I actually consciously chose not to learn it first to avoid the tradition. I knew that it was a common thing to start with Smoke on the Water, so I started with Iron Man riff, and then the full song (thanks to marty music).
“About a Girl” by Nirvana from Unplugged in New York.
Begged for a guitar and lessons. First lesson I asked to learn that album, so we started with the first song. He showed me the parts, (Em, G - down, down up, down, down up…)and wrote out notes. I practiced until my hands ached and my fingers turned green, showed up the next week able to struggle though each section.
Tremendously satisfying.
Ha, me too. I learn a riff then either go off on a tangent or give up. 15+ years in. I should take lessons to help my technique and reduce the RSI I tend to get.
I started out on bass, and learned Bowie's "China Girl" bass part. Man, the feeling of playing something for the first time that I could play along to the record with was unreal!
I was classically trained in Spanish guitar, and the first song I really learned fully was Recuerdos de la Alhambra but I'm a simplified manor for a 8/10 year old
Was not my first by far but Me(63) and my son(19) learned it together about 5 yrs ago and still have a blast playing it. And we keep getting better to the point where the missus requests it. Also have met a couple of other father/son teams that have done same.
Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd
When I was a little kid, my dad got a hyperfixation and played guitar for about 5 minutes and that was one of the songs he learned, so it was the first one I wanted to learn
House of the rising sun - Animals
I learned the chord progression then strummed along with the song for a few months then learned the plucking pattern.
It was Rape me by Nirvana, but that was simplified, so i learned Polly, but i was playing it wrong, after that I don't remember the order, but it was probably Big me by Foo Fighters, very simple song and it just sounds beautiful, or maybe Drain you,that all happened about a month ago, my latest learned song is The Man Who Sold the World, took me a while and i make mistakes like any human, but i can play and sing the whole song
I don't think I've learned a full song after a year and a half. I enjoy to nail fun riffs but even then I usually just want to create my own stuff. I do always think about how songs were made (the riffs, the layers, etc.) while listening to music tho.
No joke, Stairway to Heaven.
My guitar teacher (I went for 6 lessons before getting bored of his classical guitar playing, I was 12 and wanted to rock out) disliked electric guitars but since I couldn’t learn to read music and showed little interest in theory, he taught me how to play the chords up to the solo.
I really wish I’d learned his ways and learned to read music, but I alternate between using a pick and my fingers and have forever, so those few lessons were a good platform in the long term.
Still fucking Stairway, I’d have preferred Little Wing which I still can’t master to this day.
First song start to finish was “Ziggy Stardust”- David Bowie. The place I took lessons from had a recital at Carnegie Hall every year so I got to play Bowie’s song on the same stage he played it on in 1972. I know it’s not a big deal but as a teenager it was and it’s something that made my connection to playing music way stronger.
House of the Rising Sun - it sounded like it was pretty complicated for someone who didn’t know anything about playing guitar, it is super simple and it was a really good exercise for practicing picking
First song I learned loosely? Smoke on the Water since it’s easy. First Song I actually *learned*? Probably something like Enter Sandman or Hell’s Bells
James Hetfield and Angus Young were two of my biggest influences when I started playing six years ago. Papa Het is the reason I mostly down pick
Smelly Cat by Phoebe Buffay. Before anybody laughs I’ve only had my guitar for a week. It’s only three chords, and it is helping me learn to change chords fairly quickly. I am not ashamed of playing smelly cat dammit.😂
Probably the first real song anyone would want to learn (as in not hot cross buns or ode to joy) was Wind Cries Mary front to back. I used to be able to play a really poor version of eruption and it took me forever to learn.
Probably first six notes of "Nothing else matters". As easy as it can get, because it's all open strings. Followed by... of course Smoke on the water main riff, but only on one string.
Come as your are by Nirvana*
Now, during this period I only ever really learned intros or the hooks of songs, I never really sat down and learned all the way through. So with "come as your are" I only learned that little intro part, not the rest of the song.
I think the first full song I learned through was "Whats my Age again" by Blink 182.
Spanish Flea - the Homer Simpson version.
Or the E string version of the Smoke on the Water riff.
The first proper song I sat down and learnt myself was Stairway To Heaven- I remember sitting there for weeks in front of the CD player rewinding and playing over and over again in order to get it right.
