20 songs every guitarist must know to be called a guitarist?

[Afghan Dave]

Like or loath him, Zakk Wylde got the Ozzy gig and did this after only playing for 3 years... kinda puts natural talent into perspective.  :(

http://youtu.be/j34juXrJWqw#t=1m54s

[Philly Q]

I am 1/4 of the way to becoming a guitarist after 13 years of playing (gosh - 13 years and I am still this shite)

I've been playing approximately 32 years, if that's any consolation....  :|

[AndyR]

I am 1/4 of the way to becoming a guitarist after 13 years of playing (gosh - 13 years and I am still this shitee)

I've been playing approximately 32 years, if that's any consolation....  :|

Now you know you boys is being naughty again, don't you? :lol:

Say after me:

"I am a guitarist. I will wait at least another month before I make any further self-deprecating noises about this matter on the BKP forums..."

I'm still sure that a large part of being a musician is self-confidence. Start thinking in terms of "making sounds that you like". If you like the sounds coming out of the instrument, try to appreciate that you're onto a winner. A) you'll realise you're already better than you thought, and B) you'll get better faster.

[nfe]

Yeah okay I think I know the tune that the words 'get it on' are sung to (literally only those words) from the telly probably, and I think I've probably heard hole in the sky when I saw Ozzy back in 1994, but I couldn't tell you what it sounds like. did machine head do a cover of it?
Play that funky music, if it's followed by the word(s) wideboy or white boy, then yep heard of that.

All the rest? Not a clue :)

There are several in that list that it's probably near impossible to have grown up in any populous part of the west and not heard a bunch of times. You'll likely just not know the titles. Especially Freebird and Don't Stop Believing.

Just checked out both freebird and don't stop believing on youtube. I've never heard either before, was utterly unimpressed with both and haven't missed out by not having heard them in the last 32 years.

Do I need to point out at this point that I've never been into popular culture?

Really? Neither have I, I was a bookish youngster, have never listened to the radio and have only had a telly for a couple years total in my adult life and I've probably heard both 1000 times through no effort of my own. Goodness knows how you've been so lucky.

[BigB]

tl;dr, sorry  :?

wrt/ the "20 songs" question, I spent most of my playing time working on my bands compositions, and never bothered trying to do a note-to-note rendition of the (few) covers we ever did. The only time I played in a (very short-lived) cover band  we were still trying to come with our own versions.

To make a long story short: I can play my current band's set list (without any backing tracks I mean), that makes for =~ 20 songs, and I far as I'm concerned that's all I need to know to be considered as a guitarist by my bandmates and, as far as I can tell, by the audience too :mrgreen: