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"What should I play on guitar when someone asks to hear me play?"
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- Опубликовано: 1 сен 2020
- Ever have someone say to you, "hey, play something on guitar" - and then totally freeze and forget everything you know? Well it happens to all of us. This video is designed to give you a few tips for what to do in that situation.
Here's a list of the "No Accompaniment" lessons at ActiveMelody.com:
www.activemelo...
![Chuckyy - Devil Hours [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/f3wZGj0VnZU/mqdefault.jpg)
Brian is a national treasure. This is one of the most practical lessons of all time.
Thanks man :)
Brian is the best i ever seen as a musician. goat
Not to mention the guitar they hand you is usually has a warped neck, 10 year old strings and bad tuning machines.
Yeah... that
A poor craftsman always blames his tools
@@adamwarlock5286
Nobody on earth can make a warped neck, fret buzzing, poorly intonated guitar sound good.
It may be cute to joke about but if reality ever matters,..NO its physically and scientifically impossible.
Use the right tool for the job
@@adamwarlock5286, in a lot of cases that is very true and I am guilty of once thinking, "if I had (insert musician name) guitar or gear I would be a better player. But if your screwdriver is bent and stripped it is going to be hard to use it effectively.
I've started playing My Sweet Lord for like 20 minutes. People either shave their heads and join the temple or never ask again
Hahaha great !
Well, you could do a medley of that and "(s)He's So Fine".
I always play songs nobody knows
Hare Krishna!
I say ok and then play Something” written by the same man that wrote “My Sweet Lord”
Having played guitar for over 40 years, and been in this situation many times, I believe this is some of the best advice you'll ever get.
When my youngest was in kindergarten I had just started to learn guitar. A number of the parents of her class were professional musicians (specialising in kids entertainment too) and had come in to play for the kids. My daughter was so keen for me to come and play that I found it hard to resist. At the time I could play a few songs in the 1,4 5 style and could sing them to myself but was terrified of singing in public.
I shuffled around a bit but eventually came up with a plan to cover my lack of skill. I played a few chords while the kids danced around and then would stop quickly and they had to immediately freeze. It was a hit. The game lasted about 20 minutes and my daughter was thrilled. I was just relieved.I've improved a lot since then but I think if asked to play publicly on my own I'd be the one freezing.
Thanks for the advice.
When that used to happen to me, I would say "I'll play if you sing". Took the pressure off a bit as people suddenly feel the pressure is on them, which makes it easier to relax into the playing. Also, if you're not experienced, just know Beatles songs to strum.
Great strategy. Before I could play I knew guitarists who did this to me and we had such fun encouraging each other!
That’s really interesting! Thanks that’ll shut them up. Lol you sing I’ll play lol
Exactly!
Been playing for over 50yrs and after countless of times being put in that situation, I learned that by saying: Name a song and I'll play it provided you sing it, pretty much shifts the pressure and awkwardness back onto them.
Usually they shut up.
I did that one time with my wife’s boss when we had her over for a work event and I didn’t know she sang in a gospel choir in South Carolina growing up. She’s singing like whitney Houston while I’m botching chords
Good advice. You can start with You've Got to Hide your Love Away and Norwegian Wood. Both easy and popular. Then on to Here Comes the Sun, and you're everybody's hero.
This lesson alone is worth the price of a membership to Active Melody.
I’m a professional “ noodler “ but I’ve learned to play just a few semi easy songs really really good...for the times I’ve been asked to play a song ...then I go back to....noodling 😎🎸
lol I feel ya there indeed
Another point to this is that we, as musicians, need to stop being so hard on ourselves and realize that most non-music folk will be perfectly content with hearing simplicity if they want to see you play. They are not going to judge you on your technique or tell you that you're not playing fast enough or not doing enough crazy inversion chords. If you come across a snobby musician, maybe that will happen, but what does it matter what they think anyway? As long as it's something that sounds nice they will be happy. Thanks for another great video
Good point. I’ve always gotten a kick out of watching live bands make a mistake and they give each other that look, that not one person heard or saw, and they just keep on playing. What’s the alternative? Starting the song over?
