How to play dance the night away on guitar

Hear the solo guitar of Van Halen's 'Dance the Night Away'

(Credit: Alamy)

Dance music wasn’t exactly the bread and butter of Van Halen. The L.A. hard rock quartet were better suited for headbanging, but frontman David Lee Roth made sure that audiences were always having a good time during concerts. Part of that was getting them up to dance during the songs that were groovy enough to inspire some hip-shaking moves. Of course, it helps when you have a song that literally calls for audiences to move their feet.

‘Dance the Night Away’ was a major step forward for Van Halen when it appeared on their sophomore LP, Van Halen II. It might not have included any of the synthesisers that were emblematic of Van Halen’s shift towards a more mainstream sound throughout the 1980s, but ‘Dance the Night Away’ was certainly the poppiest and most radio-friendly single the band had released up to that point.

It’s no surprise, then, that ‘Dance the Night Away’ became the first Van Halen song to crack the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 15 in the summer of 1979. Many more hits were to follow, including the band’s only number one, ‘Jump’. But ‘Dance the Night Away’ showed Van Halen a path to the future, one that opened up an entire world of commercial success without sacrificing their hard rock bona fides.

Eddie Van Halen approached his guitar track with a minimalist mindset. Throughout the track, there’s only one pick slide, a few harmonic notes, and no tapping. There’s also no guitar solo, something that was almost unheard of for Van Halen at the time. Eddie had become frustrated with the hype surrounding him and wanted to prove that he was capable of more than just flash and histrionics. He wanted to show that all he needed was four chords and a monster melody to propel a song to success.

This is still Eddie Van Halen, though. There are plenty of classic hallmarks that were emblematic of his style – quick stops, hammer-ons, and yes, that one badass pick slide that seemingly comes out of nowhere. Also invaluable to Van Halen’s guitar playing is his simplicity. Early in the band’s career, Eddie rarely messed with any kind of array of pedals. He had his effects, but in order to change the tone of the guitar, he would mostly resort to simply turning down the volume knob. You can hear him crank it up to full power as the band descends into the final chorus.

Also interesting to note is Eddie’s countermelody that carries the song into its fade. Deviations from his standard riffing were relatively rare in the early days of Van Halen, but they would become more prominent as the band approached the 1980s. Those counterpoints would increasingly be handled by keyboards in later years, but here it’s just Eddie and his guitar, adding a few well-placed notes to give the final chorus a little bit of spice.

Check out Eddie Van Halen’s isolated guitar for ‘Dance the Night Away’ down below.

Watch How To Play "Dance The Night Away" By Van Halen - Guitar Tabs & Chords

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How To Play "Dance The Night Away" By Van Halen - Guitar Tabs & Chords

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Lyrics Music for future mothers

A smoky room, a small cafe
They come to hear you play
And drink and dance the night away
I sit out in the crowd
And close my eyes
Dream you're mine
But you don't know
You don't even know that I am there

Steal my heart with every note you play
I pray you'll look my way
And hold me to your heart someday
I long to be the one that you caress with tenderness
And you don't know
You don't even know that I exist

Te sientas entre la gente
Cierras tu ojos
Y suenas que soy tuyo
Pero yo no siquiera se que estas ahi
Me gustaria tenerte entre mis brazos amor

I sit out in the crowd
And close my eyes
Dream you're mine
And you don't know
You don't even know that I exist

I wish that I was in your arms
Like that Spanish guitar
And you would play me through the night
'Till the dawn
I wish you'd hold me in your arms
Like that Spanish guitar
All night long, all night long
I'd be your song, I'd be your song
*** Spanish guitar***
Smoky little cafe,
Everyone is here to hear you play
As well as dancing and drinking all night long.
I stand among this crowd
And closing my eyes,
Dreaming of you
But you don't know
You don't even know that I'm here...

I would like to be in your arms,
Like this Spanish guitar,
And then you would play me all night,
Until morning...
I wish I could be in your arms
Like this Spanish guitar,
All Long Night, All Long Night
I would become your song, I would become your song...

I pray that you pay attention to me
And one day he pressed me to his heart.
And I would give you alone my caress with tenderness,
And you don't know
You don't even know that I exist...

I would like to be in your arms,
Like this Spanish guitar,
And then you would play me all night,
Until the morning ....
I would like to be in your arms,
Like this Spanish guitar,
All Long Night, All Long Night
I would be your song, I would be your song. ..

Te sientas entre la gente
Cierras tu ojos
Y suenas que soy tuyo
Pero yo no siquiera se que estas ahi
Me gustaria tenerte entre mis brazos amor

I am standing in this crowd
And closing my eyes,
Dreaming of you
But you don't know
You don't even know that I exist...

I would like to be in your arms,
Like this Spanish guitar,
And then you would play me all night,
Until morning...
I would like to be in your arms,
Like this Spanish guitar,
All Long Night, All Long Night
I would be your song, I would be your song.... Smoky room, small cafe
They come to hear you play
And drink and dance all night long
I'm sitting in the crowd
And close your eyes
Dream you are mine
But you don't know
You don't even know that I am there

Steal my heart with every attention you play
I pray you will look my way
And keep me in your heart someday
I long to be the one that you caress with tenderness
And you don't know
You don't even know that I exist

Te sientas entre la gente
Cierras W Ojos
Y suenas Que soy Tuyo
Feather yo no siquiera se que estas ahi
I'm gustaria tenerte Entre wrong Brazos Amor

I'm sitting in the crowd
And close your eyes
Dream you are mine
And you don't know
You don't even know that I exist0010

I want to be in your hands
Like that spanish guitar
And would you play with me all night
"Before Dawn
I want you to hold me in your arms
Like that spanish guitar
All night, all night
I would have my song, I would have your song
*** Spanish guitar ***
Smoky little cafe,
Everyone is here to hear you play
As well as dancing and drinking all night long.
I stand among this crowd
And closing my eyes,
Dreaming of you
But you don't know
You don't even know that I'm here...

