Introduction

Tore Down - Introduction

Tore Down is a blues classic originally recorded by Freddie King in 1961 under the title "I'm Tore Down." Written by pianist Sonny Thompson, the song became one of King's biggest hits, reaching #5 on Billboard's R&B chart. The track showcases King's powerful voice and sharp guitar work, blending Texas blues with a raw, energetic delivery. Decades later, Eric Clapton covered the song for his 1994 blues album From the Cradle, staying true to King's original arrangement while adding his signature touch.

Clapton's version keeps the song's essential elements—the falsetto vocal phrases, punchy guitar fills, and that unmistakable blues shuffle. His recording was so well-received that it also reached #5, this time on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart. Over the years, Clapton has performed "Tore Down" live many times, including at his Live in Hyde Park concert and John Mayall’s 70th Birthday show. The song’s enduring appeal lies in its raw emotion and tight groove, making it a favourite among blues guitarists.

Tore Down Guitar Lesson

Taught by Mike Dugan, this lesson breaks down Eric Clapton’s version of ‘Tore Down’, focusing on the blues shuffle rhythm, stop-time sections, and lead fills. The song is in the key of A major and follows a classic 12-bar blues structure, but with some clever variations. The most distinctive feature is the stop-time verses, where the band cuts out on the 1st beat, leaving space for Clapton’s vocals to drive the song forward. There are two types of stops—short stops (just a quick pause) and long stops (a full beat of silence).

The rhythm guitar part uses a Texas blues shuffle, played with a light swing feel. The basic pattern is A5-D5-A5-E5-D5-A5, but the magic is in the muting and dynamics. Use palm muting on the lower strings to keep it tight, and let the chords ring out slightly on the turnaround. Clapton’s version has a crisp, clean tone, so roll back your guitar’s tone knob a bit and use a tube amp with mild breakup.

For the lead fills, Clapton sticks mostly to the A minor pentatonic scale (A-C-D-E-G) but adds bluesy bends and quick hammer-ons for extra flavour. The opening riff is simple but effective—just a few well-placed notes with vibrato. The solo builds on Freddie King’s original licks but with Clapton’s smoother phrasing. Pay attention to his bending accuracy—he often bends up a whole step (from C to D) with perfect pitch control.

The stop-time sections require tight coordination with the band. When the band stops on the 1st beat, keep your strumming hand moving in time so you can jump back in smoothly. Beginners should practice the stops slowly, counting out loud (1-2-3-4-STOP) to internalise the rhythm. Advanced players can work on Clapton’s subtle variations, like adding a quick chromatic slide into a chord or throwing in a double-stop lick before a stop.

FAQs

Q. How do I play the Texas shuffle rhythm?

Use a down-up strum pattern with swing feel, muting the strings lightly between chords.

Q. What scale does Clapton use for solos?

Mostly A minor pentatonic, with some blues scale (added flat 5th) notes for extra grit.

In this video lesson Ashish Noel John teaches how to play the song Stay as part of our Guitar series on English song lessons. The song lesson is broken down into multiple lessons for easy learning - Introduction, Chords and Rhythms, Improvisation, Song Arrangement, and Demo. Don't forget to make use of the chords and tabs provided with the song lesson!

Introduction:

It’s My Life is known to be one of the rock anthems, it was released in May, 2000 as the lead single of the seventh album called Crush by the rock band Bon Jovi. This was the song which made it possible for the band to introduce themselves to the younger fanbase. 

Chords Used in Song Guitar Lesson:

Arpeggios Verse & Chorus Chords: This song uses power chords most of the time along with some strong strumming, but it is up to you to add arpeggios to add another dynamic layer in the verses 

Instead of strumming, you can also play the following arpeggios in the verse section:

E|----------------|  

B|------0--------|  

G|----0---0------|  

D|--2-------2----|  

A|--------------|  

E|--------------| 

Strumming Pattern 

This song uses palm muting and strong downstrokes in order to create the classic rock sound. The main strumming pattern for It’s My Life by Bon Jovi is: D D X U D X U D  

• D (Downstroke) → Hit the full chord with power.
• X (Palm Mute) → Lightly rest your palm on the strings for a muted "chug" effect.
• U (Upstroke) → Play lightly, focusing on the higher strings for dynamics.