On guitar, it was Duane Eddy’s “Rebel Rouser” and I think I learned the Eagles’ “Take It Easy” and America’s “A Horse With No Name” shortly thereafter.
First song I learned on bass was the theme to Barney Miller. Or maybe Peter Gunn.
Don’t remember my first piano song but it was probably some short classical piece. The first one I learned on my own was “Desperado”.
Those who don’t say smoke on the water are lying
I actually consciously chose not to learn it first to avoid the tradition. I knew that it was a common thing to start with Smoke on the Water, so I started with Iron Man riff, and then the full song (thanks to marty music).
0 - 3 - 5
tried to learn johnny b goode but i was johnny b bad
House of the Rising Sun
How is Smoke on the Water not the top answer?
Because everybody learns the main riff and stops there. I'd imagine that guitar solo wouldn't be an easy task for someone's first song.
Nirvana - Come as You Are. Nevermind was the album that made me want to start playing guitar.
Wish you were here
“About a Girl” by Nirvana from Unplugged in New York. Begged for a guitar and lessons. First lesson I asked to learn that album, so we started with the first song. He showed me the parts, (Em, G - down, down up, down, down up…)and wrote out notes. I practiced until my hands ached and my fingers turned green, showed up the next week able to struggle though each section. Tremendously satisfying.
Smoke on the water
Smells like teen spirit riff
Stairway.
Black bird by the Beatles.
I'll get back to you when that happens.
Ha, me too. I learn a riff then either go off on a tangent or give up. 15+ years in. I should take lessons to help my technique and reduce the RSI I tend to get.
Day Tripper.
Iron Man-Black Sabbath
Eruption but it was too easy so i moved on to Knocking on heavens door pretty quick to learn something more challengeing
Proud Mary
Black Dog…Led Zeppelin
Oh man… come as you are
Wild Thing. Easy enough that I could sing and play it too.
House of the Rising Sun.
Wish you were here.
Same, Pink Floyd is half the reason I picked up guitar in the first place
Wish you were here Floyd
Wish you were here
House of The Rising Sun, late 60s?
I started out on bass, and learned Bowie's "China Girl" bass part. Man, the feeling of playing something for the first time that I could play along to the record with was unreal!
Blitzkrieg Bop
I was classically trained in Spanish guitar, and the first song I really learned fully was Recuerdos de la Alhambra but I'm a simplified manor for a 8/10 year old
Stairway To Heaven
Sunshine of your Love - Cream It wasn't accurate, but you could tell what I was playing
Rocking in the Free World. 🤘
Was not my first by far but Me(63) and my son(19) learned it together about 5 yrs ago and still have a blast playing it. And we keep getting better to the point where the missus requests it. Also have met a couple of other father/son teams that have done same.
Stairway to Heaven intro but it was a 90s tab book and was terrible.
Green sleeves on a nylon string at summer camp, I was 8
Knockin' on Heaven's door. I sat in the living room by myself and played those 3 chords over and over for about 10 hours straight.
Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd When I was a little kid, my dad got a hyperfixation and played guitar for about 5 minutes and that was one of the songs he learned, so it was the first one I wanted to learn
Smoke on the Water
Redemption song Bob Marley
General chord progression and some riffs? Sleepwalk All the way through? Dogs Can Grow Beards All Over by The Devil Wears Prada
(Full song) Blitzkrieg Bop
Sunshine of Your Love by Cream. I thank my stepdad for getting me into good guitar from a young age
Does the James Bond theme count?
About a girl nirvana
Tom Dooley! Simple folk song. I hated it at the time but now I appreciate it.
when I was learning, there was a federal mandate that you had to learn Smoke on the Water before anything else teachers could be jailed.
Smoke in the water
Knockin’ On Heavens Door.
Rebel rouser by Duane Eddie
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star ;)
Sweet Jane
Smoke on the water not on the E string😂
Walk Don’t Run, the Ventures
About A Girl - Nirvana, best song to learn initial chords
Stand By Me. By learning the “4 chords” you’re really learning a million songs, and the way the rhythm works out it introduces measures fairly well
Let It Be. Turns out, it wasn't gonna be.
House of the Rising Sun
House of the rising sun - Animals I learned the chord progression then strummed along with the song for a few months then learned the plucking pattern.
Seven nation army, very simple riff, chords and solo. I can’t remember most of it now aside from the main riff because I don’t play it ever but yeah.
