Guitar Strings – Giveaway
No strings attached …
… because we took them all off to give two of our most played guitars a good deep-cleaning. We recently got an email from someone asking for used guitar strings which made us think of a new MLT Club Giveaway.
We’ve seen similar things online before and wanted to create our own little art pieces using some old guitar strings. We have yet to figure out the exact way we’ll put it together but our idea is to frame a set of strings we used on a particular recording session, together with a studio photo and signature. In the video we show a little mock-up of what it could look like.
We want to give away a set each to 2 members that we will draw at random in 4 weeks’ time. Which means you have plenty of time to enter!
Here is how you enter the Giveaway:
Leave a comment below telling us about the first song you learnt how to play on an instrument or that you remember singing.
That’s it!
Maybe you learnt how to play a children’s song on the recorder? Maybe your mum taught you the lyrics of a song you still remember? Maybe you remember the first song you sang with your choir? Any answer will enter the pool of potential winners. However, while you can leave multiple comments, it won’t raise your chance of winning. We will draw a name at random in an upcoming video.
Good luck and stay groovy ♥
Mona & Lisa
Hi,
I know that i am too late but…
My first song i learn to play on an classics organ was “All Kinds of Everything”
The first musical instrument I remember in our house was a keyboard, and I think it was this one: https://reverb.com/item/29145-magnus-chord-organ-1960s-electric-vintage-keyboard-piano .
I didn’t have any training but I managed to pick out the tune to “Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head”, which was popular at the time (about 1970?). I added it to a cassette recording that our family made to send to my father, who was in Thailand during the war in SEA.
Hi Mona and Lisa…yes I remember getting a recorder in school aged 11 and learning three blind mice on it!I went to the same school in Liverpool as Pete Best ,but never took to the drums ha ha … lots of love xxx
In 1956 I used my sister’s inexpensive guitar to play “You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog” sung by Elvis Presley. Of course she loved Elvis.
The first song was 60 years ago on a piano. I can’t remember that far back ????
The first song a learnt on an instrument (guitar) was Jamaican Farewell, made famous by Harry Belafonte.
The first song I learned to play on the guitar was True Love Ways by Buddy Holly way back in the mid 1970s. I’m still trying to play it now! My mum bought me an Eko Ranger acoustic guitar from her shopping catalogue and I dearly loved it, playing the song every evening after work. I had to pay 50p a week from my wages to help pay for it. Even then, although Buddy wrote the song for guitar he played, I always thought something was missing from the sound when I tried to play it…of course those wonderful strings that accompanied him. Sadly, but not surprisingly, you couldn’t buy a full orchestra from the catalogue back then! LOL
I’ve never learned how to play the guitar. I bought an acoustic guitar for my youngest daugter. I really think it would be cool to show people that I have some of the Twins used guitar strings.
The first song I learned on guitar at about 8 years old was “Mary Had a Little Lamb”.
The first Beatles song was around age 12 – Two of Us ; but it took me a long time to get the middle eight.
Completely enjoyed listening to your interactions as you changed the strings.
Took me many years to get the know that won’t slip – should have checked you guys or YouTube a long time ago…
This question put a memory in my head that I had forgotten. When I was young, my Auntie Ann gave me a Ukulele Banjo which she bought in the 1930s. So I purchased a basic ukulele book that had some easy to play songs. One was called Grandfathers Clock, and I would play that one a lot. My oldest brother now has possession of that instrument. Now I’ve been looking on Amazon and they still sell ukulele banjos. And now I want one again!
When I first went to church with my mom when the rest of them were singing Kyrie, I sang Popeye the Sailor Man, because that was the only song I knew. I was three years old. 🙂
Hi, I don’t know which song I learned first. My voice changed when I was real young. Since the teacher decided I was in.. I ended up being a twelve year old bass in the middle school choir. Started playing guitar by ninth grade, folk songs, Dylan, Tim Hardin and John Prine. Now I have six guitars and play along with The MonaLisa Twins, the best! Thanks for the lessons, always trying to learn new things, like Lisa’s knot. Take care of that toe you’ve got running to do.
Oh wow, what a question to answer! I had to really think about this one. The first song I remember singing outside of children songs in church was Peter, Paul and Mary’s , Where Have All the Flowers Gone. When I got an acoustic guitar many years later, I learned the VERY difficult to play… House of the Rising Sun!! LOL! (I feel sooooo old right now!)
When learning guitar at the age of 13, I learned various riffs from Black Sabbath’s Paranoid album. One of the first full songs I learned was Greg Lake’s C’est La Vie, followed by Lou Reed’s Perfect Day.
Maybe late to the game but, the first songs I learned to play and sing to was Louie, Louie by the Kingsmen and Gloria by Them and Van Morrison. But I guess the first song was when I was learning the accordion and I remember Red River Valley. I was only 6 at the time but my mother wanted my brother and I to learn music. I had to take violin lessons, drums, piano and when I got to the guitar at 11 no music lessons, just hard calluses on my fingers and trying to break down songs from listening over and over to vinyl as in those days I don’t remember a lot of Rock N Roll sheet music.
i am right handed and do nothing left handed. anyway the first time i picked up a guitar it was right handed. i never reversed the strings so i wound up playing it upside down. anyway the first songs i learned to play were the house of the rising sun and hang on sloopy.
Had piano lessons at early age, don’t remember first song then, a long time ago. Later on guitar, the first song was Louie Louie.
The first song I learned to play was “Sound of Silence”.
