Video Lesson
Get the sheet music(3 pages)
- A properly licensed, print-friendly arrangement is available for individual purchase at Musicnotes.com
- This sheet music was designed & hand-crafted by me (David Potsiadlo) with care, providing you with everything needed to both learn and play this song.
- On the fence? Here's a video guide I made showing the purchase & print process.
Patreon supporters: click here to get the 50% off discount code on this purchase
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
Get my lessons in your inbox!
Every couple weeks I send out an email newsletter with links to whatever new lessons I've made. Sign up here and stay in the loop!
Enjoy my lessons? Buy me a beer!
If this and my other lessons have proven helpful to you, please consider making a one-time donation to my tip jar. Contributions of any amount help make this project possible (including the many, many hours I put into it).
You can also support me on Patreon. For only $3/month you'll get access to a print-friendly PDF of my notes for each new lesson (view free sample).
Thanks!
Subscribe to my YouTube channel
Be sure to never miss a lesson by subscribing on YouTube. I put out 2-3 new videos every week. These include full song lessons, as well as covers, practice tips, behind-the-scenes updates. Thanks!
Recent video lessons:
📝 My "song" PDFs are now individually purcasheable! I've arranged a licensing agreement with Musicnotes, a service that lets you buy sheet music. Patreon suppoters get 50% off each purchase. Get the latest info here » (last updated July 1, 2021)
October 14, 2021
How to Tune Half-Step Down (E-Flat Tuning)
A quick guide to tuning all your strings down 1/2 step (E-flat tuning), which is a very common alternate tuning used in many songs.
October 2, 2021
F Chord Cheat Sheet! 7 Easier Ways to Play It
A quick inventory of 8 different ways to play the dreaded F chord, 7 of which are easier than the dreaded six-string barred version.
September 28, 2021
Beginner Riffs with Major 7th Arpeggios
A quick exercise where I share over 10 riffs based on a single arpeggio shape, using major 7th chord tones. Backing track included!
September 19, 2021
Key of C Major Cheat Sheet!
A deep dive into everything you need to know when playing in the Key of C: notes, chords, fretboard map, tips & tricks, easier ways to play the F chord, and plenty more.
September 12, 2021
Major Scale Positions & CAGED Chord Shapes
A deep-dive into the common positions of the major scale, and how they each relate to the CAGED chord shapes... which makes it all easier to understand!
August 29, 2021
First Electric! 8 Things I Didn't Expect
I recently got my 1st electric guitar, and was surprised how many things immediately confused me. Here's a quick inventory, in case it helps anyone else starting out!
Browse my all lessons
By lesson type
By song decade
By musical genre
By guitar technique
By musical key
By popular artist
- Johnny Cash
- Tyler Childers
- Tom Petty
- Neil Young
- Nirvana
- Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Willie Nelson
- John Denver
- Guns N' Roses