Agreed. Been playing for two months, recently played "losing my religion" by r.e.m. (in full) most non instrument playing people thought it was good, but I noticed my mistakes and thought it was quite shitty.
FairlyUnknown. You Sir just made my day. I've been a "basement"' guitar hacker for almost 40 years. I don't sing or play any covers, I just make my own shit up. Some of it is not bad and I've put a lot of time and effort into getting better. BUT! Like you say, I am my own worst enemy and am very self critical and hard on myself about my playing. However now and again when I play in front of others, I know I played well, and the people watching know it too.(all 5 or 6 of them) Doesn't matter how many are there or even if you're solo, when it happens, that shit'll put a smile on your face. Keeping it simple, happy and nice (although heavy can sometimes be fun) provides you the opportunity to show some skill without having to be cornered into the "'well can you play this or can you play that or can you play like van halen or do you know any rush or zeppelin blah blah blah" Cheers!
Thank ya for this!!
Exactly. They don't care what we do. When you know that it becomes so much easier to just whip out a song.
Other than Brian's awesome advice here, Active Melody lessons and Microlessons are a perfect solution for that! Many of them are short and sweet and most likely you'll get "hey, that sounds good, what is it?" reaction. I did every single time.
A couple of years ago when I traveled to the US, went to a guitar store and was playing some Active Melody tunes. One guy said, hey nice playing. Couldn't felt happier when I heard that =) I'm not very good so was nice to see that the practice was worth it.
True. Whenever I ‘m in a guitar shop I do an Active Melody tune (EP018, the Clapton one is great for this) the great advantage of this is because it’s not technically a ‘song’, nobody can call you out for getting a particular song right.
Also if someone asks ‘What was that?’ you can say ‘Ah, just some Clapton-y thing I’ve been working on’ and they think you’re a genius 😉
Play a tim Reynolds song like tim bet u wont cum close
What is that?? Pls explain
I watched George Harrison being interviewed on a talk show and that happened to him. Someone gave him a guitar and he froze. Now he did play, but you could tell he was nervous and even made a couple of mistakes. But I remember thinking, my God, he's human! Lol!
Didn't you think 'my sweet lord, he's human '
I must've learned at least a thousand songs during my lifetime and EVERY TIME I'm in that situation, I can't remember ONE OF THEM! It's insane! Thank goodness I'm not the only one! Once I choke out the first one, though, it opens the floodgate!
Hilarious. I haven’t been there because I haven’t played in front of people. But I can imagine
I’ve literally had it happen with 1-3 friends in the room. And it’s sucks every bit as bad as if it was a theatre full of fans. Lol. So frustrating knowing you can play and not being able to do even the most basic thing for some friends for a split second even. Ugh,...
So true! The first one is so hard!
Not bragging but I'm quite an accomplished guitar player and I've experienced the same thing, I'm so glad I came here and read the comments, yours and John Reagan's especially. Thanks
I thought I was the only one who had that problem. I'll play something like Black bird and then forget an easy request that I learned years ago. So now I just play obscure stuff that sounds good but nobody knows what the hell it is...
This is the time when I am grateful being a lefty. No one has a lefty guitar sitting in the corner :)
Thank you! Between you, Steve Stine, Stitch Method, and my 1962 paper wheel Nick Manoloffs moder accompaniment guide,Mel Bay folk song book, I may have finally got to where I may learn to play before body parts are used elsewhere. Always appreciate soft sell. I think I’ll buy something from you and Stine already did with stitch, for my 69th birthday this week.
I'm left handed. I just tell them "Wrong side up" and I'm saved.
I’m right-handed....but that gives me an idea! 😉
Perhaps you need to put your guitar in your car trunk before you go out?
😂😂
@@MelodyMaker but that would mean you have to play😂
Personally, I’ve never played anything that’s made anyone walk away in awe. I’m not bad, just not really great on guitar. Thankfully I play lefty as well!
My response to that scenario is to play a song to which people like to sing along. A great example is Wish You Were Here. The intro with the little solo isn't difficult but it impresses, and then it's easy open chords and people will inherently start singing along because everyone knows the words. That takes all the pressure off instantly and turns it into a fun group moment rather than just a single spotlight on me, the guitar player.
