Silver Screen Songs

Lessons

• Lesson 1: Everybody’s Talkin’ (Midnight Cowboy Theme) - Harry Nilsson - Guitar Lesson

  We have already done a lesson on Fred Neil’s version of Everybody’s Talkin’ (the original), and here we take a look at what Harry Nilsson added to it that helped make it a classic for all time. Of course a big part of this was it becoming the theme song to the movie Midnight Cowboy, starring Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman.
  
  This version is played in the key of E and includes some very fast fingerpicking. We look at an easy way of picking through the chord progression, as well as the double-time style that opens the song with a bang.

• Lesson 2: I Don’t Know How To Love Him – Guitar Lesson

  I Don’t Know How To Love Him is a song from the 1970 rock opera ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. It’s sung by the character of Mary Magdalene, portrayed by Yvonne Elliman in the Broadway production, as well as in the movie version.
  
  The song is in the key of D, using all the chords, except for chord VII, two chords out of the key, and several different chord shapes.
  
  The lesson covers the progression and how to incorporate the melody notes of the intro and the first part of the bridge into the playing.

• Lesson 3: City Of Stars - La La Land - Guitar Lesson

  City Of Stars is an Oscar winning original song from the 2016 movie La La Land. It is played in a couple different ways in the movie, most based on a simple arpeggio figure played on the piano.
  
  This lesson includes a few different takes on it, including Campfire Versions in two different keys, a Harmony Challenge where you can figure out the progression from a chart done with numeric symbols, and a transcription of arpeggios from the piano part.
  
  Update - 03/16/2017: We continue the City Of Stars lesson with a segment on arpeggios based on different chord families: E, A, G and C, then a complete look at playing the piano accompaniment almost note-for-note in the original key.
  
  It can be confusing but first we look at if in Em, starting on an Am chord, using a capo at the second fret to match the original of the solo version in F#m.
  
  Update - 03/24/2017: There is also a segment going over the arpeggio accompaniment in Bm, where a capo at the third fret will match the original duet version in Dm.

• Lesson 4: Rainbow Connection - Acoustic Guitar Lesson

  Rainbow Connection was written by Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher for The Muppet Movie in 1979. The movie opened memorably with Kermit playing the banjo in the swamp and singing. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and was later covered by dozens of artists.

  This lesson shows how to play the banjo introduction, goes over the progression and right hand technique, and includes the half-step modulation that happens before the third verse. It also addresses how to avoid the modulation and difficulty involved in playing it in Ab.

• Lesson 5: The Weary Kind - Guitar Lesson

  The Weary Kind was used as the Theme From Crazy Heart, a 2009 movie starring Jeff Bridges. This song was written and performed by Ryan Bingham and it features some simple chords with an unusual, and rapid, fingerpicking pattern. This lesson started as a Fly On The Wall clip that generated enough interest from our members to warrant a more detailed version.

• Lesson 6: Super Mario Bros. Theme Song

  Description coming soon

• Lesson 7: Those Magic Changes - Sha Na Na - Guitar Lesson

  Sha Na Na is an American rock and roll group who began performing in 1969 and achieved national fame after playing at the Woodstock Festival.
  
  They appeared in the 1968 movie ‘Grease’ as a 1950s band called ‘Johnny Casino and the Gamblers.
  
  One of the songs that they performed was Those Magic Changes, which features a classic I, VI, IV, V progression in the key of C.
  
  This lesson teaches how to play it in the original key as well as the key of G. The latter might work better for most male vocalists.
  
  Besides the progression, which has one exception in the outro, we take a look at the chords, several passing bass notes and the strumming.

• Lesson 8: Shallow by Lady Gaga - Guitar Lesson

  Shallow is a power ballad written by Lady Gaga, Andrew Wyatt, Anthony Rossomondo and Mark Ronson, and was featured in the 2018 film A Star Is Born. It won multiple awards including the Oscar for Best Original Song. It opens with an understated set of chords picked on the acoustic guitar, played by Lukas Nelson, followed by some arpeggios and strumming through the chorus, then a build up in the bridge heading into the final chorus.