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Years ago, I was playing a gig at a lounge by the beach in Los Angeles with a friend who played keyboards with Sting.
I had called this song, and after we hit the last chord, my friend turned to me and told me this crazy story.
He was in England and was about to go play a gig with Sting.
Their mode of transport was an old World War II vehicle refurbished. The band hopped in, and as they rode from Stingâs residence to the gig, they passed by all these beautiful barley fields.
He told me, âThose were the fields of gold.â  Â
Pretty cool, huh?Â
Below, Iâm going to share with you some insider tips on the guitar style behind this iconic tune.
So grab your axe, and letâs dive into this âFields of Goldâ chords and guitar lesson!
âFields of Goldâ was originally written by Sting, whose real name is Gordon Sumner.
It was released on his brilliant 1993 solo album Ten Summonerâs Tales.Â
The song is almost like a meditation on love, memory, and time. Lyr...
For anyone who has lost someone, the holidays can be tough.
Hereâs a song about just that.
You only need a handful of chords to play it.
Below, Iâm going to share with you some insider tips on the guitar style behind it.
So grab your axe, and letâs dive into this âLast Christmasâ chords and guitar lesson!
âLast Christmasâ was originally written by George Michael from the British pop duo Wham! in 1984.Â
Itâs a song about heartbreak. Michael sings the story of a person who gave their heart to someone the previous Christmas but was let down. This year, they believe they wonât make the same mistake again. Â
Wham! recorded âLast Christmasâ with Andrew Ridgeley in London at the famous Sarm West Studios. It blends a synth-pop sound of the â80s with catchy melodies and a festive yet slightly melancholic feel. Â
Upon its release, the tune became a hit, especially in Europe. Although it was beaten for the #1 spot by Band Aidâs âDo They Know Itâs Christmas?â ...
Glenn Frey sang:
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Well, I'm runnin' down the road tryna loosen my load
I've got seven women on my mind
Four that wanna own me, two that wanna stone me
One says she's a friend of mine
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Truer words have never been spoken.
Below, Iâm going to share with you some insider tips on the guitar style behind this iconic tune.
So grab your axe, and letâs dive into this âTake It Easyâ chords and guitar lesson!
âTake It Easyâ was originally written by Jackson Browne and Glenn Frey. Browne thought it would be a perfect song for Glenn to sing, so the Eagles first recorded it. âTake It Easyâ was released as a single in 1972 and later appeared on their self-titled album Eagles. Â
âTake It Easyâ has a classic Americana folk-rock sound. The lyrics convey a carefree yet restless narrative. Browne originally started drafting the song but got stuck. Glenn Frey, who lived upstairs from him at the time, finished it by adding the unforgettable âflatbed Fordâ lines...
Hereâs one of the Eaglesâ most epic ballads.Â
The song was inspired by real-life tensions within the band. Shortly after, the lead vocalist on this track left the group.Â
Below, Iâm going to share with you some insider tips on the guitar style behind it.
So grab your axe, and letâs dive into this âTake It To The Limitâ chords and guitar lesson!
âTake It to the Limitâ was originally written by Randy Meisner, Don Henley, and Glenn Frey of the Eagles. It was first released on their iconic 1975 album titled One of These Nights. âTake It to the Limitâ is a slow ballad in a triple meter thatâs become one of the Eaglesâ most signature tunes.Â
The song was inspired by touring musicians pushing life to the limits. The road can be brutal with endless weeks of travel, limited sleep, and powerhouse performances expected every night. That's the big idea behind "Take It To The Limit".Â
Randy Meisner sang the lead and delivered a soaring performance, recorded...
Hereâs a song from what I believe to be one of the greatest songwriters of all timeâŚ
The lyrics touch on many core human ideas of aspirations, community, and connection.
Below, Iâm going to share some insider tips on the guitar style behind it.
So grab your axe, and letâs dive into this âPiano Manâ chords and guitar lesson!
"Piano Man" was originally written by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel. Itâs a brilliant song he wrote, inspired by playing gigs in the nightlife of Los Angeles, California.Â
The song is almost entirely autobiographical. You see, in the early â70s, Joel had just moved from New York to Los Angeles and began playing local cocktail lounges. He did this for about six months and observed the patrons, who became the characters in âPiano Manâ.  Â
"John at the bar" was really a bartender, "Paul" was a local real estate agent and aspiring writer, while "Davy" was indeed in the Navy. The song is a self-reflection on Joelâs own life and the ...
