Introduction

Introduction:

The Final Countdown is the iconic song of Swedish rock band Europe which was released in 1986. The song was written by lead singer Joey Tempest. 

Strumming Pattern 

This song has a mix of palm-muting rhythm, open strumming, and melodic lead parts. The common strumming pattern which you can follow for this song is D D D D D D D D . 

Make sure to keep your strokes short and control them using palm muting. 

Song Structure 

Introduction: In this section your guitar instructor Mike Walker is going to teach you how to tune your guitar in order to use it for the song. 

Intro Parts: In this part of the guitar lesson your guitar instructor is going to show you how to play the synth part which comes in the intro of the song. 

Song Arrangement Part 1: This section shows how you should be playing the verse section of the song and you will be playing these particular chords twice in the song. 

Song Arrangement Part 2: Here, Mike shows you how to play the interlude, which is present in the song and is played alongside crash symbols. 

Song Demo: This is the part where Mike Walke shows you how to play the guitar parts with the backing track. 

Main Motif: This is the section where you will learn how to play the iconic motif, which 

makes the song so memorable and classic. 

Solo Lesson: Mike shares his knowledge of how you should be playing the harmonic solo of 

this song in addition to the guitar chords. 

Harmony Solo: This particular guitar part is played above the arpeggios section of the song. 

Why Learn Final Countdown Song On Guitar By Europe Song?

Final Countdown is more than just a rock song, it's a rock anthem which has an instantly recognizable melody which is played at the beginning of the song. 

The main keyboard riff can be easily played on guitar and learning it will help you practice lead techniques. The intro and the verse are great for learning melodic playing which is used a lot of time in rock music. 

FAQs – This Song Guitar Lesson

Q1. Why is the Final Countdown so Famous? 

Ans. The song reached number spot in 25 different countries, it is Europe’s only top 10 hit to this day. In addition to this, it is the band's most popular song of all time, the song which made the band famous all over the world. 

Q2. What is the original BPM of the Final Countdown?

Ans. Final Countdown has a somber tune to it, as a result, the tempo of the song lies in 118 BPM. You can also use a half-time tempo at 59 BPM, or double-time it at 236 BPM. 

Q3. Who is Europe's lead singer?

Ans. Joey Tempest is the lead singer of the rock band Europe. 

Q4. How many hits did Europe have?

Ans. Europe has 20 albums in the Billboard 200 charts, including The Final Countdown and Out Of This World. In addition to this, they have three songs in the top 30 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. 

Fun Fact: The lyrics of the song were written after getting inspired by David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.” The song was only intended to be a concert opener, but it became the band’s best song of all time.

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:

The Philosopher song was originally written by Monty Python and composed by Eric Idle. The Florida-based death metal band Death covered the song in their fifth studio album, Individual Thought Patterns, which was released in 1993. 

The Philosopher has been described as one of the more accessible cuts from Death’s later music catalog, and for some fans, it is their biggest hit to this day. 

In this video lesson Bobby Koelble teaches how to play the song The Philosopher as part of our guitar series on English songs. The song is broken down into multiple lessons for easy learning - Introduction, Intro Tapping Piece, Verse, Prechorus, and Chorus, Solo Rhythm and Post Solo Rhythm Sections, Main Solo, Ending Solo Improv and Song Demo. Don't forget to make use of the chords and tabs provided with the song lesson!

Song Structure:

Introduction: This is going to be the introduction to the song, the band, and the tune that you will be learning in this guitar lesson. Bobby describes this guitar song as pretty straightforward and not that technical to begin with. 

Intro Tapping Piece: The intro of the song starts with a two-hand tapping part, along with other undertone notes, all of which you will learn in this part.

Verse, Pre-chorus, and Chorus: Here, you will learn how to play the famous guitar riff that makes the song memorable. 

Solo Rhythm and Post Solo Rhythm Sections: This section explains how to play the riffs below Chuck’s solo. 

Main Solo: Here is the main solo of the song, which is in the key of A minor. Bobby will also help you get accustomed to that one lick, which moves pretty fast. 

Ending Solo Improv: This part of the guitar lesson builds your confidence in how you should improvise at the end of Chuck's solo and adds bits of your tunes as well. 

Song Demo: This is the final part. Here, your guitar instructor will play the entire guitar section of the song alongside the backing track. 

Flowers – Introduction

Welcome to the guitar lesson on a sweet pop single –Flowers by Miley Cyrus from the Endless Summer Vacation album that rose to the top numbers as soon as it hit the charts. The song has more than a billion views on YouTube and has become the best-selling global single of 2023. It was her second song that topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart after ‘Wrecking Ball’ in 2013.

Flowers is about the realisation that you do not need to rely on someone else to feel complete and that you can take care of yourself, give yourself flowers and become the reason for your own happiness and need not look for it elsewhere. She says in an interview, “If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell are you gonna love somebody else?”.

The initial version of the song was a slow ballad, with Cyrus singing and Michael Pollack playing the piano. Later, during the production phase, it became an uptempo song.

Flowers Guitar lesson

In this lesson, the instructor goes over all parts of the song, covering each section of the song arrangement. Starting from the basic tuning and key of the song to the structure and layout of the chords that are played, followed by a demonstration of how to improvise on the song with an acoustic guitar.

Flower guitar chords are in the key of A minor, which consists of standard chord shapes of C, Am, Dm, G, F and E. The rhythm of the song is in the standard 4/4 time signature, and the strumming pattern, as meticulously shown by the instructor, is D - D - U D U D U D - D (D is a downward strum, and U is an Upward strum).

