Happy Birthday Les Paul, 5565 98
June 9, 2011 7:22 AM Subscribe
In another deadly strike in Google's war against productivity (previously), today's Google homepage features a playable guitar in honor of Les Paul's birthday.
The guitar has 10 strings, which you can strum with the mouse or play individual notes with the keyboard. There is also apparently a record & playback function, only available in the US.
While the doodle might distract people from getting some important things done, people are finding plenty of creative uses for the Google guitar. Some are not so original.
Zelda songs
Stairway
Obligatory Gaga
To play your own:
Happy Birthday - 5565 87 5565 98 5550 876 4408 98
Imperial March - EEE QTE QTE, UUU ITE QTE
Lady Gaga - Judas - J KKKKK JHHHGJHGG JJJJL HJ
Or devise your own with this cheat sheet.
The guitar has 10 strings, which you can strum with the mouse or play individual notes with the keyboard. There is also apparently a record & playback function, only available in the US.
While the doodle might distract people from getting some important things done, people are finding plenty of creative uses for the Google guitar. Some are not so original.
Zelda songs
Stairway
Obligatory Gaga
To play your own:
Happy Birthday - 5565 87 5565 98 5550 876 4408 98
Imperial March - EEE QTE QTE, UUU ITE QTE
Lady Gaga - Judas - J KKKKK JHHHGJHGG JJJJL HJ
Or devise your own with this cheat sheet.
The record/playback feature is simply crazy. The whole thing is crazy, but that's, like, crazycrazy (crazy to the power of crazy).
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 7:29 AM on June 9, 2011
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 7:29 AM on June 9, 2011
That was fun, I wouldn't have noticed it otherwise.
posted by Harpocrates at 7:29 AM on June 9, 2011
posted by Harpocrates at 7:29 AM on June 9, 2011
Dildo Sport and Les Paul/Google. What a nice way to start the day. I was thoroughly prepared to write off Dildo Aport--amazing what good production values can do for an idea that could have gone very wrong.
posted by rmhsinc at 7:33 AM on June 9, 2011
posted by rmhsinc at 7:33 AM on June 9, 2011
My 15 minute drone piece is a masterwork.
posted by NoMich at 7:33 AM on June 9, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by NoMich at 7:33 AM on June 9, 2011 [3 favorites]
my uncle had a two year professional correspondence with Les Paul in the 50's (I have some of the letters) I would safly safe Les Paul would be honored with this. heck, i even made some diddys. but, back to work.
posted by clavdivs at 7:35 AM on June 9, 2011
posted by clavdivs at 7:35 AM on June 9, 2011
How do I keep the friggin auto-search from trying to guess what I want to find when I start typing in the notes?
5
50 states
50 cent
500 days of summer
562 area code
5.11
NOooooo, I just want to play a song! It's like the return of Clippy!
posted by filthy light thief at 7:37 AM on June 9, 2011
5
50 states
50 cent
500 days of summer
562 area code
5.11
NOooooo, I just want to play a song! It's like the return of Clippy!
posted by filthy light thief at 7:37 AM on June 9, 2011
There is a keyboard-shaped button you have to click, before typing in the notes.
posted by Gordafarin at 7:39 AM on June 9, 2011
posted by Gordafarin at 7:39 AM on June 9, 2011
Much easier to play multiple strings at once using the keyboard.
Very odd that Google has a sharing function for the recordings, but limits it to the US. Do they not understand the internet, and that people will pass these links around?
posted by smackfu at 7:41 AM on June 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
Very odd that Google has a sharing function for the recordings, but limits it to the US. Do they not understand the internet, and that people will pass these links around?
posted by smackfu at 7:41 AM on June 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
Pretty awesome.
posted by fourcheesemac at 7:42 AM on June 9, 2011
posted by fourcheesemac at 7:42 AM on June 9, 2011
This is very awesome. I was stupidly amused by being able to play the Imperial March as directed above. But agreeing with other people - I really don't understand why the record/share function is US only.
posted by maybeandroid at 8:00 AM on June 9, 2011
posted by maybeandroid at 8:00 AM on June 9, 2011
I have established that (a) I can pluck out a recognizable instrumental version of O Superman on this and (b) I do not know why I would do that. But I am amused.