I used to be in this situation 9 out of 10 times untll I learn your lesson EP225.Now I play that lesson whenever people ask me to play and I am an instant hero.I am a premier member of active melody in another account and that's the best money I have spent on guitar lesson till date.Brian is a hermit who plays amazing guitar and the best teacher u can ever get.Namaste and stay safe.
Ha, thank you, friend. On your suggestion, I looked up EP225. Wow! Flowing, with so much so much soul, and not so difficult. Brilliant! I’m loving it so much. Thank you, Subodh, and thank you Brian. 🙏
@@leimaniax If you are interested try EP 222 as well.Thanks L.
Brilliant stuff, I love your laid back style! Years ago I went to a music store to try out a guitar n the store guy sat with me, which I didn’t want to happen. Even though I’ve played for years I’m not very good n hate playing in front of anyone, even my wife! So I tried to rattle off my best stuff before almost apologising to the store guy for not being very good....... he just said, “hey, you’re better than me n I work in a music store!” That was a nice boost!
Thank you for this video ! I'm a pretty decent guitarist when nobody's listening:) Just knowing that this happens to other guitarists too, is all I needed to hear. I'll press on & push through now. I'll find the guts to do a gig finally. Thanks all.
I've learned more about theory and style from Brian in the last year or two than than I ever learned from years of costly half hour private lessons. I used to spend hours learning a particular song or riff though I never really grasped the theory behind the music - a great channel to be sure !!
I’ve learned a few really intricate fingerstyle songs and polished them to as close to perfection as possible. I was in a guitar shop recently chatting to an older guy who I sort of recognised. He asked me to play something so I smashed out my best finger style. A thousand notes. He picks up a guitar and plays 5, maybe 6 notes and blows me away. Feel, timing, tone all perfection. Turns out he is one of Australia’s most famous blues guys but anyway. I learned a lesson that day.
It wasn’t Tommy Emmanuel was it?!!
Wesley Adair - he’d play 3000 notes and blow you away regardless
Owen Campbell?
@@stickynoodle Yeah, exactly what I thought !
Which songs? I’d suggest Blackbird
Whenever anybody asks me to play something on the guitar, I immediately start strumming and singing “Something in the way she moves, attracts me like no other lover...”
This is my goal, I've learned 4-5 of your acoustic lessons in the last 6 months, but still struggling with improv. You are my inspiration thank you Brian
I just play Smoke On The Water, on just the low E string, smile real big, like you just earned a Grammy, and set the guitar down, and walk off.
You rock man , no shit 👍
Guitar store trolling.
Ahhhahaha, good idea!!!
Buwhaaaaaaaaa 😂😂. The greatest! I'm stealing that move for sure.
Been doin the same thing to impress girls for years...
Love this. I have experienced this feeling of stone fingers and memory lock so many times!
You are so right. I'm a Nashville born cat but play R&roll about 100 songs. People always ask play for us. I DON'T SING. Play nice guitar work but most people are not into the music without words. Sad.
I can totally relate to this. I was at a clients' place earlier this year for dinner, her husband hands me his guitar and says play something. I had a few songs that I had been practicing, but in the heat of the moment I couldn't remember a single one. Improvising is the holy grail, just hope some day I'll be able to get my head around it. Fantastic tips in this clip!
You nail it man! This is exactly what I’m learning blues right now. I spent years on classical finger style and technical things that always freeze up on me when ‘performing’ like this... but a I-IV-V blues with some lead lines really resonates with pretty much everyone.
"Yeah, so if you're not sure what to play, just play this ..." (Brian breaks into Scuttle Buttin'" 🤣).
Thank you for sharing all of your guitar wisdom and talent.
Bend a reasonably high note, add vibrato to show your great feel, improvise a fast descending minor scale run that slows into a more exotic scale and ends with another bend with vibrato. Slide a note all the way up and down the fretboard, pick slides optional, and then hand the guitar back to them.
I've been at it for two yrs, and four months, but I practice all day everyday. My top five are I'm a rolling stone, the midnite special, I'm so lonesome I could cry, I'm a thousand miles from nowhere, and all you ever do is bring me down, and just stay here and drink for an encore. Guitar is so much fun. I'm old and retired, with guitar I'm fighting off dementia, and having a ball. My old hands and shoulders hurt, but it's worth it. Wish I had picked it up at a younger age, but I was to busy chasing that dollar.
