In this lesson, we'll learn how to play Love In Vain by Robert Johnson, but mainly studying the version by The Rolling Stones. It is a beautiful piece of music with an incredibly rich texture. The guitar part that Keith Richards created is truly sublime, and there's a lot we can learn from his approach.
Love In Vain is a song that's all about feel and nuance. The Rolling Stones version features a capo on the third fret. This allows for some beautiful chord voicings and unique sounds that make the song stand out. Remember to tune your guitar after placing the capo to ensure everything sounds as it should. The G-shape chord is the tonic chord. Technically, that places it in the key of Bb. As is often the case with a song using a capo, the chords are named by their shapes for ease.
The song is in 6/8 time. There are some distinctive features in the arpeggiation of the chords meaning there is no fixed picking pattern that runs throughout. For example, the intro has a unique picking that creates a rhythmic "skip" on the D chord. Take your time to practice these parts carefully. Once you've got the basic chord progression down, the structure of Love In Vain is fairly straightforward. The song consists of several verses, each following the same chord progression. However, there are slight variations in how the chords are played in each verse, which adds a bit of complexity and keeps the song interesting.
I hope you enjoy this lesson and find it helpful. Love In Vain is a wonderful song to learn on the guitar. Its rich chord progression and unique picking patterns and rhythms make this song a joy to play. With some practice, you can master this song and add it to your guitar repertoire.
So grab your guitar, tune it up, place your capo on the third fret, and let's start. Watch the video to catch all the details of how to play Love In Vain. I can't wait to see your progress. Remember, practice makes permanent, so keep at it and have fun!
Check out the original