Matthewchen Is Spamming doesn't come through very well.
posted by cortex at 8:03 AM on June 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
Matthewchen Is Spamming doesn't come through very well.
posted by cortex at 8:03 AM on June 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
My 15 minute drone piece is a masterwork.
If you drag it out a bit more, you can probably get the BBC Philharmonic to perform it.
posted by Wolfdog at 8:03 AM on June 9, 2011
If you drag it out a bit more, you can probably get the BBC Philharmonic to perform it.
posted by Wolfdog at 8:03 AM on June 9, 2011
This has already cost me most of the morning... now, I have doubts about the rest of the afternoon as well. Dang.
posted by kinnakeet at 8:10 AM on June 9, 2011
posted by kinnakeet at 8:10 AM on June 9, 2011
Anybody else having problems making this work with Chrome? It works great in IE and FF, but I can't make it make sounds in Chrome.
posted by pdb at 8:12 AM on June 9, 2011
posted by pdb at 8:12 AM on June 9, 2011
Is this something I need to be logged out of google for? When I click on the image it just brings me to news, no doodle. How do I access it?
posted by symbioid at 8:17 AM on June 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by symbioid at 8:17 AM on June 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
The seven words you can't say on television
This is what I like to see - innovations in the art of swearing.
This is super rude.
posted by louche mustachio at 8:22 AM on June 9, 2011
This is what I like to see - innovations in the art of swearing.
This is super rude.
posted by louche mustachio at 8:22 AM on June 9, 2011
This is just so freaking adorable. I don't play guitar and haven't the faintest idea what I am doing, BUT THIS IS SO COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:24 AM on June 9, 2011
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:24 AM on June 9, 2011
Dueling banjos: D-F-G-D-F-S-D-A-S
Redemption song: A-S-D-A-F-H-G-D-A-S-D-G-F-D-S-A
posted by hudders at 8:25 AM on June 9, 2011
Redemption song: A-S-D-A-F-H-G-D-A-S-D-G-F-D-S-A
posted by hudders at 8:25 AM on June 9, 2011
Where's the keyboard-shaped button? There's nothing I can do that will let me use the keyboard to play it.
posted by invitapriore at 8:27 AM on June 9, 2011
posted by invitapriore at 8:27 AM on June 9, 2011
How oddly well timed; I was just driving down the Les Paul parkway in Waukesha this morning.
It's kind of neat to be living in the place that can lay claim, in some small way, to being the birthplace of the guy who helped to invent Rock and Roll as we know it.
posted by quin at 8:36 AM on June 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
It's kind of neat to be living in the place that can lay claim, in some small way, to being the birthplace of the guy who helped to invent Rock and Roll as we know it.
posted by quin at 8:36 AM on June 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
Where's the keyboard-shaped button? There's nothing I can do that will let me use the keyboard to play it.
In my firefox, I need to click the Record button to make the keyboard button show up.
posted by madajb at 8:45 AM on June 9, 2011
In my firefox, I need to click the Record button to make the keyboard button show up.
posted by madajb at 8:45 AM on June 9, 2011
I saw that (in Chrome on OS X), but it doesn't actually seem to register any clicks on my end. Funny enough, it works just fine in Firefox, even with Instant Search on.
posted by invitapriore at 8:49 AM on June 9, 2011
posted by invitapriore at 8:49 AM on June 9, 2011
In my firefox, I need to click the Record button to make the keyboard button show up.
Same with mine.
posted by nooneyouknow at 8:54 AM on June 9, 2011
Same with mine.
posted by nooneyouknow at 8:54 AM on June 9, 2011
I tried to play Miserlou and my keyboard exploded, thanks a lot Google.
posted from my iPhone
posted by minifigs at 9:00 AM on June 9, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted from my iPhone
posted by minifigs at 9:00 AM on June 9, 2011 [3 favorites]
Can't seem to see it all in any browser that I regularly use with a google account. Instead of the generic homepage, I just get the stupid "you have been logged out, click here to sign in" page. Or maybe I'm just too dense to figure it out, like I am with other "intuitive" things like iTunes and syncing Apple devices.
