Bowline, taut line hitch, trucker's hitch, double half hitch, slippery hitch variations, clove hitch, marlin spike hitch, figure-8, square knot, sheet bend, prusik hitch and a klimheist hitch will give you a great knot library to draw from using ropes in general and making safe hangs.
Learning to use rope and knots is really empowering. After Boy Scouts and some sailing, knots became a fun and handy thing. Once you get a few down, it gets easier to learn a new one-- you start to get an eye and feel for it. There are so many great resources on the web now with animated photos and diagrams you can print. I've printed a copy of a knot I wanted to learn or use with a particular piece of gear and put it in the stuff sack-- the hard part is remembering the bits when you haven't used them in a while.
Understanding how the knot works helps too. Study something like a taut line hitch and you can see how the loops provide friction and how the knots "chokes" itself to lock down.
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