What do you think? (this questions for guitar players)

Next week iv got a college interview, im signing up for a music performence course, they sent a letter quite a while ago informing me that i need to bring my instrument (which would be my electric guitar) to perform. I don't know how much they exspect me to play but i'm just gonna try and practise one song and try and get through the whole of the song perfectly without a mistake. I'm thinking of doing "sweet dreams are made of these", manson version. Because it sounds good (sounds quite gothic and dark, but not heavy, quite soft) and its pretty easy to play. I was wondering if any other guitar players on this forum could suggest any song's which might be good to learn to impress them?

oh yeah, and i was gonna record me playing sweet dreams but my cam's battry's gone flat... lol

Well, The Trooper by Iron Maiden would be good if you was in a band, but you cant do it on your own cos its main riff is a 2 guitar harmony, and the bass is really important in that song.

Nar, could'nt do trooper. I'm not in a band and even if i was they would'nt let the band back me up. They just kinda need "proof" that i can play an instrument since im signing up for performence course, im gonna get to use recording studios worth millions of pounds and stuff. Hopin mybe i'll be able to get in a band once i start the course but the course should be pretty damn chill :)

I was also thinking of singing but the only problem is i struggle to play the guitar and try and sing at the same time... Plus iv NEVER sung in front of someone in my whole life, and thats because i get nervoius whenever someone is around and my voice goes crap. It's kinda the same when i play my guitar but not as bad.. But i know when im in the room and they'll be there staring at me that i'll freak out and fuck up and make loads of mistakes... Im thinking of mybe going stoned so that i can forgot about the fact they're watching me and so i can concentrate more on the playin.

Go in there and do 'your' rendition of "Riders On The Storm".

Play with passion, they'll see and you'll be in fo so!

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Originally Posted by CrAzYpOtHeAd

Next week iv got a college interview, im signing up for a music performence course, they sent a letter quite a while ago informing me that i need to bring my instrument (which would be my electric guitar) to perform. I don't know how much they exspect me to play but i'm just gonna try and practise one song and try and get through the whole of the song perfectly without a mistake. I'm thinking of doing "sweet dreams are made of these", manson version. Because it sounds good (sounds quite gothic and dark, but not heavy, quite soft) and its pretty easy to play. I was wondering if any other guitar players on this forum could suggest any song's which might be good to learn to impress them?

oh yeah, and i was gonna record me playing sweet dreams but my cam's battry's gone flat... lol

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Guitar riff that will get the attention of others is GnR's, Welcome to the Jungle.:thumbsup:

When I did a college performance, I played about 1 page of a 4 page piece which is about 20-30 secs and they said stop, and accepted me. Get a couple pieces together just incase though, as they may ask you to play more than one. I dunno how good you are on the guitar, but Johnny B Goode all the way, its not particularly that hard, and if you got the right technique you can have any1 tappin there feet, and noddin there head to that, only problem is once it gets to the verses, its a fairly repetitive chord sequence without much articulation, but if you sing during this time, u'll have em drooling man :D I got a shitload of Jimi Hendrix tabs aswell, if u want em, u can hav em, jus drop me ure Hotmail if u got msn.

And yeh performance anxiety is a bitch (Sounds like a case of Mr. Floppy when put that way), but everybody suffers with it, and the key is to not be too rigid (especially as this is for a music performance course, and not a board of music exam), chances are if you try to giv a mind blowin performance, it will turn out shit, because u are too technically aware, and ure movements become rigid, ure too bothered with dropping the notes at the exact right moments, and forget what the piece is, a piece that flows together, when you talk you don't articulate every sound of every letter in the word, you don't even think of words, you just correspond the thought, and ure mood towards it to the sounds ure puttin together, and the sentence appears as a rollercoaster of tones and sounds. When I play any instrument, my mind turns to jelly, learn the piece like the back of ure hand, and let ure fingers correspond directly to where you want the sound to go, before you know it ure gaze is fixed str8 ahead on nothing in particular, and ure starin at ure sporadically moving fingers like they're not ures.

