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The Weeknd - Earned It - Guitar Lesson

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Key D minor
The Weeknd - Earned It guitar lesson video
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Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
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Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.
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The Weeknd Pop Rock D minor
Capo Advisor 0 D minor · Original key

About Earned It

At 104 BPM in D minor, "Earned It" sits in a slow-burn, soulful pocket that rewards a guitarist who listens closely to the feel before worrying about the notes. The arrangement leans heavily on lush, chord-melody-style playing, so your left hand needs to sustain full voicings cleanly while the right hand keeps a smooth, consistent touch, whether you're using fingers or a pick. The minor key center gives the harmony a melancholy weight, and nailing that mood means being careful with your dynamics rather than just hitting the right frets. The Weeknd writes in a Pop Rock vein that often blends orchestral texture with rhythm guitar, so your job is to serve that atmosphere rather than cut through it. If you're covering the piece solo, the trickiest passage is likely keeping the inner voices of a chord moving independently. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop those bars slowed down until each voice feels natural under your fingers.

  • The song sits at 104 BPM in D minor, giving it a slow, controlled groove that demands precise left-hand sustain and careful right-hand dynamics.
  • E Standard tuning keeps all chord voicings in familiar territory, but the challenge is blending melody notes into full minor chords smoothly.
  • Practise any chord-melody passages with the Practice Toolbar looped and slowed down before bringing them back up to full tempo.

How to Play Earned It

Tuning: E Standard · Key: D minor · Tempo: 104 BPM

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 104 BPM to build it up to tempo.

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

The Weeknd relies on the Stratocaster's stock single-coil pickups for the bright, articulate clarity essential to his shimmering, reverb-drenched aesthetic. The natural dynamics and minimal noise floor allow his controlled finger dynamics and spatial effects to shine without coloration.

Fender Jazzmaster
Guitar

Fender Jazzmaster

The Jazzmaster's wider frequency response and natural shimmer complement The Weeknd's clean, effects-heavy approach, offering an alternative voice when extra harmonic depth suits the session. Its offset body delivers the same single-coil character with enhanced upper-midrange presence.

Fender Twin Reverb
Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

The Twin Reverb's built-in spring reverb tank and light power-tube saturation at moderate volumes form the sonic foundation of The Weeknd's tone, delivering natural breakup without distortion. This amp's real reverb is non-negotiable for achieving the spatial depth his music demands.

Fender Deluxe Reverb
Amp

Fender Deluxe Reverb

Vintage Deluxe Reverb models provide The Weeknd with the same essential spring reverb character and responsive tube saturation as the Twin, but in a more portable package with tighter low-end control. Real spring reverb remains the critical element for his signature shimmering sound.

Boss DD-3 Digital Delay
Pedal

Boss DD-3 Digital Delay

The DD-3's quarter and eighth-note delay timing at 250-400ms creates the rhythmic spatial depth essential to The Weeknd's layered, atmospheric productions. Simple and reliable, it avoids unnecessary features that would clutter his minimalist effects philosophy.

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