# What do you know how to play on the guitar? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 17, 2001, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-know-how-to-play-on-the-guitar/76795 "2001-08-17T19:33:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-know-how-to-play-on-the-guitar/76795/1 "2001-08-17T19:33:28Z")
Not your whole repetoir, just whatever you’re most proud of being able to play. I just got an acoustic guitar (and only had one lesson), and so far I can play the G Major scale and get to “la” of “Doe, a Deer.” Woo hoo! ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-know-how-to-play-on-the-guitar/76795/2 "2001-08-17T19:36:32Z")
I’ve been slacking off lately. The last thing I learned how to play was The Beatle’s _Blackbird_ a few months ago. I really like that song, and playing it is fun. And **Demo** tells me he’s enjoyed my rendition of _Dust in the Wind_ so I guess I’m proud of that too. ---
**Author:** ![Turpentine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Turpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turpentine)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-know-how-to-play-on-the-guitar/76795/3 "2001-08-17T19:37:27Z")
I’m not proud of anything I can play because many of my friends are in bands, and one of my friends owns a small record label…and i am only a chord strummer. I figured out how to play Chim-Chimminee-chim-cheroo all by myself, but this caused my talented band friends to double over with laughter. I don’t mind, because I can kick all their asses at chess 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-know-how-to-play-on-the-guitar/76795/4 "2001-08-17T19:47:45Z")
I’m proud of my renditions of Garth Brooks’ _The Thunder Rolls_ and Metallica’s _Nothing Else Matters_ (although in the latter, I gloss over the solos as much as possible; I haven’t reached that level yet, plus I usually play it acoustic). ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-know-how-to-play-on-the-guitar/76795/5 "2001-08-17T19:50:18Z")
I am a master at “My Dog Has Fleas”!! But seriously, I admire you all who know how to play. There’s not much that I enjoy more than sitting back and listening to someone play a little guitar. Rock on, guys. ---
**Author:** ![SqrlCub](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SqrlCub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SqrlCub)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-know-how-to-play-on-the-guitar/76795/6 "2001-08-17T19:52:51Z")
The piece I am most proud of is Villa Lobos’s Concerto for Guitar and Small Orchestra. It is one of the definitive pieces of guitar literature. Now I just have to find an accompanist again and work it back up to performance standards. That piece totally rocks. HUGS! Sqrl ---
**Author:** ![Oicu812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f475e1/32.png) [@Oicu812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oicu812)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-know-how-to-play-on-the-guitar/76795/7 "2001-08-17T19:53:50Z")
_pounds head up and down furiously, ala Wayne and Garth_ ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-know-how-to-play-on-the-guitar/76795/8 "2001-08-17T19:56:59Z")
Some seriously talented people around here, I see! Yay! Motivates me even more to keep a-learnin’. I’ve got a whole book of folk songs just waiting for me. You guys rock. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-know-how-to-play-on-the-guitar/76795/9 "2001-08-17T20:01:08Z")
Come on, _Stairway to Heaven_ doesn’t even count. I can play that and I most decidedly can’t play guitar so that doesn’t count as “playing the guitar” 😃 When I saw the “No playing …” sign in _Wayne’s World_ I laughed so hard I almost burst a couple of organs. So rarely is a movie joke intended specifically for me. _La Grange_ and the opening riff to _Smoke on the Water_ don’t count either. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-know-how-to-play-on-the-guitar/76795/10 "2001-08-17T20:06:33Z")
Repertoire. [sub]Damn[/sub]. ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-know-how-to-play-on-the-guitar/76795/11 "2001-08-17T20:11:58Z")
Nothing anymore, I gave away my acoustic and sold my Strat to make rent nearly 10 years ago. I knew **Stairway to Heaven** , of course… it was the law back then. Even though it wasn’t very difficult, I always had the most fun with **Hey Joe**. ---
**Author:** ![GrandfatherTrout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f17d59/32.png) [@GrandfatherTrout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandfatherTrout)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-know-how-to-play-on-the-guitar/76795/12 "2001-08-17T20:12:25Z")
Me? Nothing. But the boyfriend can play “Girl From Ipanema” **and** sing all the words while playing. That was the day I knew I was in love. ---