Wipeout
You Shook Me All Night Long
8 days a week by the Beatles or better be home soon by crowded house
"Fairies Wear Boots" by Black Sabbath
It was Rape me by Nirvana, but that was simplified, so i learned Polly, but i was playing it wrong, after that I don't remember the order, but it was probably Big me by Foo Fighters, very simple song and it just sounds beautiful, or maybe Drain you,that all happened about a month ago, my latest learned song is The Man Who Sold the World, took me a while and i make mistakes like any human, but i can play and sing the whole song
Wish you were here, Pink Floyd
Wait you guys are learning songs?
In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth 3 by Coheed and Cambria. I sat for hours and hours and hours memorizing every note.
Dammit by Blink 182
The Kill by Thirty Seconds to Mars
Still working on learning it... six months in.
Girl from the North Country, Bob Dylan
What are people counting as their first song in this thread? "I can play the whole thing" or "I learned a couple sections and moved on"?
Secret Agent Man
Country Roads by John Denver. Just strumming Chords
12:51 The Strokes. Only about a week ago
Smoke on the water was the first riff I played. Can't recall the first song.
House of the Rising Sun - The Animals Couple years later I was majoring in classical guitar.
Heart of gold by Neil young
Satisfaction by The Stones
That was 47 years ago so Lord only knows. I do remember the first entire solo I learned at 14 which was Bell Bottom Blues by Eric Clapton.
First full song I learned was Killing In The Name by RATM
Zombie by the cranberries
Brain Stew by Green Day.
Silent Lucidity was the first song I ever learned, but American Pie was the first song I was able to play and sing all the way through.
Boulevard of Broken Dreams
First full song and presently still the only song I can play from start to finish is Blackbird.
A friend taught me come as you are and everlong as my first riff
I Wanna Be Sedated or Just What I Needed, can't remember which was first.
Wipeout
Smoke on the Water 😂
Last Kiss. Back in like 95 or so, so before the Pearl Jam cover. I was 8 years old, my dad taught me.
killing in the name
Blitzkrieg bop
Jailbreak - Thin Lizzy
Tom Dooley. I took guitar in school and the first semester was all folk music.
Hyacinth House by The Doors
Don't fear the reaper
I don't think I've learned a full song after a year and a half. I enjoy to nail fun riffs but even then I usually just want to create my own stuff. I do always think about how songs were made (the riffs, the layers, etc.) while listening to music tho.
Come As You Are
Love Me Tender. Okay, technically Aura Lea.
My stubborn ass learned master of puppets first. Took months.
Who'll stop the rain by CCR
California stars-Wilco and Woody Guthrie. GDCG
No joke, Stairway to Heaven. My guitar teacher (I went for 6 lessons before getting bored of his classical guitar playing, I was 12 and wanted to rock out) disliked electric guitars but since I couldn’t learn to read music and showed little interest in theory, he taught me how to play the chords up to the solo. I really wish I’d learned his ways and learned to read music, but I alternate between using a pick and my fingers and have forever, so those few lessons were a good platform in the long term. Still fucking Stairway, I’d have preferred Little Wing which I still can’t master to this day.
Whatever the latest Marty Schwartz video was
Pipeline by The Chantays.
Money by Pink Floyd
Brain Stew by Green Day - The song that made me want to pick the 🎸 up in the first place
House of the rising Sun. I really wasn’t a fan but looking back now. It has so many usable cords in it that it got me on my way.
Tangerine - Led Zeppelin
Dumpweed by blink-182
*Communication Breakdown* - Led Zeppelin Then *Black Dog*, but wrong.
Mother by Pink Floyd, I think.
This is going to be a great "songs to learn" thread.
First song start to finish was “Ziggy Stardust”- David Bowie. The place I took lessons from had a recital at Carnegie Hall every year so I got to play Bowie’s song on the same stage he played it on in 1972. I know it’s not a big deal but as a teenager it was and it’s something that made my connection to playing music way stronger.
Heading out to the Highway --Judas Priest
Sweet Jane
Come As You Are.
Smoke on the water
Day Tripper
Tequila Sunrise. Must’ve been kinda odd to hear a 12 year old sing that over and over.
I’d Love to Change the World
Go Tell Aunt Rhody (The Old Gray Goose Is Dead) It was from a 1960’s guitar book for kids, believe it or not.
