Introduction

Introduction

Limp Bizkit recorded the song “Take a Look Around” in the year 2000. It was their first single and tenth track of the album called Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water. 

This particular song ranked as number six and number four by Louder Sound and Kerrang, respectively, as Limp Bizkit's greatest songs of all time. 

In this video lesson Mike Walker teaches how to play the song Take a Look Around (MI Theme) as part of our guitar series on English songs. The song is broken down into multiple lessons for easy learning - Introduction, Song Arrangement and Song Demo. 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: The song is in the key of A, and the tempo of the song is 100 bpm. 

Song Structure 

Introduction: In this introduction, Mike Walker, your guitar instructor, is going to show you the tuning settings for the song. You will also get to know how to play this song in one and a half steps down. 

Song Arrangement: Here you will learn about the four bar space that comes in the intro and the second verse, which is something you get to hear a lot in Mission Impossible movies in the background. 

Song Demo: This is the final section of the guitar lesson, here you will get to see how to play the guitar chords alongside the song. 

Introduction:

This song was originally written and composed during the time of Schultz and Fraites in New York. It was meant to be a kiss-off to disinterested concertgoers. It was the first single from a folk rock band to get certified in the US. 

Chords Used in Song Guitar Lesson:

Arpeggios Verse & Chorus Chords: The song is present in the key of C major. 

Strumming Pattern:

The most common strumming pattern used for playing this song is D - D - U - D - D:

• D = Down strum
• U = Up strum
• - = Pause (mute or let the chord ring)

The alternative strumming pattern is D - D - U - U - D - U, this adds more guitar movement in the song and makes the guitar play a bit more smooth. 

Song Structure:

Introduction: The introduction of the song is by J.J. Pattishall, in here he teaches you the tuning required to play this song on guitar. 

Song Arrangement: Here, your guitar instructor talks about the feel of the song and how it helps you play it. In addition, he shares with you all the chords you have to play and how they should be played.

Sing and Play: In this section, you will learn how to time your chords while you are singing. 

Song Demo: Finally this is the part where your guitar instructor will show you how to play the entirety of the song with the song running in the background. 

Praise – Introduction

Welcome to the guitar lesson on the Christian rock gospel track by Everlasting Worship called Praise. The song was released in mid-2023 and has since been streamed over 150 million times on YouTube. Praise is a collaborative effort by Brandon Lake, Chris Brown & Chandler Moore in the name of Jesus.

The message in the song is a declaration of devotion to Jesus Christ, lord and Saviour, who is all worthy of praise. There is deep devotional meaning in the lyrics of the song that talks about praising the lord in every situation and stage of life, for he is sovereign and true. The artists say, “Praise is also a weapon… Praise is how you fight for your perspective. Praise is how you take your imagination back from the enemy. Praise is how you inspire your faith and remember God’s faithfulness”.

Praise Guitar Lesson

The lesson here covers all parts of the song section by section, including the introduction, chords and rhythms, and the different techniques required to play this song perfectly. The tutor has demonstrated how to play the song using a capo as well as without a capo in the latter part of the lesson.

Praise chords are derived from the A major scale, which are A, Dadd9, F#m, E, and Bm. But since the open chord shapes sound louder and brighter, they make it tricky to produce the muted tones. Hence, the instructor suggests the use of a capo, which, instead of the nut pressing the strings from the bottom, does it from the top, and the muting effect becomes easy to achieve. Consequently, there arises a need to then transpose the song two frets ahead, which makes the chord shapes easier to play.

The song features augmented chords and minor 7th chords. They give a dreamy and expanding feel to the song. The strumming resembles a shuffle pattern with some muted strums for a percussive effect. This pattern, which is a little complex to master but sounds most fun to play, is carefully shown by the instructor, which the learners will find helpful.

FAQs

Q. What chords are used in ‘Praise’ by Elevation Worship?

The song uses standard chords like G, Cadd9, Em7, and D, using a capo on the 2nd fret. This is a common modern worship progression that is quite easy to play.

