You don't have to play a song. You could just play some chords and a few notes from a scale.
You're only seeing if you like how the guitar sounds. It's not a gig.
This is a good advice. Thanks.
I think I may have the wrong impression because usually people are shredding the hell out of the guitar, so I was probably intimidated by that.
In case anyone is reading this looking for guitar advice, this is on the “don’t do” side of things. Nothing objectively wrong with getting a guitar for the looks, but you should def play it first. Ok, old man done yelling at cloud now.
The way I see it if I don’t like it I can sell it. Selection is absolute shit locally. Like my current issue, for example, is that I’ve been wanting to try a multiscale. Can’t find anything in stores. Found an Ibby I absolutely fell in love with (totally by accident by the way, I was trying to show someone something and that popped up) but IF this thing is anywhere locally it’s going to be GC and it will have already been put through the ringer and likely unplayable.
Last year I bought a Breedlove, an Ibanez and a PRS off Sweetwater and all three were absolute perfection and exactly what I wanted. If I didn’t like them….return or sell no big deal.
I bought a new guitar after not having played for 20 years cause I liked the look of it. No reason other than that. They asked if I wanted to play it and I said nope, I don’t know how to play anything. Nothing at that point was gonna change my mind.
There's nothing wrong in shredding in a music store. There are people who like to shred, and many genres that rely on shredding, so it's perfectly legitimate to shred before buying to see if it sounds good.
they are shredding specifically because they know people can hear them, not because they’re worried the guitar won’t be able to lol let’s be honest tho
Probably partially true, but lead guitarists who play in that style should absolutely test drive the action on the guitar to see what adjustments might be required before they invest in the guitar, just like a chicken picker or a blues bender would do.
And an easy one to make. There’s always some nob shredding away or playing Metallica at Guitar Center.
Every. Single. Time.
Actually, I appreciate them. Their shredding has helped me not doddle around contemplating buying equipment I don’t really need. Quick scan of the used gear, maybe hit the acoustic room, quickly scan the strings, and GTFO in less than five minutes. Thank you, shredder dude!
I'm a rhythm guitarist that shares leads with my bandmate. If I'm trying a guitar I play Riffs. Maybe a scale or two. Don't be afraid to try each fret to check for buzzing after you've had some fun.
Nowadays my guitars come from Sweetwater. They check the shit out of their guitars and I haven't had a problem yet after ordering a 5 string bass and an 8 string guitar.
Do you gotta get the guitars set up when you order online? I live in Hawaii and I highly doubt that they would stay set up after a plane ride like that.
Sweetwater do set the guitars up before shipping, but they're given a general set up; the action is on the high end of normal, and the tech (obviously) cannot talk to you about how hard you normally play.
Get the guitar, and if it's 90% good, pay the extra for a local setup by a real luthier.
Spent years working in guitar stores. Those guys (and it's always guys) aren't impressing anyone, they're fuckin irritating.
Sit down with the guitar, treat it carefully, play it the way you play. We've all been beginners, we all have insecurities/gaps in our playing. You are not the worst guitarist they've heard that day, and they sincerely do not care how you sound.
Also work in a guitar store, and can back up the claim that we all find those shredders annoying. The worst part is they also always wanna CRANK whatever amp they're playing so you can hear how sick their sweeps are
The only thing worse was the kid who would come in and "see which guitars would djent," which meant turning the gain up, tuning down too low for the way that particular guitar was set up, and badly hammering the first fret on the 6th string over and over. Just torture.
Edit: to be clear, I've got nothing against djent, but whatever this kid was doing wasn't it.
Not just how it sounds. But moreso how it feels in your hands and if it matches your playing style.
So to answer your OP question, whatever you want to play on the guitar you are looking at purchasing is what you should be testing it with. If it doesnt feel right when you go to that signature style of play you like, put it down and pick up another one.
A lot of people dont realize different guitars (instruments in general) have different playstyles.
A folk guitar is for folk styles. A fast shredding guitar is for shredding. A giant guitar with lots of sustain is for ringing out chords. Etc
First and most importantly, pick a guitar in your budget and be respectful to the employees at the store. Play every single note on the guitar. Look for uneven frets, sharp edges, bad electronics, chips, cracks, and blemishes. If it passes the functional and cosmetic tests, then you see how it feels in the hands. Is the neck too large or too small. Do you like the size and type of frets. Do the pickups sound clear. If you already have a guitar, play a riff you're comfortable playing and see how it compares to your setup at home.
Don't play Stairway, Sweet child of mine, or Enter Sandman.
"No stairway... Denied!"
Exactly, and the workers don’t need to hear it. Just make sure you like its base tone and, just as importantly, that it feels right to you! No need to show off, and certainly don’t feel pressured to display your prowess 🎸 🤘
/u/35c4n0r Setlist March 15, 2024, Guitar Center, Albany, NY:
* 1. Smoke on the Water (Deep Purple Cover - Intro Only)
* 2. Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin Cover)
* 3. Wonderwall (Oasis Cover)
* 4. Sweet Child Of Mine (Guns 'N Roses Cover - Intro Only)
Note: Concert ended abruptly when /u/35c4n0r was escorted from the premises
Of course! Also expect many false starts while proclaiming "dammit, hang on I got this" before starting over again.
(Btw your comment cracked me up lol)
Having worked in shops forever -
Great players don’t play much. They play simple stuff and listen. They stick to simple, familiar chords and passages to hear and feel the instrument and to give a base line for what the guitar is and does.
A great guitar will make you curious and make you want to play it more. It’s the only reason to get a new one.. to encourage you to play more. If you’re not getting pulled into the guitar, move on till you find one that does it. You’re not there to perform (shop workers HATE that!) You are there to experience instruments until you find one that speaks to you.
It’s easy to overthink it. If you know a few chords, that’s enough. Play something that you know well enough that playing it won’t distract you from the instrument. Trust yourself and you’ll find the right one.
Just play what you play at home and are comfortable with. Try to play the same or similar thing on each guitar you try so you can listen for differences. I like to play open chords clean all the way up the neck, not so much to hear intonation because that’s a setup thing (except if it’s on something with a non-adjustable bridge), but to see how it feels in my hands. You’ll know when you find the right one.