Song Structure 

Introduction: In the introduction of the song you will be getting to know the tuning required to play this song. 

Song Arrangement: Here you guitar instructor Mike Walker will be combining the guitar and piano parts of the song together which allows you to play the iconic guitar melody of this song. 

Song Demo: After understanding what chords you need to play and where, in this part Mike is going to show you how to play the entire song with the backing track. 

Solo: This is the final part of the guitar lesson, and here you will be learning all the licks which are part of the guitar solo. 

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

This is one of the upbeat acoustic songs that is pretty easy to learn, as it uses simple chords that anyone new to guitar playing can understand with ease. In addition to this, the chord changes are pretty smooth, thus, giving you a lot of relaxation when it comes to playing the guitar and singing your heart out. 

In this video lesson Steve Luciano teaches how to play the song If It's Love as part of our guitar series on English songs. The song is broken down into multiple lessons for easy learning - Introduction, Chords and Progressions, Rhythm and Progression and Song Demo and Conclusion. Don't forget to make use of the chords and tabs provided with the song lesson!

Chords Used in Song Guitar Lesson

Arpeggios Verse & Chorus Chords: This song has repeated chord progression and is pretty simple as well. The common arpeggio to use for this song is: 

e|-----------0------------|  

B|------1------1---------|  

G|----0---0------0------|  

D|-------------2--------|  

A|--3------------------|  

E|----------------------| 

Strumming Pattern 

This song follows the most basic 4/4 time; the main strumming pattern that you have to use in this song goes something like this: D D U U D U. 

• D = Down strum
• U = Up strum

Song Structure 

Introduction: To play this song on guitar along with the backing track you have to tune down your guitar to half step and that’s what you will be learning in the introduction from Steve Luciano, your guitar instructor for this lesson. 

Chords and Progressions: Here you will be learning how to play the intro of the song by using just 2 to 3 different notes that Steve is going to show you. 

Rhythm and Progression: In this part, Steve discusses the importance of filling up the drum sections with a dead sound, meaning you have to keep your hand moving. It will help you with your rhythm. 

Song Demo and Conclusion: This is the final part of the lesson, where Steve will show you how to play the entire song with the backing track. 

Why Learn If It's Love By Train Song?

The strumming pattern and chords used in this song are pretty easy to learn, they are great for improving timing and groove of the music. If you are someone who wants to have an acoustic jam session or wants to enjoy solo performances then it is the song for you. 

FAQs – This Song Guitar Lesson

Q1. Is the Train band still performing and recording new music? 

Ans. Yes, the band is still active and they are performing worldwide in more than 10 countries in 2025 where they have lined-up 25 upcoming shows. 

Q2. Is there any member from the band who split up?

Ans. Pat Monahan is one of the founding members of the band who broke up and went on his way. Apart from him, drummers, guitarists, and even a few other members were also replaced in 2021.

Q3. In which genre of music does the music of Train fall? 

Ans. The music of the train falls under the category of pop rock, rock roots and rock. 

Fun Fact: The song was written on the same day when the hit “Hey, Soul Sister” was written, the song was intended as a way to showcase gratitude to long-time fans. 

In this video lesson Mike Dugan teaches how to play the song Can't Help Falling in Love as part of our guitar series on English songs. The song is broken down into multiple lessons for easy learning - Introduction, Verse (Chords, Rhythm, and Singing) and Bridge and Song Arrangement. Don't forget to make use of the chords and tabs provided with the song lesson!

Muskurane Ki Wajah - Introduction

Welcome to the guitar lesson on one of the most famous romantic ballads from the previous decade, Muskurane by Arijit Singh. The song is from the movie ‘Citylights’, which is highly acclaimed for showing the cruelty of a modern city commonly referred to as the city of dreams. The song received the Song of the Year Award at the Mirchi Music Awards and has amassed more than 60 million views on YouTube since its release in 2014.