And gettin stoned could go either way, you may zone out completely on the piece, or you could be consumed totally with the fact there is sum1 watching ure every move, but remember this is just for a music performance course, they don't expect virtuoso's, jus sum1 they see fit enough to play in time, and has the artistic ability to write a few songs come coursework submission time, so whatever you learn, make sure u r comfortable playing it.

So loosen up man! its not the end of the world if a couple of teachers think ure shit, who gives a fuck, they're a couple of teachers, for one college :D

I'm also thinking of taking my effects peddle, they supply the stuff like amps and leads, but my effects peddle has about 80 effects and its trippy as fuck, and i know what you mean about the whole flow thing. When your really into the music, and you don't concentrate on doing it right but concentrate more on the vibe and the beat and the acual music, it flows alot better. Other wise all i think about is "omg my hand is killin me" and i always get the wrong bit at the wrong time. God damn nerve's suck. But yeah im gonna plug my guitar in my amp now and my effects peddle and see what effect works good with what.

Ok i've been messin with the effects, iv found a nice effect for sweet dreams, has quite a tool kinda feel to it. Also when i was playin i was tryin to play some more song's i knew which might be good. Then i totally remembered that i could play don't fear the reaper, i TOTALLY forgot about that song lol so i played on that a bit and i think don't fear the reaper could impress them a bit as well. I also might play "wish you were here" (pink floyd) but im not sure because i still hav'nt memorzied the solo's yet. I'm gonna give my hands a lil break cuz i was goin mad shreddin haha. I'm gonna try and learn "My own summer" later and then riders on the storm, i'll also try anymore suggestions anyone will make :D ;)

dont plan for a full song performance, in my audition i played a short piece about 30 seconds long. Push yourself a bit dont do the safe option. Make it short and as sweet as possible. Also learn a couple of scales cos my guy asked me to bash out a couple of scales. try to mix in some broken chord arpeggios. if your up to it :P
cheers!

ooo yeah, i was also thinking of mybe throwing in "time of your life" by green day because there's a fairly simple song and sounds pretty damn good :cool:

Funny story about stage fright and how people have dealt with it, but of no relevance to this.

James Dean suffered anxiety when he was about to meet Elizabeth Taylor on the set of Giant, so he decided to do sumthin to ground himself before hand. There was a university football game on at the local stadium, so he walked out during half time, cig and beer in hand, placed the bottle in the middle of the field, pulled his dick out and pissed in the centre circle, shook it off, put it back in, picked the bottle up and walked back out.
His philosophy was, once he did sumthin that embarrassing, there is no way any social situation would ever intimidate him again, as people had just seem him pretty much disgrace himself. Thats pretty true man, and funny, considering the crazy bastard actually did it.

black dog, by led zeppelin... kick ass song

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Originally Posted by CrAzYpOtHeAd

I was also thinking of singing but the only problem is i struggle to play the guitar and try and sing at the same time... Plus iv NEVER sung in front of someone in my whole life, and thats because i get nervoius whenever someone is around and my voice goes crap. It's kinda the same when i play my guitar but not as bad.. But i know when im in the room and they'll be there staring at me that i'll freak out and fuck up and make loads of mistakes... Im thinking of mybe going stoned so that i can forgot about the fact they're watching me and so i can concentrate more on the playin.

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you should totally go stoned lol :thumbsup: and if u can still play u should close your eyes when singing, it helps alot, i forget anyones there when i do that lol

really i wouldnt play an easy song nor a hard one that you struggle with i would show that you have good technic like do like a blues/jazz thing where with thumb you are hitting a blues box and with your fingers you are play a riff and try nice little slow peaceful solos thats what i would do, i wouldnt go with a simple song because it sounds cool show you have talent and show your worth it

and in little licks hit harmonics and such and little vibratos and bends

A good song is one that can showcase many different techniques. You could go for one that easily proves your technical ability like Eruption, but I suggest one with more structure and layers. I suggest a shorter version of Paradise City: Play the opening arpeggio, play the verse riff (sing a verse or whatever), and play the solo.
If you can do this, not only will they see you as a good technical soloist, but also as a good rhythm guitarist.