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What do you play when someone says “play me something?”
Whenever someone finds out I’m learning guitar, they often want me to play them something and I have no clue what to play! I guess I should probably have a few popular songs or fingerpicking pieces ready for such an occasion, so I’m looking for suggestions from the community. What do you play when someone says “play something for me?”
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6 Replies
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At this point, 16 months into TAC I am only now trying to develop a repertoire of songs. I personally didn’t focus on it as some people might.
First thing I ever played through was “Horse With No Name” only 2 very easy chords. The strumming is tricky though, so as a beginner it took me a long time to get comfortable with it. I can play the verse for Hotel California almost at speed now, got to add the chorus and the vocals. I think before too long I’ll be able to play large portions of the bench mark songs and a few of the other songs in rotation.
Besides that I only know some riffs here and there but I want to pick out some of the 12 bar blues stuff since that’s fairly simple and we’ve done a number of them in TAC. I am also learning Simple Man (Skynyrd) since it’s a 3 simple chord song, but it’s challenging due to the pace. I’ve got a long list of songs I want to do down the road when my fingers catch up to my brain.
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A year ago I was asked that and had nothing, so I have spent the last year rectifying that and now have a few songs I can play. I don’t consider a song done until I can sing along with it and play it from memory. I want to be able to “perform” the song, not just play the notes.
Here is my current repertoire
– Mad World
– Stuck in the Middle With You
– Hotel California
– Friend of the Devil – fun and easy
– King of the Road
– Cat’s in the CradleHere are ones that are ready as soon as I memorize the lyrics
– Horse with No Name – Just added this as singing along to the strum pattern tripped me up for months
– Have You Ever Seen the Rain
– Teach Your ChildrenHere are one’s that I struggle to sing because of the vocal range. I start voice lessons this week
– The Weight
– 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover
– Mrs. Robinson -
Great thread. Some great song-suggestions, too.
So, in my humble un-edumacated experience, when someone says “play me something”, they have shined a spotlight on both our biggest fear and our biggest dream. (Deep down inside) Isn’t that what we want?– even if we don’t admit it? Isn’t this unspoken scenario one of the basic reasons we’re here in the first place?
But…. for me…. at least now…. it’s sheer panic– (at least when directly right in front of a person or group). I’ve recorded dozens of videos into Youtube and what-not, and that’s hard enough, but I can get thru that OK.
I think MY next step is gonna be VOM’s or maybe open-mic’s at a location where I don’t know anyone in the audience.
Separate, but semi-related, issue- (Please— don’t let this steer this thread away from its original question, though, because it’s a great topic!)- is that I really have trouble standing- (with guitar-strap)- and playing/singing. Sitting is good/ but standing?……… nope. More work on this I guess, but I just can’t seem to get comfortable or have any success at that.
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Keep trying to play standing. It’s hard, but it does get better. It is certainly different than having it resting on your knee.
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Finger style House of The Rising Sun, Hesitation blues and maybe and original that I’m working on then I ask them what they do really well. And they get this blank look on their face, there eyes start darting around, sweat breaking on their face. and they strutter something incoherent and walk away… It reminds me of how I felt before I was comfortable playing in front of people.
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Something a little rowdy, not serous, like “Blow up Your TV”. Also depends on the context. Might be “Freight Train” or “Margaritaville” or “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”.. I like the question. Hope the thread continues.
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