Brian is a national treasure. This is one of the most practical lessons of all time.

Not to mention the guitar they hand you is usually has a warped neck, 10 year old strings and bad tuning machines.

Having played guitar for over 40 years, and been in this situation many times, I believe this is some of the best advice you'll ever get.

I've started playing My Sweet Lord for like 20 minutes. People either shave their heads and join the temple or never ask again

When my youngest was in kindergarten I had just started to learn guitar. A number of the parents of her class were professional musicians (specialising in kids entertainment too) and had come in to play for the kids. My daughter was so keen for me to come and play that I found it hard to resist. At the time I could play a few songs in the 1,4 5 style and could sing them to myself but was terrified of singing in public. I shuffled around a bit but eventually came up with a plan to cover my lack of skill. I played a few chords while the kids danced around and then would stop quickly and they had to immediately freeze. It was a hit. The game lasted about 20 minutes and my daughter was thrilled. I was just relieved.I've improved a lot since then but I think if asked to play publicly on my own I'd be the one freezing. Thanks for the advice.

This lesson alone is worth the price of a membership to Active Melody.

I’m a professional “ noodler “ but I’ve learned to play just a few semi easy songs really really good...for the times I’ve been asked to play a song ...then I go back to....noodling 😎🎸

When that used to happen to me, I would say "I'll play if you sing". Took the pressure off a bit as people suddenly feel the pressure is on them, which makes it easier to relax into the playing. Also, if you're not experienced, just know Beatles songs to strum.

This is the time when I am grateful being a lefty. No one has a lefty guitar sitting in the corner :)

Another point to this is that we, as musicians, need to stop being so hard on ourselves and realize that most non-music folk will be perfectly content with hearing simplicity if they want to see you play. They are not going to judge you on your technique or tell you that you're not playing fast enough or not doing enough crazy inversion chords. If you come across a snobby musician, maybe that will happen, but what does it matter what they think anyway? As long as it's something that sounds nice they will be happy. Thanks for another great video

I watched George Harrison being interviewed on a talk show and that happened to him. Someone gave him a guitar and he froze. Now he did play, but you could tell he was nervous and even made a couple of mistakes. But I remember thinking, my God, he's human! Lol!

I'm left handed. I just tell them "Wrong side up" and I'm saved.

I must've learned at least a thousand songs during my lifetime and EVERY TIME I'm in that situation, I can't remember ONE OF THEM! It's insane! Thank goodness I'm not the only one! Once I choke out the first one, though, it opens the floodgate!

This is my goal, I've learned 4-5 of your acoustic lessons in the last 6 months, but still struggling with improv. You are my inspiration thank you Brian

Thank you Brian! Your advice gives me hope. You are very humble. You are an excellent player, teacher and, in my opinion, you have the best guitar instruction site of all the sites I've looked at.

Wow! Been playing since I was 6 (I’m 63 now) and always learning. This discussion was so impressive. Yours was the first to which I subscribed for lessons. Great job.

i’m very glad you tackle realistic seemingly mundane topics. it’s very helpful

Other than Brian's awesome advice here, Active Melody lessons and Microlessons are a perfect solution for that! Many of them are short and sweet and most likely you'll get "hey, that sounds good, what is it?" reaction. I did every single time.

You nail it man! This is exactly what I’m learning blues right now. I spent years on classical finger style and technical things that always freeze up on me when ‘performing’ like this... but a I-IV-V blues with some lead lines really resonates with pretty much everyone.

My response to that scenario is to play a song to which people like to sing along. A great example is Wish You Were Here. The intro with the little solo isn't difficult but it impresses, and then it's easy open chords and people will inherently start singing along because everyone knows the words. That takes all the pressure off instantly and turns it into a fun group moment rather than just a single spotlight on me, the guitar player.

I agree, I think it happens to everyone and it can be so embarrassing. But on a side note I’ve been enjoying these extra videos you’ve been doing lately with words of encouragement and advice.