**Author:** ![Chance\_the\_Gardener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@Chance\_the\_Gardener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chance_the_Gardener)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-know-how-to-play-on-the-guitar/76795/13 "2001-08-17T20:26:05Z")
I can play the opening bars to _True Religion_ by Hot Tuna and the opening bars to _The Fish_ by Yes. I realize, **Beadalin** you asked us not to post our entire repertoire but, um… well, I just did. I just couldn’t hold back… ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-know-how-to-play-on-the-guitar/76795/14 "2001-08-17T20:27:45Z")
I can play a lot of stuff, but I’m most proud of being able to play all the parts (not all at once, of course!) on the Beatles’ _Get Back_ and _I’ve Got A Feeling_. ---
**Author:** ![MrVisible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@MrVisible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrVisible)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-know-how-to-play-on-the-guitar/76795/15 "2001-08-17T20:34:00Z")
Camper Van Beethoven’s _All Her Favorite Fruit_ is a great one that I’ve almost practiced enough. Lately, I’ve been working on **K’s Choice** , _20,000 Seconds_ and some stuff by **Mojave 3**. OLGA has ruined me as a guitar player, though. Why learn to play, when you can learn to fake it? [hijack] **GrandfatherTrout** , if your name is a _Little, Big_ reference, you’re my new favorite poster.[/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Ich\_Bin\_s](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Ich\_Bin\_s](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ich_Bin_s)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-know-how-to-play-on-the-guitar/76795/16 "2001-08-17T20:41:57Z")
Do bass players count? Or are we just ham-fisted monkeys? I can play the entire Jesus Liard catalogue. ---
**Author:** ![THespos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@THespos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/THespos)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-know-how-to-play-on-the-guitar/76795/17 "2001-08-17T20:43:15Z")
Just about any Van Halen tune from their first album up until For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. I’m seriously uncoordinated, so I’m always very pleasantly surprised when I’m actually able to learn a song well enough to be able to sing it simultaneously. I can play almost anything you put in front of me, but somehow my mechanics get all goofed up when I have to sing at the same time. So I know only a few rudimentary songs that I can also sing: “Tears in Heaven,” “Come Together,” “Hard to Handle.” My voice sucks anyway. No big loss. ---
**Author:** ![Kittie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Kittie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kittie)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-know-how-to-play-on-the-guitar/76795/18 "2001-08-17T20:58:26Z")
I can play lots of random stuff by bands like Korn, Kittie and the Deftones but thats all pretty easy. I’m proud that I can play “Crazy Train” by **Ozzy Osbourne** and “Layla” by **Eric Clapton/Derek and the Dominos**. I’m gonna go play my guitar now… ~Kittie ---
**Author:** ![demanton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@demanton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/demanton)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-know-how-to-play-on-the-guitar/76795/19 "2001-08-17T21:03:59Z")
I am very proud of my recreation of Willie Nelson’s “'Til I Gain Control Again”, solo and all. Can even do a passable job singing that one in my patented Willie Nasal Drawl. I can still wail on Rage Against the Machine’s “Freedom”, once again, solo and all. Getting the rhythm part down has always been fairly easy for me, but if I can nail a solo I feel as though I’ve accomplished something. ---
**Author:** ![blokeychap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ab097/32.png) [@blokeychap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blokeychap)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-know-how-to-play-on-the-guitar/76795/20 "2001-08-17T21:07:47Z")
I’m an ok guitar player but my older brother and friends put me to shame. I need to be shown by another guitar player how to play something before I can play it. Tabs tire me. Anyways…the things I’m most proud of being able to play are… Beatles - Blackbird Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (without solo) Simon and Garf. - April Come She Will (as pretty as a song can get) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-know-how-to-play-on-the-guitar/76795.md?page=2)