Summer of '69

How to play Summer of '69 by Bryan Adams on guitar

This song is a great beginner play-along because it has a big, upbeat feel and a steady drive that makes you sound like you are moving with the band right away. You get a classic rock groove that is fun to repeat and easy to recognize once it locks in.

Most of the shapes are open, so your left hand can stay relaxed for much of the song. The harder parts come from the barre shapes, especially F#m and Bm, so watch those transitions closely. The opening D - A - D - A change is a good place to focus on clean, even switches.

Start by looping the opening progression slowly until the changes feel automatic. Then add the barre shapes one at a time, keeping your fingers close to the strings. Once the chord moves are solid, bring it up to tempo and aim for smooth, steady timing rather than speed first.

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.