What song started your guitar journey?

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by JayBee1404

Not quite correct, Steve. ‘Scarlett O’Hara’ wasn’t a Shadows number, it was a hit for Jet Harris & Tony Meehan - both ex-members of the Shadows - some time after their departure from the band...

Thanks - guess we didn't get the right info here in the States when things began to pop in '64...

[blackie51]

Apache - The Shadows

Tom

[CityPickn]

Soothsayer - Buckethead.

[nostatic]

while not necessarily the inspiration, I do remember this was the first song I played live in a recital. I think I was 8 years old, playing a nylon string acoustic and I played it instrumental. All of the verses. Riveting...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtJ1Gnh9wPU

[johnnydobbers]

Mood For A Day by Steve Howe

[Mandobart]

Early in my music playing, I was in 5th grade, played violin. I developed a benign growth on my left side of my collarbone (probably violin related) that the docs and parents thought ought to be removed. While that healed (just a few months) I started guitar with lessons at the same place I had been getting violin lessons. I learned a few chords, but don't remember anything more.

About three years later (still playing violin) I decided to take up electric bass in the school's jazz band, and simultaneously got into a garage band with friends playing bass. We did what's now classic rock (ZZ Top, Skynyrd, Zeppelin). The first song I learned with the band was "Tush" by ZZ Top (bass part).

At the same time I was drawn to the Eagles, Neil Young, Gram Parsons. I bought my first guitar (70's Applause) and a couple songbooks.

I don't remember the first song I learned all the way through but it was something by the Eagles or Neil Young. I know the first song I taught myself by ear was "Return of the Grevious Angel" by Gram Parsons.

[Kbonger]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSfIAvxp0ME

Here it is. I thought, "If a 6 year old girl can play this, I can too".

I can and I will, it's just going to take a little longer than I thought. Haha.

And here's the show she's doing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kgcZ0U178g&t=24s

[Inyo]

Originally Posted by Jaxon

when my dad taught me UnderThe Double Eagle and Wildwood Flower, I was 10 and that was 1961

"Under The Double Eagle" is one of my favorite instrumentals, indeed.

Among the plentiful examples of rather improbable phenomena recorded in music history is how an Austrian military march, composed in 1893 by Josef Franz Wagner--"Under The Double Eagle" (title of course refers to the double eagle in the coat of arms of Austria-Hungary)--found its way into the repertoire of numerous grassers (AKA, Bluegrass aficionados), Country Swing bands, and Country artists over the decades.

After some investigation on the subject, I'm left with the possibility that this specific record is what inspired the strange musical marriage of an Austrian military march with Country music:

Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers, 1935 (second most popular Hillbilly/Country song for the entire year of 1935):



Here's a much more recent version of note, played by Craig Ventresco and Meredith Axelrod (they're not a Country-Bluegrass duo, of course), streamed live over Meredith's Facebook and YouTube pages on January 27, 2022 (coincidentally, that was the date of original poster's post):

Craig playing his Fraulini guitar; Meredith on her John DeLapp guitar:

"Under The Double Eagle" (mp4 video format)

But back to original poster's inquiry. One of the albums that first inspired me to up my guitar playing game was "The Astounding 12-String Guitar of Glen Campbell," a 1964 release I discovered in my parents' record collection.

Here's a selection:

[reeve21]

A friend showed me a few chords and how to play "Don't think Twice, it's Alright" when I was about 20. I messed around strumming "cowboy chord" type stuff off and on for several decades.

Almost 40 years later I discovered the AGF and got turned on to finger picking. First song was a Mark Hanson arrangement of "Freight Train."

[therbulus]

Couldn't say there was one song, but definitely early Simon & Garfunkel--say, around the "Parsley, Sage..." album.

[Colt45]

Neil, but my first song I learned to sing and play was a John Prine song..Dear Abby.

[Stonehauler]

Take me Home, Country Roads. Written by John Denver as played by my elementary school music teacher when I was in first grade. It was part of an introduction to music that John Denver talked about how it wrote songs and tried out various ways to put music to the words. She then played the recording, and then played the song herself. Ms. Nogle was the one who inspired me to play, just like I hope to inspire just one other person to play. She wasn't a professional musician, just a music teacher that loved her students.

Note, it wasn't HIS singing and playing that inspired me at first, but hers.

I took organ lessons from K-8, Tenor Trombone from 4-12th grades (plus Tuba, double valve Trombone, percussion (drums), etc.)

Now that I am in my 40s, I've finally picked up the guitar.

If you are out there reading this Ms. Nogle, Thank you.

[Taylor814]

Originally Posted by handers

It's a really good one and pretty accessible to play. I like to put a verse of "Rick and Bob Report" in the middle and play as medley. Same key though I think Kottke plays R & B Report capoed up. Great instrumentals in the unique Kottke style.

Yeah, Rick and Bob Report is capoed at 5. The Fisherman also goes well with Stealing.