Ms.Huxtable Posted October 23, 2002 Report Share Posted October 23, 2002 I know many of you are musicians. This question is for you. What do you play and what was the first song you learned for yourself? Not your instructors choice, but your own. Why did you choose that particular song? Was it because it was easy? A challenge? You love it? Why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradm Posted October 23, 2002 Report Share Posted October 23, 2002 I play guitar. The first song I think I learned was probably "Communication Breakdown" by Led Zeppelin, because it was pretty easy (I play it in barre chord form, and that D-A-D change was pretty easy), and I love Zeppelin's music. A little while after that, I got a book called "Improvising Rock Guitar", which had transcriptions of "Day Tripper" and "Sunshine Of Your Love". I started learning them, and after a little practice, my brother came storming into my room, proclaiming, "I recognize that!" At that point, I knew the guitar was for me (or I was for the guitar...). Aloha, Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booche Posted October 23, 2002 Report Share Posted October 23, 2002 I typically drink beer, Sleaman's Cream Ale to be precise. The first beers I drank were Molson Golden (I also smoked for the first time). I choose that beer, because my friends bought it. I guess it was easy, I sure was after 3 of them. The only challenge was not getting caught those days, but I did more often than not. Do I love it? HELL YEAH! It is so refreshing, and it makes me love everyone I am with, unless I dont love them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hux Posted October 23, 2002 Report Share Posted October 23, 2002 When I first got my Chapman Stick for Christmas, at age 5, I picked it up and just started playing "Unbroken Chain", primarily due to it's very basic chord structure, and the fact that I just didn't want to learn House of the Rising Sun.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcO Posted October 23, 2002 Report Share Posted October 23, 2002 I play acoustic guitar. When I was in Grade 6 I got an electric guitar and proceeded to indulge in maniacal feedback sessions designed to irritate my parents and neighbours. Unfortunately, I learned precious little about music or the guitar, just how to set it down on an amplifier for ten minutes and see what happens . But somehere in there, I learned "Interstellar Overdrive" by Pink Floyd. I remember playing it for a captive audience of shocked Grades 1-8 in my friends' school gym. He played bass. It was awful. The principal invited me to never come back. Happily though, I went the acoustic route in Grade 8, inspired by my Grade 8 teacher. I had started to investigate the likes of Neil Young and Bob Dylan independently and this was the next logical step. Can't remember what the first tune I learned then was, but I do recall picking through the Dylan songbook, and "Goodbye Blue Sky" again by Floyd was another favorite. Being self-taught, the biggest breakthrough for me was a visit to a folk music store in Ottawa, where I bought a Bruce Cockburn songbook, complete with transcriptions (I think it was called "Rumours Of Glory"). Those songs were *tough* but learning them taught me a lot about music and dexterity and different things. And then I heard this player named Jerry Garcia and..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradm Posted October 23, 2002 Report Share Posted October 23, 2002 Waitaminnit, Doc...you were playing with Chapstick and chains at age 5? That explains a lot... Aloha, Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hux Posted October 23, 2002 Report Share Posted October 23, 2002 "Chapstick and chains" Isn't that a Carole King tune..?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phred Posted October 23, 2002 Report Share Posted October 23, 2002 My first tune on my main instrument (which is keyboard) was Jump by Van Halen. Followed pretty closely by Pop Goes the world, and Richard Marks "right here waiting for you" Sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hux Posted October 23, 2002 Report Share Posted October 23, 2002 Looks like a recipie for the next 3 Hux covers.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave-O Posted October 23, 2002 Report Share Posted October 23, 2002 Save the VH 'til the set-blender so I can impress you with my finger tapping technique... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phred Posted October 24, 2002 Report Share Posted October 24, 2002 quote: Originally posted by dave-O: Save the VH 'til the set-blender so I can impress you with my finger tapping technique... We could do a VH medley.... Or not Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaimoe Posted October 24, 2002 Report Share Posted October 24, 2002 I play guitar. The first song I chose to play on guitar was My Generation - around 16 years ago. When I started learning lead guitar, I'd play Down By The River and Cinnamon Girl to death. They seemed easy to follow and Neil has a knack of writing chord patterns that always make you sound good when you play lead, even though you clearly do not! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Burb Posted October 24, 2002 Report Share Posted October 24, 2002 i play guitar-sort of. i satrted out playing nirvana because most of the songs were easy and basic power cords. Then i got into playing a lot of metallica because i loved how precise each note and cord is on most of theyre songs. i got a huge tab book that had tab for every metallica song ever. a very fun 2 or 3 years. after i was done with that i just began making up my own riffs and rhythms and leads. i have thousands of little tidbits ive been working on over the past couple of years now, maybe i should start putting them together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bouche Posted October 24, 2002 Report Share Posted October 24, 2002 I picked up guitar in grade 6 and took some intro course to the guitar, but my fingers were to small and week to press the strings down, and I eventually stopped. I was playing songs like "Pick a bail of Cotton" and "She'll be comin round the mountain", and of course "House of the Rising Sun". In Grade 10 I got a hold of a basic piano book from the Brennan's, and learned alot of beatle melodies like... Yellow Submarine, When I'm Sixty-Four...etc. As far as full songs went, I mainly remember learning my first note-for-note solo. The Get Back solos off of Let it Be had me obsessed. I learned that tune with solos and from there, I just kept learning all of the Beatles that I could. