I only play riffs now, and I don’t care…

[guitarplayer]

People stop over, see my guitars in a rack….”You play guitar?” Never fails. “Hey, play something!” I break out into a mesh of 8-10 classic riffs. They are dumbfounded. “Holy crap! This is awesome! I had no idea! Your husband is like a rock star!…etc. Cracks me up.

I am certainly not going to bore them with listening to a complete song. The riffs are the “hooks”. It’s what everyone knows. Play a bunch in a row and they are mesmerized. They think I am a guitar God.

Its what I do. It works, it strokes my ego, it’s beyond fun. I have come to accept it. It’s easy. I win.

 

[Chris O]

Yep. I know riffs…I listen to solos

 

[thegame]

Here’s your trophy

 

[RaceU4her]

You know free bird??

 

[Monkey Man]

Classic!

 

[Markedman]

I thought this would be a Stevie "bag-o-riffs" Ray Vaughn thread. Whenever I listen to SRV, I remember my old guitar teacher showing me this or that lick and saying, "then you just string them together".

 

[TheGreatGreen]

The simpler the riffs, the better they think you are.

"WHOOOAAA did you just play SMOKE ON THE WATER!!?!?!?!?!"

 

[311splawndude]

Riffs are hooks. We get it.

You know free bird??

I don't think Free Bird has any riffs. It is just one big solo

 

[Kyrpajyra]

I tend to play something as boring and complicated as possible so they never ask me to play again.

 

[Chekers120]

You deserve more than a trophy, lol

 

[BeZo]

I picked up ukulele. Those requests are the worst. People ask for Jason Mraz, I play Slayer or Pantera. Fucking Hostile is the beat ukulele cover there is.

 

[bkemp23]

Haha same here. Sadly I've forgotten most of the complete songs I used to know.

 

[phil b]

Thats funny cause by the time I explain to people the differences between a MkII C vs. the MK III vs. the CCV vs. a 5 ft cord vs a 20 ft cord everyone just leaves before I have a chance to play anything!

 

[guitarplayer]

Haha same here. Sadly I've forgotten most of the complete songs I used to know.

Exactly!!!!!

 

[guitarplayer]

Thats funny cause by the time I explain to people the differences between a MkII C vs. the MK III vs. the CCV vs. a 5 ft cord vs a 20 ft cord everyone just leaves before I have a chance to play anything!

Hilarious

 

[japetus]

I force my family to sit down and listen to my 14 minute opus nightmares. I try to make them so out there compositionally in the beginning that they will hate it within 2 minutes. Then, the 12 minute self absorbed pentatonic scale only solo "roars in". About halfway through I will start fading away on the volume pedal to even give them the hopes that it is ending, but hell no. The more they just want to get up and leave..the more it fuels the fire inside me.

 

[Monkey Man]

The more they just want to get up and leave..the more it fuels the fire inside me.

Doubling down like a politician.

 

[stanbog]

You guys are too sophisticated... I just turn the volume to Monsters of Rock level. Playing the open E string is more than enough.
And even if not, you can always hit a pinch harmonic for added diversity.

 

[Dyllheaven88]

00010001111001110001112. And song

 

[DanTravis62]

Wait until you play complete songs in front of them, on an actual stage, in a venue, with a whole band playing behind you.

Then people really start thinking you're a rock god.

Like to the point where girls try to blow you and stuff.