Q. Is Praise suitable for acoustic guitar beginners?

Yes, Praise is suitable for beginners. Although it has a higher tempo, that is only because of the strumming pattern, which is easy to play with a capo on. The chords are also easy to play with a capo on.

Q. How can I improve playing Praise live?

The greatest obstacle in live playing is the nerves, the adrenaline that makes your hands shake in front of an audience. A good way to deal with that is to not face the audience directly and stand at an angle, partly facing the audience and partly the band members.

In this video lesson, Ashish Noel John teaches how to play the Panchayat Theme as part of our guitar series on Hindi songs. The song is broken down into multiple lessons for easy learning - Introduction, Chords and Rhythm, Melody, Melody Demo, and Song Demo.

Welcome to the guitar lesson on a song that’s soaked in melancholy and speaks the language of heartbreak Daayre by Arijit Singh from the 2015 Bollywood film Dilwale. Composed by Pritam and written by Amitabh Bhattacharya, the song is a soft yet powerful ballad about emotional distance and the invisible walls that form between people who once loved each other. Sung by Arijit, the song captures that space between not being able to move on and not being able to go back. Its name, Daayre, which translates to “boundaries,” ties directly into the lyrical theme, the quiet pain of love that is still alive, but kept apart by the weight of the past.

In the film, the track underscores the emotional tension between the lead characters played by Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, as they wrestle with their history and try to make sense of what remains. The lyrics, like “Na marna munasib, jiya bhi na jaaye re”, lay bare the helplessness of wanting something that feels just out of reach.

Daayre – Guitar Lesson

The lesson on Daayre is taught by our expert Mike Walker. The song is in the key of G major, and while it doesn’t rely on complex structures, it uses a set of chords that give the track its soft, moody texture. You’ll be playing chords like G, Dmaj7, D6, D/F#, Em, A, C, and Bm7. Some of these might look unfamiliar at first glance, like Dmaj7 or D6, but Mike explains them in a way that makes them easy to understand. For instance, Dmaj7 is just a D major chord with the 7th scale note added, which adds a dreamy, floating feeling to the progression.

One thing that stands out in Daayre is its smooth voice leading. A good example is the shift from D to D/F#, where only the bass note changes. Mike shows how small changes in your hand positioning can help you glide through these transitions without breaking the flow of the song.

The rhythm pattern used is gentle and steady for a ballad. Mike encourages focusing on dynamics, playing softer or louder depending on the emotional highs and lows of each section. He also shares tips on how to highlight certain beats to bring out the melody hidden in the chords. The lesson wraps up with a full playthrough, and by that point, you’ll be able to join in comfortably, playing along with the emotions just as much as the notes.

FAQs

Q. What level of guitarist is Daayre suitable for?

Daayre works well for late beginner to intermediate players. If you’ve got a grip on basic open chords and can handle a few extended voicings like Dmaj7 or Bm7, you’ll enjoy this lesson.

Q. Do I need a capo for this version?

No capo is required for this lesson. It’s played in standard tuning using open and barre chords.

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.

In this video lesson Mike Walker teaches how to play the song Socha Hai as part of our guitar series on Indian songs. The song is broken down into multiple lessons for easy learning - Introduction, Intro Lead and Riff, Song Arrangement, Song Demo, Overdub Section, Overdub Demo with Backing, Solo Lesson and Improvisation. Don't forget to make use of the chords and tabs provided with the song lesson!

Zinda Hoon Yaar is a refreshing song from the movie Lootera; when talking about the musical prowess of this song, we have to mention how it embodies the raw and melancholic soul of the film. The composition is from Amit Trivedi, who made sure that the song is emotionally potent even though it uses minimal instrumentation, thus making it a great song to learn on guitar. 

The song Zinda Hoon Yaar guitar lesson makes you focus on not just technical proficiency but also trains you on musical sensitivity and dynamics. As you practice this song, you will find out that it’s a song that truly shines in its ability to teach you timing, control and expressive playing. 