Your self accompaniment videos are gold, love them!👍🎸🇨🇦

Your improvisation is great, you blend rhythm and lead so smoothly

Thank you! Between you, Steve Stine, Stitch Method, and my 1962 paper wheel Nick Manoloffs moder accompaniment guide,Mel Bay folk song book, I may have finally got to where I may learn to play before body parts are used elsewhere. Always appreciate soft sell. I think I’ll buy something from you and Stine already did with stitch, for my 69th birthday this week.

Thanks, Brian!! It was the “no accompaniment” tunes that drew me to AM in the first place. Just awesome!!!

Brilliant stuff, I love your laid back style! Years ago I went to a music store to try out a guitar n the store guy sat with me, which I didn’t want to happen. Even though I’ve played for years I’m not very good n hate playing in front of anyone, even my wife! So I tried to rattle off my best stuff before almost apologising to the store guy for not being very good....... he just said, “hey, you’re better than me n I work in a music store!” That was a nice boost!

I need at least a half hour to start finding my groove most of time. I had that experience last month. I had fresh strings that I struggled to get and stay in tune which made matters worse. Humiliating! I’ve been playing for years. Great topic. Love being a member. You always come up with such simple tasty stuff.

I am loving these mid-week tip sessions! Nice work and hope you keep it going!

Wow thank you for your honesty. It's nice to know that we are all learning all the time. Cheers Brian.

Thank you for this video ! I'm a pretty decent guitarist when nobody's listening:) Just knowing that this happens to other guitarists too, is all I needed to hear. I'll press on & push through now. I'll find the guts to do a gig finally. Thanks all.

Thanks Brian. Really encouraging! I'm now in my second year as an active melody member, and getting so much out of your lessons.

Love this. I have experienced this feeling of stone fingers and memory lock so many times!

This was great! I've watched a few of your videos now. You are very thorough and make things easy to grasp. I'll definitely be checking your channel out. Looking forward to it. Thanks man! 👍

Thanks a lot Brian! This is the exact thing that happened to me with exactly the same events. This happened when I went to my friend's birthday party. I knew a few fingerstyle songs and I could play them all perfectly but all those songs required capo and they didn't have one, so I got stuck and I didn't know what to play. I was very disappointed with my performance. After coming home, the first thing I did was I searched this topic and BOOM! You came as a savior and it was almost as if you saw what happened with me. Thankyou so much for your beautiful piece of advice and awesome lesson. This lesson is very helpful. Keep doing the good work.

Been a paid up subscriber to the excellent Active Melody for quite sometime. After watching this I'll start focussing on your playing unaccompanied lessons section more now.

Wow....you hit the nail on the head! I have been playing nearly 50 years, 35 professionally, and it's funny how this still occasionally happens....lol! You freeze and the fingers get weak. One feels they need to really impress and as you said so perfectly, "melt their face". And you are exactly right, actually a simple 3 chord vocal song or some noodling would do quite well. Great advice to have about 5 songs polished and ready for when this happens. This is my first time on your channel...now subbed! BTW, very nice and well laid out website Brian!

Great video, excellent advice, but do we believe that you Brian have a freeze moment when asked to play something on guitar?...no way man!!! You're the coolest dude on guitar and an excellent teacher to boot.

Great stuff Brian, good advise. I'll be looking for an easier " no accompaniment " lesson to work on and have at my ready when this happens. Thanks for all the great work you do!

Love your style Brother, relaxed and informative! Thank You for giving others your gift.

What a great question! Excellent topic!

Brian , your spot on about preparing , for that certain time that eventually happens , and not looking foolish, when it does!

Fascinating! With barely five months under my belt and still trying to get comfortable with the basic open chords this is way beyond me, BUT it's a huge insight into where I want to be and what my response will be when the day comes and I'm handed a guitar at a social event! Many thanks.