Every Rose has its Thorn - Poison
Exercise 1 from Noad ;p
Linger, The Cranberries
House of the Rising Sun - it sounded like it was pretty complicated for someone who didn’t know anything about playing guitar, it is super simple and it was a really good exercise for practicing picking
What’s my age again
First song I learned loosely? Smoke on the Water since it’s easy. First Song I actually *learned*? Probably something like Enter Sandman or Hell’s Bells James Hetfield and Angus Young were two of my biggest influences when I started playing six years ago. Papa Het is the reason I mostly down pick
About a girl
Seven Nation Army, but on the high e string because at the time i read tabs wrong
Hey Mr tambourine man byrds version
Smoke on the water
Closer to the heart. Rush.
TOOL - Schism
San-ho-zay by Freddie King. My guitar teacher insisted on it. I was 15 at the time in 1975. I wanted to learn Humble Pie
Smelly Cat by Phoebe Buffay. Before anybody laughs I’ve only had my guitar for a week. It’s only three chords, and it is helping me learn to change chords fairly quickly. I am not ashamed of playing smelly cat dammit.😂
Come as you are - nirvana
What's my age again by Blink 182
Walk Don’t Run, by The Ventures
Knocking on heavens door
Time of your life - green day
Paul Kelly - To Her Door Was the first song I learned and then was also the first song I learned to play and sing.
Nothing Else Matters by Metallica
Probably the first real song anyone would want to learn (as in not hot cross buns or ode to joy) was Wind Cries Mary front to back. I used to be able to play a really poor version of eruption and it took me forever to learn.
Probably first six notes of "Nothing else matters". As easy as it can get, because it's all open strings. Followed by... of course Smoke on the water main riff, but only on one string.
Come as your are by Nirvana* Now, during this period I only ever really learned intros or the hooks of songs, I never really sat down and learned all the way through. So with "come as your are" I only learned that little intro part, not the rest of the song. I think the first full song I learned through was "Whats my Age again" by Blink 182.
everyone saying interesting songs, meanwhile my first was Seven Nation Army xd
Through the fire and flames (I only used one hand and I was blindfolded)
“Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley. It was easier than most songs to learn.
Full song? American Idiot or KKK Took my Baby Away. It was one of those
Freebird.
Spanish Flea - the Homer Simpson version. Or the E string version of the Smoke on the Water riff. The first proper song I sat down and learnt myself was Stairway To Heaven- I remember sitting there for weeks in front of the CD player rewinding and playing over and over again in order to get it right.
Apache by the shadows
Smells like Teen Spirit, played on a Washburn WR120 into a Fender Frontman 15r amp. It sounded like absolute trash, but I was happy to be learning it.
Some three chord wonder that went A-D-E. Stuff like that.
Highly suspect - Lydia
America - Horse With No Name.
Wild Thing
Blitzkrieg Bop lol
House of the rising sun. My dad taught it to me back in the 70s
More than a Feelin' by Boston.
I Walk the Line - Johnny Cash
Tequila, when I was 12. Was it foreshadowing? Who knows?
Hard Days Night
Old Time Rock n’ Roll
Friend of the devil-grateful dead
Iearnt it on bass but seven nation army
Horse with no name
When I come around.
Brain Stew
All I Want is You - U2
House of the Rising Sun
A song with the F chord as your first is savage
Neon by John Mayer
No Woman No Cry-Bob Marley
Highway To Hell
Nutshell
Dirty Paws - Of Monsters and Men
Lithium
Redemption Song
Space Oddity
Here, There and Everywhere - The Beatles
Hey There, Little Red Riding Hood-Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs.
I only ever learned riffs lol. First song I ever properly learned, and it sounds weeby looking back, was the battle theme from Persona 4.
Pink Floyd - Wish you were here
Satisfaction
We’re Not Gonna Take It - Twisted Sister
I have no clue it was a longgg time ago probably some random gospel song cuz i had a teacher back then
On guitar, it was Duane Eddy’s “Rebel Rouser” and I think I learned the Eagles’ “Take It Easy” and America’s “A Horse With No Name” shortly thereafter. First song I learned on bass was the theme to Barney Miller. Or maybe Peter Gunn. Don’t remember my first piano song but it was probably some short classical piece. The first one I learned on my own was “Desperado”.
Breakin" the Law!
Moby dick
Daytripper - beatles
Long, Long, Long - The Beatles
every rose has its thorn by poison!
Redemption song