Electric Overdubs

Praise – Introduction

Welcome to the guitar lesson on the Christian rock gospel track by Everlasting Worship called Praise. The song was released in mid-2023 and has since been streamed over 150 million times on YouTube. Praise is a collaborative effort by Brandon Lake, Chris Brown & Chandler Moore in the name of Jesus.

The message in the song is a declaration of devotion to Jesus Christ, lord and Saviour, who is all worthy of praise. There is deep devotional meaning in the lyrics of the song that talks about praising the lord in every situation and stage of life, for he is sovereign and true. The artists say, “Praise is also a weapon… Praise is how you fight for your perspective. Praise is how you take your imagination back from the enemy. Praise is how you inspire your faith and remember God’s faithfulness”.

Praise Guitar Lesson

The lesson here covers all parts of the song section by section, including the introduction, chords and rhythms, and the different techniques required to play this song perfectly. The tutor has demonstrated how to play the song using a capo as well as without a capo in the latter part of the lesson.

Praise chords are derived from the A major scale, which are A, Dadd9, F#m, E, and Bm. But since the open chord shapes sound louder and brighter, they make it tricky to produce the muted tones. Hence, the instructor suggests the use of a capo, which, instead of the nut pressing the strings from the bottom, does it from the top, and the muting effect becomes easy to achieve. Consequently, there arises a need to then transpose the song two frets ahead, which makes the chord shapes easier to play.

The song features augmented chords and minor 7th chords. They give a dreamy and expanding feel to the song. The strumming resembles a shuffle pattern with some muted strums for a percussive effect. This pattern, which is a little complex to master but sounds most fun to play, is carefully shown by the instructor, which the learners will find helpful.

FAQs

Q. What chords are used in ‘Praise’ by Elevation Worship?

The song uses standard chords like G, Cadd9, Em7, and D, using a capo on the 2nd fret. This is a common modern worship progression that is quite easy to play.

Q. Is Praise suitable for acoustic guitar beginners?

Yes, Praise is suitable for beginners. Although it has a higher tempo, that is only because of the strumming pattern, which is easy to play with a capo on. The chords are also easy to play with a capo on.

Q. How can I improve playing Praise live?

The greatest obstacle in live playing is the nerves, the adrenaline that makes your hands shake in front of an audience. A good way to deal with that is to not face the audience directly and stand at an angle, partly facing the audience and partly the band members.

Hotel California - Introduction

Welcome to the guitar lesson on the acoustic version of one of the greatest songs of all time, Hotel California by The Eagles. This specific arrangement replaces the original electric instruments with nylon-string guitars, creating a different interpretation of the song. The track keeps the same chord progression and structure as the studio version but uses fingerpicking patterns and multiple guitar harmonies.

Hotel California, as writer Henley put it, is more of a symbolic piece about America in general, and added, “Lyrically, the song deals with traditional or classical themes of conflict: darkness and light, good and evil, youth and age, the spiritual versus the secular. I guess you could say it's a song about the loss of innocence”.

The song follows a narrative about a traveller staying at a mysterious hotel, with lyrics that some interpret as commentary on American culture, for instance, the most iconic line of the song being “you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave”.

Hotel California Guitar Lesson

Hotel California guitar lesson is taught by our beloved expert, Mike Walker, who explains all the different sections of the song in a section-by-section manner, starting from the intro that talks about the chords and different voicings of those chords, through the acoustic overdubs and the guitar solo section.

The song features a number of minor 7ths, dominants, suspended and augmented chords. The intro alone covers all these variations of these chords. The tutor, nevertheless, goes into detail explaining how to play them using a fingerpicking pattern.

The song is written in B minor; the live acoustic version uses a capo on the 7th fret, making it an E minor. The intro follows a repeating progression of Em-B7-Dsus-A7-C-G-Am7-B7, which establishes the harmonic foundation.

Since this is an acoustic version of the song, played by multiple guitarists. There are a number of artistic motifs and embellishments using techniques like double stops, arpeggios, and most importantly, the individual guitarists harmonising with each other throughout the song.

The tutor explains all the solos of the song in great detail, the last of which features some of the notes from the harmonic minor scale, which carry a signature sound of the desert, or the Middle East. This lends itself literally to the theme of the narrative of the song.

