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The Beatles - This Boy Guitar Chords Lesson - Guitar Lesson

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Key D major
The Beatles - This Boy Guitar Chords Lesson guitar lesson video
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Classic Rock

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Mid7
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The Beatles Pop Rock D major
Capo Advisor 0 D major · Original key

About This Boy Guitar Chords Lesson

Few early The Beatles tracks put vocal harmony and rhythm guitar in such close conversation as "This Boy." In D major at 180 BPM, the song moves at a brisk pace, and the chord changes need to feel relaxed rather than rushed. The tuning is D Standard, so drop every string down a whole step before you start. The real challenge is clean fretting through the denser chord voicings while keeping the strumming hand light and consistent. The three-part vocal arrangement dominates the recording, but on guitar your job is to hold down a steady, supportive rhythm without cluttering the texture. If the chord transitions feel slippery at tempo, use the Practice Toolbar to loop a tricky four-bar section slowed right down until the changes become automatic. The Pop Rock feel here rewards a guitarist who keeps the groove steady and trusts the song's simplicity.

  • The song is in D Standard tuning, meaning every string is tuned down one whole step from standard, so check your tuning before you begin.
  • At 180 BPM the chord changes come up quickly, making smooth left-hand transitions between voicings the main technical hurdle to overcome.
  • The rhythm part calls for a light, even strumming touch to leave space for the three-part vocal harmony that defines the track.

How to Play This Boy Guitar Chords Lesson

Tuning: D Standard · Key: D major · Tempo: 180 BPM

Tuned a whole step down to D standard, the lower string tension makes bends feel looser, so keep an eye on your intonation. At 180 bpm it moves fast, so the real test is building picking stamina and keeping every note clean at speed.

Loop the hardest passage and creep the speed up from around 70 percent until it holds at 180 BPM.

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

George Harrison's sonic blue 1961 Stratocaster delivered the ice-pick treble leads on Rubber Soul sessions, its standard Fender single-coils cutting through the mix with brilliant clarity. The Strat's bright tone contrasted beautifully with the warm Filter'Trons of his Gretsch guitars, expanding The Beatles' textural range.

Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

Harrison's rosewood Telecaster provided twangy, biting cleans during the iconic 1969 rooftop concert, its simplicity and directness fitting The Beatles' stripped-down live approach. The Tele's sharp attack complemented the Vox AC30, delivering punchy midrange definition without the need for studio processing.

Vox AC30
Amp

Vox AC30

The Vox AC30 with top-boost was the sonic foundation of The Beatles' signature chime, delivering harmonically rich cleans with natural compression when pushed at moderate volume. Close-miked in Abbey Road studios from 1962 through 1965, it captured clarity and presence that defined their recorded tone without excessive breakup.

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