Dear Prudence Guitar Lesson (Beatles)

One of the most rewarding ways to play guitar behind a singer or back up another musician is to play fingerstyle.

This means playing guitar without a standard flatpick. 

Many great artists have used this technique to play on countless hit songs. There are many different types of fingerstyle. I would consider this style a singer-songwriter fingerpicking style.

Today I want to share with you how the Beatles did this, in this “Dear Prudence” guitar lesson.

So grab your guitar and let’s get started!

Who wrote Dear Prudence?

"Dear Prudence" is a timeless classic from the Beatles' 1968 album, The Beatles (also known as the White Album. 

"Dear Prudence" was written during the Beatles' transcendental meditation retreat in Rishikesh, India, in 1968. The song was aimed at Prudence Farrow, sister of actress Mia Farrow, who was also attending the retreat. Prudence was known for her introverted nature and tendency to stay in her room meditating. 

John Lennon wrote the song with possible contributions from Paul McCartney. It was recorded in Trident Studios, London, England, between August and October 1968.  George Martin was the producer at the helm of the studio. 

While it wasn’t released as a single, "Dear Prudence" did receive critical acclaim for its melody, lyrics, and unique arrangement. The song was ranked in Rolling Stone Magazine's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" (2004) at No. 278 

The song's ethereal atmosphere and soothing melody have made it a standout track on the album and in the band's catalog.

"Dear Prudence" remains a loved song by fans and musicians alike. Its simple yet profound message continues to resonate with listeners of all ages. The song has been covered by numerous artists and has been featured in various films and television shows.

What tuning is Dear Prudence in?

"Dear Prudence" is played in Drop D tuning. This means that you tune your low E string down to D while keeping the other five strings at their standard tuning (A, D, G, B, E). 

Not sure how to get to this tuning?

Follow these simple steps: 

1. Locate the low E string: This is the thickest string on your guitar.
2. Tune the low E string down to D: You can do this by: 
1. Using a tuner: Clip the tuner onto the headstock of your guitar and set it to "D." Slowly turn the tuning peg for the low E string clockwise until the tuner indicates you've reached D.
2. Matching the pitch of your D string: Play your open D string (4th string) and slowly tune the low E string down until it sounds exactly the same pitch.
3. Check the other strings: Briefly strum all your strings to ensure they are still in tune. If anything sounds off, fine-tune them individually.
4. Play and confirm: Test playing chords or riffs that use this Drop D tuning to confirm your guitar is properly tuned. 

Drop D Tuning:

6th string = D

5th String = A

4th String = D

3rd String = G

2nd String = B

1st String = E

This tuning allows for a deeper resonance and a fuller sound. This also contributes to the song’s droning character and atmospheric vibe. 

Dear Prudence Fingerpicking Pattern 

Except for the quick exception I demonstrate in the video above. Essentially the entire song uses just one fingerpicking pattern. I play it using a 3-finger style in my fingerpicking hand. This means I am only using my thumb, index, and middle fingers of the fingerpicking hand. 

I assign each finger in my fingerpicking hand specific strings. This gives me a system to work with that goes like this: 

6th string, 5th string, 4th string = THUMB

3rd string = INDEX

2nd string, 1st string = RING 

Using that system let’s look at the fingerpicking pattern next on all open strings. The reason I start with all open strings is to solely focus on the fingerpicking hand without any distraction from the fretting hand. The pattern is going to go like this: 

If we apply the fingerpicking system we set up for the fingerpicking hand. This means we would play this as pinch (thumb, ring), then thumb, index, thumb, ring, thumb. 

If that feels too complicated. 

You could also play this entire pattern in a 2-finger style. 

So that would simplify it to play the 6th string, 5th string, and 4th string with the thumb. And then the index plays everything else. 

Many great fingerpickers such as Doc Watson, and Merle Travis used a 2 finger style. 

Next, you’ll want to combine this pattern with the chord progression. So let’s take a look at that next!

Dear Prudence Chords Easy

The chord names can get a bit complicated here, but I don’t worry about that. Think about it as just a descending chord progression with the pedaling bass note of the drop D tuning.

We’re going to use 4 chords for this main progression D, D7, Bm/D, and Gm(maj7)/D.

For the D chord, I use a bar with my index finger, and then I place the ring finger on the 2nd string like this:

This is not how I would typically finger a D chord. However, it’s how I would in this song because it sets you up for the next chord change which is a D7 chord like this:

Remember I said to think about this as a descending chord progression? Well, the first chord was D and then when you move to the second chord D7 we have this note C being added on the 5th string 3rd fret. This is why we used the unusual fingering for the D chord. Then that C note descends again to the note B and we play this chord:

Then that note on the 5th string descends again to the 1st fret and becomes the note Bb in the next chord like this:

So while this chord progression may seem a bit complicated. In my mind, I just think of it as a simple walk-down sound. Like going downstairs. The notes pass from one to the next starting with D, then C, then B, then Bb.

That’s what creates that descending sound we hear on the recording. Again this is a classic Beatles move. However, underneath all of this, in the guitar part, is the droning low 6th string tuned down to drop D. That consistent bass pedal note adds to the hypnotic vibe of the song.

Is Dear Prudence hard to play?

“Dear Prudence” requires an intermediate level of guitar playing. While not involving a lot of bar chords or fast riffs. To play it like the record you’ll need to have a basic ability of fingerpicking and playing chords cleanly. If your chords are not clean when you fingerpick there is no hiding it. If you strum sometimes you can hide chord uncleanliness but in fingerstyle guitar, you’ll be hearing a load of muted notes if your chords aren’t clean. 

Conclusion:

Fingerpicking "Dear Prudence" can be very rewarding. Plus diving into its rich history, captivating melody, and unique patterns. You just might create your own transcendental meditation in Drop D.

So take your time with these fingerpicking patterns and chord progressions. It’s not going to be perfect at first but keep practicing. And for more fun Beatles-style guitar lessons check out this Come Together guitar lesson or this While My Guitar Gently Weeps guitar lesson next.