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John Lennon - Happy Xmas - Guitar Lesson

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John Lennon - Happy Xmas - Guitar Lesson

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John Lennon - Happy Xmas guitar lesson video
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Happy Xmas

"Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" is a 1971 Christmas single by John Lennon, released under the Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir. Originally an anti-war statement, the song became one of the most enduring holiday tracks in rock history. For electric guitar players, it offers a straightforward chord-based arrangement with a distinctive acoustic-electric texture, making it an accessible yet rewarding seasonal piece to learn and perform.

  • The song was the seventh single Lennon released as a solo artist outside of his work with the Beatles.
  • Its UK release was delayed until November 1972, yet it still reached number four on the British singles chart.
  • Following Lennon's murder in December 1980, the song re-charted in the UK, peaking at number two.
Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

While Lennon favored the Epiphone Casino's P-90 character, the Stratocaster's bright single-coil snap influenced his jangly electric aesthetic. Its dynamic pickup response aligns with Lennon's preference for tone shaped by pick attack rather than gear complexity.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
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Gibson Les Paul Standard

The Les Paul's thick humbucker warmth contrasts Lennon's typical P-90 tone, but its sustain and body resonance appear on select solo recordings where he wanted fuller, rounder electric presence than his Casino provided.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

Lennon occasionally used the Custom's dual humbuckers for denser, more compressed tones on studio tracks, trading his Casino's natural feedback character for a smoother, more controlled electric voice when arrangements demanded it.

Fender Twin Reverb
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Fender Twin Reverb

Lennon's primary studio amp, the Twin Reverb's clean headroom and natural spring reverb captured his preferred approach: clear, uncolored tube tone that lets P-90 dynamics and pick nuance shine without saturation or heavy effects.

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