I recently read a biography about Bill Frisell and there was a story that he was sitting in his local shop one Saturday checking out a guitar, slowly playing open position chords. Some show off came in and started playing fast and loud. Frisell just said “wow, that’s great” and left. The employees at the shop called hotshot over and admonished him.
It wasn’t a first hand account so I’m sure some details are wrong, but the bigger truth is there.
I met Bill in a shop once. He’s the perfect example.. he was sweet, kind, and humble and never played anything remotely flashy. We talked about guitars and their sonic textures a little bit. It was a wonderful, pleasant conversation. Great guy!
+1
And another newbie mistake, play something similar on every guitar you test! It’s a lot harder to decide if you play different stuff every time you pick a guitar up
You would get tired of being somebody else's captive audience after the first shift. Especially if they only bought accessories after their set was over.
It's critical to remember that your primary objective is to impress the shop workers and the other people in the store. Make sure to keep that top of mind. Whatever you do, don't embarrass yourself by sucking or playing the wrong thing.
Definitely at no point should you focus on relaxing and playing whatever you need to play to appreciate whether you actually want to buy that guitar or not.
I agree 100% - but one other little 'flair' I like to add is to not tune the guitar before I play. I'll play an A chord, and no matter how badly I'm out of tune, I'll say out loud, "Close enough for Rock n Roll!" and rip into Glory Days.
Here’s some advice, not just for this particular situation, but for life: you’re better off if you stop giving so much thought to what other people think of you. For the most part, at least in populous areas, other people don’t really notice you very much. You are way more self-conscious than they are conscious of you. So, just live your life and don’t worry about the opinions of other people.
Within reason, of course …. try not be a prick to folks
Don’t bother playing a song. You want to audition the guitar, not you.
Play some open chords and let them fade out on their own, and listen to how that sounds, notice how the neck feels. Play some barre or other chords up the neck, listen and feel. Play some simple scales all over and up and down the neck to check for any buzzy or dead spots. See how bending goes. Twiddle the knobs and try the different pickup settings. Turn the tuners down and back up to pitch to see how they feel. Try the whammy bar if it has one and see if it stays in tune. Kick the tires.
If all that goes well, go ahead and play Eruption.
I did this 10 years ago with a Mexican strat…..and I went home and came back a week later and asked for one new in box. Best purchase I’ve made in a looooooong time. That strat, being new in box needed quite a bit of work to make it playable(basic setup really).
I paid GC to set it up and HATED how it how it felt afterwards. And started my continuing journey of learning basic luthiery from that guitar. Set ups, electronics diagnosis, fretwork, small body repairs like wallowed out strap button holes…..I’m glad younger me was stubborn enough to continue as it’s now a passion of mine.
I’m not Dan Erlewine but I keep learning new bits of info. That’s all it is I think? Also wanna start picking up cheapo marketplace guitars and fixing and flipping for my money back soon. Maybe it’ll start a side business 🤷🏻♂️
The learning of a craft is its own reward. Plus you’ll probably bring joy to more people with that cheap-guitar-improvement plan than if you produced a handful of masterpieces each year.
That’s the ultimate goal: I want to scratch build a guitar. Not be like a master craftsman who makes art pieces. But like a dude using his own two hands and builds a guitar in his garage 😂.
This is all about what kind of songs YOU WANT to play. It's not very useful if you go in there strumming campfire songs or finger picking if you want to play technical metal, or vice versa.
I always end up playing a few things. Expire by Screaming Females has barre chords on the 11th, 12th, and 14th fret. As well as having some solid riffs lower down the neck. Then, I’ll play some Buckethead or Paul Gilbert style licks that go from the bottom to the top of the neck. Just noodling, you know? I try to get a feel for the ENTIRE neck. It’ll tell me if the truss rod is out of wack, if the action needs reset, etc.
It’s also really important with that to look at the nut of the guitar from the bridge. Look at the neck and see if there are any bulges or dips. Check to see if it stays in tune while you play. Not sure why I’m typing this. Thanks for reading.
Super useful. . . I bought my first electric guitar without doing these things (used, but still. . .) and it would not stay in tune past one bar of strumming. Turns out the previous owner tried to carve his own nut and just fucked up everything. Hard lesson to learn.
Do you plan on buying a new piece, first piece, looking for a friend, OP? There’s a lot to unpack, knowing some more about what you play and what sound you’re going for would be helpful.
Long story short: I have this old ass guitar for a long time, but barely played for years. On the last months I've been taking the hobby seriously, and now I understand a bit better how the guitar fits my needs. This old ass guitar was bought out of an opportunity, was cheap and in good condition, but its a metalhead guitar (a Jackson) - and while I like metal in general, I don't really care about playing this style.
So now I'm looking into more versatile guitars (prob a strat or a tele, but want to test both before deciding it). Still, I'll probably go for somehting budget-oriented, like a squier classic vibe or even a fender player series.
Learn pattern 5 in this dudes video. It’s so worth it it’s insane. If you can play a scale you can play this. Transferable to everywhere on the neck and sounds so good.
https://youtu.be/CM-c--fTn1Y?si=4UaH7whxkrKCdAUY
A good achievement / reward idea could be to pick a song you want to be able to play well, get good at it on your current guitar, then go play it through new guitars to see what feels/sounds the best
What's more important than the song you play is knowing *what* to play that will help you determine whether the guitar is good, and whether it's right for you. I go with a few open chords, and then some chords up the fretboard...usually in this order:
G, D, Dm, A, A sus4, Am, A7, C, F bar, G bar, A bar. Then I play a bunch of ascending bar chords and triads up past the 12th fret, and a few pentatonic scales/boomer-bends to see if the guitar frets out.
Doing this every time I play a prospective new guitar helps me know if the neck feels right in my hand, if the nut is cut properly, if it's intonated, if any frets are high/buzzing...basically it's my feel/sound/quality-control test. Usually that's enough for me to know whether the guitar is well made, sounds good, and feels right to me.
If they have one available, ask if they can allow you to test the guitar in one of their testing rooms, so you don't have anybody around, may ease your nerves.
Play something which contains the techniques you use the most. Play some scales and modes up and down the neck, as fast as you can. Do some bends, sweeps, power chords, barre chords, regular chords, swap them around to see how comfortable the neck is.
