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John Mayer - Waiting On The World To Change - Verse & Chorus - Guitar Lesson

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Key D major
John Mayer - Waiting On The World To Change - Verse & Chorus guitar lesson video
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Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
AI tone preset

AI-selected preset based on genre and era — adjust the knobs to taste.

Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.
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John Mayer Blues Rock D major
Capo Advisor 0 D major · Original key

About Waiting On The World To Change - Verse & Chorus

At 92 BPM in D major, "Waiting On The World To Change" has a relaxed, shuffling feel that rewards players who can lock into a groove rather than just nail the notes. John Mayer builds the song around a warm, chord-melody approach in standard tuning, where the verse pattern asks you to keep your fretting hand loose and your rhythmic feel consistent throughout. The chorus opens up into fuller chord shapes, so making the transitions between the two sections smooth is where most of the real work lies. Strumming with a light touch and letting the natural resonance of D major do the heavy lifting is the key to getting the tone right. If the verse picking pattern trips you up, pull it into the Practice Toolbar, slow it down, and repeat just that bar until the movement feels automatic. This sits comfortably in the Blues Rock tradition of making rhythm playing sound effortless, which is harder than it looks.

  • The song sits in D major at 92 BPM in E Standard tuning, making it approachable for intermediate players focused on building a solid rhythmic feel.
  • The verse pattern blends single-note picking with chord stabs, so practising the right-hand rhythm slowly before adding the full chord shapes will pay off quickly.
  • Smooth transitions between the lighter verse texture and the fuller chorus chords are the main technical challenge worth isolating with a slow loop.

How to Play Waiting On The World To Change - Verse & Chorus

Tuning: E Standard · Key: D major · Tempo: 92 BPM

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 92 BPM to build it up to tempo.

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Mayer's foundation guitar before the PRS Silver Sky, his sunburst '64 Strat and Black1 Custom Shop model defined his early tone with their responsive single-coils that let his picking dynamics shine. The Strat's vintage tremolo and feel remain deeply embedded in his playing style and note articulation.

Fender Twin Reverb
Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

Mayer uses the '65 Twin Reverb for his cleanest tones, letting him achieve glassy, touch-sensitive breakup at moderate volumes without relying on gain. Its natural reverb and headroom complement his approach of using amp dynamics rather than heavy distortion.

Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9
Pedal

Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9

The TS10 pushes Mayer's amp into bluesy overdrive with midrange presence, essential for his soulful lead work on tracks like 'Gravity' and blues jams. This pedal adds grit without obscuring the pick dynamics and string clarity central to his tone.

Boss CE-2 Chorus
Pedal

Boss CE-2 Chorus

Mayer prominently featured this vintage chorus on 'Last Train Home' and throughout Sob Rock, using it to add shimmer and movement to his rhythm tones. The CE-2's lush, organic modulation fits his aesthetic of tasteful effects that enhance rather than dominate.

MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay
Pedal

MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay

The MXR analog delay provides Mayer with warm, repeating textures for slapback and ambient effects without digital artifacts. It sits perfectly in his pedalboard philosophy of color-adding tools that maintain the clarity and touch-sensitivity of his core amp tone.

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