I took piano lessons for 1 1/2 years. Everything was very basic, and there was no memorization. Chopsticks was probably the first thing. The first I remember was probably “How Much is the Doggy in the Window”. It was a hit at that time. There were also Xmas and Easter-oriented songs, plus “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” when the Disney movie was made.
Hard to remember back that far at my age. I do remember the first song I had to sing in public was Silent Night in music class in high school. Every one in the class had to sing that song solo in front of the whole (relatively large) class; a cappella no less. What a nerve wracking experience for a shy, tone deaf teenager! Laughing about it now!
I think the first song I picked out by ear on the piano at 10 years old or so was “Winchester Cathedral” which was a novelty type song from an English group named “The New Vaudeville Band”. It was a silly, catchy and easy tune to remember and figure out how to play. Other songs that I picked out around that time also was the theme song from the Munsters TV show, some folk songs that were popular by Peter, Paul and Mary. Beatles tunes also.
Fast forward to current time and now that my wife has finally retired from being a pharmacist at the local hospital for 39 and a half years, I find myself getting back to my trying to relearn songs I used to play a lot over the years on my Yamaha Clavinova keyboard and boy am I rusty. Being older doesn’t help playing by ear I’m learning but I’m making progress.
Das erste Lied, mit dem ich meine Gitarre und die Ohren meiner Mutter gequält habe, war von den Beatles: Get Back.
The school only had a music class in I think was Grade 2 and they never had any other years of music classes. They had the whole class (20 people or so) learn some song on the most unmusical instrument ever invented- the tonette. It was mono-toned and ugly sounding hunk of plastic and no two sounded the same. Can you guess I didn’t enjoy any of it? Don’t remember the song just remember how I hated the sound. lol 🙂
The first songs I tried to play were Beatles songs, of course, but they were too hard, so I wrote “Green Yarn” (make beautiful its true wearer). A lilting little thing with needles going round and round in a world that was burning Green Yarn. Very deep.
When I was a small child, my Mom would sing the song “Mairzy Doats” to me, and eventually, I learned to sing along. I was probably 3 or 4. I do have a very vivid memory when I was a little older of her holding me one night when I had earaches in both ears and couldn’t sleep. To calm me down, she sang this to me. She basically sat up all night with me, singing it.
If you are curious, here’s a wikipedia link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mairzy_Doats
As far as playing a song on an instrument, I learned “Hot Cross Buns” on a recorder in early elementary school. I’m sure many people can relate.
I think the first song I learnt to play on guitar was Streets of London, by Ralph McTell. I also had a go at Hole Hearted by Extreme on my 12-string, but unfortunately that guitar broke many years ago and I haven’t played one since 🙁
I really enjoyed watching this video of the two of you cleaning your guitars! You make even the most mundane tasks interesting. The earliest song I remember learning to play on the piano was “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”. Such a simple song but I was very proud of myself because I figured it out myself. On the guitar, I first learned an old cowboy song from my dad – The Red River Valley. So many years ago!
I remember Oma singing “Hoppe hoppe Reiter” to me a very early age. I always thought it was cute until I learned the lyrics in English! Poor little guy!
I also remember wandering around the house singing this little gem! https://youtu.be/QTXyXuqfBLA
As a child, I remember learning to sing some goofy songs from my Dad. One in particular that stood out was “Old Dan Tucker”. You have to love lyrics like “he washed his face in a frying pan” and “combed his hair with a wagon wheel”. Years later I learned the song was an actual, old (mid 1800’s) folk song. I still have lots of respect for my Dad for passing it on, even if he didn’t compose it!
What fun it is to watch Mona and Lisa casually going into beautiful effortless singing and playing!
I’ve actually stabbed myself almost a few times when I change strings, and I don’t do it on the couch. Though I always remove all the strings because by the time I get to it, the frets need some cleaning.
What I didn’t know is that I was using John Lennon style strings all this time https://youtu.be/J0g0yZKbJP4?t=157
The first song I learnt on the guitar was Frère Jacques, I believe. The first song that I taught myself to play was “Estudio en Mi de Rubira” aka “Romance Anonimo” which Narciso Yepes (aptly named by his parents) liked to claim as his own, but it’s an old 19 century piece. The first part is easy to play but it gets gradually more difficult. It was a great piece for me to challenge myself, and the one piece my family always wanted me to play.
Here, over the last few days, the trees have popped out their leaves as it’s spring in full swing.
Thank you for the lovely time!
When I was nine, the first song I learned how to play on the violin was “Mary Had a Little Lamb”. I gave up the violin when I was 10 and the first instrument I played seriously after that is the ukulele (over 50 years later). “Let it Be” was the first song I learned on the ukulele.
Hi, Hope everyone had a nice Easter.
I remember practicing a song called ( Over the hills and through the wood to grandmother’s house we go.) It could be for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
I did not read all comments, but it seems I am one of the few people in the MLT club who does not play any instrument. Related to the singing part of your question, you do not want me to start singing.
I do not know what it is that you can make a video about changing your quitar strings and that we enjoy watching it.
Not to concern yourself, Fred, that you do not play a musical instrument. Nor do I, except for the turntable, which makes What’s On The (Turn) Table all the more interesting.
There are other arts, and some years ago, before I was aware of the MLT Club, I slipped a couple of visual art pieces into the mail, to coincide with an MLT birthday. Then, only a few months ago, while exploring the various nooks and crannies of the Club website I found those very items in the Fan Art – Arts and Crafts. Quelle suprise!
