Preview

Introduction

Voices of the Soul is the song from the seventh and final studio album of the Florida-based death metal band called “Death.” This particular song has an eerie spectre, and it is one of the most experimental and expansive songs from Death, with impressive songwriting. 

Chords Used in Wake Me Up When September Ends

Arpeggios Verse & Chorus Chords: Open chords. The song is played in the key of G, and there is no need for a capo. 

Chorus Variation: The chorus of the song is pretty short, and the guitar chords used in it are similar to those of the verse. 

Strumming Pattern 

The entirety of the song follows the same strumming pattern: Down-Up, Down-Up, Down-Up. (DUDUDU)

Song Structure 

Introduction: In this section, J.J. Pattishall will show you the key in which the song is to be played. 

Song Arrangement: Here, you will learn how and why the guitar instructor has broken down this song into several different parts. This particular section will show you how to play the guitar parts of the intro, verse, chorus, and bridge. 

Rhythm: Here, you will learn the open chords used to provide backing rhythm to the verse and chorus of the song. 

Song Demo: Right here, after showing you how to play all the different chords for this song, J.J. Pattishall will show you how to play the guitar alongside the song. 

Solo Lesson: This is the last part, where you learn how to play the epic solo from the song.

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.

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.

Arms Wide Open - Introduction

Welcome to the guitar lesson on a song that has the best rock song Grammy to its name –With Arms Wide Open by Creed. Scott Stapp’s wife was pregnant with his first child, he wrote the lyrics when he found out, with great surprise, that he was going to be a father. According to Stapp, the song was written in just fifteen minutes during a soundcheck. The song has received almost 200 million views on YouTube.

Stapp says, “It continues to have relevant meaning in my life because as I sing it now, I think of my daughter who's now on this planet and alive. And then I think of my newest son, my three-year-old, Daniel”. The song is about a man expressing his feelings about thinking about becoming a father.

Arms Wide Open Guitar Lesson

This is a guitar lesson that is an acoustic cover version of the song performed by James Boyce, taught by our expert Steve Luciano, in a section-by-section manner. They start with the introduction

The song is in the key of C major and features a number of suspended chords. There is a C major 9 chord with a B note in the bass, which sounds like a suspended chord because of the 9th scale degree. There is also a very unique A minor 11th chord, which also sounds like a suspended chord because of the 11th scale degree, which is actually the 4th scale degree on the octave higher. The instructor explains all the chord shapes in great detail. You can also refer to the Arms Wide Open tabs along with the lesson on the sidebar.

The strumming of the chords is very simple, compared to the chord voicings, that is – D - U U D - U U D - D U for the most part (D is a downward strum and U is an upward strum).

There is also an easy verison of the song that the instructor demonstrates, which is a beginner-friendly version of the song focused more on the singing part of the track.

FAQs

Q. What skill level is Arms Wide Open for?

This lesson is ideal for beginner to intermediate players. If you know basic open chords, you can easily learn the song.

Q. Is this version different from the original Creed version?

Yes. This is a soft acoustic cover by James Boyce. It keeps the emotional depth of the original but focuses more on the singing part.

Q. What is the tuning of Arms Wide Open by Creed?

Nope! This version is played in standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-e), making it very accessible. Drop D is not required here.

Q. What chords are used in this version?

The song uses common suspended and power chords, with some being 9 and 11th chords. The tutor goes over each one slowly and clearly.

Sun Le Re is a soulful track from the 2013 political thriller Madras Cafe. The composition was done by Shantanu Moitra, and Papon beautifully sang it. It’s a song that perfectly blends Indian classical elements with modern instrumentation to provide listeners with an introspective tone. 

You might not know this, but Sun Le Re was initially cut from the final editing of the film because it did not match the overall theme of the movie, which was pretty intense and fast-paced. But the director wanted it to be in the film because it would give emotional gravity to the film’s characters. 

Song Structure 

Introduction: The introduction is by Mike Walker, who shows you how to tune up a guitar to play this song. In addition to this, he also shares that the song is present in the key of D major. 

