Introduction

Good Times Bad Times - Introduction

Good Times Bad Times" is the first song on Led Zeppelin's 1969 debut album. The band released it as their first single in America. John Paul Jones wrote the main riff on a Hammond organ before playing it on bass. Jimmy Page used a Fender Telecaster guitar with a Tone Bender pedal for a fuzzy sound.

John Bonham played fast triplets on his bass drum with one foot. This drum technique impressed Jimi Hendrix. Robert Plant recorded his vocals twice to make them sound thicker. The song was almost called "A Man I Know" before they changed the title.

Good Times Bad Times Guitar Lesson

Mike Dugan's lesson breaks down every essential element of this classic track. The song's foundation lies in its deceptively simple power chord progression in E major. What makes it unique is the sliding technique between chords rather than the typical staccato approach. When playing the main riff (E5-D5-A5), focus on smoothly gliding between positions while maintaining steady palm muting for that tight, punchy sound. The verse rhythm follows a syncopated pattern that locks perfectly with John Bonham's groundbreaking drum work.

The guitar solo represents one of Jimmy Page's most inventive early recordings. Using a Leslie speaker cabinet (typically used for organs), Page created that distinctive swirling, phase-shifted tone. The solo primarily uses the E minor pentatonic scale (E-G-A-B-D) but incorporates several blues techniques. Pay special attention to the quick hammer-on/pull-off licks between the 12th and 15th frets on the B string, and the dramatic whole-step bends on the G string at the 14th fret. The solo's second half features rapid alternate picking that requires precise right-hand control.

For the rhythm parts, the secret lies in the dynamic contrast between sections. The verses use a tight, muted strumming pattern (down-up-down-up with emphasis on beats 2 and 4), while the choruses open up with full, ringing chords. Notice how Page slightly delays his strums during the verses to create that signature laid-back groove. The bridge section introduces a clever variation with quick chord changes (E-D-C#m-B) that build tension before returning to the main riff.

Advanced players should study the subtle nuances that make this recording special. Page's use of partial chords (often just the root and fifth with occasional added octaves) creates a lean, powerful sound. His muting technique - a combination of left-hand fret muting and right-hand palm muting - gives the rhythm parts their distinctive percussive quality. For authentic tone, use a Telecaster with the tone knob rolled back slightly, a medium-gain overdrive, and a small tube amp set clean with just a touch of natural breakup.

FAQs

Q. What tuning does this song use?

Standard tuning (E A D G B E). No special tuning needed.

Q. Is this song good for beginners?

The power chords are easy, but the slides and strumming take practice.

Q. What guitar effects were used?

Page used a Tone Bender fuzz pedal and Leslie speaker on the solo.

Introduction

In this video lesson your instructor, Mike Walker teaches how to play the song Stairway to Heaven as part of our guitar series on English songs. It is one of the most iconic piece of rock music. Playing it on your guitar instantly earns you street cred as a guitarist. 

Don't forget to make use of the chords and tabs provided with the song lesson!

Strumming Pattern 

The intro and the verse section of the song are all about fingerpicking, but as the song moves towards the more guitar-centric section strumming does come into play, and the strumming pattern is as follows: D - D U - U D U

• D = Down strum
• U = Up strum
• - = Pause or hold

Song Structure 

• Introduction: Mike Walker will introduce this song lesson. He will be your guitar instructor for this lesson. He will teach you how to tune your guitar and share his advice on why every rock fan should learn this song. 
• Intro Piece: This is the part when you play instantly makes everyone acknowledge that you are playing Stairway to Heaven. 
• Section A and B: Section A is pretty similar to the intro piece, Mike tells you which chords to play to make it sound different and how to play Section B.
• Section C and D: This part of the guitar lesson continues with the acoustic guitar chord. 
• Section E and F: Here, you will learn the most repeated guitar part of the song, section E. The F section is about the last acoustic part of the song. 
• Song Demo: In this part, Mike will show you how to play the entire acoustic guitar section alongside the backing track. 
• Solo Lesson: This is the most anticipated part of the song; Mike breaks Jimmy Page’s iconic solo with multiple licks and plays them with the backing track. 
• Overdubs: This is the last section of the guitar lesson, and here, you will learn about overdubs, which are basically the additional layer of guitar tracks used in the song. 

Introduction:

Smooth By Santana is a mix of rock, blues, and it combines some melodies of Latin rhythms as well. So if you are someone who is interested in learning the ways of Santana this should be a great starting point for your musical journey. 

Fun Fact: In the beginning the song was called Room 17 and the idea of the song came to the mind of Itaal Shur, but then lyrics were all take out from the song and it was given to Rob Thomas, who completely re-wrote the song and changed its original melody, that’s how Smooth came into existence by Santana. 

Chords Used in Song Guitar Lesson

Arpeggios Verse & Chorus Chords: The arpeggios for this song are as follows: 

e|------1-------------|

B|----3---3----------|

G|--2-------2--------| 

D|--------------------| 

A|--------------------| 

E|--------------------|

Strumming Pattern 

There are two strumming patterns for this song, the first one is pretty basic and you can play it like this: DD UU DU. 

• D = Down Strum 
• U = Up Strum

Or you can play this version which adds more groove to the song: DD X UDU. 