As for singing, forget not, that everyone is a singer in the shower as well as alongside your favourite YouTube channel, MonaLisa Twins, or otherwise.
Len, I am not concerned it was just an observation. And you are right to sing along with the MLT e.g. the Cavern live album in the car is also “singing”.
I also like the WOTT sessions, some albums I know others I do not, but then I can listen to something new.
What a great idea. You’ll have a record number of entries. First song was “Best of My Love” by Eagles. Believe me. It took a lot of searching to find something easy enough for me to slave over to try and get it right. Well. I never was very good, but it kept me trying. I’ve never been a good enough singer or player. That makes listening to the two of you sing and play so much better.
“Best of My Love” was on guitar. Very early in life and very long time ago, I played clarinet, then moved on to the saxophone. First song that I remember was “Falling Leaves”. I was much better on those instruments than guitar.
Hi Mona, And Lisa.. It’s always great to watch you guys..whether it’s singing, running, hiking or changing guitar strings..I loved this video..now about the question..the first song I ever learned to play on guitar when I was a kid at school was the melodic line of “Happy Birthday to you”..thanks dear girls and Stay Groovy.
I never really had guitar lessons…. I learned by watching my brother play his guitar so if I remember correctly the first two songs I learned to play were “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “Rinestone Cowboy”.
The first song I learned had to have been on the drums and was likely a practice song. It was “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy”. Again it was one of my practice songs that I would play ever day. The other songs were “You Keep Me Hanging On” (Vanilla Fudge), Sunshine of Your Love”, “White Room”, Ina-Gadda-Da-Vita, and a few others. I figured if I got those about 80% right I was ready for anything the band wanted to do. The first song I learned on rhythm guitar was “No Matter What” by Badfinger.
Wow! Great idea and so kool!
I guess the first song I learned was “Burn Down the Mission” by Elton John on piano. Saw him throw his piano seat across the stage while rocking to this in concert and I thought, “I’d like to do THAT!”.
Learned the song, but never threw my sister’s piano seat.
I remember when I first started taking guitar lessons we were going through a set of books that were just basic traditional songs. But later we started learning songs I liked. I remember when I was first played Pink Floyd’s “Mother” and “Wish You Were Here” along with the record it was pretty spine-chilling.
I love watching artists talk about their gear. It usually evokes some great memories and stories. And thanks for reminding me to deep clean my guitars a little more often.
Mona, we loved your late-night-snack mission. I hope your foot feels better. Those momentary lapses of reason usually make for some great self deprecating tales. “Did I ever tell you about the time I…”
Happy Easter ????
Marlo & JP Kinda chilly here today 44*F
????☕️☕️☕️☕️
I don’t remember the first song I learned. I played violin from 6th grade through 9th grade. we couldn’t afford to buy or rent an instrument so my aunt sent me her violin, so that is why I learned that. My daughter played the violin in school, but I couldn’t remember anything by that time. The MLT Club is such a refreshing thing each week. Thank you all for sharing with us. I always enjoy your behind the scenes pictures and video’s, your original music and your takes on your covers and the talents of all four of you. It’s fun to see you interact with each other. Thanks again.
Both Beatles songs Day Tripper on guitar and I saw her standing there on Bass
I’m amazed at how you two can take the boring task of cleaning a guitar and turn it into a fun video session.
I feel sorry for Mona; I just got over my stubbed big toe. It took quite a while for the new nail to push through (yes, the old one died). It’s the price one pays for the love of being barefoot. But a bit of experimenting with padding and I was back hiking again almost immediately.
Spring is here in southern New Mexico, USA. We sometimes have terrible wind storms here in the spring, but this year it has been mostly beautiful weather, so we are doing our spring planting, yard work, and I’m getting in lots of walks and hikes. Our kids and grandkids are grown, and we realized that we miss hiding the Easter eggs and watching the little ones try to find them.
I seem to be one of the few in the club that never played an instrument. The first songs I remember learning were all very old songs: “The Alphabet Song” (1835, C. Bradlee), Old MacDonald Had a Farm (Thomas d’Urfey, 1706?), and being from a Christian family, “Jesus Loves Me” (Bradbury, 1859 from a poem by Warner). I’ve always loved listening to music, but my talents lie elsewhere.
She Loves You on the drums that I made after seeing The Beatles on Ed Sullivan, I was 13 at the time now 71 and still playing the drums always Ludwig
America the Beautiful on piano.
Wipe Out
My first song on the guitar was “Apache” from the Shadows. At that time, in addition to songs, instrumental were also played like “Amapola” by the Spotnicks or “Walk Don’t Run 64” by the Ventures. It was a nice time!
The song i remember is, actually i don
t know if its the title, but it goes flies in the buttermilk, that was my teachers way, of learning me how to switch, between D and A7First of all, many thanks for your kindness in doing a give away for MLT Club members! I learned some chords on the ukulele before transitioning to an electric guitar. I believe the first song I learned on the guitar was “Not Your Steppin’ Stone by the Monkees.
As always, “Thanks For the Memories.”
If my mind doesn’t betray me, the first song I learned was the mañanitas (sings to those who have their birthday).
About learning to play a melody on an instrument that never happened and at this point in the game it will never happen.
