Easiest/Best PJ songs on guitar for an 8 year old?

Foxy Mop

My soon to be 9 year old daughter's been taking lessons for awhile now (finishing up book one) and reeeeally wants to start learning Pearl Jam songs.

I suggested Not For You since it seemed like a pretty repetitive chord sequence but she is looking for something more lead guitar sounding, I think, though her teacher wants her to stay primarily on chords.

I had asked for some recommendations when she first started, but unfortunately they got wiped with the new board merge... Any suggestions are appreciated!

Thanks!

kcherub

Hey, girl! Cooper is learning "Pinball Wizard" right now, and while it's not Pearl Jam, it's pretty easy to play and it actually sounds like the song when played even badly. There is a version of Present Tense out there that is kind of basic. My husband is the one that usually plays around with Cooper on it, so I will ask him for some suggestions!

xtremehardy388

Stone's part in Immortality is pretty good. Lukin, if she can play it quick and if her fingers are big enough. Small Town if she can do some changes. Tremor Christ and the acoustic version of Indifference.


GOOD LUCK!!!! Post pics of her playing, if ya can

PS: "One Note" is a good one too

kcherub

xtremehardy388 wrote:

Stone's part in Immortality is pretty good. Lukin, if she can play it quick and if her fingers are big enough. Small Town if she can do some changes. Tremor Christ and the acoustic version of Indifference.


GOOD LUCK!!!! Post pics of her playing, if ya can

PS: "One Note" is a good one too

Crap. I had forgotten how easy Lukin is. That would be a good one for fast fingers...good call.

xtremehardy388

kcherub wrote:

xtremehardy388 wrote:

Stone's part in Immortality is pretty good. Lukin, if she can play it quick and if her fingers are big enough. Small Town if she can do some changes. Tremor Christ and the acoustic version of Indifference.


GOOD LUCK!!!! Post pics of her playing, if ya can

PS: "One Note" is a good one too

Crap. I had forgotten how easy Lukin is. That would be a good one for fast fingers...good call.

It's tough for my hands, at least, to do the bar chords, though.

I'll give her extra props if she screams it off key and makes up the words, like Ed does.

TriumphantAngel

kcherub wrote:

Crap. I had forgotten how easy Lukin is. That would be a good one for fast fingers...good call.

Firstly, i think it is wicked cool that your 9 year old daugter wants to learn pearl jam tunes and play guitar!

Lukin is a good choice because it's just three power chords and very simple. She can build her speed up as she practices more. When you are very young like she is, and just starting out with your learning, it's a real sense of achievement when you learn a song from start to finish. It encourages you to keep on going. It's really important it stays fun for her or she will just get sick of it. Just give her lots of support and encouragement (which i am sure you will do anyway).

Have you checked out given to wail? Keep that bookmarked, because there is nowhere else on the net where you can get more accurate tabs. They are pretty spot on and they also have some really good information to help people who are new to guitar and wanting to play pearl jam tunes. it will come in handy for her later on if she sticks with it.

http://www.giventowail.com/lessons/beginners.php

TriumphantAngel

xtremehardy388 wrote:

I'll give her extra props if she screams it off key and makes up the words, like Ed does.

haha yeah, been there, done that

gimmesometruth27

long road is really easy. hunger strike is pretty easy as well. if she can do hammer ons and pull offs release would be a good choice as well.

this is so awesome she is learning at such a young age. i wish i would have started at that age but my parents never encouraged it...so i did what any sensible and resourceful college freshman did, signed up for a credit card for the free t shirt, then went straight to the music shop lol...

PJamGrungeFan

Last Kiss no doubt. It's G, Em, C, and D throughout the whole song. Very easy, and a great song.

Foxy Mop

Wow lots of awesome responses - thanks guys!!!

She's pretty motivated, a fast learner and has a really good ear. She's figured out the lead guitar parts on Maps by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and a some Metallica riffs on her own. I think she'd dig Lukin, Small Town, Hunger Strike & Pinball Wizard. One of her goals is to learn Bee Girl, which she's a freak about.

I've been to giventowail before on my own (tinkering w/tabs) and had forgotten about it. Thanks for the reminder!!

Originally I started her (age 7) on this guitar (short-scale), but her teacher wanted to move her up to a full sized guitar fairly soon after, so she got this guitar in Midnight Purple Burst. She's also asking about adding distortion and other thingees. eeek! :shock:

I will see if she'll let me take some photos/video & post 'em up!

DriftingByTheStorm

imho,

Not For You
is probably the easiest PJ song, by far.
E Chord and move it up twice.

Shazam.

Release would probably be good to learn some finger picking\appregios.

Porch is pretty easy too.
I mean, not the solo, but the Vs and Chorus are all just very easy bar chords.

RVM is another that is definately not to hard.
And Indifference, like release, is another good simple one to learn individual note picking.

Austicman

I am Mine is a fun one to learn. Not too hard not too easy.

Tuolumne Mama

My son started lessons when he was 6 (now almost 13) and I think he could pretty easily do at least the melody and the chord progressions to most of ten after a bit, nothing fancy - also someone mentioned Long Road and most of Into the Wild are pretty easily chorded, per him. He also learned a ton of Neil Young songs which may be an option. He switched to electric after he had the fundamentals on acoustic around 9. Now he's into Speedy McCready mode and attempting to copy his style, LOL. It's nice when they're interested in something constructive besides 24/7 gaming and they really do seem to learn so much faster when they are younger. He's at the point where he spends more hours playing with the guitar and distortion pedals than actually playing it anymore.