What is the first song you learned to play?

Gary Blanchard

Gary Blanchard

beloved, local musician
A guest speaker at our church is doing a talk titled, "The Times, They are A' Changing." Our music director asked me if I could play the song for the service. That (or Blowing in the Wind) was the first song I learned to play, as I learned from a book titled "Twelve Bob Dylan Songs Playable with Three Magic Chords." I used to play it a good bit, but probably haven't performed it in at least 20 years. (I will have to look at that book again; I always use an A minor chord in it and know the book only taught the C, F, and G. I couldn't imagine that now.)

What was the first song you learned to play? Do you still play it?
 
Proud Mary. My dad had a songs of the 60's songbook and it had the fewest chords in it. I wasn't even really playing guitar then, I was trying to figure out how to so since it had 3 chords (without the intro part, which I never learned). I don't think I've played it in 30 years.
 
Mine was Feeling Groovy (59th Street Bridge Song). Can't remember if that's Simon and Garfunkel or just Paul Simon. Immediately after (as in about 10 minutes) I learned the intro to Sanitarium by Metallica. Then I tackled Me & Julio and Mother and Child.
I basically learned to play guitar through Simon and Garfunkel at the beginning. I still play those songs a lot along with Cat Stevens tunes I picked up along the way early on.
My dad, who was and is a huge Paul Simon fan, taught me most of what I know.
 
The first self taught one was a little child's song, "Hush, little baby . . ." I used to play for my two oldest kids when they were very young after getting tucked in to bed. Just kind of a self taught flatpicked version that I figured out by figuring out the notes on a piano or something and finding the notes on the guitar. I did not know how to play any chords at all at that point.

The first song I learned to play with chords was I think "Leaving On a Jet Plane", John Denver, assigned to me by my first guitar instructor, Mike White.

This guy to my right.

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@Gary Blanchard , notice the vintage D35 Mike has. Unfortunately obscured in this pic by the music stand. That thing is loud, and has tone for days.
 
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Gary Blanchard said:
My first live performance was singing Kumbaya with my brother, Ken, for a church talent show. Memories.
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As I was growing up, (I turned 7 in October of 1969 for reference) and attended summer camps (CYO rather than YMCA, as we were Catholics) I met a lot of very nice, very cool seeming counselors with Yamaha guitars, Ovations also seemed to be popular, singing that song, and other folky christian summer camp stuff, some out of the young life book. Along with songs like Heart of Gold, Moon Shadow and other Cat Stevens stuff, John Denver, etc. Generally songs of peace and love. It was the times.
 
sunvalleylaw said:
As I was growing up, (I turned 7 in October of 1969 for reference) and attended summer camps (CYO rather than YMCA, as we were Catholics) I met a lot of very nice, very cool seeming counselors with Yamaha guitars, Ovations also seemed to be popular, singing that song, and other folky christian summer camp stuff, some out of the young life book. Along with songs like Heart of Gold, Moon Shadow and other Cat Stevens stuff, John Denver, etc. Generally songs of peace and love. It was the times.
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Yep, that was the times. For a folkie-type of guy, those were great times. A lot of music then had an acoustic flair, even if it added other instruments. That formed the musician I am today, including the peace and love. (I was 18 in October of 1969. and in the midst of my struggle with the draft board.)
 
First song ever? Hard to say as it was 40 years ago. Probably something from the John Denver songbook or an old folk-ish standard like Green Green Grass of Home.
First rock/pop tune on electric was Sunday Bloody Sunday.
 
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