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h Posted October 24, 2002 Report Share Posted October 24, 2002 at age 15 i guess i learned for what it's worth, steppin stone and me and bobby mcgee on accoustic those are still the only 3 songs i know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weezy Posted October 24, 2002 Report Share Posted October 24, 2002 My first band was in Grade 9, we were called "Rage Inscription" Somewhere out there, there's a video of us playing Platinum Blonde songs in our drummers' basement. I would pay BIG money for that video today. "Not In Love" was one of them. The video is hilarious, I'm wearing a Polo shirt with the collar up, and my hair was all moussed-out, new-wave outrageous. (think Flock of Seagulls) We also did some Cult songs (she sells sanctuary) and at least one Duran Duran song. No, I'm not kidding. (If Rossolee is out there, he can vouch...) Other than that, Cream's "Wheels of Fire" and Led Zepplin II taught me how to play guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay sanislo Posted October 24, 2002 Report Share Posted October 24, 2002 first song on giutar was smoke on the water and i am suprised this wasnt on here yet. but origianly i am a drummer and i believe my first song i learned to play on my own was nothing else matters and not because i like the tune its because i heard it and said hey man i can do that and off i went. wow is it ever emmbarrsing to look back at those days and compare yourself to now. Wow thanks MS HUX you just brought back some funny memories............... CHEERS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcane Posted October 25, 2002 Report Share Posted October 25, 2002 I'm not much of a musician. Most recently I've done a little vocal stuff, but I need practice (next to no training, but I've been told that the raw material is there). First song I learned? Good grief. I think it was the jingle for a toilet paper commercial when I was three. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spudly Posted October 25, 2002 Report Share Posted October 25, 2002 I play stringed instruments (banjo/mandolin/guitar/sitar/bass) mainly.....my first song??? Rainbow Connection by his greenness would have to be it. first real song all the way through would have to have been Stairway to Heaven..... Why the stigma on covering that tune?? Zappa did an amazing version with Ray White....... (if i'm not mistaken...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vermontdave Posted October 25, 2002 Report Share Posted October 25, 2002 My brand new nylon string Sears acoustic was broken in by my sisters boyfriend when i was 13 and he probably 18. After watching them smoke a joint he proceeded to show me how to play freebird which I still play the way he taught me, by breaking at least two strings . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booche Posted October 25, 2002 Report Share Posted October 25, 2002 That killed me VD. I had to offer up my real post...... At the tender age of 24ish, busted knee and all, I realized my dream of playing for Team Canada's soccer team was o'Phishshaly over. I needed something other than 420 to tyedyed my time. I thought, "Damn, Bouche is pretty damn fine, I must be able to do something on that piece of wood." I laid in my bed, grabbed a guitar and started strumming an E chord. Before I knew it, i HAD to learn the intro to Uncle John's Band. 10 years later, I am still learning it.............. BUT, this Vermont Dave dude did one of the nicest things I have ever seen this summer (which sparked Blue Grassy High last Friday, thank you again sir). As always, he opened his stash, his heart and his home state to us for Trey in Burlington. We showed up with beer and a quest for a buzz. Well, we got it all, saw Trey and figured the hundred's of dollars we spent to their ten's was worth it. Headed back to his place, intending to do the 'campfire jam' til daylight. I notice a mandolin and picked it up during the intro to China Cat Sunflower. Good times indeed. Got to witness Dave-O play the banjo for the first time (speaking of which, DAMN boy, you can play a banjo now!). Kept playing and partying..... As we were leaving the next morning, VD came out of his place with the mandolin, handed it to me and said "Learn it. All I ask is that the next time I see you, I want to see a banjo-mandolin jam between you and your bro." Well Dave, you are a trooper for coming from Burlington to see that gig and witness our first attempt at being Novice fake-professionals not getting paid. Thank you for being you.............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms.Huxtable Posted October 25, 2002 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2002 Booche, that act of kindness still warms my heart everytime I think of it as well. Vermont Dave is THE MAN!!! With that in mind, can we refer to him as something other than VD? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Musicface Posted October 25, 2002 Report Share Posted October 25, 2002 My first was "Swanee River (Old Folks at Home)" on my mom's old Lowrey eletric organ. That Stephen Foster was a bad-ass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vermontdave Posted October 26, 2002 Report Share Posted October 26, 2002 I kinda like vd it makes me feel impotent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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