Greetings
Hello Mona and Lisa, wow another great video and so cool to see you both re string your guitars. So my first song on the drums was Wipe Out , when I was 9 years old and then on the guitar it was Dirty Water a great 2 to 3 cords to learn. Then Jumping Jack Flash on the guitar. Wow so good to see and hear you both and hope all is well in the UK , And I retired on April 1 and loving it and feel the photo on this month’s calandar is for me, with the both of you waving your hands in the air and a bird to the right of the photo saying Bill your as free as a bird now!! Love it
Bill and Maddie Isenberg
Oh my it just hit me, The first song on the guitar was Twinkle Twinkle Little Star! LOL…When I was 8…time flies by so quick! And I still remember how to play it after all this time
Bill
Thanks for doing these little hang outs! I can watch you girls talk all day. I can’t remember the first song I learned on the drums or guitar to be honest. That was way back in the very early 70’s. I am sure though it was probably a rock or hard rock song because that’s what we were into. It’s what I still listen to most today as well. Happy Easter ladies and to Rudi and Michaela as well of course!
First song I learned on the guitar was called I Walk The Line by Johnny Cash. I played the lead line using my left hand thumb. I couldn’t believe it Mona when you played Smoke On The Water using your thumb!
my first drum solo was wipe out 1969 and my sister came back from her honeymoon to watch me I was 8 yrs old, then in High school my main song singing at Malls was rockin robin with the school group on field trips
Me and a couple of friends joined a guitar course in 1976 and I believe the first song we played was Skip to my lou with two cords. Half a year later we organized a little group and played together now and then. Years later I unfortunately lay down my guitar but, 75 years old I still dream about begin playing again. And I suppose that it is never to late to begin again, or…?
Roland Engström
living in the island Gotland, Sweden
My first attempt at playing guitar & singing at the same time was Forget Him by Bobby Rydell (RIP 2022) in 1963. It was a upbeat song with only 4 chords. My father passed away in 1962 and my mother always liked Forget Him so I tied my best to learn the song. It made her very happy. Then the Beatles came along in 1964 and changed my life the way I would play guitar and write songs in the future.
When I was 4 or 5, mom taught me to play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star on piano. Unfortunately, I didn’t keep up with my piano lessons, so I probably cannot even play that song now.
Many years later, I picked up a guitar. I think My Michelle by Gun’s and Roses was the first song I tried to play (using tablature).
This video makes me feel embarrassed about some dusty surfaces in the house so I’ll have to get my polish and duster out! Always good to get a spring clean when the brighter weather comes! Some of the first songs I remember come from Disney films like Dumbo and the Jungle Book (Bare Necessities springs to mind) which were some of the first films we went to a cinema to see when young. Others would be from Church where I remember Animals Went in Two by Two and of course some Christmas songs. Unfortunately although I did get an old acoustic guitar ages ago I never bothered to get any lessons so really can’t play anything myself but I did strum it a bit and made a terrible noise!
I was in hospital in 1961 and I had my guitar with me. At that time I learned my first song “Tom Dooley” by the Kingston Trio. It had only two chords an A and an E.
PS: In the song “Marmorstein und Eisen bricht” it is a “Damm, Damm”!
I think it was Hot Cross Buns followed by Clair De Lune on a recorder at school in the 60’s
Paul Simon Kodachrome was the first song I learned; it was back when I was learning to play the Drums in the school band when I was younger.
I suppose the first instrument I learned was the recorder but as I couldn’t remember all the notes my junior school teacher would not let me have a tune to learn. When I was 12 at grammar school I was made to learn the violin, I was terrible, I had to learn Greensleeves but it sounded like a was strangling a cat, luckily a few days later it was run over by a bus and the school refused to give me another. In 1963 my uncle was vocalist in his own group and I learned lots of Buddy Holly. What really got me singing was Love me Do, by the Beatles, a big Wow. I say sing. Up to the age of 11, I was a Cathedral choir boy. At 13/14 my voice broke after that I’ve never been able to hold a note in a bucket. I’m 71 now and you’ve reminded me about the Beatles and all the other people you cover. But most of all I love your own music.
First song I learned to play right through on guitar was Eight Days A Week!
As the great John Miles said “music was my first love, and it will be my last”
I cannot play an instrument or sing particularly well but music is my escape from everything,. A song comes on and I will sing lead and backing vocals, play guitar, play drums, play keyboards and just absolutely lose myself in the music whether it be at home, in the car, in a shop, in the street… It doesn’t matter!
I don’t care what people think, the music just takes me to a happier place time after time. ????
The first song I learned to sing in karaoke was “Teddy Bear” by Elvis Presley. The next one was “Mustang Sally” by Wilson Pickett. Then I started hosting karaoke shows part time, then a booking agent for a Christian classic rock band. They also played at prisons, so you could say they had a captive audience. My other exposure to music is, my wife’s cousin, Bryan Hitt, is the drummer for REO Speedwagon for the last 32 years..
I have a suggestion for your upcoming 3rd original album….go to your very first album from 14 years ago…track 23.. a MonaLisa song titled ALONE….bring it back to life and include it on your new album..it is an “original”❤️????
What I most remember about actually learning to play songs was when I was about 5 or 6 years old. My mom played piano occasionally and we had on old Estey in the house. I used to love to sit down when no one was around and try to pick out tunes that I had heard her play properly. The earliest ones I recall learning to play the melody for were The Sidewalks of New York, Waltzing Matilda and The Red River Valley. Although I loved fooling around on the piano, I never learned to play it properly. However, it was fundamental to my understanding of music structure which I used later on when learning several other instruments and for my love and appreciation of music throughout my life. Thanks for letting us hang out with you! It was a real treat! Happy Easter.