FAQs

Q. Do I need a nylon-string guitar to play this version?

While the original recording uses nylon strings, you can play it on a steel-string acoustic. The tone will sound brighter, but the chords and techniques remain the same.

Q. Why is the capo on the 7th fret? Can I play it without one?

The capo transposes the chords to match the original key (B minor) and allows easier open-position shapes. Without a capo, you’ll need to play full barre chords in B minor.

Introduction

Wake Me Up When September Ends is one of the most iconic songs from the American punk rock band Green Day. It is the fourth single from their seventh studio album, American Idiot, which was released in 2004. The lead vocalist Armstrong, wrote the lyrics of this song after his father's death in September 1982.

Chords Used in Wake Me Up When September Ends

Arpeggios Verse & Chorus Chords: Open chords. The song is played in the key of G, and there is no need for a capo. 

Chorus Variation: The chorus of the song is pretty short, and the guitar chords used in it are similar to those of the verse. 

Strumming Pattern 

The entirety of the song follows the same strumming pattern: Down-Up, Down-Up, Down-Up. (DUDUDU)

Song Structure 

Introduction: In this section, J.J. Pattishall will explain the key you need to play the song in.

Song Arrangement: Here, you will learn how and why the guitar instructor has broken down this song into several different parts. This particular section will show you how to play the guitar parts of the intro, verse, chorus, and bridge. 

Rhythm: Here, you will learn the open chords used to provide backing rhythm to the verse and chorus of the song. 

Song Demo: Right here, after showing you how to play all the different chords for this song, J.J. Pattishall will show you how to play the guitar alongside the song. 

Solo Lesson: This is the last part, where you learn how to play the epic solo from the song. 

Perfect - Introduction

Welcome to the guitar lesson on a song that needs no introduction. Perfect by Ed Sheeran topped all the charts in 2017 and became a super duper hit worldwide. This song has now become part of mainstream pop youth culture. All lovers, depending on their heartbroken status, either love or hate this song. It has collected more than 4.9 billion views (almost half of humanity) on YouTube since its release and has been in all the romance playlists on every streaming service platform.

The song is a ballad celebrating the traditional marriage relationship between two lovers, written about Sheeran’s wife-to-be, Cherry Seaborn, whom he had known since he was in school and then reconnected with her when she was working in New York. Sheeran has said the song captures the feeling of finding "the one" - that magical moment when you realise you've met your soulmate.

Perfect Guitar Lesson

The guitar lesson on Perfect is an easy one. Nevertheless, the lesson has many sections that talk about the chords and rhythm of the song, and a section on improvisation where the instructor is demonstrating how to solo over the track.

The song only has four chords, namely – G - Em7 - Cadd9 - D, which the tutor explains is meant to be played with the capo on the 1st fret, as does Sheeran himself in live performances. The strumming of the song goes in triplets of 4, covering four bars of music.

The thing about minor 7th chords and augmented chords used in the song is that in the open position, they share some of the notes, and when chords share notes, the phenomenon of voice leading occurs. Voice leading is when the notes of one chord lead to another, creating an interesting movement between anticipation and resolution in the music.

Although the studio recording version of the song uses a capo on the first fret, the lesson here demonstrates both ways, with and without a capo, of playing the song in its entirety. The song follows a 12/8 time signature, and the rhythm sounds like that of a waltz, which makes it an easy song to dance to, especially with one’s lover.

The lesson makes available Perfect lyrics and chords along with the video lesson, which the advanced players can refer to when learning the song.

FAQs

Q. What is the story behind Ed Sheeran's song Perfect?

Perfect was written by Ed Sheeran as a love song for his then-girlfriend (now wife) Cherry Seaborn. The lyrics describe their real-life romance, from meeting as teenagers to falling in love as adults.

Q. What key is Perfect?

Perfect is written in the key of Ab major (G major for live performances), though most guitarists use a capo on the 1st fret to make the chords easier to play. This transposition means you'll be playing standard shapes like G, Em, C and D but hearing them in Ab major.

Introduction

Hello is a song by Lionel Richie, an American singer and songwriter. It was the third single from his second studio album, Can’t Slow Down, which was released in 1983. This song had a total of three guitarists: Darrell Jones, Tim Ray, and Louis Shelton, who played electric and acoustic guitar, respectively. 

