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Cecilia Krull

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Artist Overview

Cecilia Krull is a Swedish-born, Spain-raised singer and songwriter who became a global phenomenon thanks to "My Life Is Going On," the theme song for the Netflix series La Casa de Papel (Money Heist). While Cecilia is primarily a vocalist rather than a guitarist, her music offers a fantastic learning platform for guitarists who want to develop their accompaniment skills, chord voicing knowledge, and the ability to create atmospheric, emotionally resonant backdrops for vocal-driven pop music. Her sound blends indie pop, electronic textures, and cinematic songwriting, sitting in a space that rewards tasteful guitar work over shredding. For guitarists, the appeal of learning Cecilia Krull's catalog lies in mastering clean-tone chord progressions, arpeggiated picking patterns, and subtle dynamic control. "My Life Is Going On" is built on a relatively simple chord progression (Em, C, G, D being the foundational shapes), but the real challenge is in the feel: maintaining a steady, hypnotic fingerpicking or strumming pattern while keeping the dynamics understated and serving the vocal melody. It is an ideal song for intermediate beginners looking to develop their sense of musicality beyond just playing the right notes. The guitar parts in her recorded tracks are typically handled by session musicians and producers, with Manu Guix and Ivan Torrent contributing to her production sound. The guitar work leans heavily on clean electric tones, sometimes layered with light reverb and delay to create that cinematic, airy quality. Acoustic guitar also plays a central role in stripped-down arrangements. Overall difficulty is beginner to intermediate. You will not find blazing solos or complex time signatures here, but you will develop crucial skills in dynamics, timing, and playing with restraint, which are some of the hardest things for guitarists to master. If you are a guitarist looking to build your repertoire of songs that people actually recognize, Cecilia Krull's "My Life Is Going On" is a crowd-pleaser that sounds great on solo acoustic guitar or clean electric. It teaches you how to hold a groove, support a vocal line, and make simple chords sound compelling through touch and tone.

What Makes Cecilia Krull Essential for Guitar Players

  • "My Life Is Going On" revolves around a four-chord progression (Em, C, G, D) that is perfect for practicing smooth chord transitions. Focus on keeping your fretting hand relaxed and letting each chord ring out fully before switching.
  • The song rewards fingerpicking over flatpicking. Try using a Travis picking pattern or a simple arpeggiated pattern (thumb on bass strings, index/middle/ring on the G, B, and high E strings) to capture the atmospheric, cinematic feel of the original recording.
  • Dynamic control is the real skill builder here. The verses sit at a whisper-quiet level while the chorus opens up slightly. Practice controlling your picking hand attack to shift between soft, delicate passages and slightly fuller strums without losing the groove.
  • Clean tone is essential. Whether you are playing acoustic or electric, keep the signal uncluttered. On electric, use the neck pickup position with the tone knob rolled back slightly to get that warm, rounded sound that sits behind the vocal without competing with it.
  • For a more advanced take, try adding suspended chord voicings (Csus2, Gsus4) and hammer-on embellishments within the chord shapes. This adds movement and sophistication to an otherwise straightforward progression, developing your fretboard awareness in open position.

Did You Know?

"My Life Is Going On" has been streamed over a billion times across platforms, making it one of the most recognizable TV theme songs of the 2010s and a staple request at open mic nights for guitarists everywhere.

The original recording uses a blend of programmed electronic elements and real acoustic/electric guitar layers, meaning that a solo guitarist covering it has to fill a lot of sonic space with just six strings. It is a great exercise in arrangement.

Cecilia Krull co-wrote the song with Manu Guix, a Spanish composer and producer known for working with layered, cinematic textures. The guitar parts were designed to be felt rather than showcased, prioritizing mood over technique.

The song's key of E minor is one of the most guitar-friendly keys possible, giving you access to rich open-string voicings and resonant bass notes that make even a simple progression sound full and lush on guitar.

Despite sounding complex in the full production, the entire harmonic structure of "My Life Is Going On" can be played with just first-position open chords, making it accessible to guitarists who have been playing for only a few months.