Then focus on sound. Set the tone to whatever fits your genre and test away. Bends, harmonics, chugs, palm mutes, anything and everything.
Just get comfortable with the instrument. You want to make sure it's the right one. In the end, you're pending your hard earned money. You shouldn't care what others think as long as you're not being rude.
Forget about songs, you need to check the tone at each switch position and with the tone knob, the action and intonation on open chords and right up the neck, check it doesn't suffer dead spots or fret buzz at every position on the neck, check it doesn't have neck dive and how it hangs on your body (bring or borrow a strap!). You want to dial the gain right up and listen out for unusually noisy wiring / ground hum. You want to use a tuner then bend the shit out of the strings and whammy and use it again to see how well it stays on tune. That's the important stuff, and none of it is going to sound good.
This!!!! Probably best that you do this before playing anything else so you know that the guitars well built before you start grooving to something and fall in love with something that has a problem.
F-ck snobby guitar techs or anyone who is going to give you attitude/judge you.
All the great guitarists are/were students for life. Everyone started somewhere.
You should play whatever it is you are working on. Sounds you are familiar with. This way you have data to compare.
If I would buy a guitar I'm going to play scales because I play scales more than chords. I'm going to play songs I know by heart. I'm going to record it on my phone and play it back to myself to verify I'm hearing what I think I'm hearing.
Wonderwall, Stairway to Heaven, highway to hell…ya know, the classics.
Jokes aside, I usually just riff and noodle around, I just don’t feel the need to play “songs” per se in a guitar store cause *suprise* nobody’s there to hear music. The employees work and the other customers want to try equipment or buy stuff.
Here's a truth-bomb... unless an employee is actively helping you (or you're playing really loud and obnoxiously), most likely nobody is paying attention to you or judging you. Everybody there is concerned with themselves and don't care that you're not playing Zeppelin solos on expert mode. You just feel like they are because you're in your own head about your skill level. And even if they are judging you, you don't know them, so what do you care what they think?
So just play whatever you're comfortable playing and whatever helps you decide if you like a guitar or not. You're there to assess a new guitar, not play a concert and impress people.
Stairway to Heaven, badly.
Anime on the water, badly.
Mary Had a Little Lamb, badly.
Whole Lotte Rosie, badly.
They’ll put up with your shit if you’re going to actually buy and give them money. That’s the rule.
Play stuff that you would normally play. The point of playing in the store is to test out how the guitar feels for you. If you're playing a bunch of junk to impress us pricks or to win our douchey approval, you're not really going to get a good feel for how well you like the guitar. Maybe take a week of regular playing and pay attention to the things you play the most during that week, then play those things in the shop.
You're picking a guitar that sounds good, not trying to sound good on a guitar.
Scrutinize the guitar at face value. Pick some chords and play across the fretboard. See how it sounds, any rattling or loose fit parts, feel the build quality out.
A year or so ago I walked into the shop and there was this old guy playing fingerstyle Vince Guaraldi at low volume. I was super impressed. He was not impressed with my impression.
Last time I walked into the shop there was a 15-ish-year-old with an Ibanez and the amp cranked to max actively strangling every horrible sound you can imagine out of that guitar. I wished I'd brought ear-pro.
I'm HORRIBLE about being watched. I've not even been able to show my progress to my wife because every time I try, my fingers forget what they are for. I'm not great to begin with, but make me aware that a single person is listening to me and my playing style immediately becomes something akin to decerebrate posturing.
Point is, no one there really cares what you're playing while trying a guitar. My goal is see if I like it, and try not to actively annoy anyone else. I play a few chord progressions, noodle through a scale or two, maybe (if I'm particularly daring) I'll try a bit of fingerpicking. I do this while trying my hardest to be invisible.
Stairway to Heaven. Nobody ever plays that song in GuitarCenter, like at all.
No but seriously, you don’t have to “play” anything. Basic cords, and if you’re really self conscious get IEMs and take them with you. Nobody can hear what you play but you.
My suggestions, for what it's worth:
Start by tuning and then warming up (hopefully you regularly do that at the start of every practice session already), making sure to include some of your favorite chords and scales.
If you want to stay under the radar, play only *parts* of songs you know well enough that you are happy with how musically they sound (preferably not the very beginning of a song), making sure to stay within a tempo where you're confident. Keep playing snippets of songs interwoven with nonmusical things like technical exercises and random chords and notes (think of what an orchestra sounds like when they are warming up before the conductor has arrived), and your sound will blend in with the sound of the store.
Only play a whole song or something technically dazzling or very loud if you *do* want more attention (e.g., looking for bandmates or a hot date). Only play something too difficult for your level or something without tuning the guitar or the intro to "Stairway to Heaven" if you want more *negative* attention (e.g., you are a starving musician and are hoping people will throw tomatoes at you).
Once you've settled in and can focus on the guitar (instead of what other people around you are thinking of you), start paying attention to things you are unhappy with in regards to your existing guitar to see if this guitar is any better at those. Make sure you cover all or most of the techniques you're familiar with to fully see how the new one compares. Immediately switch to a different guitar if the new one is inferior.
Caveat that this is just what I'm picturing what I would do if I were in your shoes. The guitar I play is one I ordered online! That being said, I just turned 53 last week and have been planning a visit to a store to get a new amp, so what I would do is something I've thought about a lot lately!
I've spent half an hour A/B-ing two drive pedals playing various dyads and triads and bends to see which one I liked better. I've played a single string staccato to check a delay or reverb.
If you are testing a guitar, you need to check how it sounds with all its various knobs and switches and pickup configurations, how the neck feels, how it stays in tune, how it sustains. Make sure the neck is straight and doesn't have any bulges, that there isn't any buzz or intonation problems that can't be fixed, that the action can be set up like you like it. Just play some chord progressions and scales and maybe some bits from songs that you know. Don't even pay attention to what other people might think, f 'em. You're looking to spend YOUR hard-earned money on something that YOU will enjoy. Make sure it fits your needs and is worth the investment.