Great video and great advice about improvising. I'm an "older beginner" but I do know a fair amount of licks and riffs but very very few whole songs but I've never played in front of anyone but my wife. So someone told me Johnny Van Zant from Lynyrd Skynyrd was having lunch catered for the fire department where I work as a thank you on 9/11. He's really that cool. So I bring my strat with me in case there would be an opportunity for him to sign it. He's super cool and just hanging out with us so I ask him and he says "sure go get it". So he strums a bit on it and then signs it for me and then says let's hear what you got. I absolutely froze. I even know the licks from Sweet Home Alabama, Gimme 3 Steps and Tuesday's Gone.......nothing. I didn't even remember that I knew those songs. I wanted to throw up. I nervously strummed a couple chords that made no sense. He was so cool about but it was embarrassing. So I've been trying to make sure I have at least something at the ready for whenever someone asks me to play something.
That's a cool story Man !! (Not freezing) I've been there in front of my 4 daughters and their A-hole friend that was "Mr Guitar" in his mind ... Thank you for your service !! 🇺🇲🎸🕊️
Has anyone ever had this happen? You are a beginner, you learned a new piece, you stop by a friends excited to show what you learned, you pick up the guitar......and you draw a complete blank. The first note, the first chord escapes you completely. Your mind is a blank slate. This is beyond frustrating!
79443....don't have to be a begiiner for that to happen... Crossbow, pro musician, 50 + years...get used to it being "NORMAL" ...for everybody. Just smile...your bandmates will know you need a "kickoff hint", and the audience...is simply waiting for the next song. Everything is OK. pluck a few notes of the axe until it "comes to you...pretend to quickly retune the guitar...crack a joke or two...etc. ie...stall. Hope that helps....you are certainly not alone in this one.
...oops...79943....sticky fingers...bad keyboard....heard any new jokes lately? ...Crossbow (Florida)
You in El Paso? Me too lets jam
@@bojanglesinthaflesh Nope, I'm in SC. Number is not a zip code but that comes up all the time.
I needed to hear this. Thank you. I'm learning Martin Taylor's "True" and my fingers turn into bananas when someone - even family members - ask me how far I've got.
Yep banana fingers . Been there
That's where you come in! I play songs you've taught me that don't need backing tracks and I don't have to sing.
Thanks a lot Brian! This is the exact thing that happened to me with exactly the same events. This happened when I went to my friend's birthday party. I knew a few fingerstyle songs and I could play them all perfectly but all those songs required capo and they didn't have one, so I got stuck and I didn't know what to play. I was very disappointed with my performance. After coming home, the first thing I did was I searched this topic and BOOM! You came as a savior and it was almost as if you saw what happened with me. Thankyou so much for your beautiful piece of advice and awesome lesson. This lesson is very helpful. Keep doing the good work.
Play "the song that doesn't end" and just keep on going until they get sick of it and stop you or walk away. They will never ask again.
I had on incident like this, 20 yrs ago, and I've been traumatized by it ever since.
So wonderful to hear you talk about it and about how common it is.
Overall, music is a very mysterious medium. The guitar, as an instrument, adds it's own puzzling factors to the situation.
It's like I'm one step from totally sucking AND one step from being a guitar god, all the time.
This is still a very puzzling state of affairs that continues to cause me some anxiety.
@Michael Halloway thank you!
@Michael Halloway
Thanks very much!
Yep, DEFINITELY been there! When ever I go to any kind of function where this could possibly happen I tell who ever I'm going with "Don't you DARE mention ANYTHING about a guitar!"
I’m new to guitar, but have been playing drums for 40 years ... as a kid I’d play at every opportunity (yeah ok, you’re right I mean show off!) as I got older the opposite happened , you’d never get me to play to anyone despite practicing alone on my pad daily ... my other half was amazed when at friends, I sat behind a kit and played ... we’d been together years and I assumed I’d only dabbled as a kid ... the upside was she forced me to buy a kit (even though I still won’t play for her!!) .... she recently learnt from my old mum that I’m also a Grade 8 trumpet player (UK qualification) - yep you guessed it ... I’ve never played trumpet for her either and now she’s badgering to hear my efforts at guitar! Happy playing people 😊
My trick with this is to run several songs into each other so you don't need to remember whole songs and so you don't have to end them awkwardly once you can't remember any more.
