Can you play Smoke On The Water

[Robert****]

Just checking...

Seems like it's forbidden to play this tune for some reason. People say it's overdone and overplayed, yet I've seldom encountered a band who had Smoke On The Water on their play list.

I guess it's the tune a lot of young players learn first, or so I hear. It sure was one of the first riffs I ever learned at the tender age of 13.

So, can YOU play it?

[Jimi75]

Funny that you aks! I have just played the main riff at our last gig, but it was meant to be a joke for the audience....

So yes, I can play that song, not only the main riff.

[markb]

Oscar Wilde once said that a gentleman was "one who can play the bagpipes, but doesn't". Thus, as far as Smoke on the Water is concerned I am a perfect gentleman

[oldguy]

I would much rather hear "Smoke on the water" played on guitar than "Flight of the bumblebee" played on accordian!

(I can play it, but haven't for yrs.)

[Kazz]

Yep.....count me in...can play it...but don't......kinda like Stairway to Heaven.

[mainestratman]

Nope. Well, the opening riff, but I never bothered learning it. Not one of their better songs.

[Tig***]

70's flash back!

I was witness to the exact same phenomenon over and over:
Dude walks in to a room and sees a guitar, usually an acoustic, and picks it up immediately strumming (usually poorly) the power chords to "Smoke On The Water".
It is like a running joke.

[Bloozcat]

I can, but I don't...unless I'm feeling particularly sardonic.

I agree that just like Stairway to Heaven it's been done ad nauseum. Not on many bands playlists today, but it seemed to be on everyone's back in the 70's.

It's hard to remember back to a time when the song hadn't been played to death, but it used to be a good song.

[marnold***]

A couple of years ago I learned the rest of the rhythm part and began working at the solo but never got any further than that. It was all prompted by my kids hearing the song for the first time and they really liked it. I didn't hear that song growing up anywhere near as much as I heard "Stairway." It probably is a testament to how influential those songs are that they have been played ad nauseam.

[Katastrophe]

Learned the opening riff, but never learned the whole song. Ritchie Blackmore did say that the opening riff is to be played soley with the fingers.

It's not on any setlists these days because the song has been overplayed. Seriously overplayed.

[Tone2TheBone]

I just played it this morning.

[Spudman***]

Yes. We had this in our set list for some time many years ago. I know it all the way through and can even toss it into a medely. It's become like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star for me. Just one of those songs that stick around.

[Monkus]

Sure can, but dont. I actually taught the riff to a young 'un recently. Everytime I've heard it live, it was just the main riff meant as a joke. Even Metallica joked about it (somewhere on youtube).

[progrmr]

I learned the bass parts for smoke on the water - it's NOT easy lol!

[sunvalleylaw]

I know the main riff in a couple of different ways of playing it, but have not done so in a while.

[Retro Hound]

We spent a couple days visiting some friends a few years ago and they had Guitar Hero. The kids played that song until I was sick of it! When we started learning real guitar last year, someone showed my 13 year old how to play the opening riff only using the low E string. He refuses to learn it the right way.

[M29]

I stumbled on to it a sometime ago while trying to figure out something else. It is forever etched in my mind. Grad 1971.

[street music]

I have the riff down like several others but like Stairway to Heaven , I CAN'T PLAY THE ENTIRE SONG, as I have found with a lot of people. I do like both songs as they are classic material.

[sumitomo]

Street I'm with ya man I know the riffs but not the hole songs.Sumi