First Song?

[WishICouldPlay]

What was the first song of substance that you learned to play by yourself?
For me it was "Cocaine Blues" by Dave Van Ronk on acoustic; on electric it was "Help Me" covered by local Toronto band Mckenna Mendelson Mainline.
Still play them.
Wasn't much help in the way of instruction books or teachers back then.
Good memories, once I was able to figure them out and play them properly, I knew I could do this.
Went on to pickup the banjo, so I was juggling all three for years.

 

[TDPRS1]

My Uncle taught me "Working Man" by Rush.

 

[justmund]

Sunshine of your love - Cream

 

[markie]

Take it Easy - Eagles

 

[László]

On guitar? Pipeline - The Ventures

On keys - House of the Rising Sun - The Animals

 

[slang05]

Too Late For Love -Def Leppard

Actually ended up recording it some years later in a wanna be 80's band I was in... Done on a 8 track Tascam!lol

https://soundcloud.com/ex2/too-late-4-love

Rock it out!! lol

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Heal- Verbal Assault

 

[Mikegarveyblues]

I can tell you the first 4...

Comfortably Numb (Pink Floyd)
Is There Anybody Out There? (Pink Floyd) - First tune I nailed as I remember...
Lucky man - The Verve
Brothers In Arms - Dire Straits

I remember spending countless hours on these tunes, particularly the first and fourth. I'm sure if I could go back in time and listen to myself play them they'd sound horrendous, and I suspect i didn't know them as well as I thought at the time!

 

[geese_com]

Samba Pa Ti....a pretty simple but amazing song.

 

[Herr Squid]

I think I went from Hell's Bells straight to La Villa Strangiato. Hey, why not bite off more than you can chew!

 

[Hopeful Sinner]

Smokin' in the Boys Room as performed by Motley Crue...

 

[JMintzer]

House of the Rising Sun...

Yeah, I'm that old...


Jamie

 

[11top]

Cliffs of Dover











ok, I'm obviously lying.

However, the first riff I learned was Secret Agent Man by Johnny Rivers. Yeah, I'm older than Jamie. :-(

 

[WishICouldPlay]

yeah, i remember playing "secret agent man" in my first band in grade 8.
played some jimi, cream, mayall, stones, beatles, wilson pickett.
i was in the audience when the beatles played ed sullivan. although many claim to, i actually went to woodstock (original one).
played with ronnie hawkins and the hawks at the nickelodean in toronto, which was essentially "the band".
fcuk, i'm older than dirt.
anywho, youtube "help me" by mainline if u like blues. recorded 1969 and is fabulous.

 

[thieves&foxes]

Last Resort - Papa Roach

 

[WEDGE]

Malagueña .........my dad had a flamenco kick going on.......

 

[Solocaller]

Can't get no (Satisfactin)-Rolling Stones. I don't know if I would call it substantial but it sure made me feel good

 

[vchizzle]

Money Talks by AC/DC. prior to that I only had learned parts of a ton of songs, this one seemed easy enough to make it all the way through...and the tab was in a guitar magazine when it came out

 

[hippietim]

More Thank A Feeling and Stairway To Heaven

 

[veinbuster]

I have no chance of remembering the answer to this question.
I basically started playing anything I could find music for: a book of Hawaiian guitar, some Beethoven, some Carulli and I'd try to play along with songs I liked on records I could afford, which might have meant something like These Eyes, Norwegian Wood, whatever. I didn't really care what I played, so I played anything.