• From: Ohio
  • Registered: 2006-10-02
  • Posts: 230

Topic: songs society expects you to know how to play

Okay, in general, what are some of the songs that everyone always asks you to play? I tried asking my family but I got mostly "you mean you cant play van halen yet?" and requests for songs by tesla and xtreme. What are some songs that somewhat normal people always ask you to play?

If you spend your life judging people, how will you ever have time to love them ♥
  • Registered: 2007-01-05
  • Posts: 21

Re: songs society expects you to know how to play

Brown eyed girl?

  • From: Montreal
  • Registered: 2007-03-16
  • Posts: 312

Re: songs society expects you to know how to play

Bad Bad Leroy Brown
Yesterday.... actually anything by the Beatles
House of the Rising Sun
Leaving on a Jet Plane
STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN
Sweet Home Cicago
Dead or Alive
Comfortably Numb
American Pie


this list could go on forever.........

The more you play the more people will request. If they ask for Van Halen and you play folk just explain your style.

I may be goin' to hell in a bucket babe
  • Kahuna
  • Kahuna
  • Senior Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2006-07-12
  • Posts: 290

Re: songs society expects you to know how to play

I guess it depends on the age of the requester.  If your audience are comprise of babyboomers, then you'll be asked to play more of the 70's and 80's stuff. 

Now, your message said Tesla and Van Halen, well, these are 80's bands.  How about Bon Jovi stuff, like Living on a Prayer or Dead or Alive?  These are pretty good songs to start tinkering with.

I also like mhebert's list of songs.  Stairway to Heaven is a must for any quitarist!  Now, if you add some blues, like a 12-bar blues riff to your collection, you should be famous! 

Good luck!

Kahuna

  • From: montreal, quebec
  • Registered: 2007-04-17
  • Posts: 327

Re: songs society expects you to know how to play

I dont really know how it is nowadays but back in the day when we were first learning to play (I am talking back in my high school days 1970's) Stairway and House of the Rising Sun were songs every guitar player had to know how to play

what a long strange trip it's been
  • From: Murphysboro Il
  • Registered: 2007-02-10
  • Posts: 292

Re: songs society expects you to know how to play

Freebird!!!!! I still refuse to play it on stage.

"Nobody paints by ear so why would I play guitar by sight?" hmm
  • danspr
  • danspr
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  • Registered: 2007-04-18
  • Posts: 208

Re: songs society expects you to know how to play

Everyone at my school knows that I don't play rap, and that is the only music they like, so noone asks.
cool danspr

Blues is easy to play, but hard to feel
Jimi Hendrix
cool danspr
  • From: Montreal
  • Registered: 2007-03-16
  • Posts: 312

Re: songs society expects you to know how to play

Still more,

Behind Blue Eyes
Mrs. Robinson
Puff the Magic Dragon
Horse with no Name
Rocky Racoon.... people love this one

I may be goin' to hell in a bucket babe
  • From: Starkville, Mississippi USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,069

Re: songs society expects you to know how to play

Scottish/Australian singer/songwriter Eric Bogle has a marvelous ditty about this situation.

Entitled "Do You Sing Any Bob Dylan" it skewers the whole mentality of people who only want to hear something they have already heard before.  Here are the lyrics from the artist's website:
http://www.ericbogle.net/lyrics/lyricsp … ydylan.pdf

"That darn Pythagorean Comma thing keeps messing me up!"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma[/url]

James McCormick's Website

  • Registered: 2006-03-24
  • Posts: 2

Re: songs society expects you to know how to play

...and then there's "Play Some Skynnrd" by John Eddie.  Both great songs.