While My Guitar Gently Weeps Guitar Lesson (Beatles)

Today I want to share with you one of the most LEGENDARY guitar songs of all time.

In fact, for the first time ever I am going to peel back the curtain on this timeless song. 

I’m spilling the beans on how to play “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” on guitar.

We’ll cover the background of the song, the chord progressions, the strumming patterns you need to know, and even how to solo over it in the style of Eric Clapton.

So grab your guitar. Get tuned up, and let’s get started!

Who wrote While My Guitar Gently Weeps?

"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is a song by the English rock band The Beatles. It was written by George Harrison, the lead guitarist of the band. And it was included on The Beatles' self-titled album, commonly known as the White Album, released in 1968.

"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is one of Harrison's most iconic compositions and is often regarded as one of The Beatles' finest songs. 

Harrison wrote the song in 1968, during a period when there was tension within the band. The lyrics reflect his sense of frustration and disillusionment with the world. The inspiration for the song came from a book he had randomly picked up, where he had seen the phrase "gently weeps."

One of the standout elements of the song is the memorable guitar solo. Harrison invited his friend, the renowned guitarist Eric Clapton, to play the solo. Clapton's contribution added an extra layer of emotion and virtuosity to the song.

What key is While My Guitar Gently Weeps in?

“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” is in two different keys. It is primarily in the key of Am, but then in the bridge section the key shifts to the key of A major. In music theory, this concept is known as the parallel key. You can have a parallel major or a parallel minor.

The "parallel minor" refers to a minor key that shares the same tonic, or starting note, as a major key. In other words, it's the minor key that is based on the same root note as the major key.

For instance, the parallel minor of C major is C minor.  

“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” is a great example of this concept in action. The Verse of the song is in A minor and then the Bridge goes to A major.

Going from the minor key to the major key makes the music sound like the sun is coming out. 

But you can go either direction. Minor to major or major to minor.

By using parallel major and minor keys, musicians can create interesting contrasts and variations in mood and tonality within their music.

This trick was used very often by Harrison and the Beatles. Plus it was also used by Eric Clapton in his song “Bell Bottom Blues.” 

While My Guitar Gently Weeps Guitar chords

There are 12 chords you need to know to play “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”. Those 12 chords are Am, Am/G, D/F#, F, G, D, E, C, A, C#m, F#m, and finally Bm.

Here is how I would play each of these chord shapes.

Intro (Descending Minor Chord Progression)

The introduction to the song begins with an 8-bar minor chord progression that uses a descending bass line pattern.

Each chord last one bar. The intro progression goes like this: 

Am (1 bar)

Am/G (1 bar)

D/F# (1 bar)

F (1 bar)

Am (1 bar)

G (1 bar)

D (1 bar)

E (1 bar)

Take a look at just the first 4 bars again. If you look at what the bass line is doing you’ll see the notes A, G, F#, F. To play these notes on the guitar, you can play frets 5, 3, 2, and 1 all on the 6th string. This is a descending bass line. The Beatles used this trick in many of their songs. These types of progressions have a great sound and momentum to them.

Verse

After the intro, the Verse comes next. This is where Harrison comes in singing:

I look at you all… 

Here we begin a 16-bar progression. The Verse is twice the length of the intro. But, the Verse progression is almost identical to the intro. There is just one change. Check it out:

Am (1 bar)

Am/G (1 bar)

D/F# (1 bar)

F (1 bar)

Am (1 bar)

G (1 bar)

D (1 bar)

E (1 bar)

Am (1 bar)

Am/G (1 bar)

D/F# (1 bar)

F (1 bar)

Am (1 bar)

G (1 bar)

C (1 bar)

E (1 bar)

Do you see the pattern here?

The Verse is the Intro progression played twice. But on the second time, the second to last bar is changed from D to C. (I bolded it above)

This change breaks up the repetitive nature of the progression and signals that we are going on to the Bridge next. 

Bridge

Now that you’ve got down the Intro and the Verse. There is just one last section we need to cover and that is the Bridge. This is where we use the parallel key trick mentioned above. 

The key changes from Am to A major. This switch gives the song a new life and the listener a breather from the descending minor progression used in the Intro and Verse. 

The Bridge is an 8-bar progression that is repeated twice and goes like this: 

A (1 bar)

C#m (1 bar)

F#m (1 bar)

Bm (2 bars)

E (2 bars)

As mentioned, this progression is repeated twice before you head back to the Verse section.

While My Guitar Gently Weeps Strumming Pattern

The strumming pattern for “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” uses a combination of 2 quarter notes and then 4 eighth notes like this:

This pattern can be played with 2 downstrums and then an alternating rhythm down-up-down-up after that. The underlying rhythmic groove is an eighth note feel. Here is how I would count out the eighth notes and play the strumming directions.

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

D   D    DUDU

This pattern sounds great and is what is on the recording. But if I was playing this song alone I would actually use this pattern instead.

This is a very common strumming pattern that works in millions of songs.

Here is how I would count out the eighth notes and play the strumming directions for this pattern.

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

D   D U   UDU

How hard is it to play While My Guitar Gently Weeps?

To play the chord progressions and strum along to “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” definitely requires an intermediate level of guitar skills. To play the electric lead and solos is definitely going to require an advanced skill set.  

While My Guitar Gently Weeps Electric Guitar

Let’s next talk about the electric guitar part for “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”. George Harrison originally wrote and recorded the song with his guitar parts. But during the recording sessions, Harrison felt that the song needed a different approach to the guitar solo. 

So he invited his friend Eric Clapton to contribute to the song. Clapton played the iconic guitar solo that is widely recognized and celebrated in the final version of the song. Clapton's contribution added a distinct style and virtuosity to the track, making it even more memorable. He made the guitar sound like it is weeping. Here is an isolated track to really hear his contribution closely.

Clapton is employing a number of his classic guitar techniques in this song. For example, arpeggio picking, and playing the blues. In fact, the primary scale that Clapton uses in his solo is the A minor blues scale. This scale pattern can be played at the 5th fret like this:

These frets and strings would go:

6th string = 5, 8

5th string = 5, 6, 7

4th string = 5, 7

3rd string = 5, 7, 8 

2nd string = 5, 8

1st string = 5, 8

Conclusion: 

To sum it all up, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is undeniably one of the most legendary guitar songs of all time. Written by George Harrison and featuring an iconic guitar solo by Eric Clapton, the song showcases the remarkable talent and musicality of these two legendary guitarists. With its emotional lyrics, captivating chord progressions, and distinctive strumming patterns, it has become a timeless classic in the realm of rock music.

This lesson has provided valuable insights into the song, guiding aspiring guitarists through its chord progressions, strumming patterns, and even offering tips on how to play the electric guitar parts in the style of Eric Clapton. 

"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" stands as a testament to the artistic brilliance of George Harrison and the transformative contributions of Eric Clapton. It serves as an inspiration to guitar players around the world, reminding us of the power of music to convey raw emotions and touch the hearts of listeners. So remember to practice each part slowly, and then when you’re ready try to jam along with the recording. And for another Beatles-style guitar lesson check out “Yer Blues” next.