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Creedence Clearwater Revival - Up Around The Bend - Guitar Lesson

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Key A major
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Up Around The Bend 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.
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Creedence Clearwater Revival Classic Rock A major
Capo Advisor 0 A major · Original key

About Up Around The Bend

Few songs from 1970 put a clean electric guitar to work quite as efficiently as "Up Around The Bend." The whole track is built on a bright, driving A major riff that sits comfortably in E Standard tuning, so there is nothing to retune before you start. At 120 BPM the tempo is steady and honest, but keeping that signature picked riff tight and rhythmically clean is harder than it sounds on first listen. Creedence Clearwater Revival kept the arrangement lean, which means every note you play is exposed, and any sloppiness in your picking hand stands out immediately. The song is a great exercise in right-hand consistency and staying locked to a groove in Classic Rock style. If the riff keeps slipping out of time, use the Practice Toolbar to loop the opening bars slowed down until the pick attack feels automatic before bringing it back up to full tempo.

  • The main riff sits in A major in E Standard tuning, making it immediately accessible and a solid choice for players building their rhythm repertoire.
  • Steady at 120 BPM, the song demands clean, consistent alternate picking throughout, and any hesitation in the right hand becomes obvious against the tight groove.
  • Looping the signature riff slowed down is the most effective way to lock in the picking pattern before tackling it at full speed.

How to Play Up Around The Bend

Tuning: E Standard · Key: A major · Tempo: 120 BPM

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 120 BPM to build it up to tempo.

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