Electric Light Orchestra - Livin' Thing - Guitar Lesson

About Livin' Thing

Few Pop Rock tracks from the 1970s demand as much attention to feel and texture from a guitarist as "Livin' Thing" by Electric Light Orchestra. Running at 120 BPM in G major, the song sits at a tempo that sounds comfortable but leaves no room to hide sloppy rhythm playing. The strummed and picked acoustic guitar parts require a steady right hand and a clear sense of where the beat sits, because the strings and rhythm section are unforgiving if the guitar drags or rushes. The fingerpicked passages in particular reward practice at reduced speed: use the Practice Toolbar to loop those sections slowed down until the picking pattern is automatic before bringing it back up to tempo. E Standard tuning means nothing unusual on the fretting hand, so your energy can go into locking in the feel. Pay close attention to the chord voicings in the verses, where clean, even strumming carries the harmonic movement that defines the song's momentum.

• Running at 120 BPM in G major, the song rewards precise rhythm guitar work, as loose timing is exposed easily against the dense string arrangement.
• E Standard tuning is used throughout, so no retuning is needed, letting you focus entirely on matching the song's rhythmic feel.
• The fingerpicked acoustic passages are the trickiest sections to nail cleanly, making them ideal candidates for looping slowed down in the Practice Toolbar.