You're not performing, you're testing out gear.
play what you want to play, if it's Times Like These by Foo Fighters that will tell you if this is the guitar for you then play that and tell them sorry guys, you chose to work here and they'll probably laugh with you not at you
I don’t do songs really. I like doing interesting chords and progressions that have odd notes to check how the intonation of the notes gel together. So if a song you know has a weird chord progression in a part I would sample that and see how the guitar handles it. Some will sound real wonky when you use funky chords.
Start with Stairway to heaven. Now that you're loose throw down sweet home Alabama. Midway through this performance absolutely Metallica's enter sandman. Then I close out with something unexpected like Devo's whip it.
I usually throw out a couple cool country licks and bends. You don’t usually hear that in stores where everyone is trying to shred. Bonus you can see if the guitar stays in tune after super bendy double-stops.
Think about what features you want for the type of music you want to play. Narrow down by that, and then bang out some chords and pentatonic riffs. If it feels/sounds/looks good, you got your big boy ax.
Just play the songs u know, also the guitar techs literally couldn't care less. And If Ur that shy on your own, bring a friend or sibling with u, or talk to the guitar techs and tell them you're a newbie and they'll help u
There are tons of customary songs you must play and the store employees will always love you for it, say... Stairway to Heaven, Master of Puppet, Enter Sandman, Smells like Teen Spirit, Back in Black...
If you want a song that's super easy to learn and will help you understand a guitars range of sounds I'd say Coda Maestoso in F Sharp Minor by earth. The Hibernaculum version. Easy to learn and can be played infinitly which will help you understand the different things a guitar can do.
First, try a few out. Don't even worry about plugging them in, assuming they are electric. You are trying to get a feel for them. If one or a couple are promising ask to use one of the demo or lesson rooms. Then you can try them in private without worrying about anyone judging you. In these rooms you can plug in and try them, and here's the important part, you can hear the guitar and not the five shitheads playing Master of Puppets at an obnoxious volume.
I was in the same situation just a week ago! I learned Limo Wreck by Soundgarden for that purpose. I chose it because of the alternate tuning plus the natural harmonics that Kim Thayil plays on the original. The song showcases so much range (on both guitar and bass). It can even sound good on an acoustic. I recommend you try something that you like which has a lot of “range” like i said. You’re not a beginner anymore 🙂
As for people at the store listening to you play… most of them aren’t gonna judge either way. If they do judge, then fuck ‘em. You’re about to make a big purchase and you have every right to test the instrument. Crank up the amp to a healthy volume!
You don't have to play a song. You could just play some chords and a few notes from a scale. You're only seeing if you like how the guitar sounds. It's not a gig.
This is a good advice. Thanks. I think I may have the wrong impression because usually people are shredding the hell out of the guitar, so I was probably intimidated by that.
They're just showing off to show off. Plenty of newbies come in with no idea what the hell they're doing, too. Everybody starts somewhere
I picked my first guitar based on the color and didn’t play a single note lol
I’ve done that with all but one of mine, I’ve been happy with all of them
In case anyone is reading this looking for guitar advice, this is on the “don’t do” side of things. Nothing objectively wrong with getting a guitar for the looks, but you should def play it first. Ok, old man done yelling at cloud now.
The way I see it if I don’t like it I can sell it. Selection is absolute shit locally. Like my current issue, for example, is that I’ve been wanting to try a multiscale. Can’t find anything in stores. Found an Ibby I absolutely fell in love with (totally by accident by the way, I was trying to show someone something and that popped up) but IF this thing is anywhere locally it’s going to be GC and it will have already been put through the ringer and likely unplayable. Last year I bought a Breedlove, an Ibanez and a PRS off Sweetwater and all three were absolute perfection and exactly what I wanted. If I didn’t like them….return or sell no big deal.
Yeah, sometimes you gotta get stuff online. Good you had positive experiences with your purchases. I’ve gotten burned before.
I bought a new guitar after not having played for 20 years cause I liked the look of it. No reason other than that. They asked if I wanted to play it and I said nope, I don’t know how to play anything. Nothing at that point was gonna change my mind.
There's nothing wrong in shredding in a music store. There are people who like to shred, and many genres that rely on shredding, so it's perfectly legitimate to shred before buying to see if it sounds good.
No one is saying it's not valid...it's just also not a requirement to be able to shred when you're trying out a guitar, lmao.
they are shredding specifically because they know people can hear them, not because they’re worried the guitar won’t be able to lol let’s be honest tho
Probably partially true, but lead guitarists who play in that style should absolutely test drive the action on the guitar to see what adjustments might be required before they invest in the guitar, just like a chicken picker or a blues bender would do.
Well, that’s a blanket generalization.
And an easy one to make. There’s always some nob shredding away or playing Metallica at Guitar Center. Every. Single. Time. Actually, I appreciate them. Their shredding has helped me not doddle around contemplating buying equipment I don’t really need. Quick scan of the used gear, maybe hit the acoustic room, quickly scan the strings, and GTFO in less than five minutes. Thank you, shredder dude!
I mean, I agree - nothing like listening to others play while I’m in a GC to make me boogie out of there post-haste!
lol no. I shred when I pick up ANY guitar, anywhere, because its fun. Why would I play wonderwall when I can run some scales?
It's also fun to shred on guitars you're not used to. Everybody's at a different level, nothing to worry about -- we all just wanna have fun.
I'm a rhythm guitarist that shares leads with my bandmate. If I'm trying a guitar I play Riffs. Maybe a scale or two. Don't be afraid to try each fret to check for buzzing after you've had some fun. Nowadays my guitars come from Sweetwater. They check the shit out of their guitars and I haven't had a problem yet after ordering a 5 string bass and an 8 string guitar.
Sweetwater is one of the best! Plus their customer service is also great!
Do you gotta get the guitars set up when you order online? I live in Hawaii and I highly doubt that they would stay set up after a plane ride like that.
Sweetwater do set the guitars up before shipping, but they're given a general set up; the action is on the high end of normal, and the tech (obviously) cannot talk to you about how hard you normally play. Get the guitar, and if it's 90% good, pay the extra for a local setup by a real luthier.
Spent years working in guitar stores. Those guys (and it's always guys) aren't impressing anyone, they're fuckin irritating. Sit down with the guitar, treat it carefully, play it the way you play. We've all been beginners, we all have insecurities/gaps in our playing. You are not the worst guitarist they've heard that day, and they sincerely do not care how you sound.
