Google Guitar Doodle Game
👇 Scroll down to play!
Quick Facts
Play the Google logo in this interactive guitar Doodle — a tribute to Les Paul.
2011-06-09
Restored
(Discontinued by Google)
Interact with the Easter Egg
The Original Easter Egg
How It Started
On June 9, 2011, Google marked what would have been Les Paul’s 96th birthday with a playable Guitar Doodle. The homepage logo morphed into an electric guitar you could actually play — a cheerful nod to the musician-inventor who shaped modern recording.
What It Did
Pluck the strings with your mouse or play from the keyboard — each key maps to a note, so you can pick out melodies or slide for chord-like strums. A built-in recorder captured up to 30 seconds, letting you save and replay your riff. It wasn’t just a visual tribute — it was a tiny instrument on the web.
Its Impact
The Guitar Doodle took off fast, with people sharing their riffs across the internet. Its mix of art, code, and music showed how playful the web could be. It’s still remembered as one of the all-time favorite Google Doodles.
Why It Was Removed
Google has archived the doodle, but parts of the original implementation don’t play nicely with today’s browsers, so the archived version isn’t fully interactive anymore.
The Restored Experience
What’s New
Because the archived version no longer works reliably in modern browsers, we rebuilt the experience with current web standards. It’s fully functional and responsive, preserving the feel of the original while improving compatibility across devices.
The Easter Egg Experience
Click the button above to start jamming! The guitar appears instantly — pluck the strings with your mouse or use the keyboard for precise notes. Hit Record to capture up to 30 seconds and play it back. Make a melody and share it just like back in 2011!
How to Play
- Click the button above to begin.
- The interactive guitar loads and is ready to play.
- Click or drag across the strings to strum.
- Use your keyboard to play individual notes.
- Press the Record button to capture your riff, then play it back.
We kept the original interactions and rebuilt the internals with modern HTML5 and JavaScript. The guitar responds like the 2011 version, with optimizations for smooth performance whether you’re on desktop, tablet, or mobile.
Final Thoughts
The Google Guitar Doodle is a warm tribute to Les Paul told through interactivity. While the old build lives in the internet’s museum, this restoration keeps it playable today. Write your melody, then explore our other revived doodles where art and tech meet!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What’s the story behind the Google Guitar?
The Google Guitar Doodle honors Les Paul — the musician-inventor who helped shape modern music with the solid-body electric guitar, multitrack recording, and tape delay. It cleverly turned the Google logo into a playable instrument.
You can strum the strings with your mouse or play notes with your keyboard, record 30-second snippets, and even try preset tunes. It’s a playful example of Google’s tradition of engaging tributes to cultural icons.
How do you play the Google Guitar?
It’s easy to jump in: click the strings or use your keyboard — each key corresponds to a note. Drag across the strings to strum fuller chords. Tap the Record button to capture your performance for playback and sharing. Mix key combinations to discover fresh melodies!
What kind of songs can you play on the Google Guitar?
Anything you can pick out by ear — from simple nursery rhymes to catchy film themes. Fans often try “Happy Birthday,” “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” or iconic movie motifs. Search for community note guides or just experiment and write your own tunes — the fun is in exploring!
