Introduction

Introduction:

In this video lesson Mike Walker teaches how to play the song Home as part of our guitar series on English songs. The song is broken down into multiple lessons for easy learning. Home is the coronation song and a debut single from the winner of American Idol season 11, Phill Phillips. The song was co-written by Drew Pearson and Greg Holden. Phill performed this song for the first time on May 12th, 2012, when he was giving the season's final performance. 

Song Structure:

Introduction: The introduction consists of tuning requirements for the guitar and the basics of what you need to play this song. 

Song Arrangement: This part helps you learn about the intro section. Also, Mike shows you two different picking patterns that you can use for this song and how to move back and forth between the two patterns. 

Song Demo: In this section Mike your guitar instructor is going to teach you how to play the guitar parts of the song alongside backing tracks. 

Vocal Melody: This is the final section of this guitar lesson, and it's the added bonus where Mike teaches you how to play the vocal melody which is present in the song. 

Chords Used in Song Guitar Lesson: The entire song is written in the key of C major with a bright tempo.

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. 

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. 

Game of Thrones Acoustic Version - Introduction

The acoustic version of the Game of Thrones theme song transforms the epic orchestral original into an intimate guitar arrangement. This version keeps the powerful melody while making it accessible for solo guitar players. The song comes from HBO's massively popular fantasy series that aired from 2011 to 2019.

Composer Ramin Djawadi created the iconic theme that became instantly recognizable worldwide. When the series premiered in 2011, the opening theme immediately captured viewers' attention with its distinctive rising string motif. The minor key tonality and driving rhythm perfectly evoke the show's atmosphere of political intrigue and medieval warfare. Many guitarists find this arrangement rewarding to learn as it combines technical challenge with immediate musical satisfaction.

Game of Thrones Acoustic Version Guitar Lesson

Taught by Mike Walker, this lesson breaks down the acoustic arrangement of the Game of Thrones theme. The song uses a capo on the 3rd fret and is played in the key of D minor. The main theme follows a repeating pattern of Dm, F, C, and Bb chords. These chords create the dark, medieval atmosphere of the original composition.

The right hand technique is crucial for this piece. Use a steady alternating bass pattern with your thumb while playing the melody notes with your fingers. The bass notes should land on beats 1 and 3, with the melody filling in the spaces between. This creates the driving rhythm that makes the theme so powerful.

For the melody sections, focus on clean fingerpicking with good articulation. The theme uses mostly notes from the D natural minor scale. Pay special attention to the syncopated rhythms that give the melody its distinctive character. The B section introduces some chromatic movement that adds tension before resolving back to the main theme.

Beginners should start by mastering the chord shapes and bass pattern slowly. The chord changes need to be smooth and precise. Intermediate players can work on bringing out the melody clearly while maintaining the bass rhythm. The piece sounds best when played with strong dynamics - louder in the dramatic sections and softer in the transitional passages.

FAQs

Q. What tuning is the Game of Thrones Acoustic Version tune in?

The tune is in standard tuning with the capo on 3rd fret.

Q. Can I play this without a capo?

Yes, but you'll need to transpose the chords which will make the tune sound more warm than bright.

Q. Is this suitable for beginners?

The basic version is accessible, but playing melody and bass together requires practice.

Q. What tempo should I play at?

Start slow (around 80 bpm) and gradually work up to the original tempo of 110 bpm.

In this video lesson Steve Luciano teaches how to play the song Bin Tere as part of our guitar series on Indian songs. The song is broken down into multiple lessons for easy learning - Introduction, Chords and Progressions, Rhythm, With Backing Track, Solo Lesson and Conclusion. 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 Wake Me Up When September Ends as part of our guitar series on English songs. The song is broken down into multiple lessons for easy learning - Introduction, Song Arrangement, Rhythm, Song Demo and Solo Lesson. Don't forget to make use of the chords and tabs provided with the song lesson!

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.

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.