Songs you've shown people that have blown them away

[darknes40]

So I was wondering if you guys have ever shown someone, especially someone who is non musical, a song and you've seen the look on their face of pure mind-blowingness

For me it was when I was in Mexico, I was taking Spanish classes and the teacher often used YouTube videos that were in Spanish to teach, getting me to translate each song, one day I was doing some work and we were talkin and I told her I played bass and she asked if I wanted to put on a song that showcased bass to show her what it sounded like.

So I thought for a minute and then turned
On "me and my bass guitar" by Victor Wooten and by the end of the first verse the look on her face was priceless, it was like shock mixed with amazement, afterwards I turned on a
Few more and she sat the stunned silent for the rest of class ahah anyone else have similar stories?

[funkybass4ever]

Originally Posted by darknes40

So I was wondering if you guys have ever shown someone, especially someone who is non musical, a song and you've seen the look on their face of pure mind-blowingness

For me it was when I was in Mexico, I was taking Spanish classes and the teacher often used YouTube videos that were in Spanish to teach, getting me to translate each song, one day I was doing some work and we were talkin and I told her I played bass and she asked if I wanted to put on a song that showcased bass to show her what it sounded like.

So I thought for a minute and then turned
On "me and my bass guitar" by Victor Wooten and by the end of the first verse the look on her face was priceless, it was like shock mixed with amazement, afterwards I turned on a
Few more and she sat the stunned silent for the rest of class ahah anyone else have similar stories?

I told a class of mine that I played bass and it kind of became a running joke that I didn't because I never brought my bass in to play. Towards the last day of school I did and played Twinkle Twinkle Little Star really badly on purpose. The class was respectful and said I did a good job but they were looking at each other like this guy blows.
But then I ripped into RHCP riffs one after the other and played my Jaco warmups for them and they laughed hysterically because I had fooled them.
I had never played in front of an audience before and since then the students know when I talk about practicing all weekend they believe me.

[fourfinger]

The group I am with now was blown away by the amazing Joe Osborn bass line on America (Simon & Garfunkel), which I sort of fell apart on at the audition but then nailed at the gig. Almost 6 months later they still talk about it and the last time we played it at a gig, our lead guitarist actually commented on it to the audience when the song was over. If you have not heard Joe's bass line on that tune, it is definitely worth a listen.

[kcole4001]

Kind of an inside joke sort of thing, but whenever someone says "I hate Rush" at practice or a jam etc. the drummer and I usually break into a little Rush instrumental section.
We don't cover or even practice any of their songs, just rip into a bit occasionally to see if anyone gets stirred up I suppose.

Our singer is completely oblivious to anything instrumental, has no knowledge about guitar, bass, or drums at all, but is a wonderful singer.

At practice one evening she said just that (I hate Rush), so I started off into the 'Monsters!' section of 'La Villa', the drummer duly followed, and then I carried right through the little solo section, and everyone kind of sat back looking rather surprised and apparently impressed with that little dexterity excercise.

It seems they've never heard me play that bit before, though I've known the whole song since about 1981 or '82.
I felt pretty good about that.
I wasn't actually trying to show off or anything, it's just one of my favorite parts of one of my favorite songs.

[mellowgerman]

this one falls into the category of you either like it or you don't... the ones who get it though have their minds thoroughly melted
Jefferson Airplane - 3/5 of a mile in 10 seconds (live) - YouTube

[OPBASSMAN1994]

I sat with my non-musician buddy and played La Villa Strangiato on my record player (got to go with the classic experience). His clear, sudden, and unexpected emotion in the guitar solo and dropped jaw at the bass solo were as priceless as the Templar treasure.

[Internet Police]

Whenever I show people Behold... The Arctopus people look at me funny. Tomato...potato

[NewtoBass33]

Ha I am usually quit outside of my groups at high school. Im sitting talking in my group (this is while I was a guitard) and hear this idiot butchering Smells Like Teen Spirit talking about how good he is. I asked him if he had ever played it before he said yes. I said Kurt Cobain just shot himself again after hearing that, it got a chuckle within his group except him. He said Oh yea bitch if you can play it better I will give you my guitar. I told him I did not want his guitar but would love to play it better. He had a little pocket amp with a distortion button that I used for the distorted parts of the song. I played that song better than I had ever played in my life missed one note on the solo. I handed the guitar back to him walked up the bleachers in Gym and continued talking. He sat the guitar down walked up the bleachers and shook my hand and said he had been beat he got messed with in his group a little bit for that. That is the day I quit guitar almost a year ago.

PS- I know it is an easy song but I sucked at guitar.

[madmartyr17]

I once put on Jaco's "Okonkole y Trompa" for one of my French Horn playing buddies, thinking he'd enjoy the Horn Part. We sat thru it, then he turns to me and says "Damn, ****er plays a mean bass."

[malicant]

For me, it was portrait of tracy. I was in a guitar store checking out a new amp and sitting close by (though I didn't notice) were two young teenagers strumming a few chords on a guitar. I sat down and set into portrait and played it through. When I'd finished, both of them looked at me with mouths gaping.

I felt a little embarrassed to be honest as to me, it looked like I was trying to show off but I spend a few mins showing one of them how to play harmonics properly. I like to think that I inspired the kid and someday, he might be better than me

[Waffles and Scotch]

I started dating my current girlfriend right after our first show (10/1/10). At the time I was working on Eugene's Trick Bag by Steve Vai. I had it nailed (on a 5 string) and almost up to speed. Pretty cool, right?

Fast forward about 6 months - she's seen me work extensively on slapping, tapping, chords, etc...then one Saturday we were drinking and I decided to play along with one of the rap stations on Pandora. "The Way I Are" by Timbaland comes on, I play along with it (just some fast triplets), and she gets this huge smile on her face. I stop, thinking I missed some joke or something, and she says "Wow baby!! I'm impressed!!! Do that again!"

So a crazy guitar solo I spent 6 months on and techniques I spent years teaching myself paled in comparison to some simple triplets in a hip-hop song. Go figure.

[iridiumrocks]

Originally Posted by Waffles and Scotch

So a crazy guitar solo I spent 6 months on and techniques I spent years teaching myself paled in comparison to some simple triplets in a hip-hop song. Go figure.

Thats says a lot about the average person's perception of music. This is why people like Lady Gaga and Lil Wayne are big stars and many real musicians are starving

[addylewis]

Fleetwood Mac - Albatross (solo)
Fred T Baker - Bonneville Blues
Shadows - Apache (solo)

[pklima]

If somebody asks you to play something and you want to make them say "wow, I didn't you know you could do that on bass", play the vocal melody from something popular and instantly recognizable. A Katy Perry refrain or something like that.