B.Y.O.B. – Introduction

Welcome to the guitar lesson on one of the greatest anti-establishment rebellion songs that brings together metal, punk, and Middle Eastern melodies into a politically charged anthem. – B.Y.O.B. by System of a Down. The song has been received with love across the world and has won a Grammy for the best hard rock performance in 2006. The song has amassed more than 500 million views on YouTube since its release in 2005.

The song name is an acronym for Bring Your Own Bombs, and was made as a form of protest against the american coalition led Iraq War (2003–2011), with lyrics calling out, “Why don't presidents fight the war? Why do they always send the poor?”. It is a song written in strong political commentary on the situation of wars and oppression around the world. The band has a reputation for speaking out for social justice and matters like drug abuse, politics, and suicide in the heavy metal genre.

B.Y.O.B. Guitar Lesson

The lesson on B.Y.O.B. is brought to you by our beloved instructor, Mike Walker, who demonstrates the song in its entirety and explains all parts of the song in great detail. Since this is a heavy metal song, there are a number of unconventional rhythmic patterns and fast melodic lines for the electric guitar, which is a signature sound for this genre of music.

The song is in the key of F major, but the tuning is half a step down; all the strings are tuned down a semitone. This, firstly, widens or brightens the tone, which makes it feel ‘heavy’ and secondly, loosens the strings, which makes it easier to play at a high tempo.

The lesson is easier to master as it only requires rhythmic proficiency to play in its entirety. The song is very drums and lyrics forward, as is with most heavy metal songs. The song is fun to play because of the distorted tone of the guitar. It’s a saturated machine-like sound that has low-frequency notes, which give it a slightly percussive vibe, usually called ‘djent’.

This is also a short lesson, taught easily by Mike, comfortably suited for beginners and advanced players alike.

FAQs

Q. Can I play BYOB in standard tuning?

Yes, you can play BYOB in standard tuning, but then you’ll have to play the song in E major instead of F major, and you’ll also lose the ‘crunch’ in the strumming.

Q. How to sound like Daron Malakian?

If you want to sound like Malakian, you need an Ibanez Iceman DMM1 guitar, going into a Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal distortion pedal, into a Marshall MF350 amp.

Q. Can I play this on an acoustic guitar?

Yes, you can, but it will not have the rage that is needed to lead a rebellion against the war profiteering world leaders.

Bohemian Rhapsody – Introduction

Welcome to the guitar lesson on what is referred to as the greatest rock song of all time, Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. It is a 6-minute ‘suite’ –a musical performance that typically includes four or five dances, according to Western classical music. But Bohemian Rhapsody is nothing like a classical piece. It is, in fact, the opposite of a classical piece. It is an alternative rock song parodying orchestral music.

Freddie Mercury was born to Parsi-Indian parents in Zanzibar, which is an island town on the east coast of Africa. After the Zanzibar revolution began, they had to flee to Middlesex, England, to save their lives. Since that is the environment Freddie grew up around, it makes sense for him to choose alt-rock and prog-rock as his genres.

Bohemian Rhapsody Guitar Lesson

The lesson on this song is taught by our beloved expert, Mike Walker, who explains all the different sections of the song –and there are many –in the simplest of ways. The lesson is divided into multiple sections, explaining all the parts of the song section by section –from the intro that talks about the chords and different voicings of those chords, to the rhythms and solos of the song.

The song contains an iconic intro, a ballad segment, an orchestral passage, a rock progression, an iconic solo, and an outro. It is almost as if the song is a contraption of multiple songs. Consequently, it has a number of chords and key changes. The instructor, though, gives time to explain all the changes meticulously.

The song follows the following keys: B♭ Major, E♭ Major, A Major and F Major. With most of the chords being non-standard shapes, for instance, the intro features flat-6 and 7th chords, and minor 7th chords. There is a motif in the verse that makes the section iconic –a set of repeating two notes –G to F while on a Bb chord, A to G on the Gmin, and D to C on the Cmin. The instructor shows how to play it in great detail and along with the original track.

Another iconic part of the song is Brian May’s guitar solo, which has been deemed one of the greatest solos of all time. Featuring a guitar that Brian built in his garage, sloppy vibratos, dynamics, and pure emotional playing make it one of the greatest.

The lesson also has a breakdown of the main solo and the outro solo, including the rhythm distortion guitar parts as well, shown in full by the tutor.

Q. Is Bohemian Rhapsody playable on an acoustic guitar?

Yes, once you master the chord shapes, you can easily play the fingerstyle version of the song and sing along.

Q. What effects does Brian May use?

Brian used a Phaser pedal into a treble booster that then went into a Vox AC30.

Q. How do I sing and play this at the same time?

Practice playing the chords first. The ballad actually follows the vocal melody and so mastering the chords can easily get you there.

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. 

Introduction

Absinthe Party is the most well-known song from Minus the Bear. It involves intricate guitar play along with unique rhythm and tapping techniques. Minus the Bear is an Indie rock band from America; in their entire run, the band released a total of 6 studio albums. 

