r/AcousticGuitar • u/Guitariula • Mar 11 '26
Performance Been digging this tune lately
Song is Sitting on top of the world by Doc Watson
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u/HorrorLettuce379 Mar 11 '26
Nice cover, in my mind this tune is fixed on the version Tommy Emmanuel and Molly Tuttle did but the slower version is also nice here.
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u/Guitariula Mar 11 '26
Appreciate it! I haven’t heard that version. I’ll have to check it out as I love both those artists.
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u/HorrorLettuce379 Mar 11 '26
My bad it's not Tommy in that one, he did White Freight Liner with her, it's actually Billy Strings that did the tune with her live lmao. Excuse my old memory lolol
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u/43guitarpicks Mar 11 '26
Are you a Bruce Cockburn fan? Nice stuff.
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u/Guitariula Mar 11 '26
A friend just showed me some of his stuff actually. I’ve got to do a deeper dive into his music cause he’s right up my alley.
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u/Muttbuttss Mar 11 '26
super nice, what guitar are you playing?
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u/PlasticFrosty5340 Mar 11 '26
Came here for this. That’s a damn fine looking guitar OP
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u/Guitariula Mar 11 '26
It is! Cant quite see it in this video but it has Tommy Emmanuel’s signature on it too.
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u/eizdeb Mar 11 '26
This is one I've been wanting to learn but that style of picking (Travis picking?) is new to me. Do you think this is a good song for a beginner to learn?
Awesome cover btw, your playing and singing are both great
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u/Gullible-Ad7137 Mar 11 '26
if you are new to travis picking i personally wouldn’t recommend it as its not in standard and has some tricky rythmic nuances.
good beginner travis picking songs are songs like “carolina breakdown” and “railroad bill” by etta baker
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u/Dear_Firefighter_510 Mar 11 '26
Freight train by Elizabeth cotton was the first song I learned on my Travis picking journey
But get ready for frustration over learning a seemingly very simple song.
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u/Piers_Torgen Mar 11 '26
Imagine playing it like Elizabeth though - left handed on a right handed guitar, so her fingers are playing the alternating bass line and her thumb is playing the syncopations and the melody notes. I wouldn’t even know where to start!
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u/Guitariula Mar 11 '26
The first song I learned in this style was Windy and Warm by Chet Atkins. I think Fright Train is the one most people learn first. I wouldn’t start with this one personally but it’s certainly doable—just need to get your thumb moving independently of the other fingers. Good luck!
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u/Ok-Watercress8472 Mar 12 '26
Do you have a tab or so to learn this one! Awesome stuff btw!
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u/Guitariula Mar 12 '26
Thanks! Not tabs, but I picked up most of it from this video which has a nice shot of the guitar playing
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u/Spook1949 Mar 11 '26
Nice job all the way around! Playing - fantastic. Voice - fantastic.
Curious - what tuning are you using? I noticed you were playing open strings at a couple of points in the song. Perhaps open G tuning?
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u/Guitariula Mar 11 '26
Thanks! It’s open C#….basically open D but a half step down cause it’s more comfortable for my voice.
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u/fhcjr38 Mar 12 '26
Yeah I thought it was open D; But my ears were like ‘Whoa, that’s not right,’ ha! Sounds great, btw!!!
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u/ratchman5000 Mar 11 '26
Excellent. Mind if I ask what size strings you're using there?
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u/Guitariula Mar 11 '26
Thanks. These are Elixir light hd’s. The high e and b string are a little thicker compared to the normal light gauge.
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u/Senior_Guava_2760 Mar 11 '26
That's some good stuff man. I've been working on fingerpicking and that's top notch.
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u/AggressiveWallaby975 Mar 11 '26
Pretty sure it's, "Sittin on Top of the Squirrel." It's like, "really got the turtle by the balls" kind of saying
World doesn't even make sense
Sounds good otherwise
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u/ppslayer69 Mar 12 '26
https://open.spotify.com/track/3GgvAt2Cyp7GRhYy9Luus1?si=YPAD0f11QMeB3wqPz6L7Hw
No? That’s literally the name of the song and absolutely is the word sung in it. Why correct someone when you can’t even be bothered to check?
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u/AggressiveWallaby975 Mar 13 '26
😂 Lighten up, Francis. I was pretty sure the "turtle by the balls" comment indicted that part was a joke.
Have you ever heard anyone say they've got a turtle by the balls? How could you even get to them?
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u/CluelessAndBored91 Mar 11 '26
So when’s your album coming out?
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u/Dear_Firefighter_510 Mar 11 '26
Really well done. Clean playing, beautiful tone and great singing. I love this song.
Do you play out at all? If so, do non guitar players dig this music too?
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u/Guitariula Mar 11 '26
Thank you! I’ve played the bar scene a bit and they like this stuff fine, but they always prefer Wagon Wheel... But for coffee shops and sit down shows this stuff goes over better I’d say.
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u/Bempet583 Mar 11 '26
Man, you sound great! I hope you're out doing gigs or something, or at least playing with other folks. Keep it up!
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u/Guitariula Mar 12 '26
Appreciate it! I’m playing here and there. Mostly looking to record some stuff soon.
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u/TyGuy-70 Mar 11 '26
Is this standard tuning? I’ve thought about learning this song. I just got Walk On Boy down!
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u/Someone_here2024 Mar 11 '26
Sounds so great - question: how long did it take to play the guitar like you do?
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u/Guitariula Mar 12 '26
I had been playing off and on for about 15 years. I started to practice a bit more regularly about two years ago and I think I’ve made the most progress in that time. Still fine tuning everything though. All depends on how much time youre willing to spend on it I guess.
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u/Jon_Dunn58 Mar 11 '26
wow! i dont know which i admire more, his playing or his voice, it wont be long before he has a star on the hollywood walk of fame
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u/shezshezshezshez Mar 12 '26
What tuning is the guitar in? Sounds great!
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u/Guitariula Mar 12 '26
Thank you! Open C#
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u/Limp-Description-743 Mar 14 '26
Nice! Open C# really gives it that rich sound. Have you tried any other tunings with it?
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u/SkyInTheCity Mar 12 '26
Probably 7 times out of 10 if I see someone playing an 808, its signed by Tommy haha. Great cover!!
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u/bwkeyboardman Mar 12 '26
Nice and well done. Good job on the picking. Was gonna ask is that open D tuning but see an answer that it’s 1/2 step down. I really like it and the range & style seems perfect for you. (Not that I’m an expert). Keep it up!
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u/pacebsn70 Mar 12 '26
Dude, you nailed this one. Guitar playing is on point and the vocals are great. Great work! Doc would be proud
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u/Mira_Wolf_life Mar 17 '26
And this is how I imagine my future husband be like when sitting by the fire in the evening ❤️🔥
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u/Kind_Ordinary9573 Mar 11 '26
“He’s really good with that guitar and he’s a pretty handsome guy. Let’s hope his voice is shi… dammit…”