I've been a member for well over a year playing guitar for many years and the lessons are so beneficial to really unlocking the guitar in general. I can't study guitar all the time, but when I do, I logon to Active Melody and look through my favorite lessons and see if I can go through the whole composition and if not, I work on the area's I'm weak at until I have that one lesson down. It's very rewarding to start seeing the connections of the CAGED system and the most often used scale patterns. As far as playing in public, it's not a good idea to be the sole person playing in the spot light until you get some playing time with someone else that can be in the spot light. It's better to play with others who can play and you are just part of the jam session. That way all the pressure is not all on you. That said, who cares as long as you have fun doing what your doing. If you know any simple chord progressions, just play them with rythm and style the best you can.
Another idea that I like to employ is using Drop D tuning and playing a few easier songs in that tuning. It's easier to play in Drop-D and it has that special sound to it. Then when you are feeling more comfortable, go back to standard tuning and have fun.
After 45 years - can finally pull it off 😳 - GREAT INSTRUCTION / ADVICE 👍✌️✌️
I need at least a half hour to start finding my groove most of time. I had that experience last month. I had fresh strings that I struggled to get and stay in tune which made matters worse. Humiliating! I’ve been playing for years. Great topic. Love being a member. You always come up with such simple tasty stuff.
What a great question! Excellent topic!
i’m very glad you tackle realistic seemingly mundane topics. it’s very helpful
Hey Brian, that’s why I pay for your lessons. I pick one of your original pieces that I like and practice it until I’ve got it down. If a situation comes up where I have to play in front of anybody it’s no big deal because your stuff is all original. Listeners can’t identify it so they can’t critique it. But, it still sounds really great. Even with me playing it.
I agree, I think it happens to everyone and it can be so embarrassing. But on a side note I’ve been enjoying these extra videos you’ve been doing lately with words of encouragement and advice.
Thanks, Brian!! It was the “no accompaniment” tunes that drew me to AM in the first place. Just awesome!!!
Great video, excellent advice, but do we believe that you Brian have a freeze moment when asked to play something on guitar?...no way man!!! You're the coolest dude on guitar and an excellent teacher to boot.
when someone asks me to play something, i just say no and that's it.
I tell them, "I only play for myself!" 😊
@@jtandme-ot9cl that's even better answer. well said 👏👏👏👏👏
jtandme4650 just make sure you say “for” and not “with” 😂
I tell them to just be there when I play,
most of the time when I'm in the mood to play, people don't take the time to listen,
why should I take the time to play when they are in the mood to listen.
Shed your loser skin and become bad ass! Play your guitar for the people!
This is so true!! I have played and written my own music, mostly for myself and close friends, since 1969. And a couple of years ago while visiting my Mom in the nursing home,(she played piano until she was 97!), the custodian asked me to play something, and i just froze!!! I could not think of one song to play! Yes, this does happen. And sometimes more than once lol.
Them: "Play something, Monkey Boy."
Me: Plays a 20 minute set that would have impressed Michael Hedges.
Them: "No, play something we know."
Me: Plays the Teletubbies theme song then takes a Union break.
I am so damn weak rn u dont even understand
Oh my god man! That’s awesome!
I miss the teletubbies
Search up Teletubbies in black and white.
I just ruined your childhood
Now post the tab for the Teletubbies theme song, please.
My go to songs are Paul’s “yesterday” followed by “blackbird” “junk” “heart of the country” and probably end it with “cant help falling in love”
Wow....you hit the nail on the head! I have been playing nearly 50 years, 35 professionally, and it's funny how this still occasionally happens....lol! You freeze and the fingers get weak. One feels they need to really impress and as you said so perfectly, "melt their face". And you are exactly right, actually a simple 3 chord vocal song or some noodling would do quite well. Great advice to have about 5 songs polished and ready for when this happens. This is my first time on your channel...now subbed! BTW, very nice and well laid out website Brian!
