Video Lesson
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Editor’s notes
This video is a guitar lesson for “Summer of ‘69” by Bryan Adams. It includes chords, tabs, and strumming pattern – with a nice focus on playing the acoustic riff heard in the intro of the MTV Unplugged version of the song.
Video timestamps:
- 0:00 Playthrough & lesson overview
- 2:50 Chords (basic)
- 4:08 Chords (D-sus & A-sus variations)
- 6:10 Strumming Pattern (basic)
- 7:37 Intro acoustic riff (strummed)
- 9:36 Intro acoustic Riff (picked)
- 11:48 Bridge
Lyrics
INTRO
Dsus2 ... D ... Dsus4 ... D ... Dsus2 D
Asus2 ... A ... Asus4 ... A ... Asus2 A
VERSE
D A
...I got my first real six string.... bought it at the five and dime
D A
...Played it 'til my fingers bled.... was the summer of '69
D A
...Me and some guys from school...... had a band and we tried real hard
D A
...Jimmy quit and Jody got married... I shoulda known we'd never get far
CHORUS
Bm A D G
...But when I look back now.... that summer seemed to last forever
Bm A D G
.....And if I had the choice........ Yeah, I'd always wanna be there
Bm A D
...Those were the best days of my life
(...repeat intro)
(repeat verse + chorus chords for rest of song)
Ain't no use in complainin'... When you got a job to do
Spent my evenings down at the drive-in... and that's when I met you, yeah
Standin' on your mama's porch... you told me that you'd wait forever
Oh and when you held my hand... I knew that it was now or never
Those were the best days of my life... back in the summer of '69
BRIDGE
F Bb
...Man, we were killin' time
C Bb
We were young and restless, we needed to unwind
F Bb C Bb
...I guess nothin' can last forever... forever, no...
(repeat intro)
And now the times are changin'
Look at everything that's come and gone
Sometimes when I play that old six string
I think about you, wonder what went wrong
Standin' on your mama's porch
You told me it would last forever
Oh the way you held my hand
I knew that it was now or never
Those were the best days of my life
Oh yeah... back in the summer of '69
(etc)
Acoustic riff
E ||–––0–––––––2–––––––3–––––––2–––––––0––––––2–––––––
B ||–––––3–––––––3–––––––3–––––––3––––––––––––––––––––
G ||–––––––2–––––––2–––––––2–––––––2––––––2––––––2––––
D ||––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
A ||––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E ||––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Dsus2 D Dsus4 D Dsus2 D
E ||––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B ||–––0–––––––2–––––––3–––––––2–––––––0––––––2–––––––
G ||–––––2–––––––2–––––––2–––––––2––––––––––––––––––––
D ||–––––––2–––––––2–––––––2–––––––2––––––2––––––2––––
A ||––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E ||––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Asus2 A Asus4 A Asus2 A
Chords used
Intro, verse, and chorus chords
E ||––––2––––0––––2––––3––––
B ||––––3––––2––––3––––0––––
G ||––––2––––2––––4––––0––––
D ||––––0––––2––––4––––0––––
A ||–––––––––0––––2––––2––––
E ||–––––––––––––––––––3––––
D A Bm G
D-sus chords
E ||––––2––––––0––––––––3––––
B ||––––3––––––3––––––––3––––
G ||––––2––––––2––––––––2––––
D ||––––0––––––0––––––––0––––
A ||–––––––––––––––––––––––––
E ||–––––––––––––––––––––––––
D Dsus2 Dsus4
A-sus chords
E ||––––0––––––0––––––––0––––
B ||––––2––––––0––––––––3––––
G ||––––2––––––2––––––––2––––
D ||––––2––––––2––––––––2––––
A ||––––0––––––0––––––––0––––
E ||–––––––––––––––––––––––––
A Asus2 Asus4
Bridge chords
E ||––––1––––6––––8–––––
B ||––––1––––6––––8–––––
G ||––––2––––7––––9–––––
D ||––––3––––8––––10––––
A ||––––3––––8––––10––––
E ||––––1––––6––––8–––––
F Bb C
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