We Shall Overcome Guitar Tutorial

Welcome to my We Shall Overcome Guitar Tutorial by Pete Seeger.

Here’s a video covering the other strumming pattern used in this song.

And here’s a playlist with some tutorials to help you practice your G, C and D chord switching:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• 0:00 – INTRO
• 1:24 – CHORDS + TIPS
• 2:17 – SWITCHING PRACTICE
• 6:28 – RHYTHM + STRUMMING
• 9:31 – PLAYALONG *SO FAR
• 10:33 – THE REST OF THE SONG
• 12:53 – PUTTING IT TOGETHER

This is going to be the Pete Seeger version and I know he’s performed a couple versions of this tune, but most of them are in the key of B flat, which means you have to use a capo at the third fret. For this lesson, however, we’re going to do it without the capo, you can always just add it later when you go play along with the original recording.

The lesson begins with the chord shapes. G, C, and D are the three main chords. There’s also Em, A7, and optionally D7 and D#dim.

We start off by working our way through the tune strumming the chords with downstrokes only, working extra hard on the tricky spots where we have to switch chords fairly quickly. We work through all of this before learning the strumming pattern.

The rhythm for this tune is really simple. It’s just DOWN UP DOWN over and over again. BUT you have to pay attention to HOW you play it. I talk about adding a “groove” or “feel” to that otherwise simple strumming pattern and, believe me, even though you may get the strokes, it takes a while to really “get it” so don’t worry if it’s not sounding exactly like you want it to right away. I also quickly show you an alternative strumming pattern that we can use that’s a lot simpler and would be more similar to the Joan Baez version of this tune.

Anyways, once we’ve taken a look at the chords and the strumming pattern for the first half of the tune, we put it all together. And then, all that’s left is to work our way through the second half. It’s much easier, so once you’ve made it to this point you’re pretty much guaranteed to make it all the way!

We work through the one tricky spot. And then we play the entire tune, all together, strumming pattern and all.

I hope you enjoy the lesson, and if there’s any other traditional or folk tunes that you’d like to learn, please let me know!

-James

#weshallovercome #peteseeger #guitartutorial