Beyond

Up for a lovely acoustic guitar ballad?

Even if you don’t know Leon Bridges yet, check this out!

In today’s song lesson, we’ll learn how to play Beyond by Leon Bridges - what a great songwriter! And he also has a fantastic voice. So much talent - I recommend you give Leon’s original recording a listen! 

This song is excellent for anyone who's getting started with a B Minor Chord. If you're following my Guitar Courses, this is a fantastic acoustic tune for Grade 5+ students.

Now let’s get stuck in.

 

How to play Beyond by Leon Bridges on Guitar

To play Beyond, start by placing your capo on the fourth fret. This song is relatively easy to play - but you can’t avoid a Bm Barre Chord in there if you want to sound like the recording.

🚨 Another option would be using your capo up on the sixth fret and playing only open chords - but you’ll lose the song’s character. There's a couple of chords, fillers, and things that sound off with the 6th capo position. 

The starting intro lick is easy AND tasty! It's a mix of the A Major Pentatonic for the lick. You'll start with the first finger barring the thinnest two strings at the ninth fret. You'll need a couple of hammers in there and a good time to put your guitar slide into practice!

For most of the verses, you're playing A Chords - which you can do in many different ways. You'll need a couple of suspended chords in there as well. 

And, I recommend you keep the thinnest string open! It's one of those things that give a bit of character to this song. That clash and the little sus chord happening on the beats give Beyond a lovely sound!
 

Leon Bridge Beyond Guitar Strumming

This song doesn’t have a set pattern. Focus on keeping your hand moving at all times. You'll get the freedom to play less or more. It's a love song - so it's not supposed to be constantly busy! Adding a variation in the strumming pattern will give your personal touch. 

💡 Strumming is a skill that needs to become an automatic motion! Keeping that hand moving will give you loads more strumming options! If you do it with confidence, it should happen naturally.

What other songs lesson from Leon Bridge should I do? He's so talented, and I'm inspired to explore more of his tunes. Drop your song request here!

 

Want chords, tabs, and lyrics to follow along with my song tutorials? Check out JustinGuitar Tabs!