• D = Down Strum 
• U = Up Strum
• X = Muted Strum 

Song Structure 

Introduction: In this introduction, Mike is going to show you how to tune up your guitar for this song. 

Song Arrangement: Here, you will learn about the different guitar rhythms that you will be following as you play the song. Mike starts explaining every rhythm starting with the intro section. 

Song Demo: Over here, Mike is going to show you how to play the guitar parts of the song with the backing track. 

Solo 1: From this part, you will start learning how to play different solos which come in the song. This is the first solo performed by Santana in the first part of the song. 

Overdub Licks: This particular section shows how to play a particular lick which is being played at the 32 second of the track. 

Solo 2: This is the second solo from the song. 

Solo 3: Solo which comes after the verses. 

Outro Solo: This one is the last solo which Santana played and it was used as an outro for the song. 

Why Learn Smooth By Santana?

Carlos Santana is known throughout the world for his amazing phrasing and his ability to sustain heavy tones on the guitar. As you learn this song, you will get to know about techniques like Vibrato, sustain, melodic soloing and smooth transition between the lead and the rhythm of the song. 

FAQs-This Song Guitar Lesson

Q1. Who originally sang “Smooth?”

Ans. Smooth was performed by Santana & Rob Thomas who were part of a band called Matchbox Twenty. This song was released as a lead single from the 1999s studio album, Supernatural. 

Q2. What made Santana so famous in the music industry? 

Ans. Santana became much more popular after their incredible set which they performed live at Woodstock in 1969. In that same year, the band also released their self-entitled LP as well. 

Q3. Is Santana considered to be a good guitarist of his time? 

Ans. Santana is known to be the man who invented the Latin rock guitar genre, making it stand as one of the best of his generation. 

In this video lesson Ashish Noel John teaches how to play the song Stay as part of our Guitar series on English song lessons. The song lesson is broken down into multiple lessons for easy learning - Introduction, Chords and Rhythms, Improvisation, Song Arrangement, and Demo. Don't forget to make use of the chords and tabs provided with the song lesson!

Introduction:

In this video lesson Mike Walker teaches how to play the song Home as part of our guitar series on English songs. The song is broken down into multiple lessons for easy learning. Home is the coronation song and a debut single from the winner of American Idol season 11, Phill Phillips. The song was co-written by Drew Pearson and Greg Holden. Phill performed this song for the first time on May 12th, 2012, when he was giving the season's final performance. 

Song Structure:

Introduction: The introduction consists of tuning requirements for the guitar and the basics of what you need to play this song. 

Song Arrangement: This part helps you learn about the intro section. Also, Mike shows you two different picking patterns that you can use for this song and how to move back and forth between the two patterns. 

Song Demo: In this section Mike your guitar instructor is going to teach you how to play the guitar parts of the song alongside backing tracks. 

Vocal Melody: This is the final section of this guitar lesson, and it's the added bonus where Mike teaches you how to play the vocal melody which is present in the song. 

Chords Used in Song Guitar Lesson: The entire song is written in the key of C major with a bright tempo.

“Mera Yaar” from Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is considered to be one of the best compositions by Shankar-Eshaan-Loy. The song stands out from the entire album as it is the only song that has some emotional resonance in the entire album. 

The very first note starts with the acoustic guitar and takes over the center stage for the rest of the song. There are no flashy solos, which is a rare occurrence in Bollywood compositions, but it has layered progressions that help in expressing sorrow and serenity.

For this guitar song lesson, your guitar instructor is going to be Mike Walker, who will be showing you how to use the open chords present in this song with precision. You are going to learn how to give space in order for vocals to soar, along with the interplay of strummed sections and melodic fills, which will add texture to your playing without making it sound excessive.  

Strumming Pattern

The song lesson mainly runs on the gentle rhythm and emotional vibe of the song; as a result, it’s a great song to practice for mastering smooth chord transitions and expressiveness using simple strumming patterns. 

There are two options in terms of strumming pattern; you can decide which one to choose based on your comfort. 

Beginner-friendly strumming pattern: D – D – U – U – D – U. 

Advance version which includes muted strums as well: D – (mute) – D U – U D U. 

• D = Down Strum. 
• U = Up Strum. 

At first, it might feel hard, but you can play along with the original track to match up with the required tempo and emotion. Also, focus on playing clean chord transitions and dynamic control. If you wish to use a capo, put it on the 1st or 2nd fret to play the song in its original key. 

FAQs – Mera Yaar Song Guitar Lesson

Q1. What type of strumming dynamics works best when I am practicing “Mera Yaar” from the song Bhaag Milkha Bhaag? 

Ans. Keep your chord touch light and focus more on dynamic contrast. Be sure to start softly and strum slightly stronger when you are playing the chorus, as it will allow you to have emotional buildup.

Q2. What should be the guitar skill level to master the song “Mera Yaar” from the movie Bhaag Milkha Bhaag?  

Ans. It’s a perfect song for beginners and for early intermediates because it has the basic rhythm and expressive dynamics. 

Q3. How can I make the chord transitions smoother for “Mera Yaar” from Bhaag Milkha Bhaag?

Ans. Practice the anchor finger technique, keep your fingers on the 3rd fret of the B string, then switch between G and C; it will surely minimize the hand movement and keep your transitions fluid.