# What should not be asked to a guitarist?



## CDWaterloo (Jul 18, 2008)

Here is mine. 

"Do you prefer tablature or standard notation?"

A very similar question was asked to Pat Metheny in the last month's Guitar Player magazine. I hate this question. 

Let us know what yours is???????????

:rockon:


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

CDWaterloo said:


> Here is mine.
> 
> "Do you prefer tablature or standard notation?"
> 
> ...


There's a whole thread & poll on that question on this site.


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## Geek (Jun 5, 2007)

How 'bout... "What'n hell key were you playing in?" 

Then after walking off in a huff, I overhear the vocalist asking the same question! :rofl:


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## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)

Geek said:


> How 'bout... "What'n hell key were you playing in?"
> 
> Then after walking off in a huff, I overhear the vocalist asking the same question! :rofl:


So....what'n hell key _were_ you playing in?
...and were you using tabs or notation?
The Internets wants to knows


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## washburned (Oct 13, 2006)

Do you have to play thru your amp or can you go direct thru the board?:sport-smiley-002:


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

_What should not be asked to a guitarist?_

ah ,,, turn it down :sport-smiley-002:


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## Wheeman (Dec 4, 2007)

Paul said:


> You don't have to ask a guitar player to turn down. Ask him to read standard notation. He'll turn down all on his own. :smile:


How do you get a drummer to shut up? Put music in front of him.

I get tired of "Do you know any [Generic Guitarist/Popular Song]?"


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## xuthal (May 15, 2007)

Wheeman said:


> How do you get a drummer to shut up? Put music in front of him.
> 
> I get tired of "Do you know any [Generic Guitarist/Popular Song]?"


i hate that question


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## Geek (Jun 5, 2007)

xuthal said:


> i hate that question


I was in a bar once with some mates and the band was playing great origional music of their own.

After the 10th loudly vocal George Thoroughgood request from the audience (different patrons) in 30 mins, they walked out with an hour to go still on their set.

I say good for them!


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## Spikezone (Feb 2, 2006)

Paul said:


> My answer is that I don't, but I know another song with a lot of the same notes in it.
> 
> Most don't get the joke.


I just might use that some day! Good comeback!
-Mikey


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## xuthal (May 15, 2007)

excellent comeback:food-smiley-004:
:rockon:


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Guitarists need to come down from their ivory towers a bit and try to relate to the folks in the seats.

There are no stupid questions.

Anyone who has played for long enough will have been asked the same questions over and over again. The person asking you the question probably doesn't know how many times you've heard it before and probably doesn't know you're an "artist" and shouldn't have to bear the insult of being asked to play Free Bird.

Just my $0.02


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Paul said:


> In my defence, I'm usually asked to play "Love Hurts" when I've got a book full of Gershwin in front of me.
> 
> On the occasions where it is appropriate to have a tip jar out, I usually label it "music lessons", and do much better.
> 
> When I promise to learn a song for next time, I always make a note of the persons name, and I learn the song. They may not be there, but we've added another song to the book.



In your defense? My comments were directed at all guitarists incuding myself. I've been asked to play country after finishing a set of 70s rock. I try to be nice, LOL but sometimes you have to bite your tongue.


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## Luke98 (Mar 4, 2007)

I like how fan's in the crowds of bigger name shows shout out requests... They don't realise that set lists are usually choreographed with lighting and effects, ie, a rush show.


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## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)

Back when I was playing pub gigs in Scotland, there was always one drunk guy at the back yelling 'Gonnae gee'uz "Ten Guitars"' (it's a song by Engelbert Humperdinck!) I guess it was a forerunner of the "Freebird!" guy.
Billy Connolly did a skit on it:
[youtube=Option]vAE9RdOwQdc[/youtube]



Luke98 said:


> I like how fan's in the crowds of bigger name shows shout out requests... They don't realise that set lists are usually choreographed with lighting and effects, ie, a rush show.


I think that translates as "_Hey guy standing next to me. I'm cool and have known about this band for ages. See, I know the names of the songs from the first indie pressed EP, the one that was only circulated to the drummer's girlfriends and the singer's mom...hmmm...overlap? Anyway, I'm much cooler than you n00b_"
Something like that.


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## ed2000 (Feb 16, 2007)

"Can you play somewhere else, I'm trying to read" From a co-worker as I was setting the intonation of my guitar at the lunchtable.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Milkman said:


> I've been asked to play country after finishing a set of 70s rock. I try to be nice, LOL but sometimes you have to bite your tongue.



They probably were just in the mood for something they could hear the words. I wonder if its the same people going in to the country clubs asking for AC/DC. Would these clueless people ask their mechanic to perform brain surgery and their doctor to fix their car?
I'll continue to sit in my ivory tower and play whatever the **** I want. I no longer get paid enough to do requests.


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## Warren (Mar 2, 2007)

Milkman said:


> There are no stupid questions.


Do you play any flamingo music?


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

guitarman2 said:


> They probably were just in the mood for something they could hear the words. I wonder if its the same people going in to the country clubs asking for AC/DC. Would these clueless people ask their mechanic to perform brain surgery and their doctor to fix their car?
> I'll continue to sit in my ivory tower and play whatever the **** I want. I no longer get paid enough to do requests.


Or they just wanted to pretend they was real down to irth fokes. Oh wait, I get what you mean. People with poor hearing prefer country?

Hear the words? WTF does that mean, LOL?


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Warren said:


> Do you play any flamingo music?


That does come close.


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

We got hired to do a gig once for a "Singles Club". A rather ancient committee came out to hear us play twice beforehand and, as we were suspicious given their ages, we asked a lot of questions to ensure that we were in fact a good fit for the gig. "Oh no ... what you play is perfect" was what we heard repeatedly.

Well, when we showed up, it turned out to be a "Widow's Club" - all retired singles that had lost their spouses. Heck the youngest man there was too old to date my mother 

Anyway, I don't think a song went by without someone approaching the stage asking "Don't you know any nice songs?".

It was an interesting night: It was good to see that some old folks still like to get out and shake a leg. Turns out that the selection committee had decided that they needed to stir things up a little and we were the answer. Thankfully we could at least pull off some old country so they could waltz a little.


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## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

allthumbs56 said:


> It was an interesting night: It was good to see that some old folks still like to get out and shake a leg.


I saw a program likely on CBC about the alarming rise in STD's in the elderly in Florida. The oldsters like to shake more than their legs! Thank Heavens there's hope for us all!

I found a link about it (in the UK obviously far more widespread than Florida)

http://uplink.space.com/printthread.php?Cat=&Board=humanbio&main=507592&type=thread


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

Starbuck said:


> I saw a program likely on CBC about the alarming rise in STD's in the elderly in Florida. The oldsters like to shake more than their legs! Thank Heavens there's hope for us all!
> 
> I found a link about it (in the UK obviously far more widespread than Florida)
> 
> http://uplink.space.com/printthread.php?Cat=&Board=humanbio&main=507592&type=thread


Thank God that our eyesight gets worse :wink:


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

"Play Freebird!"


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