My introduction to guitar began when I was about 8 years old. My mother and grandfather played guitar. My mother could accompany a simple song of 3 chords or so. My grandfather played mostly open cord pieces. He would tune to E or G and play old time songs that I thought was pretty good at the time. I used to play with him when I could. He instilled the desire in me to learn guitar. I learned to play some of his old songs but I don’t remember any of the names. My first song that I could play all the way through was the Theme to Bonanza. It was a western about a family that owned a huge ranch in Nevada.
It ran from 1959 to 1973. I was about 10 at that time. I thought I was a real guitar player when I completed that tune. I’ve learned other tunes since then. 🙂
I thought your string changing video was pretty cool. I read an article where Guitar Player magazine back years ago interviewed Joe Osborn (he was a famous LA studio bass player in the 1960’s thru the 1980’s and maybe longer. He said that he had never changed the flat wound strings on his Fender Precision bass since he had owned it. He claimed it was about 12 years old at the time. So, according to Joe, you guys are just wasting strings changing strings every 4-6 shows.:-)
Gotta say… nothing better than MLT-created prizes!
The first song I remember singing was Melanie’s “Brand New Key” as I roller-skated down the sidewalk in Cedarville, Illinois on skates that actually required a ????️! Probably nursery rhymes and such prior, but none stuck with me.
First song I recall learning in grade-school choir was “Battle Hymn of the Republic”, but most memorable was Coven’s (Original Caste cover) anti-war anthem “One Tin Soldier”. I remember some of the other kids’ parents weren’t happy with their youngsters singing such a mature-themed song in assembly.
The good ‘ol recorder was the first instrument, but no way I can recall the songs.
Thanks for another highly entertaining video, ladies, and we clubbers will surely be channeling all our creative energies your way to help you work out your new song chorus!
WOW this was a very entertaining video…I loved it…I remember I was 14 in the 9th grade in 1964 and that’s when I started guitar lessons…my guitar teacher was Ronnie Strong in Camillus, NY…he taught me how to read music and the notes on the guitar…my first song was RED RIVER VALLEY…I did not sing ..just picked out the notes and that’s the song I played at the music teachers recital for the parents….it was also while in 9th grade at West Genesee High School in Camillus I hooked up with a fellow student…John McKenna..a real musician…shortly after we had a 5-member band…Little John and the Paragons…we would all wear black slacks with white shirt and maroon colored tie and maroon button up sweater……Thanks for the Memories…..oh yes my first guitar was an acoustic (cheap) learning guitar and when I got in the band I got another cheap guitar..it was an electric Kent with vibrato and I don’t remember what kind of amp I had but it had reverb which was good for those very early 60’s instrumentals…you know Walk Don’t Run…Pipeline…Apache…Sleep Walk…Out of Limits…Wipeout…and so many more…I loved playing the lead on the instrumentals….i was not a singer but I had a Shure mic which was at the time supposedly the best….our lead singer Felipe would use it…I think it was a left-handed attempt to keep me from using it …LOL……and again Thank You Girls for this video…it was a riot !????
Howdy,
My family loved to sing. My mom, my dad, my siblings – two brothers and a sister.
When I was about 5 years old, my father gathered us around our Webcor reel-to-reel tape recorder. We would sing songs like “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” and “Down by The Old Mill Stream”. Sometimes my dad would accompany us with his alto sax.
When I was 11 years old, in the 7th grade, I started playing the trumpet in school. The first songs we played were “Danube Waves”, “Ah Marie”, & “The Band Played ON”.
When I was 14, I got my first guitar. It was a Harmony acoustic. At first, I learned some folk songs like “Down in the Valley”.
Then I purchased a new 1968 Fender Telecaster Bass and the first song I learned to play was “Hang on Sloopy”.
BTW – I still have everything I mentioned – I have the tape recorder & the tapes, my dad’s sax, my trumpet, the Harmony guitar and the Telecaster bass.
Thanks Mona & Lisa for the Friday Videos. I really look forward to them.
The giveaways are nice gestures.
Have a Great Weekend,
Bobby S.
Hey Robert…those were the days…I too remember the McCoy’s “Hang on Sloopy”…that song was on every playlist we had wherever we played.
I think the first song I learned on guitar was “Is she really going out with him?” by Joe Jackson, way back in the middle ages, or as they are commonly known as the late 1970’s. The first song I learned to sing was probably a hymn at infant school…
When I first heard how to get in on this giveaway (a really cool one, by the way), I immediately thought of when I bought a Harmony hollow body bass, and learned the line for Elton John’s “Crocodile Rock”. It was the first song our band played when we were in high school, as one of the guitar players had learned it as well, from the same record so we were in the right key even. But then I realized this is not the first song I learned. At age ten or eleven I was taking piano lessons and the first song I played all the way through was “Long Long Ago”, written in the mid-1800’s by a man called Thomas Haynes Bayly. In know this because I just looked it up; he was born in Bath, England. I wonder whether any of my fellow members in the UK have heard of him, is he any kind of famous there?
I have no idea what the first songs I learned were. When I was maybe 4, I remember singing songs at church. Later on I learned a couple simple songs on piano. I played songs on the recorder in 4th grade. In 5th grade I stated taking trombone lessons and played in the school band. But, I can’t remember what any of the songs were.
