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Elton John - I'm Still Standing - Guitar Lesson

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Key E major
Elton John - I'm Still Standing 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.
Too Low For Zero album cover
Too Low For Zero
1983 3:03
Listen on Spotify
Elton John Pop Rock 1983 E major
Capo Advisor 0 E major · Original key

About I'm Still Standing

At 109 BPM in E major, this 1983 Elton John track sits in a sweet spot for guitar: fast enough to demand clean picking discipline, relaxed enough that every sloppy note gets heard. The rhythm part is the backbone here, a crisp, punchy pop-rock chop built around open-position and barre chords in E standard tuning. Getting the strumming pattern tight and consistent is the real work, since the track's bright, driving feel lives or dies on rhythmic precision. The chord changes themselves are not exotic, but hitting them cleanly at tempo while keeping that forward momentum is where most players will stumble. Pick out the trickier transitions, use the Practice Toolbar to loop them slowed down, and bring them up to 109 BPM only once the changes feel automatic. Focus on keeping your fretting hand relaxed so the chords ring out fully rather than getting choked under pressure.

  • The song sits in E major with E standard tuning, so open-position E and A shapes are your best friends throughout the rhythm part.
  • The 109 BPM tempo demands consistent down-up strumming control; any hesitation on barre chord changes will break the track's driving feel.
  • Practise chord transitions in isolation at a slower BPM using the Practice Toolbar before locking in the full-speed strumming pattern.

How to Play I'm Still Standing

Tuning: E Standard · Key: E major · Tempo: 109 BPM

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 109 BPM to build it up to tempo.

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Davey Johnstone uses the Stratocaster's single-coil brightness for cleaner, articulate passages that cut through Elton's piano arrangements without muddiness. The guitar's twangy character provides textural contrast to his heavier Les Paul work on select tracks.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

The Les Paul Standard's warm, thick PAF-style humbuckers deliver the rich, full-bodied rock tones essential to Elton John's classic arrangements. This guitar grounds the band's sound with sustain and presence that complements both ballads and uptempo rockers.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

The Les Paul Custom's thicker body and refined PAF humbuckers produce a warmer, more controlled tone that suits Elton's sophisticated chord work and melodic lead lines. Its construction provides the articulate clarity needed when guitars share sonic space with prominent piano.

Fender Twin Reverb
Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

The Twin Reverb's shimmering spring reverb and warm clean headroom create the lush, spacious tones heard on Elton John's ballads like 'Tiny Dancer.' Its natural breakup and size deliver the full, rich clean sound that defines his softer arrangements.

Vox AC30
Amp

Vox AC30

The AC30's chime and natural harmonic breakup provide the warm, glassy clean tones Johnstone uses for atmospheric accompaniment on ballads. Its built-in reverb and subtle breakup character add vintage character without heavy distortion to Elton's intricate arrangements.

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