With its moderate tempo and spacious vocal delivery, it encourages you to be precise and gentle with the strumming patterns or with your fingerpicking, depending on your style of play. Furthermore, it’s an excellent song to experiment with dynamics because the verse calls are quite soft and require delicate guitar playing. 

At the same time, the chorus section has a slight build-up to it, which teaches you how to control your volume and intensity effectively as the song proceeds; it’s a crucial guitar technique that is often overlooked by instructors when they are teaching beginners. 

Why Learn Zinda Hoon Yaar Song On Guitar?

If you are thinking about growing as a well-rounded guitarist, then Zinda Hoon Yaar is the kind of song that quietly shapes your guitar techniques. In truth, it doesn’t have any flashy riffs or hold complex solos for you to learn, but it is like a stepping stone in your guitar journey that teaches you more valuable lessons like how to play a song on guitar with control and add emotional depth in your play. 

It’s a song that is perfect for mastering emotional expression; even though it’s the basic tone of the song is a bit melancholic, still, as you reach its end, it pushes hopefulness, which is a lesson you have to learn as a musician, this is one of the rare songs that push you to make your sound feel to the audience and not just heard. 

To play this song on guitar, you have to slow down your strumming and pay attention to the timing; this helps you develop consistent play, which is crucial for clean and polished chord playing. 

The chord progression here is beginner-friendly, but at the same time, it demands learners to understand how to let the song breathe and carry its emotions, which makes it a rewarding challenge even for intermediate guitar players. After completing this guitar lesson, you will be able to use a guitar as your extension to reciprocate emotions. 

Pasoori – Introduction

Welcome to the guitar lesson on a song that is a masterclass in songwriting and storytelling, and essentially art. Ali and Shae wrote an Urdu-Punjabi song that became the most-streamed Coke Studio song on YouTube, with more than 800 million views.

Pasoori is a song that is layered in its meanings relating to themes of conflict in love, life, chaos, self-expression, and the partition event. The lyrical metaphors have strong emotional, societal and political connotations and are presented in the style of the folk-pop genre.

The inspiration of the song, as Ali mentions, came from a quote in Punjabi written on the back of a transport truck that said ‘aag lavaan teri majbooriyan nu’ (set fire to your compultions), which he then followed up with ‘aan jaan di pasoori nu’ (the crisis of coming and going), symbolising the conflict of not just love but also the daily trades of life.

Pasoori Guitar Lesson

In this lesson, the tutor goes over all the parts of the song, section by section, displaying the techniques needed to play them perfectly. The song has three verses and three choruses and one bridge section that has a Baglama (a Turkish stringed instrument) solo and a mandolin solo, which are explained in detail by the instructor.

The song is in the key of B minor and can be easily played in the open position on the guitar using the standard chord shapes. Since the rhythm and beat of the song resembles that of reggaeton music, the strumming sounds like a shuffle between the chord changes and goes like D’ U D U’ D U D U - D’ D’ D’ (D is a downstrum and U is an upward strum, and the ‘ is an accented strum). It is a unique spin on the rhythm that sounds Oriental or Middle Eastern as well as Indian at the same time.

The song, having Oriental motifs, features what is known in music theory as the Andalusian cadence, i.e. usage of the chords A minor - G - F - E in sequence in the chorus sections. The tutor demonstrates the full song in its entirety and also includes a section on how to improvise on the track.

FAQs

Q. Why is Pasoori so popular?

The song is popular because of the catchy tune that has been given to the chorus of the song and because of the romantic expression of the lyrics that rides on the upbeat tempo of the song. There is one more factor for its success, which is cultural association –phrases like ‘gheo di churi’, which is a sweet dish popular in the Sindh region, triggered nostalgia among the regional north indians.

Q. What chords are used in Pasoori?

Pasoori uses simple open chords like Bm, G, F, Em, E and F#. These chords create its signature melancholic yet catchy melody.

Q. Is Pasoori suitable for beginners?

Yes, Pasoori is ideal for beginners because of its open chord voicings and moderate tempo. It helps learners practice smooth transitions and strumming patterns.