It’s an uplifting, motivating song that has helped make Bob Dylan famous and has been covered by countless other artists. It is a classic that is a must-know for everyone who appreciates blues and the power of music. The title, How to Play Lucky Son, aptly describes the subject matter of the tune and the message it conveys. The song takes us on an exploration of the different kinds of people and places that influenced the creation of this masterpiece.
This song starts out as a simple introduction – into bluegrass standards and the three basic chords, E minor, G major and B minor, followed by three bar chords that make up the main theme or topic of the song. The first two bars feature E minor and G major chords, which seem like simple but meaningful chords. By moving right to the third bar, a different kind of relationship is established between the two chords. As you move away from the center, the listener gets a hint of what is to come in the final bar, but before that, the song has already shown us a glimpse into what makes it special and a great quote for life itself.
The guitar solo in this song – is one of the most melodic solos ever played by a guitar. Dylan’s voice is at its best in this section and his use of distortion and reverb add extra texture to his sound. In fact, the distorted notes work so well with Dylan’s voice that it may be considered one of the greatest collaborations of all time. It is rare that one musician allows their musical influences to influence their writing and the result is a masterpiece.
For many guitarists – who learn and practice scales and riffs, they have to start somewhere. The way that The How to Play Lucky Son progresses along is a good way to get started. In this song, the progression starts with a basic blues-rock riff that repeats throughout the song. Once the song gets to its chorus, the song takes a sharp turn towards the riffs and chords of the second verse. The progression then continues with a minor change to the G major chord.
The final section of the song involves – a few barre blues ideas and some chord diagrams that help the guitarist to transition to the second verse. Again, the guitar uses a minor change to the G chord to progress to an E minor chord. This section also features an A minor progression that incorporates the G and E chords. The song closes with a final E chord and a final call-back to the song’s chorus.
Although many musicians spend hours working on writing a great song – few have the patience to sit down and create a song from start to finish. Fortunately, learning how to play the guitar fast can be done with a little bit of practice. Learning how to play the guitar is not as difficult as it may seem when a well known guitarist makes it look easy.
If an aspiring guitarist only wants to start playing songs from the beginner chord, Lucky For Me is the best beginner electric guitar songs to learn.