Dokken - In My Dreams - Guitar Lesson

Under Lock and Key

1985 4:20

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About In My Dreams

From the 1985 album "Under Lock and Key," "In My Dreams" sits squarely in the melodic Hard Rock pocket that Dokken built their reputation on, and George Lynch's guitar work is the main reason to spend time with it. The song runs at 120 BPM in E Standard tuning, which keeps everything accessible without feeling sluggish, and the E minor key gives Lynch room to mix natural minor runs with the bluesy bends he favors. The signature melodic lead lines require clean left-hand position and controlled vibrato: Lynch's phrasing sounds effortless, but getting the bends to land in tune while sustaining that singing tone takes real focused repetition. The rhythm parts are equally important here, with tight palm-muted chugging underpinning the verses before the chorus opens up. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the lead passages slowed down and pay close attention to where the pick attack sits relative to the beat.

• George Lynch plays in E Standard tuning throughout, so no retuning is needed, but his wide, controlled vibrato on sustained notes is the first technique worth isolating.
• The 120 BPM tempo is moderate enough to learn phrasing details cleanly, but Lynch's legato pull-offs inside the lead lines can blur at full speed without slow practice.
• Palm-muted rhythm chugging in E minor anchors the verses, making this a good song for building the habit of switching cleanly between tight rhythm and open lead tone.