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7 Intermediate Guitar Songs That Will Test Your Skills
By Monica | Guitar Techniques
By Monica | Guitar Techniques
Are you on the "middle way" of your guitar career? Then you might want to learn some intermediate guitar songs. Of course, you might somehow doubt yourself if you can be able to take down these songs or not. But as long you already have the basic strumming techniques and other essential skills, you can learn these songs no time.
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Of course, the "friendliness" of a guitar song depends on the arrangement of the chords and the complexity of the note. There are some songs out there (such as Bohemian Rhapsody of Queen) that have intricate chord progressions. If you don't have a full grasp of different guitar techniques, it will take time before you can learn them.
Players that have intermediate skills can learn a majority of the songs that they can encounter. Once they can hear the specific chords present in the piece, they will be able to reproduce it by themselves. Meanwhile, they can also look for guitar tabs on the internet. But where is the fun in that?
At this point, we can all agree that some songs are easy. But there are also some tracks that are meant to destroy our fingers and brain. For an intermediate guitar player, taking the next level is not advisable. Before you meddle with complicated pieces, you should try out the songs that suit your skills. You will be able to assess your progress as well if you do so.
There are a lot of intermediate guitar songs that you can learn. But we have listed the best pieces that would show the true colors of your skills! Practicing with these songs is an essential thing to do for any guitar player. Below are some of the best songs that intermediate guitar players should play. We hope that you can find enjoyment while learning them!
Artist: The Eagles
When you talk about classics, people would just instantly point out "Hotel California." This particular song made its mark to the annals of the music industry. There are a lot of words to describe it. However, only one adjective suits it perfectly: it is epic!
The song is an ideal training ground for intermediate to master-class players. Specifically, this song possesses the complexities that would test your skills. For example, it has broad bends, classy blue lines, and the iconic pentatonic sequencing. Of course, the song is also flooded with arpeggios as well! This article won't be enough to mention those intricate details!
Learning this song will render you a sense of fulfillment. After all, it will only be the pros that have the right to master this incredible track.
Artist: Jimi Hendrix
It is a huge blunder for any guitarist not to know Jimi Hendrix. He is among the few legendary guitarists that achieved numerous accolades due to his logic-defying skills. More than being a guitarist, Hendrix is an enigmatic artist that everybody adores.
We all know how hard it is to replicate the tracks of Hendrix. Most of the songs that he played have sophisticated note arrangement and chord progression. But for intermediate guitar players, you might want to try Hendrix's "Little Wing."
Those who lived in the same era as Hendrix knew that Little Wing paved the way for the birth of R&B guitar genre. You might want to add the song "Wind Cries Mary" to the equation, and your hands won't rest anymore. Specifically, "Little Wing" houses some of the cleanest arpeggios that we ever heard. It also came with a lot of double-stops that would eventually grind your fingers.
Overall, the song is difficult to play. However, for intermediate guitar players, it will be their proving grounds.
Artist: Led Zeppelin
Nobody doesn't know the song "Stairway to Heaven." It is one of the most iconic songs in the during the Rock N' Roll era. Moreover, the song itself represents as the "Gateway Song" of Led Zeppelin. Therefore, without this masterpiece, the band would not have reached the acme of the industry.
Among their tracks, "Stairway to Heaven" has the most intricate arrangement. The melody and overall harmony of the instruments would make you think that a choir performs it. It has all the "musical characteristics" that any guitar player must explore. Otherwise, they would not be able to call themselves "guitar aficionados."
If you feel that your skills are already sufficient, you must learn this song. You'll definitely enjoy the test that it will give you!
Artist: Simon and Garfunkel
Simon and Garfunkel's America has a long mark on our memory lanes. It is one of the good old songs that our folks keep singing with their vinyl and cassette tapes. The song will train your strumming and picking skills. We guarantee that only those who have trained their fingers can keep up with the pace of this song.
Moreover, "America" will enhance your proficiency in song arrangement. We don't want to mention any technical concepts here. But it is really worthy to mention that this track incorporates a lot of chord progression theory. Once you tried this song already, you'll realize that it might more than what you can chew! Isn't that fun?
Let us take a break! Check this video about the five things that separate an amateur guitarist from an intermediate player:
Artist: Dave Matthews Band
We won't deny that "Crash Into Me" is one of our favorite songs. Moreover, we will not be shy either to declare that we are so fond with Dave Matthews Band. Released on their album "Crash," the song itself represents the suave that this band has.
Notably, we find the structures of Crash Into Me simple and straightforward. But it doesn't mean that it is easy to play. Just try listening to it, and you will know the reason why. In fact, this song will test the reach and endurance of your hands.
Specifically, Crash Into Me is the perfect song to train the strength of your fret-hand. Moreover, it will also enhance the control of your strums. After all, you will need to avoid the bass lines while you are strumming into the melody of this song.
Artist: Eric Clapton
"Tears in Heaven" is among the most moving songs of all times. It is also the masterpiece that defined the career of Eric Clapton as a singer and a guitar player. Of course, a lot of people (including us) won't deny that it is one of the best acoustic songs that ever existed.
There are a lot of versions of this song already. But the original one is just using the conventional fingerstyle techniques. Many would suggest that it is a song for beginners. At some point, it can be an agreeable argument. However, nobody can just brag that mastering fingerstyle is easy. And if you can't master such technique, you won't be able to play this song, too.
Artist: The Police
"Every Breath You Take" is a good song that you anyone can jive. It has unique and harmonious melodies that would make you addicted to it. Moreover, the voicing would just immediately put you in the groove. If there is a song that would infect you with the "last song syndrome," it is definitely this one.
But aside from being a hit in the music scene, "Every Breath You Take" highlights unique chord arrangement on the guitar. Specifically, it has nine voicing chords that resulted in the production of "compelling" sounds throughout the song.Intermediate guitar players must be able to tackle this song.
Otherwise, they won't be able to guarantee that they can take down more complex songs than this timeless masterpiece.
The songs listed above are some of the best songs that any intermediate guitar players can practice. The complexity of their notes are just moderate,.Moreover, these songs have smooth chord progressions as well. You can notice that popular bands and artists perform most of these songs. The biggest reason for that is so that you can find their guitar tabs quickly. There are a lot of Youtube videos out there that shows tutorials for these tracks.
All players will encounter these intermediate guitar songs in their career, one way or another. If you are serious about this endeavor, then you should practice consistently. Later on, you will be able to tackle these songs without any hassle.
Did you learn from this article? What are other songs that you think can fit for intermediate guitar players? Tell us your answers in your comment section below! Also, don't forget to share this article on your social media accounts! Good luck!
Hi everyone! Im Monica and I am an avid lover of guitars and everything in-between. My current profession is not really music-related. It is quite discouraging but I just don't want to drop my zeal--especially not to guitars! I created GuitarTrance.Com so that I can keep up with my hobby. Of course, I want to engage with the community as well! Hope we can all get along!
