Great topic! Steel Rail Blues is the first song I ever learned to play and sing all the way through (including the riff), probably a dozen years ago. Like most everyone I started by using a pick, but about 2 years ago went totally with fingerpicking. If a song calls for a regular 'picking' sound my index fingernail is the pick. It's very convenient, until you've played so much and the fingernail is paper thin. I have about a dozen songs burned into my memory (I know, should be more after all these years), including IYCRRM, Triangle, Auctioneer, and Christian Island. Had Romance down a few months ago, but I have to revisit it; I keep forgetting the words! Triangle is my favorite song and is very easy to learn once you get into that 1 2 3, 1 2 3 groove, but there are lots of words to remember. Incidentally, Alberta Bound is the same chord and 'verbal' progression, it's just in 4 -4 time...I got Auctioneer down, including the auction call, by listening to a Steve Goodman version of the song, which is done a little slower than Gord's; hence, it was easier to pick up the tempo. I love Christian Island, too...that is one song where you almost have to forget what your strumming hand is doing and go with the flow. It took me awhile to get into that groove, and this was just a few weeks ago! I'm trying out a little of Terry Clement's live 'mandolin' style during the break, too...very hard, for me anyway, but getting there.
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