# Today's Google logo -- a tribute to Les Paul **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 9, 2011, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-google-logo-a-tribute-to-les-paul/584827 "2011-06-09T04:13:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-google-logo-a-tribute-to-les-paul/584827/1 "2011-06-09T04:13:20Z")
The logo at [Google.com](http://Google.com) today is an interactive electric guitar, and a tribute to Les Paul, who would have been 96 years old today (the 9th of June). Very cool. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-google-logo-a-tribute-to-les-paul/584827/2 "2011-06-09T04:41:00Z")
Interesting. I noticed that, while I can’t play anything good (knowing nothing about guitars), it’s also impossible for me to play anything discordant and terrible. Are the notes “normalized” or something so they’ll always sound pretty good in combination with each other? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-google-logo-a-tribute-to-les-paul/584827/3 "2011-06-09T15:59:41Z")
Knowing nothing about guitars is no handicap, since aside from rough appearance, it’s nothing like one. Really what it is is a keyboard instrument, with the keys arranged in a funny way. I think the notes are just a major chord, possibly with seventh added, and some octaves, which would be the reason they always sound at least close to harmonic. Of course, that also severely limits the set of songs you can play. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-google-logo-a-tribute-to-les-paul/584827/4 "2011-06-09T16:08:34Z")
When one clicks on the keyboard icon at the bottom of the interactive guitar, it lights up red. Does the keyboard icon do anything else? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-google-logo-a-tribute-to-les-paul/584827/5 "2011-06-09T16:12:19Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > When one clicks on the keyboard icon at the bottom of the interactive guitar, it lights up red. Does the keyboard icon do anything else? It does a few things: 1. It allows you to use your keyboard to play the guitar. 2. It records what you’re doing. 3. It spits out a goog.le link so you can share your masterpiece with others when you’re done. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-google-logo-a-tribute-to-les-paul/584827/6 "2011-06-09T17:41:28Z")
Play the Blues : 2 5 4 2, 22, 22. Or duel with a Banjo : 111 2 3 4 5 4 3. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-google-logo-a-tribute-to-les-paul/584827/7 "2011-06-09T17:52:50Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > 1. It spits out a goog.le link so you can share your masterpiece with others when you’re done. How? ---
**Author:** ![zoog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7ea924/32.png) [@zoog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoog)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-google-logo-a-tribute-to-les-paul/584827/8 "2011-06-09T18:13:13Z")
Ah, if only they’d made some way to bend strings… ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-google-logo-a-tribute-to-les-paul/584827/9 "2011-06-09T18:24:24Z")
> [@zoog](#): > > Ah, if only they’d made some way to bend strings… …or to multi-track your playing. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-google-logo-a-tribute-to-les-paul/584827/10 "2011-06-09T18:26:52Z")
> [@mr.jp](#): > > How? Click the button to start recording. Play some notes. Click the button again to stop recording. Profit. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-google-logo-a-tribute-to-les-paul/584827/11 "2011-06-09T18:37:44Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Click the button to start recording. Play some notes. Click the button again to stop recording. Profit. I don’t think that works on my computer. Maybe because I’m in Denmark, not US. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-google-logo-a-tribute-to-les-paul/584827/12 "2011-06-09T18:49:07Z")
> [@mr.jp](#): > > I don’t think that works on my computer. Maybe because I’m in Denmark, not US. ☹ It seems to be US only ☹ No-one else will ever hear my masterful rendition of _Marquee Moon_ ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-google-logo-a-tribute-to-les-paul/584827/13 "2011-06-09T18:53:38Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > It seems to be US only ☚ No-one else will ever hear my masterful rendition of _Marquee Moon_ Sounds great. Write down the letters for us? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-google-logo-a-tribute-to-les-paul/584827/14 "2011-06-09T19:18:13Z")
> [@mr.jp](#): > > Sounds great. Write down the letters for us? I wasn’t being entirely serious, I barely managed _Twinkle Twinkle Little Star_ 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-google-logo-a-tribute-to-les-paul/584827/15 "2011-06-09T19:37:26Z")
Thanks Munch! ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-google-logo-a-tribute-to-les-paul/584827/16 "2011-06-09T20:19:19Z")
Dvorak Largo, well sort of, if you squint: 6 88 6 54 5 68 65 6 88 6 54 5 65 24 2 44 312 2 43 12 2 44 312 2 43 12 6 88 6 54 5 65 24 ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-google-logo-a-tribute-to-les-paul/584827/17 "2011-06-09T20:26:34Z")
Awesome. I went with the dueling banjos thing, since I sometimes play this on keys to be as unhip as possible :), what with the “Dixie” part and all. Not the best thing to play to remember Les Paul, maybe, but it’s a hell of a neat tribute Google did. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2011, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-google-logo-a-tribute-to-les-paul/584827/18 "2011-06-12T11:24:00Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > I wasn’t being entirely serious, I barely managed _Twinkle Twinkle Little Star_ 😉 Oh, hehe. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2011, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-google-logo-a-tribute-to-les-paul/584827/19 "2011-06-12T12:40:32Z")
[Here is a guy trying to play it while singing Hey Jude.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wu_tk5TvszE) ---
**Author:** ![Junkman209](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/junkman209/32/5522_2.png) [@Junkman209](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junkman209)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-google-logo-a-tribute-to-les-paul/584827/20 "2011-06-22T14:04:29Z")
You can keep playing! Google’s tribute to [Les Paul’s 96th Birthday](http://www.google.com/logos/2011/lespaul.html) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-google-logo-a-tribute-to-les-paul/584827.md?page=2)