Muskurane Ki Wajah translates to ‘reason for a smile’, which is a romantic expression towards a beloved. The plot of the film revolves around a couple who migrate to a Tier 1 city in search of a livelihood, but have to face deceit from the city. Through the song, the character is conveying to his beloved that “you are the reason for my smile, in the times when life is tough”.

Muskurane Ki Wajah Guitar Lesson

Muskurane guitar lesson is taught by our expert, J.J. , who explains all the different sections of the song in a section-by-section manner –from the intro that talks about the chords and different voicings of those chords, to the rhythms and solos of the song. The song is in Eb standard tuning and in the key of D major, which is a common tuning for the classic rock sound.        

To play the song in the original key and with standard chord shapes, a capo is needed on the 2nd fret. Advanced players can move to barred versions of the chords, should they not feel comfortable with the capo. The strumming of the song is unique in the sense that although the song can be played using the standard eight-note strumming, the strumming used here is that of the fifth-note pattern. This gives the song a breathing-like movement, where the empty three strums of a bar rest. 

The song features a unique cadence that goes from an E major to an A minor, which creates a beautiful tension and release in the song, and even more unique is the fact that on the chord that brings the tension, the song lyrics also talk about discomfort, both of which later resolves to a minor chord and a comfortable meaning.

Muskurane lyrics, along with the tabs, are also available beside the video lesson that you can refer to while learning the song. 

FAQs

Q. Is Muskurane beginner-friendly?

This lesson is best suited for beginners to early intermediates. You’ll need basic knowledge of open chords and simple strumming patterns.

Q. What chords are used in this song?

The song revolves around Am, G, and F with the occasional E, with the capo on the 2nd fret. The song is originally in the key of B minor, and therefore, without the capo, you’ll need to play the barre chords. 

Q. Do I need a capo for this song?

Yes, we recommend using a capo on the 2nd fret to match the original pitch and make chord shapes easier to play.

Darkhaast is a romantic ballad from the 2016 Bollywood film Shivaay, starring Ajay Devgn. The song features the voices of Arijit Singh and Sunidhi Chauhan, with music composed by Mithoon. The lyrics, written by Sayeed Quadri, express deep longing and emotional pain. The track became popular for its soulful melody and heartfelt vocals, resonating with listeners who appreciate slow, emotional songs.

The music video shows Ajay Devgn and Erika Kaar in beautiful locations, adding to the song’s romantic feel. The composition includes soft guitar strums with orchestral elements, creating a melancholic atmosphere. The song’s slow tempo and expressive singing make it a favourite for those who enjoy emotional Bollywood tracks.

Darkhaast Guitar Lesson

Taught by Mike Walker, this lesson covers how to play Darkhaast on guitar. The song is in the key of G major, which gives it a warm and open sound. The chords follow a simple but emotional progression: G - Em - C - D. These chords repeat throughout the song, creating a gentle flow that matches the vocals. The strumming pattern is slow and relaxed, using downstrokes with occasional upstrokes to keep the rhythm natural.

The intro and verses use arpeggios, where you pluck the strings one by one instead of strumming. This technique makes the guitar sound soft and delicate, perfect for the song’s mood. The chorus switches to fuller strums, adding energy while keeping the emotional tone. The key is to play smoothly, letting each note ring clearly without rushing.

For the improvisation section, the song uses the G major scale (G-A-B-C-D-E-F#) in open position. This means you can play the scale without moving too far up the fretboard. The pedal technique is used here, which means you keep one note ringing (usually the open G string) while playing other notes over it. This creates a droning effect that adds depth to the melody.

Beginners should start by learning the basic chords and strumming slowly. The chord changes are not difficult, but playing them smoothly takes practice. Intermediate players can work on the arpeggiated sections, making sure each note is clean and even. Advanced players can focus on improvisation, experimenting with the G major scale and adding subtle bends or slides for expression.

FAQs

Q. What tuning is used for this song?

Standard tuning (EADGBE). No alternate tuning or capo is needed.

Q. How do I play the arpeggios smoothly?

Pluck each string gently in order and let the notes ring together.

Q. What is the pedal technique?

It means keeping one note (like the open G string) constantly ringing while playing other notes over it.