I would like to be in your arms,
Like this Spanish guitar,
And then you would play me all night,
Until the morning ...
I would like to be in your arms,
Like this Spanish guitar,
All Long Night, All Long Night
I would be your song, I would be your song...

You captivate my heart with every note of your playing,
I pray that you pay attention to me
And one day he pressed me to his heart.
And I would give you alone my caress with tenderness,
And you don't know
You don't even know that I exist...

I would like to be in your arms,
Like this Spanish guitar,
And then you would play me all night,
Until the morning ....
I wish I could be in your arms
Like this Spanish guitar,
All Long Night, All Long Night
I would be your song, I would be your song . ..

Te sientas Entre la Gente
Cierras W Ojos
Y suenas Que soy Tuyo
Feather yo no siquiera se que estas ahi
I'm gustaria tenerte Entre wrong Brazos Amor

I'm standing in this crowd
And closing my eyes,
Dreaming of you
But you don't know
You don't even know that I exist...

65 . KISS. Facing the Music: Taking Off the Mask

Thanks to the make-up, KISS looks about the same today as they did forty years ago. But the longer I do this, the more I realize that I am not immortal. It is even more difficult to be on stage, to sing, to play the guitar, to dance in such a way that it seems easy. Nobody wants to see an artist give up his breath on stage. I enjoy every minute of performing, but it has always been physically exhausting and now it's harder than ever.

When I was younger, people asked me, "Doesn't it hurt when you jump in the air and fall to your knees?"

"No," I replied.

I wish I had their phone numbers. Because all these years of jumping have not gone unnoticed: now my knees hurt.

I don't know if the people in the audience can understand how difficult this is or if they are involved in it. I've never been able to jump like that in rehearsal. I depend on the fans, on the adrenaline rush I get from them. Every night I find myself on stage with a huge smile on my face, laughing and having a great time.

It's a gift, and it's wonderful that I love my job, enjoy it, and it's doubly wonderful to see people in the audience enjoy it too.

I've never understood bands that say they're tired of playing their hits. Every time I look forward to when we perform our main songs. I'm proud of them. And people at our concerts deserve to listen to their favorite music. God knows how many times I've played "Firehouse" in the last forty years, but I haven't gotten tired of it. When Gene and Tommy and I rock back and forth to "Deuce" it's like giving the middle finger to people who don't like us and saluting our fans. Each of our concerts could be the only KISS concert ever for these people. They weren't on the last show and they won't be on tomorrow. I won't let them down.

Most rock music is enjoyed by people of a certain age - your favorite band may not be your big brother's favorite band, and God forbid it will be your parents' favorite band. In this respect, the KISS show is different from all the rest: it is a gathering of a large secret society that transcends any demographic groups. There is nothing better than seeing people holding their babies during a concert. They want to share this cult of millions with their children - it means a lot to them. The people in the audience are happy. They took a breather from everything that happens in their lives. Even as citizens of the world with a sense of morality and purpose, everyone is entitled to a day off. The problems of the world are not going anywhere.

KISS is timeless. We sing about self-affirmation, celebrate life, believe in ourselves and in sex.

Treating yourself well is not a crime.

If there is truth, it is in these lines. We only live once, and why should anyone other than you decide who you love and how you spend your time? We sing about the joy of life. On the Sonic Boom tour, Gene and Tommy and I would sit on the locked platform behind Eric's drums before the show started. When we played the first song, the platform would rise above the drums and eventually we would be at the front of the stage. The effect was impressive. I can't count how many times I had tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat when we appeared on stage in front of a crowd of fans. This spectacle was breathtaking.

Oh my God.

What a blessing.

If someone told me that KISS would last for forty years, that I would wear the same outfit and not be ridiculed on stage, and that, on the contrary, we would collect arenas and stadiums, I would never have believed it. I think the longer we hold on, the stronger we get. There is something inspiring about longevity, when you go against the grain and prosper.

Perhaps the best way to win is not to play the game. Twenty or thirty years ago, I couldn't imagine a world without myself, much less without a group. But at some point you have to accept the inevitability of your own death. Physically, I won't be able to perform in KISS forever. However, I realized one thing: even if I'm not immortal, but the group is. Today I do not exaggerate my role in the world or in the group. I understand that KISS can and should continue without me. KISS is not like other bands.

We never subscribed to the restrictions that other bands put on themselves. People come to see the characters we've created and what those characters represent. Although they do not see me, but what I embody. There was a time when people said that every band member is irreplaceable. Nothing will happen without the four of us. Well, they're already fifty percent wrong. And at some point they will realize that they were mistaken by seventy-five percent, and then by one hundred percent. I'm honest enough with myself to know that no matter how good I am - and I think I'm pretty damn good - there is someone else out there who can do something just as meaningful. For me, the replacement is a compliment, not an insult. This is part of what I hope we've managed to build, an ideal that will continue to live outside of me.

Life goes on. Political parties do without their founders. I think there will be someone who can carry our banner just as well, if not better, someone who can continue on our foundation.

How to play dance the night away on guitar

Hear the solo guitar of Van Halen's 'Dance the Night Away'

Watch How To Play "Dance The Night Away" By Van Halen - Guitar Tabs & Chords

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Lyrics Music for future mothers

65 . KISS. Facing the Music: Taking Off the Mask

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