Queen - These Are The Days of Our Lives - Guitar Lesson

Innuendo

1991 4:15

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About These Are The Days of Our Lives

At 72 BPM in C major and standard E tuning, this gentle Queen ballad from the 1991 album Innuendo sits in a comfortable range for intermediate players, but its emotional weight comes from touch and restraint rather than speed or complexity. The guitar work rewards players who can keep a clean, even fingerpicking or arpeggiated strum pattern flowing softly beneath the melody, never crowding the vocal. Getting that light, unhurried feel right takes more concentration than it first appears: the temptation is to push the tempo, but the song breathes at exactly 72 BPM for a reason. Focus on your right-hand dynamics and make sure chord transitions stay smooth and quiet. The chord progressions are accessible for Pop Rock playing in general, making this a good piece for working on expressive, controlled strumming. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop any transition slowed down until muscle memory takes over before bringing it back to full tempo.

• The song sits at 72 BPM in C major with standard E tuning, so no retuning is needed and chord shapes stay in familiar open-position territory.
• The main guitar challenge is maintaining a soft, consistent touch throughout, as the arrangement calls for restrained dynamics rather than any demanding technical passages.
• Practise chord transitions at reduced speed using looping it slowed down, then gradually raise the tempo until the unhurried, flowing feel becomes natural.