Introduction

Introduction:

Top Gun Anthem is one of the iconic instrumental rock compositions in Hollywood which was composed for the movie in 1986 by Harold Faltermeyer and Steve Stevens. This song has some strong, melodic guitar-driven tracks which every guitarist no matter if they are beginner, intermediate or expert must learn to play. 

Chords Used in Song Guitar Lesson

Arpeggios Verse & Chorus Chords: This song revolves around the lead guitar instrumental. But if you do want to learn about the arpeggios, then here’s how you should be playing them:

e|-----------0------------|  

B|------1------1---------|  

G|----0---0------0------|  

D|-------------2--------|  

A|--3------------------|  

E|----------------------| 

Strumming Pattern 

The strumming pattern of the song is as follows: D D U U D U. 

• D = Down strum
• U = Up strum

Song Structure 

Introduction: In this introduction your guitar instructor Mike Walker is going to teach you how to tune up a guitar for this song. 

Song Arrangement Part 1: This particular section will show you how to play the melody part of the song and how you should be counting the bells which are present in the song to keep up with tune.

Song Arrangement Part 2: Here, you will be learning the next part of the song. 

Song Demo: Here, Mike will show you how to play the entire song on guitar while keeping up with the backing track. 

Solo Part 1: In this part Mike will show you how to play the guitar solo which comes at 2:45 minutes on the track. He breaks down this guitar solo in 9 licks. 

Solo Part 2: This is the second part of the guitar solo, and it starts with lick number 6. 

Solo with Backing Track: Again, Mike plays the demo but this time specifically the solo part alongside the backtrack. 

Why Learn Top Gun Anthem Song?

The song has a beautiful, soaring lead guitar part which is easily recognisable when you play it. If you don’t know how to play the viberto, bends, and sustain control on your chord play then this song will teach you how to do it. 

Furthermore, it will help in improving your picking accuracy, sustain and phrasing and introduces you to dynamic control which is necessary if you want to master emotional guitar playing. 

FAQs – This Song Guitar Lesson

Q1. Who played the Top Gun Anthem?

Ans. Steve Stevens is the man who composed Top Gun Anthem, the song was written by Harold Faltermeyer. Steve played guitar and Faltermeyer played the keyboard during the recording of the song. 

Q2. Which song did Tom Cruise play when he was in the bar?

Ans. In 1986, Top Gun Tom Cruise played “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling.” Tom played this song, and other members of the Navy pilots joined in the movie scene. 

Fun Fact: Top Gun Anthem won the 1987 Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance

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:

Smooth By Santana is a mix of rock, blues, and it combines some melodies of Latin rhythms as well. So if you are someone who is interested in learning the ways of Santana this should be a great starting point for your musical journey. 

Fun Fact: In the beginning the song was called Room 17 and the idea of the song came to the mind of Itaal Shur, but then lyrics were all take out from the song and it was given to Rob Thomas, who completely re-wrote the song and changed its original melody, that’s how Smooth came into existence by Santana. 

Chords Used in Song Guitar Lesson

Arpeggios Verse & Chorus Chords: The arpeggios for this song are as follows: 

e|------1-------------|

B|----3---3----------|

G|--2-------2--------| 

D|--------------------| 

A|--------------------| 

E|--------------------|

Strumming Pattern 

There are two strumming patterns for this song, the first one is pretty basic and you can play it like this: DD UU DU. 

• D = Down Strum 
• U = Up Strum

Or you can play this version which adds more groove to the song: DD X UDU. 

• D = Down Strum 
• U = Up Strum
• X = Muted Strum 

Song Structure 

Introduction: In this introduction, Mike is going to show you how to tune up your guitar for this song. 

Song Arrangement: Here, you will learn about the different guitar rhythms that you will be following as you play the song. Mike starts explaining every rhythm starting with the intro section. 

Song Demo: Over here, Mike is going to show you how to play the guitar parts of the song with the backing track. 

Solo 1: From this part, you will start learning how to play different solos which come in the song. This is the first solo performed by Santana in the first part of the song. 

Overdub Licks: This particular section shows how to play a particular lick which is being played at the 32 second of the track. 

Solo 2: This is the second solo from the song. 

Solo 3: Solo which comes after the verses. 

Outro Solo: This one is the last solo which Santana played and it was used as an outro for the song. 

Why Learn Smooth By Santana?

Carlos Santana is known throughout the world for his amazing phrasing and his ability to sustain heavy tones on the guitar. As you learn this song, you will get to know about techniques like Vibrato, sustain, melodic soloing and smooth transition between the lead and the rhythm of the song. 

FAQs-This Song Guitar Lesson

Q1. Who originally sang “Smooth?”

Ans. Smooth was performed by Santana & Rob Thomas who were part of a band called Matchbox Twenty. This song was released as a lead single from the 1999s studio album, Supernatural. 

Q2. What made Santana so famous in the music industry? 

Ans. Santana became much more popular after their incredible set which they performed live at Woodstock in 1969. In that same year, the band also released their self-entitled LP as well. 

Q3. Is Santana considered to be a good guitarist of his time? 

Ans. Santana is known to be the man who invented the Latin rock guitar genre, making it stand as one of the best of his generation. 

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.

In this video lesson Steve Luciano teaches how to play the song Hotel California as part of our guitar series on English songs. The song is broken down into multiple lessons for easy learning - Chords and Progression and Rhythm and Backing Track. Don't forget to make use of the chords and tabs provided with the song lesson!

