Introduction

Welcome to the guitar lesson on a song that carries both emotional weight and spiritual depth Bulleya by Papon from the 2016 Bollywood film Sultan. Composed by the iconic duo Vishal-Shekhar with lyrics by Irshad Kamil, the song has a deep Sufi influence that speaks about longing, surrender, and redemption. Sung soulfully by Papon, the track marks a moment of emotional transformation in the film. It plays when the main character, Sultan, is trying to make peace with his past and win back the love of his life.

The song borrows its name and spirit from the famous Sufi poet Bulleh Shah. One of the standout lines in the song, “Tu bole toh ban jau main Bulleh Shah saudayi” (If you say so, I shall become Bulleh Shah’s devotee), ties the narrative to the idea of surrendering one’s ego in the face of love and higher truth. Over the years, this track has remained close to the hearts of listeners not just for its melody, but for the way it captures what it feels like to yearn, for love, for peace, and for redemption.

Bulleya Guitar Lesson

The lesson on Bulleya is taught by our expert Steve Luciano, who walks through all parts of the song with great detail and clarity. The song is in the key of A major and moves between some very expressive chords that bring out the emotional flavor of the track. You’ll encounter chords like A/E, C# minor, B major, Emaj7, Emaj9#4, and C#m7 and while they might sound complicated, Steve breaks them down in a way that even early intermediate players can grasp. One chord that stands out is Emaj9#4, which adds a haunting character to the progression. It's a variation of the regular major chord but with extra notes that add color the #4 gives it a dreamlike sound.

The track also uses what’s called a slash chord like E/G# - which simply means you're playing an E major chord but starting the bass note from G#. This kind of movement helps the progression feel more connected and smooth, especially when moving between sections of the song. Steve explains how to position your fingers for these chords and offers alternate voicings if you find the originals too challenging. 

One of the unique aspects of this lesson is how Steve connects the emotional flow of the song to the playing technique. It’s not just about hitting the right chords it’s about how you play them. The strumming is soft and steady, with emphasis on dynamics to match the emotional rise and fall of the lyrics. The lesson ends with a complete demonstration of the song, making it easy for you to follow along, section by section, until you can play it smoothly from start to finish.   

FAQs

Q. What level of guitarist is Bulleya suited for?

1. Bulleya is best suited for early intermediate players. If you’re familiar with barre chords and can handle a few extended voicings, you’ll enjoy learning this track.

Q. What tuning is used in this version of Bulleya?

1. The song is played in standard tuning — E A D G B E. No capo is needed.

Bulleya is a song of devotion towards your love; it is a song filled with deep meaning, and it serves as a powerful backdrop of the emotional turmoil faced by the main characters of the movie. It’s a song that reflects on the theme of love, separation, regret, and finding a path to redemption. The heartfelt vocals of Papon elevate the song’s intensity and make a deep connection with listeners. 

Song Structure 

Introduction: The introduction is from your guitar instructor Steve Luciano, in here he talks about how this song has some amazing chord changes, and a great melody to play on acoustic guitar, along with other things, which also made the song his favorite song to teach as well. 

Chords and Rhythm: In this part of the guitar lesson, Steve begins with the most common chord used in the song, which is none other than the E chord, then comes A2, and A2 with E in the base. Here, he will show you all the chords that you need for this song and the rhythm that you need to follow. 

Song Arrangement: Right here, you will get to know exactly how the song should be performed on the guitar section-by-section. Steve creates a roadmap of his own for this song and shows you what to play, when to play, and how each part fits together. 

Quarter Note Triplets Section: In this song, you also need to learn how to use quarter notes; these notes are present with the harmonics on the 12th fret. 

Song Demo: Now, with this section, you have reached the point where Steve plays the guitar parts of the song with the backing track. In this song demo, he’s going to play the harmonics, but if you do want to skip them, you can do it without hesitation. 

Solo: The guitar solo is in the key of E, and the pickup note for the solo is placed on the 12th fret. The solo is present at the end of the 43rd measure. You can learn this solo and practice it, depending on your skill set. You can add this to the song, or you can skip it if you wish to. It won’t make a big difference to the feel of the song. 

Why Learn Bulleya Song From The Movie Sultan?

Learning a Bulleya song on acoustic guitar is a great way to harmonise sufism with rock, which gives you a rich melodic palette allowing you to be deeply expressive with your musical instrument. It has a pretty versatile arrangement that can be helpful for practicing gentle arpeggios in the verses and powerful strumming in the chorus. 

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