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It's probably not so true today as it was a few years ago, but put yourself in the position of the people who work in the music store.

In the 70s every 2nd kid who walks in and plays a guitar has been inspired to take up guitar by either Stairway or Smoke on the Water. Say 50 people come in on an average shift and 30 play Stairway. You work 5 days a week. That means you hear the opening notes of Stairway played badly 250 times a week. You would get annoyed, wouldn't you?

Stairway Denied!

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Nah, it's a myth. Stairway (like Smoke on the Water) became songs so often played in stores that it became a joke. In the 90s it was Metallica or it's Nirvana and Green Day. Kids playing songs poorly all day long (and at concert volume) will drive anyone nuts. But I've never actually seen someone kicked out for playing Stairway. Kicked out for being annoying, yes. But the "No Stairway" thing doesn't go beyond Wayne's World. Unless the salesman is a total dick. The key is to play it well. Then the guys wanna know what band you're in! :lol:

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went to my brother's graduation from boot camp last summer in kentucky and the first thing we did after the ceremony was stop at a small music store as he is an incredible guitar player who had been deprived of his fix for the past ten weeks...

...we go to the back of the store and there is an out of tune mandolin, spends several minutes plucking the strings, in tune finally...breaks out into battle of evermore...

...well the employee comes walking back there and stood there smiling...probably doesn't happen everyday where a practically bald headed soldier dressed in his class a's walks in and rocks the house...i'll never forget that moment...all i could think was yep, that's my bro...

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  • 3 weeks later...
i may sound like an idiot for asking this but why do you?

If 5 notes or more Stairway are played, the music store automatically becomes liable to pay royalties to the music company. This is not limited to just to STH but any song that reach the Billboard Top 100 anytime during its release.

gramaphone.gif

Obviously it makes no economic sense for any instrument retailer to take hit on its bottom line in this manner.

Honestly.

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Real simple: If your salesman tries to tell me what the fuck I can or cannot play in your store, you just lost a sale. If I'm considering buying a $2000 Les Paul, and I want to play fucking Stairway, your salesman would be wise to stay the hell out of my face. Otherwise $2000 just walked out your door. See ya.

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If 5 notes or more Stairway are played, the music store automatically becomes liable to pay royalties to the music company. This is not limited to just to STH but any song that reach the Billboard Top 100 anytime during its release.

Obviously it makes no economic sense for any instrument retailer to take hit on its bottom line in this manner.

Honestly.

That is absolutely incorrect. There is no rule about how many notes can be played before a royalty is due and no rule that a song must be in the Top 100 to receive royalties.

The first 5 notes of Stairway are an Am chord. Surely you aren't claiming that anyone who plays an Am chord has to pay Jimmy royalties.

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Real simple: If your salesman tries to tell me what the fuck I can or cannot play in your store, you just lost a sale. If I'm considering buying a $2000 Les Paul, and I want to play fucking Stairway, your salesman would be wise to stay the hell out of my face. Otherwise $2000 just walked out your door. See ya.

I think that this is aimed at the kids that are out of school and have nothing better to do than entertain themselves at Guitar shops. They're not buying anything, just driving away other customers. I'm pretty sure that more respect would be given to us "geezers"! :D

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Nah, it's a myth. Stairway (like Smoke on the Water) became songs so often played in stores that it became a joke. In the 90s it was Metallica or it's Nirvana and Green Day. Kids playing songs poorly all day long (and at concert volume) will drive anyone nuts. But I've never actually seen someone kicked out for playing Stairway. Kicked out for being annoying, yes. But the "No Stairway" thing doesn't go beyond Wayne's World. Unless the salesman is a total dick. The key is to play it well. Then the guys wanna know what band you're in! :lol:

Well in one of the local guiar stores where I live there is a 'no Satirway!' sign but the salesman is a total dick, got my guitar there but get all my other guitar stuff done a couple of doors up. :D

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If 5 notes or more Stairway are played, the music store automatically becomes liable to pay royalties to the music company. This is not limited to just to STH but any song that reach the Billboard Top 100 anytime during its release.

Obviously it makes no economic sense for any instrument retailer to take hit on its bottom line in this manner.

Honestly.

:rolleyes:

oh please...

First of all, what has the billboard top 100 got to do with anything? Copyright is copyright, regardless of whether or not it made the billboard top 100...

If a guitar shop were to play CDs over their sound system, they'd get an annual licence from BMI for about $200 a year which would cover them for all music played in the shop.

They can't be held responsible for people playing a tune on the guitar...

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:rolleyes:

oh please...

First of all, what has the billboard top 100 got to do with anything? Copyright is copyright, regardless of whether or not it made the billboard top 100...

If a guitar shop were to play CDs over their sound system, they'd get an annual licence from BMI for about $200 a year which would cover them for all music played in the shop.

They can't be held responsible for people playing a tune on the guitar...

I'm fairly certain Mr Crowley was being sarcastic! "lol"

And yeah, Scotty, totally agree about the afterschool kids! I went into a Guitar Center the other day and it sounded like a broken garage door opener had run amuck!

So I guess we can add:

Enter Sandman

Smells Like Teen Spirit

ANYTHING by Green Day...

Hell, if I worked in such a place, a properly played Stairway would be a welcome relief!

Though I must say, after living through the 90s, the idea of a 14 year-old jamming on some Zeppelin cheers me.

If only they'd pull up their pants! WTF is that about??

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the reason why someone would PROBABLY kick someone out is because people hear it sooo many times that they cant take it. I went into a music store my friend owned(a ZepHed)i picked up a Rickenbacker bass, i stayed until closing time playing dazed and confused just trying to get it perfect and the the day he got orders of les pauls....

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