putting together an arrangement

[MetalWerk]

My goal is to play acoustic and sing. I've got about 20 songs memorized. I'm looking for advise in adding songs to my list. For example, I want to add Man of Constant Sorrow. The first thing I did was download the powertabs version. But it was the complex fingering version which is great, but I want to sing while I play and really wanted an easier strumming version. So I figured out the chords C-Bb-A-F and threw a couple of notes at the beginning. But between the verses are some show-off solos.

Is it a pretty common practice to transcribe your own songs to simplify them for performance sake? Does anyone have any advise on doing this?

[guitaraholic680]

I'd say that if you want to perform them urself, u can make changes to them. Just give credit to the band that orignally wrote the song. You could also say that u added ur own versions to them. At the solo parts in between in the song you mentioned, I'd suggest learning them. If you deviate TOO much from the orignal song, it is no longer a cover. You can't even say u wrote it. haha
Just my belief.

[SlowDance]

When I play covers in front of people....I usually leave out the small nuances that make it easier for me to play and sing...it's just natural it seems....it's almost like messing up the song but pushing right through the mistake....Does most of the audience know that i just missed a note or that theres supposed to be small fingerpicking passage underneath the solo?????.....I doubt it. And on top of that alot of songs I play are played originally with 2 guitars....so no matter what I'm not going to get the exact sound of the original so I'm not too worried about it.


So when all is said and done....I got to play my guitar...and people got to hear music. Sounds good to me.