More of this please Brian...very inspiring

My trick with this is to run several songs into each other so you don't need to remember whole songs and so you don't have to end them awkwardly once you can't remember any more.

Man I can relate so much to this... thanks again for these short topic videos Brian!

I'm not a singer so I've learned a few finger style pieces for that situation - but I have to keep practicing them! I really like your blues and jazz examples - I'll have to learn what you just did!

Good presentation. I really like your laid back style and perspective on this

That is so true & I'm glad you addressed it.All the time spent learning & then someone says "well play something" & you don't know where to begin! But when you're alone(which is where you are when you're learning for years)you can play whatever comes to mind. Maybe that's why I've seen players shut their eyes or wear shades---so they can tune out everything else---and pretend they're alone, as always.

I needed to hear this. Thank you. I'm learning Martin Taylor's "True" and my fingers turn into bananas when someone - even family members - ask me how far I've got.

The best video you've ever done. I know a hundred tunes but.... you want me to play one ? Oh Lawd!

This is so relevant. And most of the time those people who ask you to "play something" are usually the people who's not really into the same thing as you are. That gives you the pressure to play something that would impress them. I found that hard to accomplish. Impressing people is not in my musical goals, not anymore. That's what makes it even more difficult to respond to. Can't say that I'm experienced in terms of playing in front of an audience, but I've done plenty. And yet still I froze every time somebody ask me to play something. I've been asked that kind of question so many times, I found that (in my case) the best response is to say politely if I don't want to. If I want to refuse, I can say no honestly without being a jerk, and try to make it as light as possible such as "Ahh.. I really can't play in front of people spontaneously. I need to rehearse". I plainly told the truth. And if in rare cases I decided to play something, I just play something that is casual and stuff that I think the audience (s) can relate to. So I won't play blues if the audience is somebody who isn't familiar with the blues, or I'll just joking around and talk about something else. But like all things, for me there's an exception. If I'm in a situation where most of the audience are the guys that I'm familiar with, or if I were asked like in a blues community. I consider those guys as peers, and for me if they ask me to play something, I know what they are expecting. And they know what to expect from me. No pressure, so it's high chance that I would play something for them.

Man, this guy gets better and better.

I’ve learned a few really intricate fingerstyle songs and polished them to as close to perfection as possible. I was in a guitar shop recently chatting to an older guy who I sort of recognised. He asked me to play something so I smashed out my best finger style. A thousand notes. He picks up a guitar and plays 5, maybe 6 notes and blows me away. Feel, timing, tone all perfection. Turns out he is one of Australia’s most famous blues guys but anyway. I learned a lesson that day.

Always great advice and yes it has happened! Really enjoy Brian’s advice sans the guitar. Helps much too! Thx!

I just play Smoke On The Water, on just the low E string, smile real big, like you just earned a Grammy, and set the guitar down, and walk off.

That's where you come in! I play songs you've taught me that don't need backing tracks and I don't have to sing.

You are a really good teacher and I try to follow all your videos. Thank you

Daily practice eases that anxiety in a huge way. We are always our own worst critic

You are so right. I'm a Nashville born cat but play R&roll about 100 songs. People always ask play for us. I DON'T SING. Play nice guitar work but most people are not into the music without words. Sad.

Yep, DEFINITELY been there! When ever I go to any kind of function where this could possibly happen I tell who ever I'm going with "Don't you DARE mention ANYTHING about a guitar!"

Great advise I am one of those that know a lot of bits and pieces of stuff. From listing to you I know more than I think I know I just have to put it to use and play and practice thanks John J

I can totally relate to this. I was at a clients' place earlier this year for dinner, her husband hands me his guitar and says play something. I had a few songs that I had been practicing, but in the heat of the moment I couldn't remember a single one. Improvising is the holy grail, just hope some day I'll be able to get my head around it. Fantastic tips in this clip!

