The Stroke

How to play The Stroke by Billy Squier on guitar

This is a strong riff-driven song that feels tight and energetic at about 120 BPM. It is a good pick if you want to lock into a steady groove and make the changes sound punchy and confident.

You can start with mostly open shapes, since G, D, and Dm are all available that way. The harder shapes are Fm and D#, so if those show up later, watch the shift into them and make sure the change stays clean without slowing the pulse.

Begin by looping the opening progression, G - D - G - D, until your hands settle in. Then add any other changes one at a time, keeping the rhythm even, and only speed up once the transitions feel automatic.

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.