Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody - Chords/Riffs - Guitar Lesson

About Bohemian Rhapsody - Chords/Riffs

Few songs demand as much stylistic range from a guitarist as this one. "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen moves through a gentle ballad opening, a driving rock section, and a mock-operatic passage, and your guitar work has to shift character each time. The main chord sequence sits in Bb major, a key that puts several important shapes in awkward positions for players used to open-position or E-based playing, so expect to work barre chords hard. The ballad section rewards clean, even strumming with careful attention to voice-leading between chords, while the hard-rock passage calls for a far more aggressive right-hand attack. Nailing the transitions between those sections is where most players stumble, so isolate each gear-change with the Practice Toolbar, loop it slowed down until the movement feels automatic. Pay close attention to the rhythmic feel in the opening: the chord changes arrive on unexpected beats and rushing them will collapse the whole arrangement.

• Bb major puts the core chord shapes in barre territory, so clean fret-hand pressure and thumb position are critical throughout.
• The shift from the soft ballad section into the hard-rock guitar riff is one of the trickiest transitions to time correctly.
• Looping the operatic section slowed down is the fastest way to lock in the rapid chord changes that trip up most players.