
Livin on a Prayer is the song that made Bon Jovi immortal in rock history. It's a rock anthem that every intermediate and advanced guitarist needs to learn. In this guitar song lesson by Torrins, our instructor Mike Walker will be focusing on helping you build stage-ready rhythmic skills, chord dynamics, and rock tone shaping, all of which are inspired by Richie Sambora’s iconic playing style.
The song was released in 1986 as part of the album Slippery When Wet. The song became iconic due to its talkbox intro and a stadium-sized chorus. Richie Sambora’s guitar work in this song is what makes the listener stick till the very end.
Keep in mind that the talkbox riff present in the song is just a gimmick; it is there to set the song’s mood and hook the audience to the song. The main highlight lies in the chunky syncopated chord work in the verses, which drives the track with a surprisingly tight and sing-along rock piece groove.
The solo you will be learning here in this guitar song lesson is quite tasteful, the melodic lead feels quite like it’s part of the song’s narrative rather than a separate guitar moment.
Strumming Pattern Of Livin' on a Prayer By Bon Jovi
The most common strumming pattern that you need to follow to play the song “Livin on a Prayer” is: DDUUDU.
- D = Down Strum.
- U = Up Strum.
This particular strumming pattern that we have shown above matches well with the syncopated, energetic feel, which is the driving force for the entire song. In addition to this, you can also add minor variations on the upstrokes to get that extra bounce that makes you match up with the iconic Bon Jovi’s rhythm.
FAQs – Livin' on a Prayer By Bon Jovi Song Guitar Lesson
Q1. How do I replicate the talkbox effect, which is present at the start of the song “Livin on the Prayer” by Bon Jovi?
Ans. You can create a similar-sounding riff using a talkbox pedal, which routes the guitar signal through a tube into your mouth to create a vocal-like sound. If the talkbox pedal is not present, you can also use a “wah” pedal for a similar effect.
Q2. Is palm muting necessary to learn for the guitar song lesson “Livin on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi?
Ans. Yes, in this guitar lesson by Mike Walker, you will learn how to use palm muting selectively during the verse riffs that lead to a chugging rhythmic effect.
Q3. How difficult is it to play the guitar solo from the song “Livin on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi?
Ans. The solo present in the song is a bit challenging for new guitar players because it has melodic bends, slides, and even vibrato. For intermediate guitar players, it will be much easier to learn.
Livin on a Prayer
Introduction
Song Arrangement Part 1
Song Arrangement Part 2
Song Demo
Solo Lesson
Unlock Full Access to Lyrics & Chords with Torrins Membership
Unlock with premiumLivin on a Prayer is the song that made Bon Jovi immortal in rock history. It's a rock anthem that every intermediate and advanced guitarist needs to learn. In this guitar song lesson by Torrins, our instructor Mike Walker will be focusing on helping you build stage-ready rhythmic skills, chord dynamics, and rock tone shaping, all of which are inspired by Richie Sambora’s iconic playing style.
The song was released in 1986 as part of the album Slippery When Wet. The song became iconic due to its talkbox intro and a stadium-sized chorus. Richie Sambora’s guitar work in this song is what makes the listener stick till the very end.
Keep in mind that the talkbox riff present in the song is just a gimmick; it is there to set the song’s mood and hook the audience to the song. The main highlight lies in the chunky syncopated chord work in the verses, which drives the track with a surprisingly tight and sing-along rock piece groove.
The solo you will be learning here in this guitar song lesson is quite tasteful, the melodic lead feels quite like it’s part of the song’s narrative rather than a separate guitar moment.
Strumming Pattern Of Livin' on a Prayer By Bon Jovi
The most common strumming pattern that you need to follow to play the song “Livin on a Prayer” is: DDUUDU.
- D = Down Strum.
- U = Up Strum.
This particular strumming pattern that we have shown above matches well with the syncopated, energetic feel, which is the driving force for the entire song. In addition to this, you can also add minor variations on the upstrokes to get that extra bounce that makes you match up with the iconic Bon Jovi’s rhythm.
FAQs – Livin' on a Prayer By Bon Jovi Song Guitar Lesson
Q1. How do I replicate the talkbox effect, which is present at the start of the song “Livin on the Prayer” by Bon Jovi?
Ans. You can create a similar-sounding riff using a talkbox pedal, which routes the guitar signal through a tube into your mouth to create a vocal-like sound. If the talkbox pedal is not present, you can also use a “wah” pedal for a similar effect.
Q2. Is palm muting necessary to learn for the guitar song lesson “Livin on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi?
Ans. Yes, in this guitar lesson by Mike Walker, you will learn how to use palm muting selectively during the verse riffs that lead to a chugging rhythmic effect.
Q3. How difficult is it to play the guitar solo from the song “Livin on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi?
Ans. The solo present in the song is a bit challenging for new guitar players because it has melodic bends, slides, and even vibrato. For intermediate guitar players, it will be much easier to learn.
Livin on a Prayer
Introduction
Song Arrangement Part 1
Song Arrangement Part 2
Song Demo
Solo Lesson
Unlock Full Access to Lyrics & Chords with Torrins Membership
Unlock with premiumExplore More in English Songs
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Wanted Dead or Alive is an iconic acoustic-electric rock ballad that teaches you how to combine melody, imagery and rich guitar textures. When the song was first released in the 80s, it became an instant hit among rock fans. Ever since then, whenever someone is trying to master Bon Jovi’s sound on guitar, their instinct pulls them towards learning “Wanted Dead or Alive” first.
Mike Walker is going to be your guitar instructor from Torrins.com. According to his guitar knowledge, this particular song has an excellent mix of open chord voicings, arpeggiated picking, and power-driven strumming patterns, which help in building finger dexterity along with rhythmic sensitivity. Let’s see what you are going to learn here:
Chords Used in Song Guitar Lesson
In this guitar lesson, you will be learning the following chords that will be used throughout the verses and chorus section of the song “Wanted Dead or Alive” by Bon Jovi:
- D major (D)
- C major (C)
- G major (G)
- F major (F)
- D9 (a variation of D)
- C9 (a variation of C)
- D4 (a suspended or added note variation of D)
Strumming Pattern Wanted Dead or Alive by Bon Jovi
To master “Wanted Dead or Alive” by Bon Jovi, you first need to understand its main beat, which is present in the form of quarter notes, subdivided into sixteenth notes. Thus, making the beat a more standard dynamic rock rhythm.
The strumming pattern you need to follow is: DDUDU DDDD DUDD
- D = Down Strum.
- U = Up Strum.
When you are following this strumming pattern, you have to keep specific notes ringing, at the same time, incorporate some licks, along with hammer-ons around chords like D, Cadd9, G, and F chords to mimic the iconic sound.
FAQs – Wanted Dead or Alive by Bon Jovi Song Guitar Lesson
Q1. Which guitar skills are required to play and learn the song “Dead or Alive” by Bon Jovi?
Ans. You have to practice string bending, vibrato, power chords, pinched harmonics, alternate and hybrid picking.
Q2. What kind of guitar is recommended to play the song “Wanted Dead or Alive” by Bon Jovi?
Ans. A 12-string acoustic guitar would be the perfect fit for your song practice because the original is often played on it. But most of the guitar players that are out there are currently using a 6-string guitar, so you are good with that, too. A 12-string guitar adds more richness that uplifts the iconic intro of the song.
Q3. What is something I should know about when learning the rhythmic parts of the guitar song “Dead or Alive” by Bon Jovi?
Ans. To fully match up with the song’s dynamic feel, you have to balance rhythmic strumming with that of melodic picking.





