I can't sing, even though I keep trying. So I learned to make my guitar sing. You must be driven and motivated in order to achieve your guitar or anything else goals. According to Fender, 90% of beginners quit within the first year. I've been at it for a lifetime. Never give up folks. You CAN do it. Btw 5 songs ready is great. 25+ songs is better. I only say this because once I start playing. They want more.
When I would book a bar gig.I would go to the bar on a week night and write down the songs that were played in the juke box..then on Saturday night I would play those songs.
Now thats planning....
Yep, I've done that. I'm in a classic rock cover band, but we like to include some new material too for younger people in the audience, and these modern jukeboxes are great in that you can go back and look at the last 10 -20 songs that were played.
Link Wray "Rumble", only damn thing I can ever remember when asked👍🏻
I was always pretty confident. Even when I shouldn't have been. Soo much so that I would be the one to want to play many of those unexpected or unplanned moments.
This confidence allowed me to usually have no problem like forgetting what I knew.
That is, until it finally happened out of seemingly nowhere.
I almost went back to my first week of playing in a single moment.
It's the weirdest thing. Was not really nervous,..but could not think of ANYTHING to play. Its as if my mind had been erased..Every guitarist I've asked about this, has experienced it though.
Your improvisation is great, you blend rhythm and lead so smoothly
I play my own songs it’s only me that knows if they are right or not😁
Me too !!! Works just fine ! 😜👍
Hey play something
*forgets your an artist for a few seconds *
"Can you say something funny?"
"I doubt it."
Best lines from GOOD MORNING VIETNAM!
i admire your honest approach to this topic. I once read that Jimi Hendrix got nervous every now and then.
We're all human, right ? So, don't sweat it !!!
People don't want to hear just guitar. The first thing I say is, "I'll play if you sing". And if I do play, I don't try to do a performance. I make it clear that this is just for fun (mistakes and all), and if you want a performance you'll have to pay.
Yup. Just learn a few well known songs and you're fine!
That is so true & I'm glad you addressed it.All the time spent learning & then someone says "well play something" & you don't know where to begin! But when you're alone(which is where you are when you're learning for years)you can play whatever comes to mind. Maybe that's why I've seen players shut their eyes or wear shades---so they can tune out everything else---and pretend they're alone, as always.
I have to say this has not been a problem. I'm a songwriter and rarely do covers, though I know a few. I might do one of my old songs, or say " here's one I"m working on. Giving my age away here, I liked how Ricky Nelson would do his own songs at the "house party" on the Ozzie and Harriet show. He wasn't known for doing covers either.
As a fellow writer who doesn’t do covers I feel you brother.
How about when someone hands you a guitar and says, "play something. "
And you respond with," I'm sorry I am left handed."
So I play a few songs I learnt to play on an upside down guitar.
Once I held a colleagues guitar upside down. He laughed and said, dude, haha, you are not holding it right.
When I finished the intro of wish you were here (with leads), he pretty much fell off his chair.
Fascinating! With barely five months under my belt and still trying to get comfortable with the basic open chords this is way beyond me, BUT it's a huge insight into where I want to be and what my response will be when the day comes and I'm handed a guitar at a social event! Many thanks.
Beautiful advice. I find one musical piece alone is the key to your repertoire, 5 sure ... even one is golden, ... it will lead to the 5. Another tool in my pocket is, improvised lead with lyrics imposed on the he audience. Get one person to utter some silliness ... like ‘Hey Baby’ and play a riff in between each utterance. It’s also hilarious as heck.
Brian , your spot on about preparing , for that certain time that eventually happens , and not looking foolish, when it does!
The best video you've ever done. I know a hundred tunes but.... you want me to play one ? Oh Lawd!
You are talkin' true on the majority of your points & what a good empathic topic to encourage relatively beginning players. For eg. " you" are very proficient at this point so when you say " just make something up" & you come up with this structured fabulous polished blues piece that makes it sound like you could play it upside down hanging from a ladder inside the shower while the water is running! In real life, wherever you exist in the world I'd be happy to take guitar lessons from you!
I’m feeling pressure just watching you talk about feeling pressure 😂 Your lessons are always great and I won’t live long enough to go through them all.
