What was the first popular song you played on an instrument?
Attention band nerds! :D
I was just watching Depeche Mode’s I just can’t get enough video and had a flashback of trying to play this song on our keyboard. I also remember attempting to play the song from Ice Castles on the piano. key word- attempting
The first popular song I remember playing was The Love Boat theme on clarinet.
What was your first popular song you attempted to play?
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36 Answers
Hm, the first non-classical song I can remember learning was The Way We Get By by Spoon, on piano.
Maple Leaf Rag on Piano and Whole Lot of Love by Zep on guitar.
Black Bird by the Beatles on my guitar when I was 14.
The 1975 version of the theme to the CBS soap opera The Young and The Restless on the piano at 7. I’ll bet I could figure out that bit again in a few minutes and the whole thing in an hour or so, if I had a piano now. The bit I played was just the piano chords. The strings take up the melody, and now they’d be a cinch to figure out since it’s so short, even though I can’t read music.
The first decently popular song I played was the Jurassic Park theme song on the trumpet in my 6th grade band. Although sadly, I haven’t played the trumpet in years and years and years.
My first popular song I played on guitar was Iron Man and on banjo, it was, of course, dueling banjos.
Chariots of Fire theme on piano, then I heard my instructor in college play it on a 43 rank Schliker pipe organ…I never attempted it again.
@aprilsimnel teehee, that song came after Ice Castles for me. :)
Tammy on a 6-string acoustic guitar.
I think that was in 1958.
is this only for band nerds? if not i played
all my life- kci & jojo on the piano
“Sunshine of Your Love” by Cream on the guitar.
@saintDrew naw, just a shout out for the band nerds and those that enjoy playing music :D
The theme song to Star Wars Yeah, I’m that big of a geek.
I realize I’m dating myself here, but I began trumpet lessons in 4th grade. And the beginner books in those days weren’t featuring songs contemporary to the time period as they did later.
But the first song which popped into my mind upon reading this Q was the one from EVERY beginner book used by kids, namely “Lightly Row”. Not exactly on the hit parade but one that every kid (regardless of which instrument they played) had to learn.
Followed later by the one required in every band nerd’s repetiore, J. Philip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever”
(or as it was alternately sung:)
“Be kind to your web-footed friends. For a duck may be somebody’s Mother…..”
I still get a twinge of nostalgia every Fourth of July when the Boston Pops does it in their televised performance (without the words, of course:)
The first proper song (as opposed to just a practice piece) I was taught was “Both Sides Now” (Joni Mitchell) on the guitar, years and years ago. However I gave up on it as I can’t actually sing it.
Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay.
Bob Dyldo’s “Blowing Me in the Wind” on the bonaphone. ;-p
@Brian1946 at the time I played the piano, flute and oboe. I don’t remember which I learned it on first, but I’m guessing piano.
Smoke On the Water, of course.
Apparently I played a fair rendition of the theme to Bonanza with my baby rattle when I was….....well, a baby obviously!
I’ve never been much of a musician, but I learned how to play the Top Gun theme on piano. And the Pink Panther theme on tenor sax. I think the first actual song I played on sax (aside from “Hot Cross Buns”) was “Big Rock Candy Mountain”.
Iron Man. Along with “Enter Sandman” and “Smoke on the water”, it’s basically the song every beginner guitar player should know
The most popular thing I’ve ever done on a musical instrument was to give it up and put it down. Near universal acclaim!
Pet Shop Boys – West End Girls on the keyboard.
Blowing in the Wind on the keyboard!
I can’t get no (guitar riffs) satisfaction (guitar riffs).
Deep Blue Something – Breakfast at Tiffany’s
This is sort of a technicality, though. I was in a band in middle school, and we started—like most bands—with covers. This was the easiest song on our initial list of songs to learn, so it’s the one we started with.
First: Christmas duets on the piano with my mom as a kid.
Most recent: I covered Rebecca Black’s ‘Friday’ on the accordion last week.
Hall of the Mountain King on my Alto Sax
“Fly Away” by Lenny Kravitz
I can’t believe I didn’t see this one when it was frest!
“Alley Cat” on piano. (Actually, on accordion, but it transferred to piano rather easily!)
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