Cecilia grew up in a musical family in Torremolinos, Spain, surrounded by both Scandinavian and Spanish musical influences. This cross-cultural blend shows in her music's balance between Nordic cool and Mediterranean warmth, something guitarists can explore through tone and dynamics.

The song has become a popular tutorial on YouTube guitar channels, with most instructors teaching it in standard tuning with no capo required, making it one of the easiest "famous song" covers to learn quickly.

Essential Albums for Guitarists

Singles Collection (including My Life Is Going On) 2018

Since Cecilia Krull's catalog is primarily singles-driven, this is where you want to start. "My Life Is Going On" is the essential track for guitarists: it teaches clean arpeggiated picking, dynamic control, and how to make a simple Em-C-G-D progression sound cinematic. Her other singles like "Agnus Dei" and "Something's Triggered" offer similar lessons in atmospheric chord work and tasteful accompaniment.

Spotify Apple Music

Tone & Gear

Guitar

The recorded guitar parts on Cecilia Krull's tracks sound like a combination of a steel-string acoustic (likely a Taylor or Martin dreadnought/grand auditorium) and a clean electric, possibly a Fender Stratocaster or Telecaster for the shimmery, glassy clean tones. For covering her music, any decent acoustic guitar or a clean-voiced electric with single-coil pickups will get you in the right ballpark.

Amp

If playing electric, aim for a Fender-style clean amp tone. A Fender Twin Reverb, Deluxe Reverb, or even a Roland JC-120 set completely clean (no breakup) with a touch of built-in reverb will nail the vibe. Keep the volume moderate and the EQ balanced, with treble around 5-6 and bass around 4-5 to avoid muddiness while maintaining warmth.

Pickups

Single-coil pickups are ideal for replicating the bright, open, airy guitar tones heard in her recordings. Think classic Fender single-coils with moderate output (around 5-6k ohms). The neck pickup position gives you the warmth needed for arpeggiated passages, while the middle position adds a slightly more present, chimey quality for strummed sections.

Effects & Chain

Keep it minimal. A touch of reverb (hall or plate setting, medium decay) and a subtle delay (quarter-note or dotted eighth, mixed low) will create that atmospheric, spacious quality. A chorus pedal (like a Boss CE-2 or TC Electronic Corona) at a very low mix can add width to clean arpeggios. Avoid distortion, overdrive, or heavy modulation entirely. The goal is pristine, transparent tone.

Recommended Gear

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

The Stratocaster's single-coil pickups deliver the bright, shimmery clean tones that define Cecilia Krull's airy guitar layers. Its versatile pickup switching lets her move between warm neck tones for arpeggios and chimey middle position sounds for strummed passages.

Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

The Telecaster's punchy single-coils capture the glass-like clarity and presence essential to Krull's spacious, atmospheric arrangements. Its direct, transparent tone makes every delicate fingerpicking detail cut through with pristine definition.

Fender Twin Reverb
Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

The Twin Reverb's lush built-in reverb and headroom-rich clean channel provide the expansive, hall-like ambience that defines Krull's ethereal soundscapes. Its warm cleans paired with natural reverb create that signature spacious quality without any breakup.

Fender Deluxe Reverb
Amp

Fender Deluxe Reverb

The Deluxe Reverb's compact design delivers Krull's signature shimmering clean tones with excellent reverb depth and moderate volume control for intimate recordings. Its responsive spring reverb adds that essential atmospheric wash to her minimal, transparent approach.

Boss CE-2 Chorus
Pedal

Boss CE-2 Chorus

The CE-2 Chorus adds subtle width and dimension to Krull's clean arpeggios when mixed low, creating a gentle, airy spread across the stereo field. This classic pedal's smooth modulation complements her transparent tone without introducing unwanted coloration.

How to Practice Cecilia Krull on GuitarZone

Every Cecilia Krull song page on GuitarZone includes a built-in Practice Toolbar. No app to download, no account needed. Open any song, then use the toolbar to slow the video to 0.5× speed, set an A/B loop around the exact riff you're working on, and jump between song sections instantly.

The toolbar appears automatically on every guitar tab, lesson, and cover page. Pick a song below, hit play, and start practicing at your own pace.

Practice My Life Is Going On (La Casa de Papel) - Guitar Tab