In this video lesson Steve Luciano teaches how to play the song Hello as part of our guitar series on English songs. The song is broken down into multiple lessons for easy learning - Introduction, Song Arrangement, Song Demo, Advanced Voicing and Solo Lesson. Don't forget to make use of the chords and tabs provided with the song lesson!

Strumming Pattern 

The strumming patterns are: D D U U D U. 

Song Structure 

Here is the song structure which you need to follow to learn Hello by Lionel Richie:

Introduction: This is the start of the lesson, during which Steve Luciano, your instructor, will explain all the technicalities you will encounter during the learning stage of this song. 

Song Arrangement: Here, you will learn all the chords necessary to play this song. 

Song Demo: In this section, Steve will play the guitar part of the song alongside the track to help you understand how to sync chords with the vocals. 

Advanced Voicing: For individuals who can play advanced chords, this particular section is for them. It is the bonus of the lesson to make your guitar play more intricately.

Solo Lesson: In this section, you'll learn how to play the slow part of the song — a beautiful example of an instrumental pop solo, the kind that's rarely highlighted in mainstream pop music.

Introduction:

The Middle was released by the band Jimmy Eat World in October 2001 as the second single of their fourth album called, Bleed American (2001). The song became an instant hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 2002 and it also reached top 50 in various other countries like Australia, United Kingdom and New Zealand. 

Chords Used in Song Guitar Lesson:

Arpeggios Verse & Chorus Chords: The Middle is a power chord driven song which includes fast strumming as well. But if you want you can add arpeggios for adding a bit of variation. 

The optional arpeggio-picking pattern is as follows: 

E|----------------|  

B|------3--------|  

G|----2---2------|  

D|--0-------0----|  

A|--------------|  

E|--------------|  

Strumming Pattern 

This song has open power chords in the chorus section and palm muting in the verses, giving it a classic high-energy-punk rock feel. 

The strumming pattern goes like this: D - D - D - U - D - U  

• D = Down strum
• U = Up strum
• - = Pause (mute or let the chord ring)

Song Structure 

Introduction: In the introduction Mike Walker your guitar instructor will teach you how to tune up your guitar in order to play this song. 

Song Demo: This is the final part where Mike will play the guitar part of the song while it plays at the back to show you how to sync up with other instruments and vocals. 

Song Arrangement: Here you will learn how to play the intro, and the middle section of the song along with required intervals which provides the riff of the song that iconic sound. 

Overdubs: In this part of the guitar lesson, you will be learning about the overdubs that you will be playing besides verses 1, 2 and 3. 

Solo Lesson: In this section Mike is going to teach you piece-by-piece how to play the solo of The Middle and give you tips on how to make it sound melodic. 

Why Learn The Middle By Jimmy Eat The World Song?

For someone who is into punk-rock, Jimmy Eat The World’s The Middle is the holy grail of punk music to start with. The main riff of the song is pretty catchy and it can be played using easy power chords. Also, this song can be used as a great introduction to palm muting which allows you to build tight rhythm playing. 

FAQs-The Middle By Jimmy Eat The World Song Guitar Lesson

Q1. What is the meaning behind the song “The Middle?”

Ans. It reflects the hard time that the band had to go through when there was no funding, and they had kept things simple in their recording rather than doing experimentation as they were doing in their previous records. 

Q2. When did Jimmy Eat The World start?

Ans. The band was formed in 1993 and they released their debut EP, entitled One, Two, Three and Four in 1994 under Wooden Blue Records. 

Q3. What is the music genre of Jimmy Eat The World?

Ans. The sound the band created falls in the category of punk rock; the first demo tape of the band was released in 1993, followed by their debut EP.

Introduction:

Top Gun Anthem is one of the iconic instrumental rock compositions in Hollywood which was composed for the movie in 1986 by Harold Faltermeyer and Steve Stevens. This song has some strong, melodic guitar-driven tracks which every guitarist no matter if they are beginner, intermediate or expert must learn to play. 