If anyone asks me to play in a room full of people i always go for Don't Look Back In Anger for a few reasons. Firstly, the chords are easy. Secondly although i am not the best singer i always tell people this and that i will sing..........as long as they join in the chorus!! And thirdly as everyone knows this song and it is a favourite of a lot of people they end up singing the verse after i have sung the first couple of lines AND the chorus with me lol.
I start off picking “Mary Had A Little Lamb”. They seem to be impressed with anything I chose to play after that.
true
SRVs version, right? 😂
The way I pull this off is start playing very simple version of Mary Had a Little Lamb just using the high E string and pretend to struggle finding the notes and making them sound clear. Always end with an intentional flat note. I then break out into some blues and usually get some applause whether my small audience cares for blues or not.
Whenever someone says play something I do the intro to "Something" by Gerorge Harrison, and usually gets a chuckle out of people.
Man, this guy gets better and better.
I used to work with a couple of guys who had bought good quality electric guitars who regularly brought them into the office to demonstrate to each other the latest 'lick' they'd managed to master and that's all they did!
I was in a party years ago. I'd not long been playing. I spotted a guitar in another room picked it up and started playing Don't Look Back in Anger to myself. About a minute into it I looked up and the room was full. The room just burst into song whilst I was playing. I felt like Noel Gallagher for a few minutes. Best moment ever for me on guitar. My date was shall we say very impressed. Ha ha. It was a good night indeed.
Whole Lotta Love. Most everyone knows it, and you're sitting on an E power chord, which allows you to bounce into 100 difference recognizable riffs. After about a 2 minute/4-5 intro medley, everyone is unimpressed and they go back to whatever they were doing before asking you to play.
Wow! Been playing since I was 6 (I’m 63 now) and always learning. This discussion was so impressive. Yours was the first to which I subscribed for lessons. Great job.
Daily practice eases that anxiety in a huge way. We are always our own worst critic
This is so relevant. And most of the time those people who ask you to "play something" are usually the people who's not really into the same thing as you are. That gives you the pressure to play something that would impress them. I found that hard to accomplish. Impressing people is not in my musical goals, not anymore. That's what makes it even more difficult to respond to. Can't say that I'm experienced in terms of playing in front of an audience, but I've done plenty. And yet still I froze every time somebody ask me to play something.
I've been asked that kind of question so many times, I found that (in my case) the best response is to say politely if I don't want to. If I want to refuse, I can say no honestly without being a jerk, and try to make it as light as possible such as "Ahh.. I really can't play in front of people spontaneously. I need to rehearse". I plainly told the truth. And if in rare cases I decided to play something, I just play something that is casual and stuff that I think the audience (s) can relate to. So I won't play blues if the audience is somebody who isn't familiar with the blues, or I'll just joking around and talk about something else.
But like all things, for me there's an exception. If I'm in a situation where most of the audience are the guys that I'm familiar with, or if I were asked like in a blues community. I consider those guys as peers, and for me if they ask me to play something, I know what they are expecting. And they know what to expect from me. No pressure, so it's high chance that I would play something for them.
Thanks Brian. Really encouraging! I'm now in my second year as an active melody member, and getting so much out of your lessons.
I just scanned all the comments, and NOBODY said, "... just start with, "Something in the waayy she moooves me..." Beatles..
....yeah I know, really corny....just the way my tired brain is (almost) working right now. Great vid, excellent points. ..."been there"........... Crossbow (Florida)
I’ve learned a method to avoid ppl asking me to “play something”: whenever I see a guitar I immediately pick it up, tune it and play Stairway To Heaven’s intro a couple of times, then l go over some blues impro. After no more than two minutes ppl loose interest in what l’m doing, unless there is another guitarist present, in which case he/she asks me the guitar and plays. Easy.
More of this please Brian...very inspiring
Most people are content with whatever you can play. The best thing to do is play with some backing tracks. I played the electric guitar with some blues rock backing tracks and jaws dropped. It was my first time playing for someone. I played in my sister's makeshift garage pub. It was pretty cool.
