Andy’s a great demo-er. I never use pedals but enjoy the vids. He also does How to Play videos - I think I straightened out my approach to Zep’s The Wanton Song via Andy.
My first big guitar-in-general inspiration was the solos in Peter Frampton’s ‘Something’s Happening’ off of Frampton Comes Alive.
My big fingerstyle inspiration was ‘In Christ There Is No East or West’ by John Fahey.
My big banjo inspiration was ‘See Rock City’ by Bela Fleck
My big Drumming inspiration was a bunch of songs off of ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ (Love Lies Bleeding, Grey Seal) by Elton John or maybe Tommy by The Who. It’s becoming a blur…
I grew up playing drums and that’s what I’m best at by a long shot, but I’ve been playing playing more guitar and banjo for the last 15 years or so just for the enjoyment (ok I did play at a wedding once).
I’m assuming you mean the main part of the song as that’s where the singing bit is. I can play that. It’s the intro/lead in that got me interested in playing… and the part I still can’t play.
His double-stop intro. Got it. It’s do-able! Worth checking Youtube or something.
Long story about my journey into music. As the third child, it seemed a given that I would play a band instrument, so I started on clarinet. I wanted to switch to oboe, but I was as bad at that as I was clarinet. We moved to a school district with no band program, and the world was spared. When we came back I needed music credits to graduate and joined choir. I would have been content to just sing in church choirs for life, but then I married a band director. I can remember driving around when we were courting, listening to Celtic music tapes, and our favorite to sing together was “Bonnie Lighthorseman.”
Later I bought him a hammered dulcimer and wanted to play with him. One of his classrooms had an autoharp, so I tried that. We bought a beat up old thing and got it working, but I have been dreaming of a brand new one, customized to play the chords used in Celtic and Christian music but aren’t standard on either 15 chord or 21 chord autoharps. I guess deciding that all I want for Christmas is an instrument makes me a musician now.
I don’t have a personal response to the OP; I play the clarinet, but can’t remember what my reasons were for choosing it (or even if I had a reason).
However, every time I hear “Colour My World,” I remember that one of my high school friends took up the flute because of the flute solo in that song. I’m sure he wasn’t the only one.
I’ve always loved the harmonica solo in Neil Young’s Heart of Gold. I bought a harmonica. That’s where the story ends.
mmm
That was it for me, too. But there was no way I was going to start out with a keyboard. My parents weren’t going to plunk down that kind of cash for something their 10 year old was into, and might not be into for long.
So, I got a violin and started in orchestra. The whole time I was in that class, I kind of obsessed on the double bass. Partly because I was a tiny kid and nowhere near tall enough to play one, partly because it actually made those big rumbly sounds that I heard in Bach’s Toccatta in D. I’m still small enough that it’d be a stretch for me to play one, plus electric basses are a lot easier to play, so I moved to that. My lead guitarist has referred to me as “a natural bass player” in a world filled with bass player jokes, I’m still not sure if that’s a compliment or not. 
I’m still pretty much poop on a keyboard. I can wrangle out the intro to Toccata in D minor, but I’m not quick enough to do the runs. Plus, the only keyboard I’ve ever owned is my reed organ, so it sounds like someone’s playing it on an accordion. :smack: I can do it on bass and guitar, though!
Hey, I was in Stuttgart once and heard a couple street musicians play the entire Toccata and Fugue on two accordions and it was fucking awesome!
Well, they probably had the advantage of not sucking on keyboard, so there’s that. But! Fair enough, I’m gonna go try to fix the volume pedal on my reed organ and have a go at it.
“And The Cradle Will Rock” by EVH, and later, Yngwie, Vai and Satch. The first song I learned how to play as taught to me by my guitar teacher was “Back In Black”. I had a Gibson SG copy and a shitty Gorilla amp which I dutifully stuck in my open bedroom window facing outwards, cranked to maximum volume. I am sure the neighbors loved it.