# So, what are you going to play?



## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Here's the scenario: You're at someone's house and you notice a guitar hanging on the wall. They say, "Oh, do you play? Play something." What are you going to play?

Its a question that my guitar teacher asked me a long, long time ago and it profoundly affected my approach to the guitar and continues to affect the way I teach guitar.

At the time, I launched into "Takin' Care of Business". After a few bars my teacher asked, "Is that it?"

"I guess."
"Are you going to sing?"
"No." (with a hint of "duh" in my voice.)
"How long do you think that will hold someone's attention?"
"I dunno."

From there, he started to teach me how to find a melody within a chord progression and play melody and accompaniment simultaneously. It would be years before I fully appreciated what my teacher was trying to do (I still had rockstar aspirations), but eventually my first love would be playing fingerstyle guitar.

Anyways, today, if asked to play something I would probably launch into "Remembering Linda" by Mike Christiansen or "Village Dance" by Ritchie Blackmore. Both good tunes in standard tuning that I can play with minimal warm-up.

So, what would you play?


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Depends on who's listening. Maybe an instrumental fingerstyle piece of my own, maybe a strum-dee-dum song like Long Black Veil with a flatpicking instrumental solo in the middle.

Peace, Mooh.


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## fretboard (May 31, 2006)

Can't seem to pick up someone else's guitar without reverting back to the first solo in Kid Charlemagne by Steely Dan. Suppose the riff from Hey Bulldog by the Beatles might make an appearance as well.

Now I'm all self-conscious about it and I'll probably go down to my guitar room and waste an hour saying "no - not good enough, no - not cool enough" instead of just playing.

Thanks...


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Mooh said:


> Depends on who's listening. Maybe an instrumental fingerstyle piece of my own, maybe a strum-dee-dum song like Long Black Veil with a flatpicking instrumental solo in the middle.
> 
> Peace, Mooh.


Yes--same idea, but stuff I came up with or make up then, or that friends came up with back in the day--or maybe a request if I know it. IF I feel like it.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Might do a swing blues version of Kansas City, or a hymn tune...it depends...or I'd just improvise some quasimocksimulated celtoid-classicalized thing. I'm a lousy memorizer, so I often carry a sheath of tunes around with me.

Peace, Mooh.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...this is my worst nightmare. i can't actually play ANYTHING on the guitar. this, despite being at it for over fifty years!

years ago i went for a series of job interviews for an executive position at yamaha (i came 'this close' to getting it - it was down to me and one other applicant out of a field of 300).

they brought me into a room where a guitar and amp was set up and said "play something". i immediately broke out into a cold sweat and sat there noodling until they finally, mercifully, told me i could stop.

i'm strictly an ensemble/improvisational player.


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## jimihendrix (Jun 27, 2009)

I'm somewhat shy so...

If I was put on the spot to play the host's guitar at their house...I'd say..."You first"...and if their playing ability far outshined my own...I'd fake a sudden phony medical distress and excuse myself to the restroom...all the while making good my hasty escape to my vehicle...race home...dim all the lights...and curl up in a ball and cry like a little girl...

...either that...or "accidentally" break a couple of strings while demonstrating some new radical super high-strung alternate tuning that I'd just conveniently made up on the spot...thereby rendering the guitar instantly unplayable...thus avoid embarrassing myself...


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...on the other hand, after several glasses of bourbon and a few puffs, i am a virtuoso. and quite witty and entertaining, i might add.


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

If my wife's with me, Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" because it's a duet. If she's not there, Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here". In my mind, both great tunes.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

I'd likely go with a Stones song. Probably Brown Sugar. Or Angie.


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## zurn (Oct 21, 2009)

david henman said:


> ...on the other hand, after several glasses of bourbon and a few puffs, i am a virtuoso. and quite witty and entertaining, i might add.


Aren't we all  Well it's a very interesting question and it really does depend whos your audience. If it's a friend of mine, I would probably break out some old grunge years stuff.


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## fudb (Dec 8, 2010)

It's not a competition. 

I usually either sing one of about a half dozen songs i've managed to remember, or one of 3 or 4 delta blue's i've been working on.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

david henman said:


> ...this is my worst nightmare. i can't actually play ANYTHING on the guitar. this, despite being at it for over fifty years!
> 
> years ago i went for a series of job interviews for an executive position at yamaha (i came 'this close' to getting it - it was down to me and one other applicant out of a field of 300).
> 
> ...


I can relate--I keep getting asked if I can play any actual songs--well yes & no--but I do the other parts in my head.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

i'd do what i always do. i'd play my "can i help you" lick.

