If you don't have a band to play with, what songs do you like play/sing solo? Some songs just don't have guitar parts that carry the tune along.

Some of mine:
Just got paid - haven't figured out what to do for the solo yet.
Little Wing
Crossroads - just learned it
Dead or Alive
Play a lot of Led but I don't really sing them.

I like songs that have acoustic versions as well. I want to learn "Can't find my way home" next. Did not know how much I liked it until I herd Steve sing it acoustic solo, from a link here on the forum. Wow.

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My ability to spell is in direct proportion to the amount of coffee I've had.

If you're into surf guitar, Martin Cilia has a number of good surf instrumentals that sound great. He has free backing tracks and tabs posted on his website for some of his songs. Fun stuff, although I haven't "graduated" to the fast songs yet. Favorites of mine (since I can actually play them) are Dawn Patrol and Twilight Surfer... so far..

www.martincilia.com

American Girl - Tom Petty
Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton
Cinnamon Girl - Neil Young

Wish You Were Here - the Floyd. On a good day I can even sing and play that one at the same time (not that it would be pretty to hear). Though of course I can't chew gum as well; that's asking too much.

Cheers - C

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When I was doing my solo gigging I used to do a lot of Donovan songs originally but later on started to do Troggs songs such as Love is All Around,Girl In Black,You Can Cry If You Want.I did a Who medley with I Can See For Miles,Magic Bus and Mary Ann With The Shakey Hand.I also did an acoustic arrangement of While My Guitar Gently Weeps that I improvised an acoustic intro to and did Nights In White Satin by The Moody Blues. All these songs are pretty easy to play and sound great done acoustically.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Blackbird by the Beatles is always a good one and while my guitar gently weeps. I like playing sunshine of your love by cream it always gets the juices going. Oh and dear Mr fantasy by traffic. My wife doesn't like my singing on that one and neither do the neighbours probably.

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Fender MIM 1995 Standard Stratocaster
Fender USA 2012 Deluxe Telecaster

I just finished learning "The Spirit of Radio"
which surprizingly holds its own on just an electric guitar.
As far as "singing" it?
I haven't been able to shriek like that since I was 13.
So I don't even try.

Some good recommendations here. I guess I should have phrased the question differently. Let me try again.

If you were going to do a solo set what songs would you pick? Any style, sing and play.

Does anyone do any Johnny Cash or James Taylor? Is it redneck to do Johnny Cash songs? What blues songs might you pick? I have always wanted to take some Metallica, Judas Priest, and others like and do really good solo acoustic renditions of them. I have not had time to explore that yet. I love "For Whom The Bell Tolls" that might be a good challenge.

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My ability to spell is in direct proportion to the amount of coffee I've had.

I'm a huge surf fanatic fan...thanks for that link by the way.
To the OP ....Some other good songs solo are La Villa Strangiato and YYZ by Rush are two great instrumentals that I never get tired of playing.I also love Lynyrd Skynyrd the needle and the spoon,simple man,I know a little.I could go on and on.Be creative and let loose.Lots of great songs that sound good solo

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1986 Fender Sidekick Reverb 35
1990 Fender Red Knob - "The Twin"
1992 Fender Newporter - Acoustic
2000 Fender American Series Strat - Natural ash
2010 Fender Mustang 1
2011 Fender Blacktop Jazzmaster -Sunburst
2012 Fender Champion

Try some James Taylor...

Steamroller Blues
Fire & Rain
Hey Mister That's Me Up On The Jukebox
Hard Times
You've Got A Friend
Smackwater Jack
Sweet Baby James
Carolina In My Mind
It Used To Be Her Town Too
Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight

...or some Willie Nelson, Jim Croce, Beatles, Maroon 5, Classic IV,
Clapton, Santana, Dylan and Neil Young.

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

hmmm.....okay

Mama Just Wants To Barrellhouse - Bruce Cockburn
Blues Got The World By The Balls - " "
One Day I Walk - " "
Magnolia - J.J. Cale
Polk Salad Annie - Tony Joe White
No Particular Place To Go - Chuck Berry
And It Stoned Me - Van Morrison
Desire - U2
Angel of Harlem - U2
La Bamba/Twist and Shout/Good Lovin'- Traditional/Isley Brothers/Young Rascals
Willin' - Little Feat
Friend of the Devil - Grateful Dead
Bartender's Blues - George Jones
Rollin' and Tumblin' - Traditional
I'm So Glad - Skip James
Lay Down Sally - Eric Clapton
The Weight - the Band
anything by Bob Dylan, Steve Earle, John Prine or Townes Van Zant....a good portion of Beatles and Stones songs work acoustically too and there's a pile by the Kinks also

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Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancin'

Otis Rush All Your Love sounds great played instrumentally.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltx9DRCwJVI

try this at your blues jam and watch everyone start dancing!

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Blues with a feeling.

GUILD GUITARS: MADE TO BE PLAYED!

A lot of Badfinger songs sound good on acoustic,especially Day After Day,No Matter What, Baby Blue,Come and Get it,Without You(if you have the pipes)and Maybe Tomorrow(that they did as The Ivey's).You don't want to do American Pie,Drift Away and that dumb song about "Do you like Pina Coladas and walkin' in the rain"whatever that's called because they've been so overplayed you could be dodging beer bottles while you sing them.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.