Years ago, I was playing a wedding gig, and the husband and wife wanted this song for their first dance.
It was quite strange.
Iâd wondered if theyâd ever read the lyricsâŚÂ
But below, Iâm going to share with you some insider tips on the guitar style behind it.
So grab your axe, and letâs dive into this âWith Or Without Youâ chords and guitar lesson!
âWith or Without Youâ was originally written by Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr., the 4 members of the Irish rock band U2.Â
It was released in 1987 as the lead single from their fifth studio album, The Joshua Tree. The song lyrically emphasizes tension and contradiction often found in relationships. Â
âWith Or Without Youâ was recorded at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin with Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno producing. The song has a very atmospheric sound between the layered sounds and guitar textures that The Edge created. The recording process involved a lot of experimentation, and th...
Out of all the bass line riffs guitarists can learn, hereâs one of the most popular.
Itâs funky and iconic.
Below, Iâm going to share with you some insider tips on the guitar style behind it.
So grab your axe, and letâs dive into this âAnother One Bites The Dustâ chords and guitar lesson!
âAnother One Bites the Dustâ is a song written by bassist John Deacon, but credited to the songwriting partnership of the entire band Queen.Â
It was released in 1980 on their album The Game and quickly became one of the bandâs biggest hits. Deacon said the bass line was inspired by the funky groove of âGood Times,â by Chic. Deacon had spent some time in the studio with Chic and ended up developing the groove shortly after.
On the recording, Deacon played most of the instruments himself. The drums were a loop by drummer Roger Taylor, and guitar and studio-effect contributions came later from Brian May.Â
âAnother One Bites The Dustâ was recorded in 198...
For many people, the 13 years of formal schooling can feel like prison.
Here's one of Pink Floydâs most signature songs about this.
Below, Iâm going to share with you some insider tips on the guitar style behind it.Â
So grab your axe, and letâs dive into this âAnother Brick In The Wall (Part 2)â chords and guitar lesson!
âAnother Brick in the Wallâ is a 3-part series of songs written for a rock opera album, The Wall, by Roger Waters. Waters is the bassist and primary songwriter for the English rock band Pink Floyd. The most famous of the 3 parts is Part 2, and they all appeared on the 1979 album The Wall.
The lyrics highlight teenage rebellion and a rock and roll spirit, especially lines like:
âWe donât need no educationâŚâ
âAnother Brick in the Wallâ was recorded at several studios in England, including Britannia Row Studios. The gang vocals were sung by a group of 23 London schoolchildren, with producers Bob Ezrin, David Gilmour, and Rog...
Hereâs a fun storytelling song about a street performing band named âWilly and the Poor Boys.Â
Itâs got an awesome upbeat feeling and a great harmonized riff.
Below, Iâm going to share with you some insider tips on the guitar style behind it.
So grab your axe, and letâs dive into this âDown on the Cornerâ chords and guitar lesson!
âDown on the Cornerâ was written by John Fogerty, the lead singer for the American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR). Itâs an upbeat roots rock style tune, with a funky groove. The lyrics sing the story of a street corner band that goes by the name of Willy and the Poor Boys. They play music for change. Willy and the Poor Boys consists of four members: Willy on washboard and bass, Stu on rhythm guitar, Doug on drums, and Tom on the trumpet.Â
They play for tips and to bring joy to the community. But they are broke.
The song captures a romanticized, nostalgic view of simple street life and the power of music to...
Hereâs an iconic song with an interesting backstory.
David Bowie wrote it, inspired by real-life events.
Below, Iâm going to share with you some insider tips on the guitar style behind it.
So grab your axe, and letâs dive into this âHeroesâ chords and guitar lesson!
"Heroes" was co-written by David Bowie and Brian Eno. It was released as the title track for Bowieâs 1977 album of the same name. âHeroesâ was inspired by two lovers Bowie saw in a tryst in front of the Berlin Wall.Â
You see, Bowie was recording at the legendary Hansa Studio â by the Berlin Wall in Germany -- when he looked out the window and saw two lovers kissing. Although he didn't originally reveal who the lovers were, later Bowie came out and said it was his producer, Tony Visconti, and his mistress, a backing vocalist named Antonia Maass.
The song's lyrics capture a fleeting moment where people can feel heroic.
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And I, I would be king
And you, you would be my queen
Though nothing wou...
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