When I started playing guitar, The Ventures were a very popular instrumental band, and they put out some “Learn to play guitar with the Ventures” on vinyl. The first song I learned was their very popular, “Walk, Don’t Run”. If you search YouTube you should be able to find it. Thank you Mona and Lisa for spending the time with us. It was very informative, and the giveaway sounds amazing! Oh, and I still play Walk, Don’t Run every so often nowadays.
Hi Tom…I loved the Ventures and I also have the “learn to play” vinyl….I loved to play Raunchy which was one of those and a Taste of Honey….the Ventures were absolutely great !
Thank you, Rick.
I studied piano when I was 7 and 8. I took up flute when I was 10, and continued with lessons until I left high school. I was in church and school choirs. But the first song of any kind I learned? Probably the alphabet song, or Twinkle, Twinkle. Probably those before a Christmas carol. But we’re talking about 60 years ago, so . . .
What is the German word for pliers?
According to the on-line dictionaries it’s Zange.
I started learning guitar many many years ago, ( the Beatles had just broken up!) but the first song I remember was a simplified version of “San Francisco Bay Blues”.
The first song I ever learned on guitar was “Oasis- Morning Glory” and “Beatles-Love Me Do” on bass guitar around 1995(ish) which my eldest brother taught me and before that my Dad used to teach me on the old organ we used to have and the first song I learned on that was probably “Maggie-Foster and Allen” this was my Nan’s favourite song too and she used to pay me 50p to sing it to her and that would have been around 1988(ish). Many good memories with these songs.
Chopsticks on the piano. I was quite the prodigy. 🙂
I took piano lessons from 1st to 6th grade. I don’t remember what the first song I learned, but I’m sure that it was a classical piece, because that’s what my teacher had us playing.
I learned trumpet in 5th grade and the first song I learned was twinkle twinkle little star. Never got much farther. I tried to learn to play the bass guitar after high school but the only song I could play all the way through was At the zoo by Simon and Garfunkel.
Interesting to see how others change strings. I don’t use a capo or the hand width string spacing tricks, but good to know for future changes!
Do you ever polish the frets during a string change?. It’s easy to do and makes quite a difference.
I started learning guitar when I was 10 with a teacher using the old Mel Bay guitar method books. In hindsight it was a terrible way to learn because you spent a lot of time learning single note melodies when all you really want to do is learn chords in order to play whatever your favourite songs are at the time. My memory is a bit hazy because it was so long ago but the first song I played was probably Ode To Joy or something like that but just playing single notes to the melody.
Mel Bay! I still shudder when I think about that method. It was the method of choice at the Kiwanis Music Festival competitions in which I competed, so we stuck with the books, aghhhh! Once in a while a song was selected from Ronnie Lee and I just loved it!
*Booker T. & The MG’s
The first song that I played on the drums was, “Green Onions” by Booker T. & MG’s.I was 14 years old.
I first started playing the bass when I was about 12 years old. It was an aria pro cat bass and the first ever song that i learned was the beatles twist and shout n also the knack with my sherona. After playing bass for about 10 years n played about 20 shows in clubs while going to school I decided to switch to playing guitars n ever since. Its really nice to see you guys being cool with the guitars n taking care of them i love doing that stuff n playing them after . A couple of weeks ago I bought a Vox ac30 after seeing you guys n in your youtube live videos you guys have a great live guitar sound. This amp has a great vintage sound n really really loud . I love that . You two are just great n really awesome n cute .
Mine is: ‘I wanna hold your hand’ by the Beatles, when I heard it and saw it on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964. I knew I wanted a guitar or some drums.
It wasn’t a song it was a piece of music many years ago.My mother had on the old 78 records . It was from a film called the Third Man. Learnt much later. I was only 4 at the time. Apparently I kept bubbling or humming to it . Title The Harry Lime Theme. It was played on a Glockenspiel. I still can hear it now. I.hope this is ok Ken
The first song I learned to play on guitar in 1966 was Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones.The first song I learned to sing was Save The Last Dance For Me by The Drifters in the early early 1960s, just because I liked the beat so much!
in the mid 1950’s I tried to learn accordian but that didnt work at all, then was taught back in 1971 how to play part of 96 Tears on organ so the organist could stand off and hear how it sounded with the whole band. Nothing again until 2014 when I decided to learn to play the organ and bought a Casio with built in lessons – first song I choose to learn was House Of The Rising Sun
My parents bought my sister a ukulele as a trial to see if she would stick with it and progress to guitar. She got bored with it so I picked it up and started learning chords and songs by ear (the way I still play today). The first song I figured out how to play was Mr Tambourine Man by the Byrds, followed by Turn Turn Turn.
The first instrument that I ever played was in Grade 3. We were given recorders and were taught how to play “Hot Cross Buns”. There was also a song that the melody stayed the same but the lyrics changed from holiday to holiday.
Grade 4 was the real year. Guitar lessons were offered at my school and I just jumped in. I guess the first song was a ditty named “Dogs and Cats” from the Creating Music for Guitar book published by Alfred Music.
The first real song (something decent) was soon after when I started taking lessons outside of school…”Come Back to Sorrento” by Giambattista DeCurtis. Needless to say, it was a simple, but nice version that was arranged by Ronnie Lee. Lee arranged great pieces in his guitar methods.