The special thing about this song is that, since it is a pop-up tempo song, there is an opportunity for players to learn it and play a slow, acoustic version of it using the same chords in their arpeggiated form (picking the individual strings instead of strumming all at once). The tutor shows how to achieve this sound accurately on every chord that is played on the track. There is also an opportunity to solo or improvise on the track using the A minor pentatonic scale.

FAQs

Q. Is ‘Flowers’ by Miley Cyrus easy to learn on the guitar?

Yes, ‘Flowers is a beginner-friendly song as it uses standard chord shapes that are easier to play in the open position on the guitar. A steady 4/4 rhythm and a standard pop strumming pattern also help in quick learning.

Q. Do I need a capo to play ‘Flowers’ on the guitar?

You do not need a capo because the song is in the key of A minor, the chords of which can be easily played in the open position. 

Introduction:

Even from the name, you can see that the song is going to be uplifting, and it’s a perfect song to feel good about. It is the only single from the soundtrack album of the animated movie Despicable Me 2, which was released in 2013. 

Happy is the song written and performed by Pharell Williams, and the music video of the song was nominated for Best Male Video and Video of the Year by the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards. 

Chords Used in Song Guitar Lesson

Arpeggios Verse & Chorus Chords: The song follows a simple four-chord progression throughout; the arpeggios picking pattern is going to be like this: 

e|-----------1------------|  

B|------1------1---------|  

G|----2---2------2------|  

D|----------------------|  

A|----------------------|  

E|--1------------------| 

Strumming Pattern 

The strumming has to be tight, quick and rhythmic for this song, it follows 4/4 time and there is a funk-style muted strumming feel: D x D U x U D U.

• D = Down strum
• U = Up strum
• X = percussive muted strum 

Song Structure 

Introduction: In the introduction section, Mike shows you how to tune up your guitar to play this song. 

Song Arrangement: Here your guitar instructor Mike has divided the song arrangement in different sections and he starts showing you how to play different chords for different sections starting with the intro. 

Song Demo: Finally comes the time when Mike plays the guitar chords with the backing track playing alongside. 

Why Learn Happy By Pharrell Williams Song?

It uses simple major chords that are easy to learn for beginners and even for intermediate players as it will help them be more consistent in their rhythmic strumming. In addition to this, the guitar sound is much funk-inspired, making it a perfect choice for improving your timing and groove. 

FAQs – This Song Guitar Lesson

Q1. Was the song Happy made specifically for the movie Despicable Me? 

Ans. Yes, the song was written only for the animated movie Despicable Me 2, which was released in 2013. The song received an Academy Award nomination for best original song, and the singer also performed it live at the Oscars ceremony.  

Q2. Who originally sang the Happy? 

Ans. Pharrell Williams has revealed that it was Cee Lo Green who recorded the song for the first time. But the producer didn’t feel like that the song belonged to Green so he gave Pharrell Williams a try and rest is history. 

Q3. What was the reason Pharrell wrote Happy? 

Ans. According to Pharrell the lyrics of the song came out of sarcasm, he wrote the song when he was 40 years old.

Fun Fact: The song got nominated by Academy Awards but it failed to win Best Original Song because it lost to Let It Go from Frozen. 

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.

Sing is the lead single from Ed Sheeran's sophomore album “X” (Multiply). This was the first time Ed moved past his acoustic singer persona. The song was produced by Pharell Williams, and after it got released it really did shock some of his fans, at the same time it delighted critics. 

Sing is a funky, falsetto-driven song, and even after a decade, this song holds true to be one of the most intriguing and enduring tracks that came out from Ed’s album. It’s a song that shows his willingness to evolve and take those creative risks that many artists fear to take when they reach the height of their career. 

Fun Fact: Ed Sheeran, in one of his videos, said he took the inspiration from Justin Timberlake’s Justified album. The composer Pharrell Williams also worked on the same album and leaned towards the idea of creating something similar for Ed. 

Half of Sing’s credit needs to be devoted to Pharrell, Ed was reluctant on using Falsetto heavy style, feeling it will be too far from his original sound, but Pharell insisted that he should try it out and the result was such a massive breakout that Ed was able to reach UK #1 spot for the first time in his career. 

Why Learn to Sing By Ed Sheeran On Guitar?

''Sing'' is the exception in Ed Sheeran’s discography, most of his fans think of Ed as a tender acoustic musician. It was Sing that flipped the narrative. From this song, Ed offered a danceable energy to his fans, in addition to confidence and versatility. 

Sing is there to help you level up your guitar playing techniques, allowing you to practice strumming precision and the musical groove of a song. At first glance, you will find that the chord progression present in this song is quite simple, but if you look closely, the challenge lies in the rhythm and feel. 

The song requires you to master percussive and palm-muting techniques, which creates a funk-guitar style sound. With this song, you will develop tight timing and rhythmic accuracy. 

Furthermore, it also teaches you to properly use muting, ghost notes, and silence that are crucial means for groove. 

FAQs – Sing By Ed Sheeran Song Guitar Lesson

Q1. Which chords do I need to use to play Sing by Ed Sheeran on guitar? 

Ans. Am, F, C, and G are the few chords that you need to keep on repeating throughout this song, because it is a loop-style progression. 

Q2. In which key does the song Sing by Ed Sheeran present in? 

Ans. The song is present in A minor, which is considered the relative minor of C major. Keep in mind that there are no sharps or flats present in it. As a result, it is much easier for beginners to navigate through the guitar using it.