Elton John - Your Song Guitar Lesson

In this video guitar lesson, I will show you a nice acoustic guitar arrangement of the great Elton John song "Your Song".

This Your Song guitar lesson will show you how to play all of the chords in a nice and easy to follow manner.

One thing I mention in the video lesson is that in order to play along with the original recording, you can just play the same chords that I will show you in this lesson with a capo at the 1st fret. After that, all of the chords will then be played as if the capo was the zero fret. You will then be in the original key. For the lesson I will teach it is standard tuning in open position with no capo which will be a half-step lower in pitch than the original recording.

Since the chords were originally written on the piano, it makes for a nice chord workout for us guitar players. There are a lot moving bass lines and chord inversions that you won't see in a typical guitar song.

We will basically have 3 parts to memorize. First, is the intro followed by the verse and chorus.

Even for the intro you can get a nice re-production of the piano melody pretty easily on the guitar.

When attempting to play the verse and chorus chords you will want to focus on the bass line. Those bass lines moves around creating a haunting musical statement that works out great on the guitar.

If you can play bar chords you probably won't have much of a problem learning all of the chords found within "Your Song". If you can play bar chords but have problems moving from one to the other, learning this guitar arrangement of "Your Song" will not only give you a great song under your fingers, but it will also make for a great exercise to develop smooth bar chord changes.

Have fun with this one, it is truly a beautiful song!

Carl...

[christopherburnett]

This is probably the best version of Your Song I've heard on guitar... but it may be above my ability yet. I suppose that I could make a project of it, but holy crap. Thanks for the tutorial though!

[Keef]

Carl, brilliant adaptation of the keyboard parts. Always wanted to play this song on guitar. Thanks!

[nicolen.]

Really helpful. Thanks for sharing Carl 🤗

[samhenrymusic]

Best Tutorials ever! Thanks for what you do!

[allancrow]

Thanks Carl. I like your approach and it's easy to absorb. I'd put yours up there with the best Youtube has to offer.

[merlinsdog]

Great lesson bud! I'm hoping I'll be able to work out the fingerstyle version from this, a weekend well spent! Thanks!

[Garyx]

Glad it is standard tuning., not that I mind a capo or dropdown tuning. Just makes for a better understanding when I show someone how to do this.

[SteveMavronis]

That G7 chord fingering is a new shape for me. My first finger has a hard time feels contorted until I get used to it LOL but I will. An alternate fingering would be to wrap your thumb around the G bass note muting the A string. Then your first 3 fingers fall into place on the first 3 strings.

[bytwyzz]

the songbook is in C ... my first tune learned long ago

[greengoblin]

My F#m chord sounds bad so I have to lay my other finger over the index to make it sound decent, is it strength or something as I have played guitar for ages and play bass but this chord just hates me :)

[alainpicard]

Excellent job Sir, sounds great especially that A# root type chord on the return. I have also always played it in D so as to avoid transposing. Nice to sing in D as well.

[mayakadija]

Please please please do love song by Elton John and Lesley Duncan!!!

[paulbentley]

Hi Carl, at the end of the second verse, before it goes into the chorus, should it not go to a D before the then A/C# beginning of the chorus?

[oILoneWolfIo]

Wonderful lesson Carl, this tune's definitely one I've been meaning to learn for a while now and your lesson certainly helps with that. I appreciate your guitar tuition, you've aided me in learning so many things and for that I'm grateful!


I'm real fan of the Peter Gabriel iteration but I do feel this version is a bit more intricate. Not to mention James's version is probably a bit more relevant as it's gaining popularity as of late.

Thank you again!

[GuyNarnarian]

Great adaption but I can't follow without the words

[Gianmario]

I'm pretty sure F# is a major chord

[vpod]

Thank You Carl. Can you sing a song for me, Carl ? ;) (2001french version)