One of my responsibilities here at MXTabs.net is to license songs, which requires me to sit in front of a computer all day long performing music copyright research, then entering appropriate information into a database built to ensure that the correct percentage of our site’s ad revenue is being distributed to the correct music publishers. As you can probably imagine, I’ve never really considered this to be the highlight of my work day. After all, it’s detail-orientated, repetitive, and not nearly as fun as my work with the MXTabs.net Forum and Community. But the other day I realized something that made me think of licensing songs in a new light. Basically, I realized that I am probably more familiar with the 49,002 song tabs currently available on MXTabs.net than anyone else on the planet.

So rather than just dutifully licensing songs, I decided to turn the process into something a little more creative by starting this new blog column you’re reading, Sheriff Picks. Simply put, each week I will choose a topic and then pick a handful of guitar, bass, and drum tabs to highlight said topic. My goal with Sheriff Picks is twofold: 1) to expose readers to some great song tab that maybe they wouldn’t normally search for (or didn’t know was available on MXTabs.net) and 2) to keep me from losing my mind while licensing songs!!! Only time will tell on both counts, but let’s get to this week’s topic, Song Tabs of Music from the 1960s.

Featured 1960s Guitar Tab

What discussion of 1960s guitar tab would be complete without mentioning The Beatles and George Harrison’s amazing guitar work? If you’re a beginning guitarist, I’d suggest trying one of these Day Tripper guitar tabs. With its popular and easier-than-it-sounds guitar riff, Day Tripper is a perfect beginner piece to impress your friends and family with. At the opposite end of the spectrum, if you’re a more advanced guitarist looking for a challenge, I recommend playing through one of the MXTabs.net Whole Lotta Love guitar tabs by another seminal band that got their start in the 1960s, Led Zeppelin. Looking for something else, still? Then here are five more guitar tabs of music from the 1960s to consider.

• White Room by Cream
• Magic Carpet Ride by Steppenwolf
• Susie Q by Creedence Clearwater Revival
• The House of the Rising Sun by The Animals
• Time of the Season by The Zombies

Featured 1960s Bass Guitar Tab

When I think of bass guitar and the 1960s, one of the first artists that comes to my mind is “the Godfather of Soul,” James Brown. His innovative mix of funk rhythms, bass grooves, and traditional song structures should be required learning for any bassist. Check out this bass tab for It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World to see why. Also be sure to try this Sunday Morning bass tab by The Velvet Underground. It’s a very simple bass tab, but Sunday Morning has long been one of my favorite songs from the 1960s, and the opening bass “sigh” is an appropriate start to this quiet rocker.

• Helter Skelter by The Beatles
• Whipping Post by The Allman Brothers Band
• Stand By Me by Ben E. King
• What Is And What Should Never Be by Led Zeppelin
• Down On The Corner by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Featured 1960s Drum Tab

If you know the first thing about drumming, chances are that you already know quite a bit about Keith Moon, drummer for The Who. After all, he was one of the first people to use his drum set as a lead instrument, and his incredible technique has influenced several subsequent generations of drummers. If you’re brave enough to attempt some of his solos and fills, feel free to use these two extraordinary song tabs as a guide: Baba O’Riley drum tab and The Kids Are Alright drum tab. Of course, Keith Moon wasn’t the only innovative drummer of his era, so check out these other featured drum tabs of music from the 1960s too.

• Wipeout by The Surfaris
• Come Together by The Beatles
• Good Times Bad Times by Led Zeppelin
• All Day And All Of The Night by The Kinks
• White Room by Cream

So there you have it, the first installment of Sheriff Picks. I hope you enjoyed these song tabs of music from the 1960s. Are there any tabs you think would be a good addition to the list? Or do you have any suggestions for future topics? Please leave a comment below and let me know. I’ll get to Song Tabs of Music from the 1970s soon, but I was thinking next Friday of tackling Songs with Days of the Week in the Title (as well as touching on why this column is called Sheriff Picks… just in case you were wondering). Until then, au revoir!