Livin' On A Prayer

How to play Livin' On A Prayer by Bon Jovi on guitar

This song is worth learning because it has a huge, driving feel and a strong sing-along momentum that makes you sound powerful fast. You get to lock into a steady rock groove and keep the energy up from start to finish.

You’ll use a mix of open shapes and barre shapes, so the left hand has both easy grips and more demanding stretches. The main change to watch is the move from Em and C into Bm, since that shift can slow you down if you do not prepare your fingers early.

Start by looping the opening progression slowly and cleanly, then practice the barre shape changes on their own until they feel natural. After that, put the whole sequence together at a comfortable tempo, and only speed up when every change sounds even and confident.

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.