guitarist. Then, choose a strumming or picking pattern that describes the feel of the song and use it as your foundation. The feel may not stay consistent throughout the song, so be prepared to change things up when it’s called for.
The biggest mistake most people make in deciding what to play on the guitar is zeroing in on some small flourish or detail and magnifying it to the detriment of the whole sound. You can avoid this mistake by giving an objective, general listening to the whole song. As you do, try to let go of any minor details that might be fascinating to you as a guitar player, but might not be so interesting to the average listener. Instead, turn your attention to any signature licks or motives. Add them in to your guitar part, but only if you can do so without creating a vacant spot in the sound. In other words, don’t stop the rhythmic accompaniment to insert a few measures of unsupported single notes. Instead, try to find a way to play those notes at the same time you maintain a strumming or accompaniment pattern.
Finally, be sure to incorporate dynamic variations and take advantage of any techniques that will give the impression you’re looking to create. Make use of slides, bends, palm mutes, percussive techniques, or anything else you can come up that will imitate the sound and feel of the dominant instruments. The quality of your performance will be as important as the notes you choose in defining the sound.
Stuck or Unsure?
When you first start, you might not come up with your ideal rendition of a song, but you’ll probably have something better than you started with and you’ll be developing a skill that you can continue to grow. And, if you get stuck or would like some feedback, I’m more than happy to help you complete, correct, or refine your songs. It’s one of my favorite things to do, so don’t be shy about asking!
Want to learn how to figure out things like this for yourself? Check out the tutorials in the Virtual Studio!
