Sign of the Gypsy Queen

How to play Sign of the Gypsy Queen by April Wine on guitar

This is a great song to learn because it moves with a steady rock feel and gives you a strong, classic groove right away. You get to lock into a simple pulse and hear the harmony shift in a way that feels dramatic but still very playable. At about 120 BPM, it should feel energetic without rushing.

Most of the chart uses open shapes, so your left hand can stay relaxed for much of the song. The main thing to watch is the move between E and Em, since that change needs a clean switch in mood and finger placement. If F#m shows up, treat it as the harder barre shape and give yourself extra time to land it cleanly.

Start by looping the opening progression slowly: E - Em - D - Em. Once that feels smooth, add the rest of the chord changes in small chunks and keep your strumming even. When the shapes feel automatic, bring the tempo up little by little until you can play along comfortably.

Use the play-along above to follow each chord change in time with the music, or learn the shapes first with the chord diagrams below.