What song or riffs do you play when there's a guitar at a party and someone asks you to play something? Do you shred for a few minutes, or do you play a little Chet Atkins lics, or some jazz runs, or some folk song?
At my age (53), I pull off a little Chet and then some basic old R&R lics, and try to find something everyone has heard of.

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Life is like a sh*t sandwich. The more bread you have, the less sh*t you have to eat.

You're lucky. The only thing resembling guitars at the parties I've been to the past couple of years are just plastic Guitar Hero controllers.

Back in the day, I would just play a simple 12 bar blues shuffle pattern and throw in some blues licks for good measure. Top it off with some classic rock riffs too. You're right about trying to find something everyone is familiar with or else you'll loose their attention after a while.

The problem with playing the "party guitar" is that its usually owned by the party host that doesn't play guitar anymore and it's a cheap acoustic that has rusted strings that are half an inch off the fretboard and is impossible to play.

I Can't Hold Out - EC
Buckets of Rain - Bob Dylan
She Wore Red Dresses - Dwight Yokum
Secret Agent Man - Johnnie Rivers

considering most parties i hang out at are at colleges, Stairway to Heaven is usually the one that gets everyone involved, whilst being wasted

Playing lead lines without another player will have people running as if someone yelled fire. Three or four chord tunes that people know will have a crowd around you. This is how I got heavy into lead playing by the way.

When I was young all I really played was rhythm guitar and I had a friend who was the complete opposite as all he cared to do was tear up the fretboard. Whenever we were at a party or the park with one acoustic he would start flying up and down the fretboard at super speed as the guy is still uncannily fast but no one seemed interested. I would then take the guitar and break out a few top ten hits along with the big classic rock greatest hits parade and everyone would go wild and I used to laugh at how pissed he would get.

Then onetime we were at a gathering together and we both had our guitars and he said lets play some blues well for the next two hours it was like I was not even in the room as he ripped through song after song and everyone went crazy. Thats the day that I switched gears and focused on my lead playing. All these years later he still talks about how he made me a lead player without ever showing me a lick. lol= Learn to do both well.

Deep Purple stuff has always worked for me.

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It wasn't Willy-Nilly, it was at crows.

Take it Easy by the Eagles...always gets people going!!!

One song that I like to play that people seem to always like but most cant tell you who did it is ( House of Pain ) played like off of Faster Pussycat HiFive and if I have had a litte to much I might get into some Black Label Society stuff like Destruction Overdrive but I have a hard time with my voice matching the lyrics with the right tone. At least I think so.

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

I love that song but thats defiantly not a party song. Not going to get people out on the floor with that. Some these songs are like great concert or listening music but not party get moving music to go with the hair of the dog.

Man you at a party with some ladies whether you no them your not and they start playing the B 52's Love Shack you have to get it on with that. Hell I am old guy well Older!!!!

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

Get them singin' along with ya...


Beatles
Jimmy Buffett
Van Morrison
Motown
Beach Boys

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!