And when you play it using the fingerpicking technique, you know you are a budding performer.Īs I said, the first few parts of the song are slow. A song that anyone can always sing or at least hum with fervor. The tempo picks up towards the second third of the song and you know that you have a powerful piece to wake up your senses. The first parts of the song are slow as if they are trying to rock you to sleep. However the intro, and much of the song, is an acoustic melody that can be picked with a guitar pick or played fingerstyle like in the tutorial above.
Commonly in the discussion for Greatest Rock song of all time, this song has blistering high gain distortion electric guitar sections. Learn this well and you should be ready to perform in front of your officemates for a really cool after-office party.Ī combination of folk rock, progressive rock, and hard rock with a hint of soulful ballad, this Led Zeppelin song is one of my all-time favorites and is one of the most recognized songs in rock and roll history. This is a piece that requires flexible joints and good coordination of the fretting fingers. Only in the fourth section will you begin to introduce the first of many melodic notes to the song. The first three sections of the intro are more of the up down and down up movements on open strings. It is also one of the songs that has a fingerstyle that any beginner should have no problem learning. If you get the fingerstyle right, you should be able to recreate this 1992 hit.Ī staple in many of Metallica’s performances, “Nothing Else Matters” is also a favorite among guitar players. You can forget the other elements in the song. This is a musical piece that has a unique introduction when played on a guitar. But, that’s just what Metallica did with their “Nothing Else Matters” song. The song that has a very similar chord pattern and fingerpicking style to “Dust in The Wind” is the hit song by Fleetwood Mac, “Landslide”.Ī heavy metal band is not exactly the type of music you would expect to produce a powerful and beautiful ballad.
You can master this technique and it should already be easy to play other songs. One great advantage of playing this song is that the chord and fingerpicking pattern has become the standard in many modern songs. The thumb takes care of the 5th and 6th strings although, it does pick the 4th string, too. What makes it easy is the fact that the four fingers will be playing only the first four strings of the guitar. The song requires all playing fingers to be moving. What helped me in learning the fingerstyle of this song is by practicing the inward curling of my playing fingers one at a time. It has that amazing tune that will make you feel at peace with yourself. It reminds me so much about my childhood when I was more carefree than I could have possibly imagined. This is where your flexible finger joints will come in very handy.Ī great piece to play whenever I head outdoors, “Dust in The Wind” never fails to bring a sense of nostalgia. This song plays arpeggio without any chance of strumming. This is the key to producing a “Stand by Me” that is polyphonic, melodic, and harmonic. This is because you must maintain the bass rhythm of the 5th and 6th strings while producing the characteristic notes on the trebles. The verse and chorus can be intimidating at first. You can master this part of the intro in a matter of minutes before you go into the first verse. The fretting fingers will also only focus on these strings. The thumb only plays the 5th and 6th strings. What makes “Stand by Me” a great piece for beginner fingerpickers is its intro.
Films and advertisements use the tune to deliver their message. The song has been given different renditions by different artists and personalities all over the world. It is impossible not to recognize the unique melody and tune of this early 1960s song from one of America’s best rhythm and blues and soul singer.