Bruce Springsteen - Dancing In The Dark - Guitar Lesson

Born In The U.S.A.

1984 4:05

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About Dancing In The Dark

On the surface, "Dancing In The Dark" is driven more by synthesizers than guitar, but there is plenty worth digging into for the guitarist. The rhythm part sits in B major and leans on clean, punchy chord stabs that lock tightly with the synth groove at 116 BPM. Getting that clipped, percussive feel right is the real challenge: the chords need to land with authority and release quickly, so your right hand muting and strumming control matter more than your left hand here. The track lives in the Pop Rock world where tight rhythm playing often counts for more than flashy soloing, and this song is a good example of that discipline. Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band wrap the guitar into a dense arrangement, so isolating the guitar part by ear takes some patience. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop sections at a slower speed while you figure out the chord voicings and the exact strum pattern before bringing it up to tempo.

• The guitar part in B major requires tight, muted chord stabs to cut through a synth-heavy arrangement without cluttering the mix.
• At 116 BPM the rhythm feel is brisk, so right-hand muting control is the main technical challenge to nail before playing at full speed.
• Playing in E Standard tuning, you can use open-position B major voicings or barre chords depending on which fits your comfort and the tone you want.