YouTube - May i help you riff


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## Jocko (May 17, 2010)

I'd play Hotel California, picking a lead out of the verse chords until I reached the vocals. I'd then hand it back saying something like "nice guitar". Unless of course the malt had been flowing. Then of course it would have to be torn out of my grip in the wee sma hours!


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## discomalaria (Feb 17, 2010)

david henman said:


> ...this is my worst nightmare. i can't actually play ANYTHING on the guitar. this, despite being at it for over fifty years!
> 
> years ago i went for a series of job interviews for an executive position at yamaha (i came 'this close' to getting it - it was down to me and one other applicant out of a field of 300).
> 
> ...


My nightmare as well. To overcome it I will typically break out into a completely broken version of twinkle-twinkle little star or happy birthday. For whatever reason I can't seem to find the correct notes anyhow so it comes off as major amateur-hour. Then I hand back the instrument with a look of "nice guitar". 

Unfortunately I seem to usually be the only one who finds this amusing. Seriously, as a noodler what the hell am I supposed to play without it sounding like I'm trying too hard to show off or something?

Maybe I should just lean a damn song...


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Smoke on the Water...


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## Beach Bob (Sep 12, 2009)

Great topic. Here I thought I was the only reclusive player.

If I'm with people I'm really comfortable with, and have a few rums under the belt... it'd depend on what guitar is hanging on the wall, my mood, and what I've been playing lately on my own. The absolute default for an electric is I Love Rock and Roll; simple, everyone knows the song, etc. for an acoustic Landslide.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

Dust in the wind by Kansas. People will hummm along even if they dont know the words.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

david henman said:


> ...on the other hand, after several glasses of bourbon and a few puffs, .


After that I usually play John Hartfords " Two hits and the joint turn's brown"


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Robert1950 said:


> Smoke on the Water...


hahahah, yes!!!!!!!


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## Chubba (Aug 23, 2009)

I kinda go by what I've been working on too...I tend to know songs by artists people know, but not necessarily the songs people are familiar with, so i'm very bad at singalongs...lol - generally, if handed a guitar - i'd strum a few chords - a couple of quick scale-y runs and hand it back and say 'very nice' (to show i have a bit of an idea of what I'm doing, but not to try to show off)....in the right context, i'd be glad to play a few....


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Robert1950 said:


> Smoke on the Water...


I get kids requesting this--that song may just keep on going & going--at least the riff.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Robert1950 said:


> Smoke on the Water...


Ha! A minute to learn, a lifetime to master!

Actually, I often _do_ play this with tongue planted firmly in cheek before playing Blackmore's "Village Dance".


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

Awhile back when we were sitting around a campfire celebrating something, someone handed me a guitar. Not knowing what to play, I broke into a rendition of "Country Girl - Long Tom & The Dusty Danglers" that went over pretty well. Not the classiest of tunes, it was a lot of fun.


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## mario (Feb 18, 2006)

If it is a really nice acoustic guitar I seem to play "Over the Hills and Far Away" by Led Zeppelin or "Oh Yeah" by Johnny A. Both fun songs to play.


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## Alex Csank (Jul 22, 2010)

I'm a shite guitar player, and my voice really is only good for hand-to-hand combat or maybe some low-down, dirty blues. But hand me a gweeeeetar and ask me to check it out and, depending on the type of instrument I'll probably let loose with "Born under a Bad Sign" (Albert King), "Road Ladies" (Zappa), or maybe something like Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here"or "Dead Flowers" by the Stones... it all depends on how I'm feeling at the moment. Oh, and you better believe that I'll sing along with that playing too! It helps hide my guitar picking deficiencies!


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

If I want to play something quick and dirty and don't feel like singing, I sometimes play this one (sorry to be a clip whore)
YouTube - Penny For Your Thoughts


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## Alex Csank (Jul 22, 2010)

Milkman said:


> If I want to play something quick and dirty and don't feel like singing, I sometimes play this one (sorry to be a clip whore)
> YouTube - Penny For Your Thoughts


Sweet as whipped cream there, Milky!!


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Alex Csank said:


> Sweet as whipped cream there, Milky!!


Thatnks man. It's surprisingly easy to play, but the girls think it's cool, LOL.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Milkman said:


> Thatnks man. It's surprisingly easy to play, but the girls think it's cool, LOL.


And THAT, my friends, is what its all about! 

(And for the record,_ I _think its cool too - nice playing!)


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Thanks man. When Frampton Comes Alive came out it was a big album for me. Open tunings can be fun and definitely lend themselves to different paths.

I think I may tackle Steve Howe's "the Clap" for a new challenge.


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## overdriven1 (May 6, 2007)

Mmm probably something like Cumbersome(heehee), usually just to stun them into silence then something soft that I wrote for my daughter.


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