Whole Lotta Love. Most everyone knows it, and you're sitting on an E power chord, which allows you to bounce into 100 difference recognizable riffs. After about a 2 minute/4-5 intro medley, everyone is unimpressed and they go back to whatever they were doing before asking you to play.

Link Wray "Rumble", only damn thing I can ever remember when asked👍🏻

this,(for me) is probably the best video ive ever seen on you tube.!!!!!!!

I love your playing ,honesty and how you understand the plight of ordinary average players like most of us , the way you speak and teach is very captivating , lots of what you say just hit home. ,for me coming from classical guitar back ground the idea of improvisation is so alluring and mysterious ,just no idea how to do it ,where would you start with this on your site as total beginner improvisor ,not guitar player?

I used to be in this situation 9 out of 10 times untll I learn your lesson EP225.Now I play that lesson whenever people ask me to play and I am an instant hero.I am a premier member of active melody in another account and that's the best money I have spent on guitar lesson till date.Brian is a hermit who plays amazing guitar and the best teacher u can ever get.Namaste and stay safe.

After 45 years - can finally pull it off 😳 - GREAT INSTRUCTION / ADVICE 👍✌️✌️

Play "the song that doesn't end" and just keep on going until they get sick of it and stop you or walk away. They will never ask again.

I’m feeling pressure just watching you talk about feeling pressure 😂 Your lessons are always great and I won’t live long enough to go through them all.

You are talkin' true on the majority of your points & what a good empathic topic to encourage relatively beginning players. For eg. " you" are very proficient at this point so when you say " just make something up" & you come up with this structured fabulous polished blues piece that makes it sound like you could play it upside down hanging from a ladder inside the shower while the water is running! In real life, wherever you exist in the world I'd be happy to take guitar lessons from you!

When I would book a bar gig.I would go to the bar on a week night and write down the songs that were played in the juke box..then on Saturday night I would play those songs.

What fantastic, practical advice - thank you!

I tell 'em "I'm an ensemble player and you probably wouldn't recognize what I'm playing." Now, that example at 4:20 is an excellent idea! I gotta use something like that cause that's what I play...the blues.Great video.

Excellent advise, thank you Brian. 👍🏻🎸👊🏻

THIS IS SO CONFIDANCE MAKING BRIAN THANKS !

Great video and great advice about improvising. I'm an "older beginner" but I do know a fair amount of licks and riffs but very very few whole songs but I've never played in front of anyone but my wife. So someone told me Johnny Van Zant from Lynyrd Skynyrd was having lunch catered for the fire department where I work as a thank you on 9/11. He's really that cool. So I bring my strat with me in case there would be an opportunity for him to sign it. He's super cool and just hanging out with us so I ask him and he says "sure go get it". So he strums a bit on it and then signs it for me and then says let's hear what you got. I absolutely froze. I even know the licks from Sweet Home Alabama, Gimme 3 Steps and Tuesday's Gone.......nothing. I didn't even remember that I knew those songs. I wanted to throw up. I nervously strummed a couple chords that made no sense. He was so cool about but it was embarrassing. So I've been trying to make sure I have at least something at the ready for whenever someone asks me to play something.

What a great idea for a lesson! I've always sort of known I should know all the words to five songs with only three chords...great advice, for sure.

Excellent points Brian and a topic.not discussed too much.

Great advice as always from the best guitar teacher on the Internet

Whenever anybody asks me to play something on the guitar, I immediately start strumming and singing “Something in the way she moves, attracts me like no other lover...”

My go to songs are Paul’s “yesterday” followed by “blackbird” “junk” “heart of the country” and probably end it with “cant help falling in love”

"Yeah, so if you're not sure what to play, just play this ..." (Brian breaks into Scuttle Buttin'" 🤣). Thank you for sharing all of your guitar wisdom and talent.

when someone asks me to play something, i just say no and that's it.

OMG - I tell this to every student! And I aim them in this direction, constantly.