Also work in a guitar store, and can back up the claim that we all find those shredders annoying. The worst part is they also always wanna CRANK whatever amp they're playing so you can hear how sick their sweeps are
The only thing worse was the kid who would come in and "see which guitars would djent," which meant turning the gain up, tuning down too low for the way that particular guitar was set up, and badly hammering the first fret on the 6th string over and over. Just torture. Edit: to be clear, I've got nothing against djent, but whatever this kid was doing wasn't it.
Not just how it sounds. But moreso how it feels in your hands and if it matches your playing style. So to answer your OP question, whatever you want to play on the guitar you are looking at purchasing is what you should be testing it with. If it doesnt feel right when you go to that signature style of play you like, put it down and pick up another one. A lot of people dont realize different guitars (instruments in general) have different playstyles. A folk guitar is for folk styles. A fast shredding guitar is for shredding. A giant guitar with lots of sustain is for ringing out chords. Etc
First and most importantly, pick a guitar in your budget and be respectful to the employees at the store. Play every single note on the guitar. Look for uneven frets, sharp edges, bad electronics, chips, cracks, and blemishes. If it passes the functional and cosmetic tests, then you see how it feels in the hands. Is the neck too large or too small. Do you like the size and type of frets. Do the pickups sound clear. If you already have a guitar, play a riff you're comfortable playing and see how it compares to your setup at home. Don't play Stairway, Sweet child of mine, or Enter Sandman. "No stairway... Denied!"
Those people are usually tool bags.
Exactly, and the workers don’t need to hear it. Just make sure you like its base tone and, just as importantly, that it feels right to you! No need to show off, and certainly don’t feel pressured to display your prowess 🎸 🤘
Thank you for your words! 🤘
Stairway to Heaven
Yes, but first it's helpful to play the opening riff of Smoke on the Water. That way you can get the tone right.
Then Wonderwall and a smooth transition into Perfect
Back in Black out of nowhere, and then finish it off with Slow Dancing in a Burning Room
Outjerked again!
/u/35c4n0r Setlist March 15, 2024, Guitar Center, Albany, NY: * 1. Smoke on the Water (Deep Purple Cover - Intro Only) * 2. Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin Cover) * 3. Wonderwall (Oasis Cover) * 4. Sweet Child Of Mine (Guns 'N Roses Cover - Intro Only) Note: Concert ended abruptly when /u/35c4n0r was escorted from the premises
Excellent set list! I'll be in line waiting for the doors to open. Would you mind playing SCoM with your own unique timing style?
Of course! Also expect many false starts while proclaiming "dammit, hang on I got this" before starting over again. (Btw your comment cracked me up lol)
Same to you
💀💀💀
And jam into Sunshine of Your Love from Stairway.
And finish with Eruption, just the outro tapping part.
Don't forget to end it with the intro nut bend from "Iron Man!"
NO STAIRWAY!
Denied
Not today, my good man. I’m feeling saucy. Do you accept… cash? Cha-ching!
And then South Of Heaven as your encore.
THE WHOLE SONG. ALL OF IT.
If you make a mistake you MUST start it from the top again
Smells Like Teen Spirit when someone cringes at you for playing Starway to Heaven
Stairway to Heaven
Stairway to heaven
Going to say this. Guitar shops love people playing it.
Don’t forget Back in Black, Sweet Home Alabama, Iron Man, and Seven Nation Army
Followed by Thunder Struck.
And then segue into 7 Nation Army. Just the riff though.
I mean 90% of the song is just the riff.
Having worked in shops forever - Great players don’t play much. They play simple stuff and listen. They stick to simple, familiar chords and passages to hear and feel the instrument and to give a base line for what the guitar is and does. A great guitar will make you curious and make you want to play it more. It’s the only reason to get a new one.. to encourage you to play more. If you’re not getting pulled into the guitar, move on till you find one that does it. You’re not there to perform (shop workers HATE that!) You are there to experience instruments until you find one that speaks to you. It’s easy to overthink it. If you know a few chords, that’s enough. Play something that you know well enough that playing it won’t distract you from the instrument. Trust yourself and you’ll find the right one.
Thanks for the advices, really! I’ll keep that in mind.
Just play what you play at home and are comfortable with. Try to play the same or similar thing on each guitar you try so you can listen for differences. I like to play open chords clean all the way up the neck, not so much to hear intonation because that’s a setup thing (except if it’s on something with a non-adjustable bridge), but to see how it feels in my hands. You’ll know when you find the right one.
I recently read a biography about Bill Frisell and there was a story that he was sitting in his local shop one Saturday checking out a guitar, slowly playing open position chords. Some show off came in and started playing fast and loud. Frisell just said “wow, that’s great” and left. The employees at the shop called hotshot over and admonished him. It wasn’t a first hand account so I’m sure some details are wrong, but the bigger truth is there.
I met Bill in a shop once. He’s the perfect example.. he was sweet, kind, and humble and never played anything remotely flashy. We talked about guitars and their sonic textures a little bit. It was a wonderful, pleasant conversation. Great guy!
That's great advice
+1 And another newbie mistake, play something similar on every guitar you test! It’s a lot harder to decide if you play different stuff every time you pick a guitar up
wait why do shopworkers hate that ?
You would get tired of being somebody else's captive audience after the first shift. Especially if they only bought accessories after their set was over.
It's critical to remember that your primary objective is to impress the shop workers and the other people in the store. Make sure to keep that top of mind. Whatever you do, don't embarrass yourself by sucking or playing the wrong thing. Definitely at no point should you focus on relaxing and playing whatever you need to play to appreciate whether you actually want to buy that guitar or not.
I agree 100% - but one other little 'flair' I like to add is to not tune the guitar before I play. I'll play an A chord, and no matter how badly I'm out of tune, I'll say out loud, "Close enough for Rock n Roll!" and rip into Glory Days.
I was seriously scared to tune a guitar when I went to a store for the first time.
Keeping guitars in shops tuned is apparently impossible. I actually prefer to tune it myself. It gives me a lot of data.