Chords Used in Song Guitar Lesson

Arpeggios Verse & Chorus Chords: Instead of the traditional way, Minus the Bear uses the tapping technique to create arpeggios for this song, here’s an example of how you can also play arpeggios for this track: 

e|------7h10p7-----7h10p7------|  

B|-----------------------------|  

G|----7---------7-------------|  

D|--9---------9---------------|  

A|-----------------------------|  

E|-----------------------------| 

Strumming Pattern 

This song requires you to learn finger tapping, syncopated rhythms, along with layered guitar parts. The band was less resilient to the traditional strumming pattern; still if you are looking for a rhythm guitar approach you can follow this pattern: D D U U D U. 

• D = Down strum
• U = Up strum

Song Structure 

Introduction: The introduction of this guitar lesson starts with prepping your guitar with the necessary tuning. 

Tapping Section: In this section, you will be learning about how to play the first part of the song using the two-handed tapping technique. 

Distortion Section: For this section you have to turn on the distortion on your amplifier, you will be playing a repetitive riff which will be replayed 4 times in the song. 

Song Demo: Here your music instructor Mike Walker is going to show you how to play the entire song with the backing track. 

Overdubs: There are two overdub sections in this song and in this part of the guitar lesson Mike is going to teach you both of them. 

Why Learn Absinthe Party By Minus The Bear?

For this song, you have to learn an intricate technique of two-hand tapping, which makes it both fun and challenging even for an expert guitarist. As you learn this song, you will be able to work on your dexterity, coordination and fluid playing. 

FAQs – This Song Guitar Lesson

Q1. Did Minus the Bear stop performing? 

Ans. In 2018, Minus the Bear came out with sad news of their retirement. They accompanied their retirement with a farewell tour as well. In 2025, the band reunited once again and announced an anniversary tour to commemorate their 20th anniversary of Menos el Oso. 

Q2. Who is the lead singer of the Absinthe Party by Minus the Bear? 

Ans. Jake Snider is the lead singer of the band, and he was the main vocalist of the song Absinthe Party. 

Q3. What Type of music does Minus The Bear produce? 

Ans. All the songs from Minus the Bear can be categorised as experimental rock, there had been a number of twists and turns in their music throughout their 17 year long run. The band was able to build a strong fan base after they were formed in 2001. 

Fun Fact: A friend of the band went on a date and when Jake Snider who was singer and guitarist for the band asked him how his date was he said You know that TV show from the '70s, B. J. and the Bear? It was like that ... minus the Bear.' And from there all the members agreed on naming that reference as their official band name. 

Mann Mera is a perfect song that combines melody, emotions, and simplicity to give us an ideal track to be played on guitar. It has a soothing tune to it, and the lyrics are quite heartfelt, giving you a chance to express your emotions through music. 

Fun Fact: This particular track helps Gajendra Verma make his name in Bollywood and in the mainstream music scene. The original version of the song went quite viral on the internet, and it became the youth’s favourite song to play even to this day.  

Chords Used in Song Guitar Lesson

Arpeggios Verse & Chorus Chords: The basic arpeggio fingerpicking pattern for this song is Thumb (P) – Index (I) – Middle (M) – Ring (A) – Middle (M) – Index (I).

Now, in terms of each individual string: 

6 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 3 – 4 (for G and D chords)

5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 3 – 4 (for Em and C chords)

Strumming Pattern 

The following pattern you have to repeat smoothly throughout the song, and it also works well with the chord progression: D – D U – U D U. 

• D = Down Strum. 
• U = Up Strum. 

Song Structure 

Introduction: The introduction of the lesson is from J.J. Pattishall, who is going to show you how to tune up your guitar for the song and tells you that the song is present in the key of C-sharp minor. 

Chords and Rhythm: In this part of the guitar lesson, J.J. shows you where you have to play the specific chords and what rhythm you need to follow for this song. 

Song Arrangement: After showcasing all the chords that you will be playing, J.J. provides information on the song arrangement, in which he gives you details of chords that make up the chorus and verse sections of the song. 

Intro Riff: In this part, you will learn how to play the iconic opening riff of the song, which made the song so easy to remember just from its tune. 

Song Demo: In the final part of this guitar lesson, J.J. is going to show you how to play the guitar chords with the backing track. 

Why Learn Mann Mera Song?

Mann Mera is a beginner-friendly song; it uses open chords that guitarists learn at the beginning of their musical journey. In addition to this, the song also includes a simple fingerpicking technique that allows you to improve finger coordination and control as you play. 

FAQS – Mann Mera Song Guitar Lesson

Q1. Who is the composer of the song Mann Mera from the movie Table 21? 

Ans. The song was composed by Gajendra Verma, who also sang it. 

Q2. Do I need to use Arpeggios for the song Mann Mera? 

Ans. Yes, for the intro and for the verse part, you have to use the fingerpicking pattern in order to play the song softly. 

Q3. Do I need to have a capo for this song? 

Ans. To play this song, you don’t require a capo, but if you have one, you can use it to match up with the original pitch used by the composer. 

This particular song, Main Kya Karoon, comes in the movie when the character of Ranbir Kapoor first got to understand the feeling of falling in love with someone. This is the song that helped the director capture the light-hearted, dreamy, and whimsical tone of young love. 