This goes way back – I told my parents that I wanted to learn to play the drums (early 60s). Their response was “you can’t play drums in the house, they are so loud – what will the neighbors think.” Argh!! I kept trying and a couple of years later my mom and I visited a music business so I could finally learn to play the drums. I told them I wanted to learn to play the drums and they replied “well you must learn to play the accordion first.” Argh!!! I went along with it and started learning the accordion – great day what a pain!! The first thing I remember actually playing was a part in Glen Miller’s “In The Mood” which we all played at a concert for our parents. Then the nice ladies who insisted that I had to learn accordion skipped town and left us all in limbo with expensive accordions! I gave up learning how to play an instrument until I retired from my environmental engineering career and decided that I wanted to learn to play guitar. I am now learning chords and can play bits and pieces of a few songs, but no complete songs yet. Hopefully, very soon I can provide the name of the song that I have finally learned to play. Rock on and stay groovy, all!!!
While young I learned songs by Roy Rogers(a singing cowboy on tv) Later on in high school and university I would sing these songs at inappropriate times to appear as not cool as possible
The first song I learnt to play on guitar was Peggy Sue by Buddy Holly. Only 3 chords, but sounded quite impressive as I knew the words as well.
Hope you all have a lovely Easter weekend ???? ????????
Hello Ladies,
That was a great cleaning and Restringing lesson. I didn’t know anything about the cleaning part, but had some idea about restringing a guitar. Not to this extent though.
This is going back a few years, but I guess you never truly forget the firsts of many things.
The first song I learned to sing was Puff The Magic Dragon,( I was about 8 or 9, ) which ended up being banned in several places.
The first song on an instrument I learned was Jingle Bells on the Trombone (took lessons for 2 years).
I has Banjo lessons and guitar lessons as well, but nothing ever stuck with me due to my perception issues. (Hands and fingers won’t move in unison at same time. )
That’s one of the reasons I so enjoy watching your videos, and listening to your music.
I am in awe of your immense talent. It’s something I can’t do, so in some ways you play for me.
Thank s Ladies for bring such joy to my corner of the world.
Best always.
Rick
The first song I learned on guitar was “Pretty Mary” by Peter, Paul and Mary. I was 12 years old. The teacher got married and moved to Argentina, and that was the end of my guitar lessons – until 55 yrs. later, I started to learn how to play it again. Thanks to you two. Appreciate the maintenance lessons. I recently got your first album so “stand by me” is fresh on my mind. Love your hair Lisa. Stay groovy. Peace be.
Changing strings, I recall he late Joe Osborne, famous Bass player recording sessions player of The Wrecking Crew. Was on many popular songs of the 60’-80’s was asked about his Bass guitar and how often he changed strings. He said he got his guitar in 1960 and never considered changing the strings until asked about it. Joe Osborne did not change his strings for 15 years ????????
The first song I learned how to play on guitar was Down in the Valley, from my high school music teacher. the grade school I went to sold recorders one year and First song I learned was Hot Crossed Buns.
My first song I played was You Really Got Me by the kinks on a cheap silver tone guitar.
I think for me it was “For Your Love” by the Yard Birds. Songs seemed so simple back then one you learn to play
Hi Ron….I remember playing For Your Love in the band I was in…this video today has really brought back memories and interesting to see what songs others played so many years ago.
Remembering the first song. Playing the piano takes me back to the spring of 1963. I have been playing for awhile now. About 59 years. Wow next year I will have to celebrate 60 yrs.
I was 12 yrs old in the spring of 1963 and later that year 13. My first song is probably “Mary Had A Little Lamb” It has been several thousands of songs ago.????
Greensleeves. Basic easy chords. I think it was in Mel Bay book #1. I wanted so badly to play The Beatles hits I was hearing on the radio. But you’ve gotta crawl before you can walk. I never quite got past the crawling stage.
I always dread changing my guitar strings, but I have it on my phone calendar and when I get the reminder I go ahead and get it done.
Since I started out as a drummer the first song I remember learning on drums was “Love Potion Number Nine.” I remember practicing that one song, standing by the record player, over and over and over for months.
Then when I was learning guitar, the first song I remember learning (after months of learning chords) was, “Bad Moon Rising.” A friend showed me how to play it and I thought I was a guitarist. ???? Ha! Haha
Good memories and thanks to you both, I am still creating good memories!! Much love!!
The first song that I learned on guitar was “Tom Dooley” by the Kingston Trio.
The song I learned was both the lyrics/singing and drumming was Paul Simon’s Kodachrome, still a favorite song of mine.
What a fun video. Thanks.
I’m pretty sure Dan Fogelberg’s “The Last Nail” was the first time I managed the sing and playing at the same time thing.
I remember my mom singing ” How Much is that Doggie in the Window?” when I was 2 or 3.
Oh my gosh… I must have been maybe 6 or 7 (1956-57) when my parents got me a record player and 2 records …”How Much is that Doggie in the Window” by Patti Page and the other was Jim Reeves “Bimbo”
I vaguely recall that we hit this topic in the advent calendar, but I didn’t think to take notes, so…
I started off playing the flutophone (recorder) when I was eight. After we learned how to finger three notes (C, D, and E) we played Mary Had a Little Lamb. But since we hadn’t learned G yet, we replaced it with E. That substitution still annoys me to this day.
After being inspired by Lisa a couple of years ago to learn to play the ukulele, I searched the internet for a three-chord song that I knew and liked, and the first one I found and mastered was Leaving on a Jet Plane.
This also reminds me of watching my 2nd oldest bro changing strings on his guitars when we were at home growing up, he cursed a few times in the process, broke strings, etc ….lol, I enjoyed watching this, learned stuff , Thankyou for posting this ????????