Yeah, I suppose I could delete my cookies, but that sounds like too much of a pain in the ass for this.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going go outside and complain about the air.
posted by treepour at 9:48 AM on June 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
Yeah, I suppose I could delete my cookies, but that sounds like too much of a pain in the ass for this.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going go outside and complain about the air.
posted by treepour at 9:48 AM on June 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
Hmm. I'm using Camino (on OSX) and have the 'Block Flash Animations' preference enabled; I had to add the Google page to the exceptions in order to get any sound out - although the string movement animation worked fine. Maybe this is similar to the problems with Chrome?
Unfortunately my playing sounded better whilst I couldn't actually hear anything...
posted by Chunder at 9:52 AM on June 9, 2011
Unfortunately my playing sounded better whilst I couldn't actually hear anything...
posted by Chunder at 9:52 AM on June 9, 2011
I like this very much.
posted by TooFewShoes at 10:26 AM on June 9, 2011
posted by TooFewShoes at 10:26 AM on June 9, 2011
There is a hidden flash applet that actually plays the music, although the interface itself is pure html 5. So you should see the animations work correctly, but not hear any music until you manually tell your browser's flash blocker to load the flash app. In Safari, click "Load Flash for Frontmost Page" under "ClickToFlash" under "Safar". FireFox, etc. will all be similar.
All this assumes you've installed your browsers flash blocking plugin, like ClickToFlash for Safari, FlashBlock for FireFox, etc. If the guitar "just worked", then your overall browsing experience must be miserable, your cookie file gargantuan, etc. Do yourself a favor and install a flash blocker.
posted by jeffburdges at 10:33 AM on June 9, 2011
All this assumes you've installed your browsers flash blocking plugin, like ClickToFlash for Safari, FlashBlock for FireFox, etc. If the guitar "just worked", then your overall browsing experience must be miserable, your cookie file gargantuan, etc. Do yourself a favor and install a flash blocker.
posted by jeffburdges at 10:33 AM on June 9, 2011
Is there any way we can continue playing around with this thing when Google takes it down tomorrow?
posted by bonzo_dog55 at 10:45 AM on June 9, 2011
posted by bonzo_dog55 at 10:45 AM on June 9, 2011
If you're stuck in iGoogle, click the little blue cog in the upper right corner and select "Classic Home" from the drop-down menu.
posted by rewil at 11:05 AM on June 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by rewil at 11:05 AM on June 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
Hello internets. I made this for you.
Dammit, a new way to get rickrolled.
DAMN YOU GROG!!!!!!
posted by TheBones at 1:37 PM on June 9, 2011
Dammit, a new way to get rickrolled.
DAMN YOU GROG!!!!!!
posted by TheBones at 1:37 PM on June 9, 2011
I got way too much fun out of this with chopsticks and recursive Brahms, then it made me miss my violin. Then I was sad. Then I played the Imperial March, then was absurdly happy again. Yay for musical gadgetry on the internet.
posted by neewom at 11:19 PM on June 9, 2011
posted by neewom at 11:19 PM on June 9, 2011
The recording, playing and listening, didn't work in BC, Canada this morning, but it's working now (on google.com, I don't use google.ca).
I'm giggling like a loon while playing the Imperial March.
posted by deborah at 12:33 AM on June 10, 2011
I'm giggling like a loon while playing the Imperial March.
posted by deborah at 12:33 AM on June 10, 2011
Cheezy option but first thing that came to mind: http://goo.gl/doodle/MCnn0
posted by kdern at 11:35 AM on June 10, 2011
posted by kdern at 11:35 AM on June 10, 2011
http://goo.gl/doodle/WO8K8
My attempt at the opening bars of Blackbird. I also did "Doe, a Deer" from Sound of Music but decided not to torture you all with it.
posted by anotherkate at 6:25 PM on June 10, 2011
My attempt at the opening bars of Blackbird. I also did "Doe, a Deer" from Sound of Music but decided not to torture you all with it.
posted by anotherkate at 6:25 PM on June 10, 2011
http://www.google.com/logos/2011/lespaul.html
The Stand-Alone site yaaaaay!
Not that I got it to work on my iPhone or my Asssus, at least the graphics worked. Since it is now a site I can keep trying. ت
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 3:58 AM on June 12, 2011
The Stand-Alone site yaaaaay!
Not that I got it to work on my iPhone or my Asssus, at least the graphics worked. Since it is now a site I can keep trying. ت
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 3:58 AM on June 12, 2011
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posted by octothorpe at 7:25 AM on June 9, 2011 [24 favorites]