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Today I want to share with you a classic song that is perfect for beginners and even advanced players as well.
👉Follow along with the FULL lesson here: [ Ссылка ]
The riff is iconic and immediately recognizable. Your friends will love it.
PLUS it’s a great example of how the blues shaped rock n roll.
So grab your guitar, tune-up, and let’s get started with this Sunshine Of Your Love guitar lesson!
Who wrote Sunshine Of Your Love?
"Sunshine of Your Love" was written by the British rock band Cream with lyrics from (Pete Brown). Cream was a psychedelic blues rock trio consisting of Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce, and Eric Clapton, and this track was released on their second album Disraeli Gears in November 1967.
The song is considered one of Cream's most popular and influential tunes. It has also been covered by many other artists.
The song is notable for its distinctive bass riff, which was written by Jack Bruce. Eric Clapton later added the guitar solo, and Ginger Baker's drumming provides a polyrhythmic counterpoint to the bass and guitar. The lyrics are about the power of love and the desire for connection.
"Sunshine of Your Love" was a commercial success, reaching number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States and number 4 on the UK Singles Chart. It has been praised by critics for its innovation and influence on rock music. The song has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Grammy Hall of Fame.
The song began as a bass riff developed by Cream bassist Jack Bruce after attending a Jimi Hendrix concert. Bruce was inspired by Hendrix's use of exotic scales and his ability to create a hypnotic groove. He later recalled, "I was so impressed by Jimi Hendrix that I went home and wrote 'Sunshine of Your Love' the next day."
Guitarist Eric Clapton and lyricist Pete Brown later contributed to the song. Clapton's guitar solo is one of the most iconic in rock history, and Brown's lyrics are great as well. Drummer Ginger Baker's drumming also provides a driving force for the song’s groove and feel.
"Sunshine of Your Love" was recorded at Atlantic Studios in New York City in July 1967. Produced by Felix Pappalardi, who also engineered the recording. Pappalardi was known for his ability to capture the raw energy of rock bands, and he did not disappoint with "Sunshine of Your Love."
"Sunshine of Your Love" is considered one of the early examples of psychedelic rock, and it is also credited with helping to popularize the use of the blues scale in rock music. (Which we will get into more below.)
The song has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Grammy Hall of Fame. It has also been ranked number 65 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
"Sunshine of Your Love" has been covered by many other artists, including Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and Stevie Wonder. The song has also been sampled by hip hop artists, including Dr. Dre and Jay-Z.
Is Sunshine Of Your Love hard to play on guitar?
The main riff to Sunshine Of Your Love can actually be played with just a few notes from the D minor blues scale. The main riff and the power chords used in the B section are not too difficult to play. In fact, I think this song is a GREAT beginner guitar song if it’s taught properly and kept to just those two parts. The riff, and 3 power chords. However, to nail the guitar parts like Eric Clapton did, or Jimi Hendrix did, that is going to require a much higher level of playing skill. So getting the basics of the song down is not too hard. But going all the way like Clapton or Hendrix of course is going to be harder.
Sunshine Of Your Love Guitar Lesson (Guitar Riff)
There are just two sections you’ll need to know to play along to “Sunshine Of Your Love”. The first section is the main riff and the second part we’ll call the B-section.
The main riff is all built from notes in a D minor blues scale.
The blues scale is a very common scale in blues and rock music. It is a minor pentatonic scale with the addition of "blue notes". The blues scale can be played in any key, but for “Sunshine Of Your Love” we’ll be in the key of D major.
The notes in a D minor blues scale are D, F, G, Ab, A, C. The Ab and C are the blue notes. The Ab is a flatted 5th, and the C is a flatted 7th. These notes give the D minor blues scale its characteristic bluesy sound. Cream uses the D minor blues scale against the D major blues key. This is a common sound in the blues.
The main riff starts on the note D, and then essentially just walks down the scale using a syncopated rhythm.
👉Follow along with the FULL lesson here: [ Ссылка ]