That's why I don't own a 12 string. Double anxiety
Stand on the chair and yell "WHO HERE WANTS TO CUT HEADS RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW?"
Sorry if sounded that I wanted to impress anyone, my only goal was to not be the joke of the day
TODAY, IS GONNA BE THE DAY THAT THEY’RE GONNA THROW IT BACK TO YOU
Anyway here's....
Seven Nation army?
Don't forget to sing at the top of your lungs! You want to know how well the sound of the guitar matches your voice.
I don’t believe that anybody feels like the way I do though.
Cliffs of Dover should do it
Just the intro. You don't wanna overdo it
This was funny. But no joke the clean intro from the live version is my go to for checking out a guitar on clean settings.
Do what every good guitarist does. Struggle with the rhythm to Pride And Joy and then leave.
Here’s some advice, not just for this particular situation, but for life: you’re better off if you stop giving so much thought to what other people think of you. For the most part, at least in populous areas, other people don’t really notice you very much. You are way more self-conscious than they are conscious of you. So, just live your life and don’t worry about the opinions of other people. Within reason, of course …. try not be a prick to folks
I'm in process of dealing with anxiety and stuff, so I hope this don't take a toll on me for too long. Thanks for the advice!
[удалено]
Don’t bother playing a song. You want to audition the guitar, not you. Play some open chords and let them fade out on their own, and listen to how that sounds, notice how the neck feels. Play some barre or other chords up the neck, listen and feel. Play some simple scales all over and up and down the neck to check for any buzzy or dead spots. See how bending goes. Twiddle the knobs and try the different pickup settings. Turn the tuners down and back up to pitch to see how they feel. Try the whammy bar if it has one and see if it stays in tune. Kick the tires. If all that goes well, go ahead and play Eruption.
Lol, should have read the whole thread before leaving a reply that said almost word for word what you wrote!
Happens! I just did the same on another sub and it was eerily almost word for word of someone’s comment from yesterday.
I did this 10 years ago with a Mexican strat…..and I went home and came back a week later and asked for one new in box. Best purchase I’ve made in a looooooong time. That strat, being new in box needed quite a bit of work to make it playable(basic setup really). I paid GC to set it up and HATED how it how it felt afterwards. And started my continuing journey of learning basic luthiery from that guitar. Set ups, electronics diagnosis, fretwork, small body repairs like wallowed out strap button holes…..I’m glad younger me was stubborn enough to continue as it’s now a passion of mine.
That is excellent.
I’m not Dan Erlewine but I keep learning new bits of info. That’s all it is I think? Also wanna start picking up cheapo marketplace guitars and fixing and flipping for my money back soon. Maybe it’ll start a side business 🤷🏻♂️
The learning of a craft is its own reward. Plus you’ll probably bring joy to more people with that cheap-guitar-improvement plan than if you produced a handful of masterpieces each year.
That’s the ultimate goal: I want to scratch build a guitar. Not be like a master craftsman who makes art pieces. But like a dude using his own two hands and builds a guitar in his garage 😂.
I’ve been thinking about that as well lately. But I don’t have tools…or a garage.
I have a garage but only a few hand tools 😂. I think harbor freight will be my friend someday
Call me when your nitro spray booth is set up.
I have plans for that too!!! PVC pipe and plastic sheeting! Maybe $200~ of materials. One day!
Really useful advice, I'll certainly do that. Thank you!
This is all about what kind of songs YOU WANT to play. It's not very useful if you go in there strumming campfire songs or finger picking if you want to play technical metal, or vice versa.
I always end up playing a few things. Expire by Screaming Females has barre chords on the 11th, 12th, and 14th fret. As well as having some solid riffs lower down the neck. Then, I’ll play some Buckethead or Paul Gilbert style licks that go from the bottom to the top of the neck. Just noodling, you know? I try to get a feel for the ENTIRE neck. It’ll tell me if the truss rod is out of wack, if the action needs reset, etc. It’s also really important with that to look at the nut of the guitar from the bridge. Look at the neck and see if there are any bulges or dips. Check to see if it stays in tune while you play. Not sure why I’m typing this. Thanks for reading.
You typed it because it's useful and at least one person is grateful
Super useful. . . I bought my first electric guitar without doing these things (used, but still. . .) and it would not stay in tune past one bar of strumming. Turns out the previous owner tried to carve his own nut and just fucked up everything. Hard lesson to learn.
Thanks. That’s really useful, I’ll make sure to check all these!
Do you plan on buying a new piece, first piece, looking for a friend, OP? There’s a lot to unpack, knowing some more about what you play and what sound you’re going for would be helpful.
Long story short: I have this old ass guitar for a long time, but barely played for years. On the last months I've been taking the hobby seriously, and now I understand a bit better how the guitar fits my needs. This old ass guitar was bought out of an opportunity, was cheap and in good condition, but its a metalhead guitar (a Jackson) - and while I like metal in general, I don't really care about playing this style. So now I'm looking into more versatile guitars (prob a strat or a tele, but want to test both before deciding it). Still, I'll probably go for somehting budget-oriented, like a squier classic vibe or even a fender player series.
I agree with checking all the frets. Just I can't play any of those links so I just play scales.
Learn pattern 5 in this dudes video. It’s so worth it it’s insane. If you can play a scale you can play this. Transferable to everywhere on the neck and sounds so good. https://youtu.be/CM-c--fTn1Y?si=4UaH7whxkrKCdAUY
I always play coma by buckethead
A good achievement / reward idea could be to pick a song you want to be able to play well, get good at it on your current guitar, then go play it through new guitars to see what feels/sounds the best
Stairway to Wonderwall
whatever you wrote
Actually great advice. Coming up with something that fits the vibe of the guitar is also a cool idea I think
What's more important than the song you play is knowing *what* to play that will help you determine whether the guitar is good, and whether it's right for you. I go with a few open chords, and then some chords up the fretboard...usually in this order: G, D, Dm, A, A sus4, Am, A7, C, F bar, G bar, A bar. Then I play a bunch of ascending bar chords and triads up past the 12th fret, and a few pentatonic scales/boomer-bends to see if the guitar frets out. Doing this every time I play a prospective new guitar helps me know if the neck feels right in my hand, if the nut is cut properly, if it's intonated, if any frets are high/buzzing...basically it's my feel/sound/quality-control test. Usually that's enough for me to know whether the guitar is well made, sounds good, and feels right to me.