In this video lesson Steve Luciano teaches how to play the song Jee Le Zara as part of our guitar series on Indian songs. The song is broken down into multiple lessons for easy learning - Intro, Chords, and Rhythm and Song Demo. Don't forget to make use of the chords and tabs provided with the song lesson!

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!

In this video lesson Pawan Jalan teaches how to play the song Pukarta Chala Hoon Main as part of our guitar series on Indian songs. The song is broken down into multiple lessons for easy learning - Introduction, Chords, and Rhythm . Don't forget to make use of the chords and tabs provided with the song lesson!

In this video lesson Pawan Jalan teaches how to play the song Tu Jaane Na as part of our guitar series on Indian songs. The song is broken down into multiple lessons for easy learning - Intro, Chords, and Rhythm. Don't forget to make use of the chords and tabs provided with the song lesson!

Teri Jhuki Nazar is a song that holds a haunting melody and comes with power-packed poetic lyrics that helped the song gain massive popularity. In addition to this, not just the main steam music lovers found this song to be mesmerizing. Even in the indie music scene, this particular song gained massive popularity. 

Fun Fact: Teri Jhuki Nazar for the movie Murder 3 marked a great collaboration between composer Pritam and Pakistani singer Shafqat Amanat Ali. 

Chords Used in Song Guitar Lesson

Arpeggios Verse & Chorus Chords: Both the intro and verse section of the song can be beautifully represented using the fingerpicking arpeggio style; with this technique, you will be giving a soft and flowing vibe to the song. 

Fingerpicking pattern for Em, C, and Am (rooted on the 5th string):

5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 3 – 4

For G, D, and B7 (rooted on the 6th string):

6 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 3 – 4

• Thumb (P) – Bass string (5th or 6th)
• Index (I) – 4th string
• Middle (M) – 3rd string
• Ring (A) – 2nd string

Strumming Pattern 

The strumming pattern you need to follow for this song is: D – D U – U D U  

It would be great if you could maintain a smooth wrist motion for more fluidity throughout the song. 

• D = Down Strum. 
• U = Up Strum. 

Song Structure 

Intro, Chords, Rhythm, and Song Demo: This song lesson has been instructed by Steve Luciano, who is going to teach you in a short amount of time how to tune your guitar for this song, the chords, and rhythms that you need to learn and finally gives you a song demo where he plays the guitar part of the song with the backing track. 

Why Learn Teri Jhuki Nazar Song From Murder 3?

This is one of the rare songs that beginners can easily play, and it is also musically satisfying, making it a great song to build your confidence on guitar while completely sounding professional. 

FAQs – Teri Jhuki Nazar from Murder 3 Guitar Lesson

Q1. What key is the song Teri Juki Nazar from Murder 3 is present in? 

Ans. The song is present in E Flat which makes it pretty easy to play for beginners.  

Q2. Can I play the chords of Jhuki Nazar from Murder 3 on guitar while singing its vocals? 

Ans. Yes, you can do that because the tempo of the song is pretty moderate and the melody which you need to follow sits comfortably for both male and female vocalists. 

Q3. What is the time signature of the song Teri Jhuki Nazar from Murder 3 

Ans. The song is present in 4/4 time, which makes it easy to count and strum along. 

In this video lesson Will MacMorran teaches how to play the song Why This Kolaveri Di as part of our guitar series on Indian songs. The song is broken down into multiple lessons for easy learning - Intro, Chords, Rhythm, & Solo and Kolaveri Di Improvisation. Don't forget to make use of the chords and tabs provided with the song lesson!

Tere Bina is a Sufi-inspired melody with a pinch of soft rock melody sprinkled here and there to elevate the song. It’s a great song to learn on guitar for both beginners and intermediate guitar players.

The perfectly tuned voice of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan adds a lot of weight to the overall song. Likewise, Tere Bina was composed by Sajid-Wajid, and the musical duo did everything to snug deep emotions in the song as they went with a semi-classical vocal style with this song. 

In this song, you are going to find gentle instruments like guitar, soft percussion, and orchestral elements, which help the composer duo create an emotionally intense atmosphere while still making the overall song soothing and pleasing to the ears. 

Tere Bina became one of the most popular songs from the movie Tezz, which is an action-packed thriller; the presence of such a romantic song in an action flick did raise some concern among directors, but in the end, composers managed to convince the director to keep it in the movie, and the result was truly outstanding. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan recorded his vocals for this song in just one take, making it possible for Sajid-Wajid to capture the raw emotions and pain which was represented in the lyrics. 

Strumming Pattern 

The strumming pattern for this song has to be slow because it requires the guitarist to match their strumming with that of light fingerpicking. For the acoustic version of the song, here’s the common pattern you need to follow on 4/4 time signature: D – D U – U D U

• D = Down Strum. 
• U = Up Strum. 

Why Learn Tere Bina Song On Guitar?

It’s a song that includes a flowing chord progression, which makes it sound both emotional and rich when you play it on guitar. If you are someone who is trying to play guitar and vocals together, then this is the one song that you should definitely learn. It’s going to boost your confidence in mellow acoustic sets and even when you play it in open mics. 

To match the soothing mood of the song, you can use fingerpicking, but be sure to be gentle with strings as you play them. In addition to this, you have to be easy on strumming to create a more rhythmic sound; both of these techniques, which you will learn here in this song lesson, will allow you to develop control and tone. 

Apart from this, learning Tera Bina from the movie Tezz is a great way to explore Bollywood ballads and intricate Sufi elements. This song shows you how harmony can complement powerful lyrics and melody at the same time.