Since becoming commercially available, the baritone guitar has woven its way through nearly seven decades of music, adding resonance and low-end to many great tracks over the years. So, we decided to put together a list of our top 5 baritone songs of all time, for you to listen to, be inspired by, and possibly learn!
We chose these 5 songs as we believe they are a good representation of how the baritone guitar has been used in different genres over the years.
‘Kommotion’ by Duane Eddy, 1960
Duane Eddy’s work often featured Danelectro’s original “56” style Baritone or the Danelectro Long Horn baritone model. On Duane Eddy’s tracks, the baritone can be heard both up front, in the form of rhythm and lead lines, and in the back, in the form of “tic-tac” palm-muted bass lines.
‘Back in the Saddle’ by Aerosmith, 1976
The inclusion of this track will be controversial. In researching this project, some sources have stated that “Back in the Saddle” was recorded using a baritone electric. Others have said the track’s swaggering verse hook was played on a Fender Pawn Shop Bass VI, an instrument that is marketed by Fender as a bass guitar, not a baritone. I think of the Fender Bass VI as a hybrid baritone guitar/bass, so I’m comfortable including this track in our list.
‘The Space Between’ by Dave Matthews Band, 2001
The humble circa $400 Danelectro 56 Baritone is front and center in this Dave Matthews tune. It’s hard to imagine the tack without the extended range of the Danelectro 56 providing a gripping opening hook to the verse.
‘These Walls’ by Dream Theater, 2005
On the Dream Theater track “These Walls” John Petrucci uses his Music Man BFR Baritone, a limited-run signature model axe that is now out of production. The baritone can be heard throughout the track, but it comes out most distinctly in the hard-hitting intro and outro of this progressive metal tune. Also, be sure to check out the baritone guitar solo that starts 4:45.
‘Blue Liquid’ by Andy Mckee, 2010
Andy McKee is a virtuoso guitarist and an exceptional composer. He also happens to be a champion of the baritone guitar, particularly the acoustic baritone. This track is an excellent example of the growing number of solo artists using the acoustic baritone to create engaging and distinctive work.
Wrapping Up
Well, there you have it, 5 of the best baritone guitar songs of all time. There are plenty of other baritone guitar songs, but we believe these 5 give you a succinct overview of the baritone’s journey through popular music spanning 6 decades. If you’ve enjoyed this article and it’s inspired you to buy a new baritone guitar, please check out our full list of acoustic baritone reviews or our full list of electric baritone reviews.