Chords Used in Song Guitar Lesson

Arpeggios Verse & Chorus Chords: This song revolves around the lead guitar instrumental. But if you do want to learn about the arpeggios, then here’s how you should be playing them:

e|-----------0------------|  

B|------1------1---------|  

G|----0---0------0------|  

D|-------------2--------|  

A|--3------------------|  

E|----------------------| 

Strumming Pattern 

The strumming pattern of the song is as follows: D D U U D U. 

• D = Down strum
• U = Up strum

Song Structure 

Introduction: In this introduction your guitar instructor Mike Walker is going to teach you how to tune up a guitar for this song. 

Song Arrangement Part 1: This particular section will show you how to play the melody part of the song and how you should be counting the bells which are present in the song to keep up with tune.

Song Arrangement Part 2: Here, you will be learning the next part of the song. 

Song Demo: Here, Mike will show you how to play the entire song on guitar while keeping up with the backing track. 

Solo Part 1: In this part Mike will show you how to play the guitar solo which comes at 2:45 minutes on the track. He breaks down this guitar solo in 9 licks. 

Solo Part 2: This is the second part of the guitar solo, and it starts with lick number 6. 

Solo with Backing Track: Again, Mike plays the demo but this time specifically the solo part alongside the backtrack. 

Why Learn Top Gun Anthem Song?

The song has a beautiful, soaring lead guitar part which is easily recognisable when you play it. If you don’t know how to play the viberto, bends, and sustain control on your chord play then this song will teach you how to do it. 

Furthermore, it will help in improving your picking accuracy, sustain and phrasing and introduces you to dynamic control which is necessary if you want to master emotional guitar playing. 

FAQs – This Song Guitar Lesson

Q1. Who played the Top Gun Anthem?

Ans. Steve Stevens is the man who composed Top Gun Anthem, the song was written by Harold Faltermeyer. Steve played guitar and Faltermeyer played the keyboard during the recording of the song. 

Q2. Which song did Tom Cruise play when he was in the bar?

Ans. In 1986, Top Gun Tom Cruise played “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling.” Tom played this song, and other members of the Navy pilots joined in the movie scene. 

Fun Fact: Top Gun Anthem won the 1987 Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance

The introduction and song arrangement are none other than Salman Ahmad, who himself is a member of the band Junoon. In this part of the guitar lesson, he gives you a little background on the song. In addition to this, as he begins showing you the song arrangement, he tells you to keep the guitar chords in a flowing rhythm to have a more accurate guitar sound. Furthermore, the song is present in the key of C-sharp minor, so do tune your guitar accordingly. 

Song Structure:

Intro Lead: In here, you will learn the chords for the intro lead, which Salman Ahmad created to bring more depth and rock feel to the song. 

Solo 1: In this part of the guitar lesson, you will see how to play the first solo that comes in the song. Keep in mind, as you play this song, you have to make sure that the sound you are creating is more on a bluesy side. 

Solo 2: The second solo present in the song is more of a precursive. 

Song Demo: In this section of the song lesson, Salman Ahmad will play the guitar chords for the entire song as it is being played in the background. 

Easy Version: For people who are new to guitar tutorials and are at the beginner level of the instrument, Salman Ahmad has come up with the easy version, which he teaches in this part. 

Easy Version Song Demo: The easier version, which you have just learned in the above section, is now in here, you will see how to play it in sync with the song. 

Why Learn Zamaney Ke Andaz By Junoon Song?

As you learn this song on guitar, you will be able to blend in Eastern melodies with Western rock power chords. Using this, you are going to strengthen your timing and rhythmic palm muting, which is considered to be a staple for modern rock. 

The song is present in the key of C-sharp minor, which makes the song a great workout for left-hand strength, right-hand accuracy, and clean fretboard shifts. As you learn this song, you will be able to control dynamics such as soft-finger-picking passages with high-energy strumming, resulting in more engaging and impactful performances. 

Arms Wide Open - Introduction

Welcome to the guitar lesson on a song that has the best rock song Grammy to its name –With Arms Wide Open by Creed. Scott Stapp’s wife was pregnant with his first child, he wrote the lyrics when he found out, with great surprise, that he was going to be a father. According to Stapp, the song was written in just fifteen minutes during a soundcheck. The song has received almost 200 million views on YouTube.

