Introduction

Introduction

In My City is the debut song from Indian actress Priyanka Chopra featuring Will.i.am. The song was co-written by Ester Dean, who also provides his voice for additional vocals. 

Priyanka gives homage to her nomadic childhood and shows her journey from a small-town girl to a big Bollywood star. This isn’t a guitar song in the first place, but J.J. Pattishall is going to teach you how to turn it into a guitar song. 

In this video lesson J.J. Pattishall teaches how to play the song In My City as part of our guitar series on English songs. The song is broken down into multiple lessons for easy learning - Introduction, Chords and Rhythm, Song Arrangement and Song Demo. Don't forget to make use of the chords and tabs provided with the song lesson!

Song Structure 

Introduction: In this part, J.J. Pattishall talks about how this song is a unique dance number and the influence of singer/ DJ Will.i.am makes the song upbeat, similar to the songs from Black Eyed Peas. In this section, you will also learn the tuning of the guitar for this song. 

Chords and Rhythm: Here, you will learn the outline of the chords and the rhythm that you are going to use in the song. Furthermore, you will get to know how to improvise guitar playing in this song to make it more interesting.

Song Arrangement: In this section, you will be learning how to play the chords of Will.i.am, part of the song. 

Song Demo: This is the last section where your guitar instructor is going to show you how to play the guitar section alongside the song. 

Tore Down - Introduction

Tore Down is a blues classic originally recorded by Freddie King in 1961 under the title "I'm Tore Down." Written by pianist Sonny Thompson, the song became one of King's biggest hits, reaching #5 on Billboard's R&B chart. The track showcases King's powerful voice and sharp guitar work, blending Texas blues with a raw, energetic delivery. Decades later, Eric Clapton covered the song for his 1994 blues album From the Cradle, staying true to King's original arrangement while adding his signature touch.

Clapton's version keeps the song's essential elements—the falsetto vocal phrases, punchy guitar fills, and that unmistakable blues shuffle. His recording was so well-received that it also reached #5, this time on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart. Over the years, Clapton has performed "Tore Down" live many times, including at his Live in Hyde Park concert and John Mayall’s 70th Birthday show. The song’s enduring appeal lies in its raw emotion and tight groove, making it a favourite among blues guitarists.

Tore Down Guitar Lesson

Taught by Mike Dugan, this lesson breaks down Eric Clapton’s version of ‘Tore Down’, focusing on the blues shuffle rhythm, stop-time sections, and lead fills. The song is in the key of A major and follows a classic 12-bar blues structure, but with some clever variations. The most distinctive feature is the stop-time verses, where the band cuts out on the 1st beat, leaving space for Clapton’s vocals to drive the song forward. There are two types of stops—short stops (just a quick pause) and long stops (a full beat of silence).

The rhythm guitar part uses a Texas blues shuffle, played with a light swing feel. The basic pattern is A5-D5-A5-E5-D5-A5, but the magic is in the muting and dynamics. Use palm muting on the lower strings to keep it tight, and let the chords ring out slightly on the turnaround. Clapton’s version has a crisp, clean tone, so roll back your guitar’s tone knob a bit and use a tube amp with mild breakup.

For the lead fills, Clapton sticks mostly to the A minor pentatonic scale (A-C-D-E-G) but adds bluesy bends and quick hammer-ons for extra flavour. The opening riff is simple but effective—just a few well-placed notes with vibrato. The solo builds on Freddie King’s original licks but with Clapton’s smoother phrasing. Pay attention to his bending accuracy—he often bends up a whole step (from C to D) with perfect pitch control.

The stop-time sections require tight coordination with the band. When the band stops on the 1st beat, keep your strumming hand moving in time so you can jump back in smoothly. Beginners should practice the stops slowly, counting out loud (1-2-3-4-STOP) to internalise the rhythm. Advanced players can work on Clapton’s subtle variations, like adding a quick chromatic slide into a chord or throwing in a double-stop lick before a stop.

FAQs

Q. How do I play the Texas shuffle rhythm?

Use a down-up strum pattern with swing feel, muting the strings lightly between chords.

Q. What scale does Clapton use for solos?

Mostly A minor pentatonic, with some blues scale (added flat 5th) notes for extra grit.

This guitar lesson of Dil Dhadakne Do is to help you learn the energetic and groovy tone of the song, which makes it iconic and memorable. It’s a song that follows a funk-pop rhythm in addition to rock undertones. 

In addition to the song, you will also learn tight strumming, upbeat timing, and performance-ready skills, which are essential for both solo and band-style setups. Both Farhan Akhtar and Priyanka Chopra have given their voices, which results in the refreshing indie-pop twist to the song. 

Song Structure 

Introduction: In this intro, you will be introduced to your guitar instructor, Mike Walker, who will show you how to tune up the guitar for this song. 

Song Arrangement: Right here is the structured breakdown of the song; you will learn how the different parts, such as verse, intro, chorus, and bridge of this song, should be played on your electric guitar.This is the most crucial part of the lesson because it allows you to understand the musical journey of this song.

Song Demo: Here, Mike will play the guitar parts with the backing track to help you see how you need to sync up the guitar chords with the vocals and the other instruments; with this song demo, you get to see, hear, and feel the song in action. 

Improvisation: For the improvisation, Mike has taken the route of introducing a bluesy tone in the song. To achieve this sound, he used a B-flat scale. He will first play the song in the given scale and then explain how it affects the overall sound of the song.  

FAQs – Dil Dhadakne Do Song Guitar Lesson

Q1. How does the key of the song Dil Dhadakne Do influence the chord selection?  