Song Arrangement - Part 1: This is the first part of the song arrangement, which has a more piano tune to it, but Mike here shows you how to play the same tune on guitar. 

Song Arrangement - Part 2: In here, you will learn the underlying rhythm that is present beneath the solo, which is part of the song. 

Song Demo: In this section, you will see how Mike plays the guitar chords with the backing track. He also shared some tips on how to play the song on acoustic guitar. 

Solo Lesson: The solo in this song is present in the key of D major and has a B minor scale to it. Mike has divided the solo into different licks in order to make it easier for you to understand how to play it. 

Overdubs: This section talks about the overlaying guitar chords that secondary guitarists play to add more depth to the song. 

Simple Version: Here is a simplified version of the above song lesson, this is for acoustic players, and here Mike plays the song with the backing track while explaining to you where you should be making changes in order to simplify the guitar playing. 

FAQs – Sun Le Re Song Guitar Lesson

Q1. Is the song Sun Le Re beginner beginner-friendly? 

Ans. Well, in truth, it is a difficult song, but with this guitar lesson, you can also find an easier version of it, which uses basic chords such as Am, G, F, C, and Em. The beginner version is good for people who are comfortable with chord transitions. 

Q2. What are some of the main playing styles in this song? 

Ans. The verse section of the song works best if you use a fingerpicking technique or light arpeggios. On the other hand, for a chorus, gentle strumming is best for providing dynamic variation. 

Q3. What is the time signature of the song Sun Le Re? 

Ans. The time signature is 4/4 with a slow tempo, which usually helps in precise and emotive playing. 

Tezz was an action thriller, but the one song that stood out in the film’s context was Tere Bina's song; with this song, the director of the film was able to bring emotional depth to the movie for which critics and fans praised even more than the film’s action sequences. 

Fun Fact: This song became so popular that during the time of the movie’s release, it played repeatedly on various radio and music TV channels. 

Chords Used in Song Guitar Lesson

Arpeggios Verse & Chorus Chords: For the most open chords that are part of this song, you can follow this fingerpicking pattern: 

P I M A M I

5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 3 – 4 (For Am and C)

6 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 3 – 4 (For G and E)

• P = Thumb (plays bass strings: 6th, 5th, 4th)
• I = Index finger (3rd string)
• M = Middle finger (2nd string)
• A = Ring finger (1st string)

Here’s the list of recommended arpeggios: 

Chord       String Picking Order (Arpeggio)

Am 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 3 – 4

G 6 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 3 – 4

F 6 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 3 – 4

C 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 3 – 4

E 6 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 3 – 4

Strumming Pattern 

The strumming pattern for this song is pretty smooth and flowing, which perfectly matches up with the romantic and emotional feel of the song. In order to play it, use the following pattern: D – D U – U D U. 

• D = Down Strum. 
• U = Up Strum. 

Song Structure 

Intro, Chords, Rhythm, and Lead Fills: In this part of the guitar lesson, your guitar instructor, Steve Luciano, is going to show you how to tune up your guitar for the song.

Song Demo with Backing Track: In this part of the lesson Steve is going to show you how to sync up the guitar parts of the song with that of the vocals using the backing track. 

Why Learn Tere Bina From Tezz?

If you are someone who is into emotional melodies, then Tere Bina is a great song to learn on guitar. You can use strumming fingerpicking techniques to express your feelings as you learn this song. 

FAQs – Tere Bina From Tezz Guitar Lesson

Q1. Who composed the song Tere Bina from the movie Tezz? 

Ans. The composer was Sajid-Wajid and the singer for this particular song was Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. 

Q2. Is the song suitable for people who are beginners? 

Ans. Yes, if you are comfortable with the chord transitions and can easily pull off basic strumming then you can play this song with comfort. 

Q3. Can I sing and play this song at the same time? 

Ans. Yes you can do that, but in order to play both the song on guitar and sing, it requires lots of practice; you can check out the second part of the guitar lesson, where Steve shows you how to do it.