Fun Fact: For the song Pritam, the composer went to Nikhil Paul George, who wasn’t a mainstream singer of Bollywood. He did this because he wanted someone with an unpolished, pure, and boyish voice. This will help the singer to match up with the character of Ranbir Kapoor in the movie. 

Chords Used in Song Guitar Lesson

Arpeggios Verse & Chorus Chords: If you want to use the fingerpicking pattern or arpeggios instead of simple strumming, you can follow these techniques for each chord: 

For chords with root on the 5th string (like C, Am, F):

5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 3 – 4 (Repeat)

For chords with root on the 6th string (like G):

6 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 3 – 4 (Repeat)

Strumming Pattern 

The basic strumming pattern which you need to follow is: D D U U D U. 

• D = Down Strum. 
• U = Up Strum. 

Song Structure 

Chords, Rhythm, and Arrangement: The guitar instructor for this song lesson is Bobby Koelble; he shares with you the chords, rhythm, and arrangement that you have matched for the easier version. In addition to this, he also talks about the major difference between the original version of the song and this stripped-out version, which is much easier to play.

Why Learn Main Kya Karoon (Easy Version) Song?

Main Kya Karoon is a simple song with easy-to-play open chords which is perfect for beginners to practice chord switching without frustration. It’s a light, romantic, and uplifting tune that is super enjoyable to play and sing along with. 

FAQs – Main Kya Karoon (Easy Version) Song Guitar Lesson

Q1. What key is the song Main Kya Karoon From Barfi in?

Ans. The song is present in the D major, but for this particular version, we have transposed it to C major, which allows you to use a simpler set of chords. 

Q2. Is the song Main Kya Karoon suitable for beginners to learn on guitar? 

Ans. Yes, using the basic chords and light rhythm, any beginner can learn how to play this song on guitar. 

Q3. Is there a need to use Capo for the song Main Kya Karoon? 

Ans. You can put a capo on the 2nd fret; it will help you play easier chords while still matching the original pitch of the song. 

In this video lesson Steve Luciano teaches how to play the song Maa as part of our guitar series on Indian songs. The song is broken down into multiple lessons for easy learning - Introduction and Arpeggios, Verse and Rhythm, Interlude and Chorus and Solo. Don't forget to make use of the chords and tabs provided with the song lesson!

In this video lesson J.J. Pattishall teaches how to play the song Mera Mann 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, Solo Lesson and Song Demo. Don't forget to make use of the chords and tabs provided with the song lesson!

In this video lesson Pawan Jalan teaches how to play the song Hai Junoon as part of our guitar series on Indian songs. The song is broken down into multiple lessons for easy learning - Introduction, Chords, and Rhythm. Don't forget to make use of the chords and tabs provided with the song lesson!

Introduction:

Handy Man is a classic song written by Otis Blackwell in collaboration with Jimmy Jones. But the song became much more popular after James Taylor covered it in his own style of soft rock. 

Chords Used in Song Guitar Lesson

Arpeggios Verse & Chorus Chords: This song requires you to use soft fingerpicking along with smooth chord transitions. The instructions below show how you can play the arpeggios for this song. Don’t forget to use the thumb-heavy fingerpicking technique.  

e|-----------0------------|  

B|------1------1---------|  

G|----0---0------0------|  

D|-------------2--------|  

A|--3------------------|  

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

Strumming Pattern 

You can use a simple flowing rhythm with a 4/4 time signature: D D U U D U. 

• D = Down strum
• U = Up strum

The strumming pattern for the softer version should be played like this: D x D U x U D U.

• D = Down strum
• U = Up strum
• X = Muted strum; here, you have to lightly touch the string as you strum. 

Song Structure 

Song Arrangement And Demo: For this song, your guitar instructor is going to be Steve Luciano; he shares the difference between this easy version of the song and how it can be played even by beginners. In addition to this, you will be using capo and simple strumming for this guitar lesson. The capo is going to be on the 2nd fret. 

Why Learn Handy Man Song?

This song uses easy to understand chords, thus, making it a great song to learn for beginners and for other guitarists no matter what their level is. In addition to this, it is a perfect song to play on acoustic guitar as well because it has that laid back feel to it. 

FAQs – This Song Guitar Lesson

Q1. Who sang the original version of the song Handyman? 

Ans. James Jones, the American singer, was the singer and songwriter of the song. 

Q2. What is the meaning of the Handyman?

Ans. A handyman is someone who is skilled at repairing and making things inside or outside the house. 

Q3. Is there a hidden meaning to the song Handyman?

Ans. There is no such hidden meaning attached to the song, in this song a man is offering his services as someone who is able to fix broken hearts and make people happy again. 

Fun Fact: The Taylor version of this song made him win his second Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. 

In this video lesson Pawan Jalan teaches how to play the song Tu Jaane Na as part of our guitar series on Indian songs. The song is broken down into multiple lessons for easy learning - Intro, Chords, and Rhythm. Don't forget to make use of the chords and tabs provided with the song lesson!