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Hey everyone! In this lesson I’m going to show you all how to play “Losing My Religion” by R.E.M. This song is fairly simple chord-wise, but the strumming is actually somewhat challenging. If you listen to the actual recording, there isn’t much of a recurring strumming pattern. Instead there are certain beats that are always accented, and the rhythm guitarist is playing around those beats. I’ve simplified all that and managed to come up with a pattern that fits the whole song so you can focus on the switches 🙂
The lesson begins with 2 chord shapes: Am and Em. These are VERY simple to switch between, and if you’re an ABSOLUTE beginner you should be able to follow along with the first part of this video, as we’re only going to be using these 2 simple chord shapes.
Once I show you a couple tips for switching between them, we practice playing them in order, using downstrokes only, and then take a look at the strumming pattern.
This is a long one! And it also has “mutes” in it (where you stop the strings with your hands). I take us through the whole thing, step-by-step, and show you EXACTLY what your hands should be doing and how to count out the rhythm.
Once we’ve tackled that, we play the Verse, Chorus and Bridge with the chords and strumming patterns. I take us through all of this methodically and give you a chance to play along with each section.
After that, it’s time to learn the nifty chord-melody intro. I’ve taken the mandolin part and merged it with the chords/strumming from the chorus. This provides a pleasing combination and tells the listener exactly what song you’re about to play 🙂
I hope you enjoy the lesson and I’ll see you next time!
-James
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