Anyone who's played in a band for any length of time has surely been subject to the hoots and howls for "Freebird" that typically begin pelting the stage somewhere around the third or fourth set.
Having been on the receiving end of such rants for more years than I can count, it has been interesting to see the reaction of numerous band members when the post midnight chants start rolling in for what is arguably the most requested song in modern history.
Read more: Guitar Players - Give Your "A" Chord the Finger
Playing Lead Guitar - By Not Playing
Have you ever awakened from an afternoon slumber in a daze, and, as the fog clears you stare at the clock and suddenly realize you're late for an important appointment? You jump up from the couch and, bouncing off the walls, heart racing, you slap on some clothes and blaze out of the door, fire up the engine and scream down the road - only to realize after a few miles that you forgot your wallet, your checkbook, and whatever else you really had to take to the appointment. You make a U turn and head back home...
Playing Guitar and the Pickup Selector Switch
How many times do you change clothes in the course of a day? Two? Three? Four? I tried this on myself recently. Upon waking up, I slip on my robe and flannel sleep pants - that's one. After a morning shower I put on whatever clothes will be appropriate for the day, whether it's going out for meetings or staying in front of the computer all day - that's two. As the day winds down I may shift into "yard work" mode, or go for a walk or do some form of exercise, requiring another change - that's three.
Read more: Playing Guitar and the Pickup Selector Switch
When Playing Guitar, Don't Forget Your Thumb
You can use it to hitch a ride. Roger Ebert has made a fortune using one or both - up or down. It's universally recognized as the sign for a number of affirmatives - "okay", "good job", "looking good", "it's under control", among others. It's also the appendage that one would be inserting "where the sun don't shine" in a well known metaphor for aimlessly idling one's time away. We are, of course, referring to the thumb.