# Octaves, Zouks, Citterns, Tenors and Electrics > Tenor Guitars >  What do you play on your tenor guitar?

## fox

So what are you actually playing or learning at the moment, do you sing & play or stick to Irish style?
I am going to get a few Christmas tunes together over the next few weeks...

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## Steve Zawacki

In a word - everything. Went to an Eagles tribute concert last Monday and have been playing about a dozen old Eagles numbers (favorites: Get Over It, Heart of The Matter).  Whatever can be played on any 6-string acoustic csn be done on a Tenor.

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fox

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## bruce.b

Mostly Irish trad, any fiddle tunes and even a couple of Monroe bluegrass tunes. I've been messing around with some fingerpicking lately. Maybe try some American songbook standards in the future.

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fox

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## fox

I like to finger pick too.
As a six string player I do find quite a lot of songs quite difficult on the tenor, not necessarily difficult to play but difficult to sound right. I more or less gave up with house of the rising sun but I do love to play & sing mainly light rock & folk.

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## Pete Martin

TexS fiddle backup and jazz tunes

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fox

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## fox

My harmony sounds jazzy without trying, I love playing the archtop but it is quiet without using a pick & when you do use a pick you can hear the pick! 
I like my Ozark best of all, it is sensitive, responsive and has a great volume range... great for sofa playing.
I have regular jams with my mates & I need the blueridges bigger body for that although I normally fall back to a six string or banjo on those occasions! 
Blues on the archtop sound great & feel right for the instrument...
Anyway, I am going to have a go at Silent Night melody (cant imagine me singing that tune) & maybe 'driving home for Christmas' (Chris Rea)

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## Seonachan

I started working on John Lawlor's versions of Jingle Bells and Christmastime Is Here a couple of months ago - with any luck I'll have them down by Christmas. In the meantime I'm playing some Beatles, Randy Newman, old popular songs, and Gaelic songs in roughly equal measure.

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fox

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## cargomaster

Whatever I feel like. Some old traditional stuff, and some original stuff. I use a thumbpick like I do on six string. Love the instrument. The fifths tuning just seems to be really easy to play over.

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fox, 

Steve Zawacki

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## Velorum

Thought that I might resurrect this thread..........

Currently trying to master *Octopus* by Syd Barratt - playing and singing. Im finding it tough, but as he is one of my musical heroes I will persevere  :Smile: 

Im sure some practice will improve the guitar bit - as for the voice............

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## Chip Stewart

Currently working on "This Land Is Your Land" by Woody Guthrie and "Going North" by Missy Higgins.

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## Charles E.

Oldtime fiddle tunes and Western Swing.

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## DavidKOS

> So what are you actually playing or learning at the moment, do you sing & play or stick to Irish style?


Definitely not Irish style...old jazz and some Italian music mostly, even though I'm using the "Irish" tuning.

I like hearing well played Irish music, hence I don't play it much.

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## SincereCorgi

> I like hearing well played Irish music, hence I don't play it much.


Ha, I hear that. I think Irish is one of those styles where it's hard to dabble, the good players are into it so deep that they can't really do much else.

All I play on my tenor is old jazz. I've tried using it for old time string band music, but it isn't loud enough to stand up to more than a couple fiddles.

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DavidKOS

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## Jayyj

I guess i'm a little different than most on the thread... here's a track recorded with my SG tenor build. There's the odd low part by the other guitarist on a six string but the tenor is the lead instrument that you can hear on its own at the start and at the beginning of the build up in the second half.

https://m.soundcloud.com/gizeh/last-...acturefragment

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MdJ

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## djweiss

Honky-Tonk Country and Swing

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## Ted Eschliman

Jazz Standards. I dig up a Real Book and go to town.

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DavidKOS

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## Charles E.

> All I play on my tenor is old jazz. I've tried using it for old time string band music, but it isn't loud enough to stand up to more than a couple fiddles.


Thats why you need a 1930's National Triolian tenor!    :Wink:

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## Dolamon

I work on my Jazz pieces as rhythm exercises and sometimes it is a real struggle. Occasionally I get inspired to play and explore various parts of Bach's cello preludes as either pick or finger exercises. Great stuff for the brain and the fingers. I received a Topher Gayle Resonator Mandola (4 string, 17 inch scale) recently and have been trying to work out some of the allusions which both Bob Brozman and original Dopera Brothers ads listed for  using a resonator for rhythm playing ... very odd challenge as the nuances in this spectacular instrument are occasionally difficult to control. This is by far the loudest tenor I've ever played. 

I will persevere ...

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DavidKOS

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## bigmomma

I've played the mandolin for a little over a year and in November got a tenor guitar. Trying to play music that fits both.  Lots of Beatles. Credence, John Denver, Cold Play.  Some jigs and rags for picking. Love to sing. Just having a great time learning. I hope I don't get arthritis before I get good at something.

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## hokelore

Mostly old-time, in various tunings. I'm wondering about trying CGDA again, and learning contest style back-up, but that hasn't happened yet.

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## MdJ

Songs of disappointmnt and heartbreak...... surprisingly, many are laments about unfaithful  women.

And the occasional lullaby, sung for the benefit of unredeemed men of lowest character.......

Moistly,

MdJ

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## Jayyj

> Songs of disappointmnt and heartbreak...... surprisingly, many are laments about unfaithful  women.
> 
> And the occasional lullaby, sung for the benefit of unredeemed men of lowest character.......
> 
> Moistly,
> 
> MdJ


Well that's got to be my favourite answer so far!

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MdJ

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## kmmando

Stuff liked this .....

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bruce.b, 

dustyamps, 

mrjop1975

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## kmmando



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bruce.b

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## bruce.b

Great playing Kevin. That tenor guitar sounds wonderful.

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kmmando

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## BlowingRockNC

I play most anything. I go to three jams a week, and I play whatever is being played. I mostly enjoy Old Time music, Bluegrass, Traditional (1850 to about 1920), light rock, blues, folk is ok, and other stuff. The fun part is just playing with other folks. It usually isn't necessary to know the song's name or have even heard it before (but that certainly helps some). Someone yells out the Key, then off we go.

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fox

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## dustyamps

Drive the Cold Winter Away on my Regal tenor and Gibson mandolin.

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FatBear, 

fox, 

MdJ, 

SincereCorgi

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## BlowingRockNC

Dang, that is one sweet tune, plus the music goes perfectly with the photographs. Mighty fine, yes sir.

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## dustyamps

Here is another tenor and mandolin duet.

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## BlowingRockNC

Just yesterday, I decided to learn "Walking To New Orleans" on my resonator tenor. I also worked up a tenor version of Swannanoa Tunnel. I also played both tunes on a 5-string banjo, which was a bit unusual for Fat's tune, but a little better fit with Swannanoa Tunnel.

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## kmmando

Scottish Pipe marches on National tenors!







and pigsfoot shoving, Jockstyle!

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## John Kelly

Great sound and your usual playing flair, Kevin.

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## BlowingRockNC

I just deleted my reply. I messed up. Happy Thursday to one and all.

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## fox

I don't know any of those mate!

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## Baron Collins-Hill

I like to play chords and rhythms where they don't belong...  :Mandosmiley:

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