Stapp says, “It continues to have relevant meaning in my life because as I sing it now, I think of my daughter who's now on this planet and alive. And then I think of my newest son, my three-year-old, Daniel”. The song is about a man expressing his feelings about thinking about becoming a father.

Arms Wide Open Guitar Lesson

This is a guitar lesson that is an acoustic cover version of the song performed by James Boyce, taught by our expert Steve Luciano, in a section-by-section manner. They start with the introduction

The song is in the key of C major and features a number of suspended chords. There is a C major 9 chord with a B note in the bass, which sounds like a suspended chord because of the 9th scale degree. There is also a very unique A minor 11th chord, which also sounds like a suspended chord because of the 11th scale degree, which is actually the 4th scale degree on the octave higher. The instructor explains all the chord shapes in great detail. You can also refer to the Arms Wide Open tabs along with the lesson on the sidebar.

The strumming of the chords is very simple, compared to the chord voicings, that is – D - U U D - U U D - D U for the most part (D is a downward strum and U is an upward strum).

There is also an easy verison of the song that the instructor demonstrates, which is a beginner-friendly version of the song focused more on the singing part of the track.

FAQs

Q. What skill level is Arms Wide Open for?

This lesson is ideal for beginner to intermediate players. If you know basic open chords, you can easily learn the song.

Q. Is this version different from the original Creed version?

Yes. This is a soft acoustic cover by James Boyce. It keeps the emotional depth of the original but focuses more on the singing part.

Q. What is the tuning of Arms Wide Open by Creed?

Nope! This version is played in standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-e), making it very accessible. Drop D is not required here.

Q. What chords are used in this version?

The song uses common suspended and power chords, with some being 9 and 11th chords. The tutor goes over each one slowly and clearly.

Pasoori – Introduction

Welcome to the guitar lesson on a song that is a masterclass in songwriting and storytelling, and essentially art. Ali and Shae wrote an Urdu-Punjabi song that became the most-streamed Coke Studio song on YouTube, with more than 800 million views.

Pasoori is a song that is layered in its meanings relating to themes of conflict in love, life, chaos, self-expression, and the partition event. The lyrical metaphors have strong emotional, societal and political connotations and are presented in the style of the folk-pop genre.

The inspiration of the song, as Ali mentions, came from a quote in Punjabi written on the back of a transport truck that said ‘aag lavaan teri majbooriyan nu’ (set fire to your compultions), which he then followed up with ‘aan jaan di pasoori nu’ (the crisis of coming and going), symbolising the conflict of not just love but also the daily trades of life.

Pasoori Guitar Lesson

In this lesson, the tutor goes over all the parts of the song, section by section, displaying the techniques needed to play them perfectly. The song has three verses and three choruses and one bridge section that has a Baglama (a Turkish stringed instrument) solo and a mandolin solo, which are explained in detail by the instructor.

The song is in the key of B minor and can be easily played in the open position on the guitar using the standard chord shapes. Since the rhythm and beat of the song resembles that of reggaeton music, the strumming sounds like a shuffle between the chord changes and goes like D’ U D U’ D U D U - D’ D’ D’ (D is a downstrum and U is an upward strum, and the ‘ is an accented strum). It is a unique spin on the rhythm that sounds Oriental or Middle Eastern as well as Indian at the same time.

The song, having Oriental motifs, features what is known in music theory as the Andalusian cadence, i.e. usage of the chords A minor - G - F - E in sequence in the chorus sections. The tutor demonstrates the full song in its entirety and also includes a section on how to improvise on the track.

FAQs

Q. Why is Pasoori so popular?

The song is popular because of the catchy tune that has been given to the chorus of the song and because of the romantic expression of the lyrics that rides on the upbeat tempo of the song. There is one more factor for its success, which is cultural association –phrases like ‘gheo di churi’, which is a sweet dish popular in the Sindh region, triggered nostalgia among the regional north indians.

Q. What chords are used in Pasoori?

Pasoori uses simple open chords like Bm, G, F, Em, E and F#. These chords create its signature melancholic yet catchy melody.

Q. Is Pasoori suitable for beginners?

Yes, Pasoori is ideal for beginners because of its open chord voicings and moderate tempo. It helps learners practice smooth transitions and strumming patterns.