Hey Brian, that’s why I pay for your lessons. I pick one of your original pieces that I like and practice it until I’ve got it down. If a situation comes up where I have to play in front of anybody it’s no big deal because your stuff is all original. Listeners can’t identify it so they can’t critique it. But, it still sounds really great. Even with me playing it.

I play my own songs it’s only me that knows if they are right or not😁

I had on incident like this, 20 yrs ago, and I've been traumatized by it ever since. So wonderful to hear you talk about it and about how common it is. Overall, music is a very mysterious medium. The guitar, as an instrument, adds it's own puzzling factors to the situation. It's like I'm one step from totally sucking AND one step from being a guitar god, all the time. This is still a very puzzling state of affairs that continues to cause me some anxiety.

Hi Brian.This resonates with me. I play well in my room but freeze and invariably mess it up.Need this assurance.

Boy oh Boy can I relate....... I really enjoyed what you had to say... I have been plinking around on guitar since 1968 when I was 12 ....... still plinking and love every minute of it..... wish I could sing.....lol... still scares the hell out of me.

I've been at it for two yrs, and four months, but I practice all day everyday. My top five are I'm a rolling stone, the midnite special, I'm so lonesome I could cry, I'm a thousand miles from nowhere, and all you ever do is bring me down, and just stay here and drink for an encore. Guitar is so much fun. I'm old and retired, with guitar I'm fighting off dementia, and having a ball. My old hands and shoulders hurt, but it's worth it. Wish I had picked it up at a younger age, but I was to busy chasing that dollar.

Great encouragement and insights. Thanks.

I've been a member for well over a year playing guitar for many years and the lessons are so beneficial to really unlocking the guitar in general. I can't study guitar all the time, but when I do, I logon to Active Melody and look through my favorite lessons and see if I can go through the whole composition and if not, I work on the area's I'm weak at until I have that one lesson down. It's very rewarding to start seeing the connections of the CAGED system and the most often used scale patterns. As far as playing in public, it's not a good idea to be the sole person playing in the spot light until you get some playing time with someone else that can be in the spot light. It's better to play with others who can play and you are just part of the jam session. That way all the pressure is not all on you. That said, who cares as long as you have fun doing what your doing. If you know any simple chord progressions, just play them with rythm and style the best you can. Another idea that I like to employ is using Drop D tuning and playing a few easier songs in that tuning. It's easier to play in Drop-D and it has that special sound to it. Then when you are feeling more comfortable, go back to standard tuning and have fun.

I’m new to guitar, but have been playing drums for 40 years ... as a kid I’d play at every opportunity (yeah ok, you’re right I mean show off!) as I got older the opposite happened , you’d never get me to play to anyone despite practicing alone on my pad daily ... my other half was amazed when at friends, I sat behind a kit and played ... we’d been together years and I assumed I’d only dabbled as a kid ... the upside was she forced me to buy a kit (even though I still won’t play for her!!) .... she recently learnt from my old mum that I’m also a Grade 8 trumpet player (UK qualification) - yep you guessed it ... I’ve never played trumpet for her either and now she’s badgering to hear my efforts at guitar! Happy playing people 😊

"Can you say something funny?" "I doubt it." Best lines from GOOD MORNING VIETNAM!

I've watched this several times. Like the humor.

I cant believe this video only has 236k views. Every one of us has been through this. I've played well over 500 gigs, half as a solo acoustic singer/guitarist, I know probably 300 songs note for note with lyrics yet when somebody hands me a guitar I literally cant think of a single song I know. Lmao. Brilliant video!!

Bend a reasonably high note, add vibrato to show your great feel, improvise a fast descending minor scale run that slows into a more exotic scale and ends with another bend with vibrato. Slide a note all the way up and down the fretboard, pick slides optional, and then hand the guitar back to them.

Thankyou for the confidence

I just play one of your awesome blues pieces - built to be free and structured at the same time