Ain’t No Sunshine – Bill Withers

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” video_preview_image=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ spacing=”” center_content=”no” hover_type=”none” link=”” min_height=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”left top” background_repeat=”no-repeat” border_size=”0″ border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” padding=”” dimension_margin=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=”” last=”no”][fusion_text]

Hey everyone!

In this lesson I show you how to play “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers. This is one of the simplest fingerpicking songs ever which makes it great to learn especially if you’re a beginner. It’s also good to help you build dexterity in your fingerpicking hand. And it’s also good if you want to learn some out-of-the-ordinary chord voicings.

There are 2 reasons why I feel this is a great beginner song to learn on guitar: 1) The shapes are even simpler than the basic open chords that most of us learn first.. They may have whacky names like “Am7” but they’re just 3 fingers – and the shapes are movable (more on this later) – 2) The fingerpicking pattern is the same thing over and over, and it changes only for the chorus when you simply switch over to a different string set. This helps your brain connect the left and right hands as they move together along the fretboard.

These chord shapes are used in R&B and jazz primarily, and they’re called: Am7, G7, Em7, Dm7. It’s actually just 2 shapes, but they’re moved all around the fretboard, so this is KINDA like a 2-chord song (maybe a bit more complicated). The coolest thing about these shapes is that they’re movable, and if you watch until the very end, you’ll see that I explain this and even show you how you can use these shapes to make your own chord progressions simply by moving them around and experimenting.

This is a very simple song, so it gives us a chance take a look at the bigger picture and hopefully learn something about the guitar and music, in general.

Enjoy!
James

Ain’t No Sunshine Chords:

 

[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]