I've always resolved to playing Van Halen's 316 whenever someone hands me an acoustic. It's simple, it sounds good and I like VH so I actually enjoyed learning it. Whereas learning some popular tune I don't particularly care for just for occasions like this would've been far less fun for me. Oh and then I whip out a Beatles tune and Led Zeppelin's Over the Hills and Far Away. That's usually enough
.. You’re showing your age ! :-)
@@jamiemorgan4146 I don’t think I am haha, how old would you say I am?
You can’t learn how to improvise well without having done a ton of memorization.
Learning solo guitar pieces is over half the work.
The “Chet Atkins and Tommy Emmanuel stuff that is impossible to do” is NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO DO. There’s basic stuff in that style that is very accessible. It’s all about practice. PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!!
Well here goes...I don't agree !. It's not the only way. I can't memorise stuff. If you learn your scales (pentatonic, Maj, Min, Blues scale etc) AND you learn and understand the intervals then you can play whatever you want. I'm not there yet myself but I just had a lesson last night on the intervals and it opened my eyes big time. It helps you to play what you want to play and hear .. Which is allowing you to improvise. Just my 2cts. Everybody is different.
Haha I always ask for a vocal companion too. I find it a lot more fun to play but unfortunately that's when people aren't interested anymore 😂
Trevor Bannon ...”learn” the scales - that’s called *memorization*! :P
@@ScottHz you simply equate learning with memorising. It's not that simple. Learning = the acquisition of knowledge or skills through study, experience, or being taught. Whereas memorisation = the process of committing something to memory or learning something by heart. Memorising material is only one way to learn it. There are other ways too.
Hey Brian.a great subject. That actually happened to George Harrison in his last public performance. He was there with Ravi for a interview and somebody handed him a Guitar and you can see he was frozen ( VH 1 1997 ) So yes this even happens to pro's . Your 5 to 10 song idea with just a few chords is perfect. Keep up these great lessons.
I love your playing ,honesty and how you understand the plight of ordinary average players like most of us , the way you speak and teach is very captivating , lots of what you say just hit home. ,for me coming from classical guitar back ground the idea of improvisation is so alluring and mysterious ,just no idea how to do it ,where would you start with this on your site as total beginner improvisor ,not guitar player?
I have severe osteoarthritis and have had two joints replaced in my fingers on my left hand. My hands are stiff but can loosen up. I'll ask them to be patient for a few minutes while I free them up. I'll use that time to check the tuning in the guitar (I have a routine, which helps) and then when that is done I have a two song "set" that I have prepared just for the purpose. It also slows things down if you ask for a capo or a strap or anything they need to search for. Another thing I do is practice my two song set slouched in the sofa. It helps when that is where you are when they ask. Although having them search for a chair slows the process down. Time is the gift. Also, put a couple of titles in your phone and the starting chord or all of them if you need to. A quick glance as you call up your "tuner" gets you ready. Just don't try stalling forever. I usually play "songs" rather than the guitar parts from rock songs and such...If you do the opposite it is good to learn a song or two for these impromptu requests.
I cant believe this video only has 236k views. Every one of us has been through this. I've played well over 500 gigs, half as a solo acoustic singer/guitarist, I know probably 300 songs note for note with lyrics yet when somebody hands me a guitar I literally cant think of a single song I know. Lmao. Brilliant video!!
Someone hands you abused guitar with a bowed neck, popped frets, bad strings, splinters, etc.
Me: Have to get back with you on that.
I tell 'em "I'm an ensemble player and you probably wouldn't recognize what I'm playing." Now, that example at 4:20 is an excellent idea! I gotta use something like that cause that's what I play...the blues.Great video.
Thank you Brian! Your advice gives me hope. You are very humble. You are an excellent player, teacher and, in my opinion, you have the best guitar instruction site of all the sites I've looked at.
Very well said.... It happens to everyone.
Learn the riff to hot rod Lincoln. You’ll impress the hell out of them. And it’s really not that hard to play. Maybe not Bill Kirchen fast, but reasonably fast! 😃
Boy oh Boy can I relate....... I really enjoyed what you had to say... I have been plinking around on guitar since 1968 when I was 12 ....... still plinking and love every minute of it..... wish I could sing.....lol... still scares the hell out of me.