Loved this and a fab Giveaway idea… well, I can’t recall what songs I sung in music class during my elementary school days, etc… but I do recall singing a duet with a friend at my first Karaoke experience many moons ago, John Denver’s ” Country Roads ” , fast fwd a few yrs ago at a famiky bday party, I sang a few different songs with Karaoke setup, and then at a few yrs ago sang at an open mic jam, the Beatles ‘ ” I Saw Her Standing There ” , and more recently, as in in October at an open mic jam, I Air-Guitared on some song (forgotten now what song ) with Open Mic House Band using my Guitar Purse ….hoping that all qualifies to be in this Giveaway for commenting upon ….lol …????????????????????
Hi Mona and Lisa. I just love this, being able to hang out with you both virtually, watching you both talk shop about your craft and seeing how you restring your guitars. It’s so cool hearing about all the customizations on your most famous Gretsch Duo Jet Lisa and the guitar lessons, and awesome to know about that Martin you used Mona on “Songbird”. What a cool idea about giving away the strings, as it will be so special knowing they were the ones used on songs we love like Songbird, and Questionable…. Your coconut story was so fun Mona, but sorry to hear about your toe, hope your toe feels better soon. Loved seeing that Swiss Army knife, I tend to carry mine on me all the time and end up tightening all the loose screws around the house. Even cut down a big branch in the backyard with it. LOL.
The first song that I learned, practiced, memorized in my sleep was a simplified version of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata for a piano competition. I started taking lessons at a little music school run by a music store where I bought my acoustic Baldwin upright piano. I took lessons there for a few years.
My piano teacher thought it would be good to play something in front of an audience, so she enrolled me in their piano competition. ???? I started my piano lessons very late. I was about 30, and all the other competition participants were mostly kids, so I was the oldest at the competition. It went OK, made a few mistakes I hope no one noticed! ???? Other songs I thought about doing for the competition were Beethoven’s Fur Elise, or Mozart’s “Rondo Alla Turca”, but I chose the Moonlight Sonata I think because of this scene from the Beethoven movie Immortal Beloved that really moved me. I recall back then when the movie came out, they even showed the scene on the news. It expressed how when Beethoven because of his disability (deafness) increasingly became more isolated and alienated from people and society, was able to still communicate and express himself and his deepest emotions through music, which was very special I thought.
All your new songs are amazing, looking forward to your new album. Thanks for doing this, really, really enjoyed it!
Have a great week! ???? ???? ❤
Jung
Loved hearing you replay a bit of “Stand By Me”. In fact on the 2007 album, your Der Kommisar, Back To Life, Stand By Me, and Aufsteh’n are superb and some of my top favourites from the album! Love your vocals on those.
My dad was an accomplished musician, and could play dozens of instruments.
Me? not so much.
That being said, I was always surrounded by instruments, and could play (almost recognizably) “mary had a little lamb” (badly) on any of them.
I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this video! It was like I was visiting you in your house on an afternoon. I was entertained and I learned a lot about how you take care of a guitar.
I can play some harmonica and the first song I learned was Silent Night which I can still play on it although I hardly ever pick one up.
When I was younger I actually had a very good voice so I was a singer. It started in grade school, I remember in first grade when we had a school play and I had the lead as the Gingerbread Boy. I had to pop out of an oven made of cardboard and sing “I am the Gingerbread Boy I am!” I always got the lead or male lead in school plays where singing was involved. Later when my voice changed, I still had a good voice but I lost a lot of the purity and sweetness, especially in the upper register. That is why I love how you ladies sing, especially Lisa who reminds me so much of Karen Carpenter with her phrasing and range. But she can still tear off a scorcher like White Room too. Amazing!!!
Happy Easter to my favorite European ladies and your family. I will have 2 chocolate bunnies named Mona and Lisa and bite their heads off in your honor, but with love and respect ????????????????of course.
Hi Tim. I felt the same way. This reminds me of the Christmas livestream where it felt like we were all invited to spend Christmas eve at the Wagner’s home, and this felt like spending an afternoon over at a friends place, ie Mona and Lisa, hanging out with them as they work on their guitars. Love these kinds of videos.
They are great, aren’t they Jung? It really is like you just stopped by and they were doing their thing and you hung out a little while with them. They are so down to earth and natural. And you feel very welcome. This isn’t acting, it is being good people. They also have a knack for explaining things to non musicians or non techies and make you understand without making you feel stupid, something special indeed. Celebrities could learn so much from them. Ordinary people too. I ????them.
My guitar tutor was a jazz player, the late Ron Moore, and the first two songs I remember he tried to teach me were Je t’appertiens (better known in the English-speaking world as Let It Be Me, recorded by the Everly Brothers and Bob Dylan among others) and Duke Ellington’s Don’t Get Around Much Anymore. At that age (ten or eleven) my hands were too small to form some of the jazz chords cleanly, so I’d sometimes sing along to make up for my limitations as a player. My voice hadn’t broken, tho’, and I remember the following year at school being given the non-singing part of Ringo while my three class mates sang She Loves You, From Me To You and Twist & Shout. It was 1963 ….
https://gypsyjazzuk.wordpress.com/36-2/ron-moore/
https://www.heraldscotland.com/default_content/12605420.ron-moore-guitarist/
My first song I learned how to play on the piano is isnt life strange by the moody blues i recently recorded the song on the guitar
Hi Nicola…the Moody Blues is one of my all-time top 5 bands…the others being the Beatles…Bee Gees…Hollies…and the Seekers…all from the 60s era….and of course the MonaLisa Twins are the greatest thing going this century !