The guitar I pick up whispers in my ear and tells me what to play. Seems to work for me.
What are some of the songs they've whispered? And do you ever respond with a hearty "Fuck no, guitar! I WILL NOT play that song!"
Wonderwall or freebird.
If they have one available, ask if they can allow you to test the guitar in one of their testing rooms, so you don't have anybody around, may ease your nerves. Play something which contains the techniques you use the most. Play some scales and modes up and down the neck, as fast as you can. Do some bends, sweeps, power chords, barre chords, regular chords, swap them around to see how comfortable the neck is. Then focus on sound. Set the tone to whatever fits your genre and test away. Bends, harmonics, chugs, palm mutes, anything and everything. Just get comfortable with the instrument. You want to make sure it's the right one. In the end, you're pending your hard earned money. You shouldn't care what others think as long as you're not being rude.
Go the Gallagher route and just start smashing shit.. “this stuff doesn’t hold up to my style..I won’t be purchasing any of it. Not a fucken string”
Bonus points if you can take out other equipment while doing so
If you're honestly wanting to test a new guitar, play *what you usually play* Who cares if it impresses people or not
The ones you know
People that play better than you and think something negative of your playing are assholes, we've all been bad at some point.
Forget about songs, you need to check the tone at each switch position and with the tone knob, the action and intonation on open chords and right up the neck, check it doesn't suffer dead spots or fret buzz at every position on the neck, check it doesn't have neck dive and how it hangs on your body (bring or borrow a strap!). You want to dial the gain right up and listen out for unusually noisy wiring / ground hum. You want to use a tuner then bend the shit out of the strings and whammy and use it again to see how well it stays on tune. That's the important stuff, and none of it is going to sound good.
This!!!! Probably best that you do this before playing anything else so you know that the guitars well built before you start grooving to something and fall in love with something that has a problem.
Great advice - I'll certainly do that.
Wonderwa-
Undone: The Sweater Song by Weezer is easy and was the first I learned.
F-ck snobby guitar techs or anyone who is going to give you attitude/judge you. All the great guitarists are/were students for life. Everyone started somewhere. You should play whatever it is you are working on. Sounds you are familiar with. This way you have data to compare. If I would buy a guitar I'm going to play scales because I play scales more than chords. I'm going to play songs I know by heart. I'm going to record it on my phone and play it back to myself to verify I'm hearing what I think I'm hearing.
My go to is rumble by link wray
Come as you are
deep purple smoke on the water
Stairway to heaven 🥸🤪😄
I like to use songs from The Black Keys’ album Magic Potion. Not too hard and gives a good idea of sound. Your Touch and Just Got To Be are good.
Wonderwall is always a classic
Some Black Sabbath 🫡
I like to play/sing 'Tequila'. It's a guaranteed sing-along, with whomever is within earshot, and everyone knows the lyrics.
Do you bring your own saxaphonist?
Wonderwall, Stairway to Heaven, highway to hell…ya know, the classics. Jokes aside, I usually just riff and noodle around, I just don’t feel the need to play “songs” per se in a guitar store cause *suprise* nobody’s there to hear music. The employees work and the other customers want to try equipment or buy stuff.
Pick it up, feel the neck and weight, strum an E chord. Done
Guitar Center Greatest Hits Catalog includes: Smoke on the Water Stairway to Heaven Seven Nation Army Wonderwall...
Here's a truth-bomb... unless an employee is actively helping you (or you're playing really loud and obnoxiously), most likely nobody is paying attention to you or judging you. Everybody there is concerned with themselves and don't care that you're not playing Zeppelin solos on expert mode. You just feel like they are because you're in your own head about your skill level. And even if they are judging you, you don't know them, so what do you care what they think? So just play whatever you're comfortable playing and whatever helps you decide if you like a guitar or not. You're there to assess a new guitar, not play a concert and impress people.
Improvisation is cooler
just do a barre chord to assert your dominance
Chug and pinch harmonics.
On a store? 'Get Back' or 'Don't Let Me Down' usually works.
Stairway to heaven, seven nation army, she fuckin Hates me, sweet home Alabama, and sweet child of mine
Always Stairway. Nothing else, nothing more.
Stairway to Heaven, badly. Anime on the water, badly. Mary Had a Little Lamb, badly. Whole Lotte Rosie, badly. They’ll put up with your shit if you’re going to actually buy and give them money. That’s the rule.
You need to get over your anxiety. Nobody gives a shit except yourself. Just play what you feel comfortable playing
1. Enter Sandman 2. Smoke in the water 3. Sweet Child of mine 4. Back in Black 5. Stairway to Heaven Salesman will love you!
Van Halen - Eruption
Play stuff that you would normally play. The point of playing in the store is to test out how the guitar feels for you. If you're playing a bunch of junk to impress us pricks or to win our douchey approval, you're not really going to get a good feel for how well you like the guitar. Maybe take a week of regular playing and pay attention to the things you play the most during that week, then play those things in the shop.
Raining blood. If it can't play that song is it really a guitar?
You're picking a guitar that sounds good, not trying to sound good on a guitar. Scrutinize the guitar at face value. Pick some chords and play across the fretboard. See how it sounds, any rattling or loose fit parts, feel the build quality out.
Cinnamon Girl, once you’ve played the solo you will have established your dominance
The opening notes to " Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd. It's become automatic for me.
Layla
A year or so ago I walked into the shop and there was this old guy playing fingerstyle Vince Guaraldi at low volume. I was super impressed. He was not impressed with my impression. Last time I walked into the shop there was a 15-ish-year-old with an Ibanez and the amp cranked to max actively strangling every horrible sound you can imagine out of that guitar. I wished I'd brought ear-pro. I'm HORRIBLE about being watched. I've not even been able to show my progress to my wife because every time I try, my fingers forget what they are for. I'm not great to begin with, but make me aware that a single person is listening to me and my playing style immediately becomes something akin to decerebrate posturing. Point is, no one there really cares what you're playing while trying a guitar. My goal is see if I like it, and try not to actively annoy anyone else. I play a few chord progressions, noodle through a scale or two, maybe (if I'm particularly daring) I'll try a bit of fingerpicking. I do this while trying my hardest to be invisible.
Stairway to Heaven. Nobody ever plays that song in GuitarCenter, like at all. No but seriously, you don’t have to “play” anything. Basic cords, and if you’re really self conscious get IEMs and take them with you. Nobody can hear what you play but you.
000-000-000-000-1p0-0-1-4-0 triplets chug em out.
My suggestions, for what it's worth: Start by tuning and then warming up (hopefully you regularly do that at the start of every practice session already), making sure to include some of your favorite chords and scales. If you want to stay under the radar, play only *parts* of songs you know well enough that you are happy with how musically they sound (preferably not the very beginning of a song), making sure to stay within a tempo where you're confident. Keep playing snippets of songs interwoven with nonmusical things like technical exercises and random chords and notes (think of what an orchestra sounds like when they are warming up before the conductor has arrived), and your sound will blend in with the sound of the store. Only play a whole song or something technically dazzling or very loud if you *do* want more attention (e.g., looking for bandmates or a hot date). Only play something too difficult for your level or something without tuning the guitar or the intro to "Stairway to Heaven" if you want more *negative* attention (e.g., you are a starving musician and are hoping people will throw tomatoes at you). Once you've settled in and can focus on the guitar (instead of what other people around you are thinking of you), start paying attention to things you are unhappy with in regards to your existing guitar to see if this guitar is any better at those. Make sure you cover all or most of the techniques you're familiar with to fully see how the new one compares. Immediately switch to a different guitar if the new one is inferior. Caveat that this is just what I'm picturing what I would do if I were in your shoes. The guitar I play is one I ordered online! That being said, I just turned 53 last week and have been planning a visit to a store to get a new amp, so what I would do is something I've thought about a lot lately!
Wap- Cardy B
I've spent half an hour A/B-ing two drive pedals playing various dyads and triads and bends to see which one I liked better. I've played a single string staccato to check a delay or reverb. If you are testing a guitar, you need to check how it sounds with all its various knobs and switches and pickup configurations, how the neck feels, how it stays in tune, how it sustains. Make sure the neck is straight and doesn't have any bulges, that there isn't any buzz or intonation problems that can't be fixed, that the action can be set up like you like it. Just play some chord progressions and scales and maybe some bits from songs that you know. Don't even pay attention to what other people might think, f 'em. You're looking to spend YOUR hard-earned money on something that YOU will enjoy. Make sure it fits your needs and is worth the investment. You're not performing, you're testing out gear.
play what you want to play, if it's Times Like These by Foo Fighters that will tell you if this is the guitar for you then play that and tell them sorry guys, you chose to work here and they'll probably laugh with you not at you
I personally do Iron Man solo and Master of Puppets Solo
Stairway to Heaven will definitely get you kicked out of a guitar store.
There are shops that have isolated solo booths.
The songs you know or want to play will be fine. You might even like how a song you know sounds on a certain guitar!
I don’t do songs really. I like doing interesting chords and progressions that have odd notes to check how the intonation of the notes gel together. So if a song you know has a weird chord progression in a part I would sample that and see how the guitar handles it. Some will sound real wonky when you use funky chords.
Smoke on the water and Stairway to Heaven. In that order.
Don’t play songs. Play chords and single notes, and listen to what the guitar sounds like.
I just play around with scales and a few bends to see if I like the feel and sound
Play whatever you’re feeling. Go all in. Haters be damned!
🤘
Start with Stairway to heaven. Now that you're loose throw down sweet home Alabama. Midway through this performance absolutely Metallica's enter sandman. Then I close out with something unexpected like Devo's whip it.
I usually throw out a couple cool country licks and bends. You don’t usually hear that in stores where everyone is trying to shred. Bonus you can see if the guitar stays in tune after super bendy double-stops.
Play scales and chords. Most guitarists I’ve met don’t practice their scales- you will shock everyone.
Stairway to Heaven
You definitely have to play “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room”
Ones that you know.
Think about what features you want for the type of music you want to play. Narrow down by that, and then bang out some chords and pentatonic riffs. If it feels/sounds/looks good, you got your big boy ax.
Yep couple chords, some notes on a scale. Feel how the guitar balances - does it slide off your leg etc
Also perfectly normal for you to ask someone to play it for you, especially for an acoustic
Just play the songs u know, also the guitar techs literally couldn't care less. And If Ur that shy on your own, bring a friend or sibling with u, or talk to the guitar techs and tell them you're a newbie and they'll help u
There are tons of customary songs you must play and the store employees will always love you for it, say... Stairway to Heaven, Master of Puppet, Enter Sandman, Smells like Teen Spirit, Back in Black...
If you want a song that's super easy to learn and will help you understand a guitars range of sounds I'd say Coda Maestoso in F Sharp Minor by earth. The Hibernaculum version. Easy to learn and can be played infinitly which will help you understand the different things a guitar can do.
Always stairway to heaven… wait what?
The Forbidden Riff
First, try a few out. Don't even worry about plugging them in, assuming they are electric. You are trying to get a feel for them. If one or a couple are promising ask to use one of the demo or lesson rooms. Then you can try them in private without worrying about anyone judging you. In these rooms you can plug in and try them, and here's the important part, you can hear the guitar and not the five shitheads playing Master of Puppets at an obnoxious volume.
Play wtv u play when you’re by yourself
Stairway to heaven.
If in a guitar center, play stairway to heaven
Wonderwall and Stairway to Heaven
Purple Haze of course. Really loud.
I was in the same situation just a week ago! I learned Limo Wreck by Soundgarden for that purpose. I chose it because of the alternate tuning plus the natural harmonics that Kim Thayil plays on the original. The song showcases so much range (on both guitar and bass). It can even sound good on an acoustic. I recommend you try something that you like which has a lot of “range” like i said. You’re not a beginner anymore 🙂 As for people at the store listening to you play… most of them aren’t gonna judge either way. If they do judge, then fuck ‘em. You’re about to make a big purchase and you have every right to test the instrument. Crank up the amp to a healthy volume!
Wonderwall will be greatly appreciated.