The Cars - Drive - Guitar Lesson

About Drive

At 76 BPM in A minor, "Drive" rewards patience more than speed. The signature synth-like clean guitar arpeggio that opens and carries the song is the real challenge here: it demands a light, consistent picking touch and careful left-hand muting to keep each note clean without letting adjacent strings ring. In E Standard tuning, the chord shapes themselves are not complex, but nailing the exact feel of that cool, detached groove is harder than it looks. The slow tempo actually works against beginners, because there is nowhere to hide a sloppy note or a rushed transition. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the intro arpeggio figure slowed down even further until the pick attack feels even and controlled. The Cars built their sound around that tension between warm melody and cold precision, and "Drive" is one of the clearest examples. Fans of Pop Rock guitar will find this a great study in restraint and tone over flash.

• The signature intro arpeggio requires a very light, controlled picking touch to keep each note clean and separated at the slow 76 BPM tempo.
• Playing in E Standard tuning in A minor, the chord voicings are approachable, but smooth transitions at this tempo demand careful fretting-hand preparation.
• Achieving the cool, glassy clean tone is as important as the notes themselves, so dial in a light touch before focusing on speed.