Ans. The song is in the key of D major; this particular key gives the entire song a bright and more uplifting tone. It also defines the feel-good progression, which makes the song lively and upbeat. 

Q2. How should I adapt my guitar strumming to learn Dil Dhadakne Do? 

Ans. The song follows a common time stamp of 4/4; to match it, you need to make sure that your strumming follows syncopation, with accented upstrokes and dynamic variations. If you wish, you can also add muted percussive strumming in order to capture the true groove of the original recording.  

Q3) What scales should I be using if I wish to improvise guitar play for this song? 

Ans. You should be sticking to D major to create a melodic improvisation; on the other hand, for simpler soloing, you can go with D major pentatonic, and if you wish to add more depth to the song, you can use D Lydian raise to the 4th during the instrumental breaks or outro of the song. 

To become a well-rounded guitarist or to witness the magic of James Taylor’s fingerpicking at its best, you need to learn the intermediate guitar version of the song Snowtime. This is the one-song lesson that serves as a perfect blend of technical as well as musical growth; in addition to this, the entire guitar lesson is pure playing satisfaction. 

With this intermediate version of the song Snowtime, you will be introduced to Travis playing, in addition to the subtle-note alternations, a skill that develops precision and independence between thumb and fingers. 

Musically speaking, the song slowly builds on soft and flowing acoustic guitar with unmistakable smooth vocals layered on top of them. From this lesson, you are going to capture the serene and contemplative mood present in the song, which is quite often associated with winter. It’s a song that teaches you that sometimes simplicity when executed with proper finesse, can create a powerful musical experience. 

Strumming Pattern 

The song is known for its gentle fingerpicking, but when it comes to learning the intermediate version, then you have to follow the given strumming pattern to capture a laid-back and flowing feel of the song: D – D U – U D U.

• D = Down Strum. 
• U = Up Strum. 

If you wish to add more feel to the song, you can use this optional strumming variation: D – D – x – U – D U. 

• D = Down Strum. 
• U = Up Strum.
• X = muted percussive strumming, which helps you add texture without overpowering the song. 

Strumming works well in this song, but if you wish to capture the sound of the original recording truly, we would advise you to blend light fingerpicking with strumming transitions.  

Why Learn Snowtime Song Intermediate Version On Guitar?

Snowtime by James Taylor is considered to be the perfect first step towards learning fingerstyling with light strumming; this lesson simplifies the intricate part just enough that the song lesson becomes a bit challenging and, at the same time, rewarding. 

It’s a song that requires you to play your guitar gently and cleanly and follow the required rhythm. The kind of control you will learn in this song lesson will take you one level above beginners and make your sound stage-ready. 

Here, you will be playing open chords, which come with tasteful embellishments; this helps you in mastering transitions while still showing you how to add musical sophistication to your guitar playing. 

Snowtime is being played at a steady, reflective pace; playing it on guitar trains your mind and hands-on timing; as a result, with this slow tempo, you will learn to avoid rushing and lock your chord progression with vocals. 

Welcome to the guitar lesson on a song that’s soaked in melancholy and speaks the language of heartbreak Daayre by Arijit Singh from the 2015 Bollywood film Dilwale. Composed by Pritam and written by Amitabh Bhattacharya, the song is a soft yet powerful ballad about emotional distance and the invisible walls that form between people who once loved each other. Sung by Arijit, the song captures that space between not being able to move on and not being able to go back. Its name, Daayre, which translates to “boundaries,” ties directly into the lyrical theme, the quiet pain of love that is still alive, but kept apart by the weight of the past.

In the film, the track underscores the emotional tension between the lead characters played by Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, as they wrestle with their history and try to make sense of what remains. The lyrics, like “Na marna munasib, jiya bhi na jaaye re”, lay bare the helplessness of wanting something that feels just out of reach.

Daayre – Guitar Lesson

The lesson on Daayre is taught by our expert Mike Walker. The song is in the key of G major, and while it doesn’t rely on complex structures, it uses a set of chords that give the track its soft, moody texture. You’ll be playing chords like G, Dmaj7, D6, D/F#, Em, A, C, and Bm7. Some of these might look unfamiliar at first glance, like Dmaj7 or D6, but Mike explains them in a way that makes them easy to understand. For instance, Dmaj7 is just a D major chord with the 7th scale note added, which adds a dreamy, floating feeling to the progression.

One thing that stands out in Daayre is its smooth voice leading. A good example is the shift from D to D/F#, where only the bass note changes. Mike shows how small changes in your hand positioning can help you glide through these transitions without breaking the flow of the song.

The rhythm pattern used is gentle and steady for a ballad. Mike encourages focusing on dynamics, playing softer or louder depending on the emotional highs and lows of each section. He also shares tips on how to highlight certain beats to bring out the melody hidden in the chords. The lesson wraps up with a full playthrough, and by that point, you’ll be able to join in comfortably, playing along with the emotions just as much as the notes.

FAQs

Q. What level of guitarist is Daayre suitable for?

Daayre works well for late beginner to intermediate players. If you’ve got a grip on basic open chords and can handle a few extended voicings like Dmaj7 or Bm7, you’ll enjoy this lesson.

Q. Do I need a capo for this version?

No capo is required for this lesson. It’s played in standard tuning using open and barre chords.

In this video lesson J.J. Pattishall teaches how to play the song Gustakh Dil as part of our guitar series on Indian songs. The song is broken down into multiple lessons for easy learning - Introduction, Chords and Rhythm, Song Arrangement, Overdub Section and Song Demo. Don't forget to make use of the chords and tabs provided with the song lesson!