Category: Pop Music

Lana Del Rey: Salvatore | fingerstyle guitar + TAB

Salvatore Salvatore is from Lana Del Rey’s 2015 album, Honeymoon. The melancholy pop ballad has a very “Italian” quality to it. The song worked out beautifully for guitar, and was a recommendation from one of my YouTube Listeners. It is Lana’s Del Rey’s usual crooning […]

Read more ›

The Holdovers: Silver Joy (Damien Jurado) | fingerstyle guitar + TAB

Silver Joy Silver Joy was a perfect choice for The Holdovers. This song was used through the film as a motif. The simple E minor to F progression has a tenderness to it, without being too overly sentimental. When I heard the “Cat Stevens-like” tune […]

Read more ›

Kavinsky: Nightcall | fingerstyle guitar + TAB

Nightcall Drive is a 2011 neo-noir crime film directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and starring Ryan Gosling. The film follows a Hollywood stuntman who moonlights as a getaway driver for criminals. The song “Nightcall” by Kavinsky is used prominently in the film, and it is […]

Read more ›

Insidious: Stay (Ghost) | fingerstyle guitar + TAB

Stay I’m a huge Ghost fan, and I absolutely love this song. ‘Stay’ features actor/director Patrick Wilson on vocals and his singing is remarkable. This song is played during the end credits of the new film, Insidious: The Red Door (also directed by Patrick Wilson). […]

Read more ›

Unchained Melody | fingerstyle guitar + TAB

Unchained Melody Unchained Melody is nearly 70 years old. It was initially written (by Alex North and Hy Zaret) as a theme for a prison film entitled, Unchained (1955).  The song was popularized by The Righteous Brothers a decade later in 1965. My favorite is […]

Read more ›

Wake Me Up When September Ends (Jonathan’s Version) | fingerstyle guitar + TAB

Wake Me Up When September Ends (Jonathan’s Version) I couldn’t stand Green Day. I respected the band as musicians and songwriters, but as a guitar teacher, they’ve been the bane of my existence for 30 years. A constant deluge of ever changing power chord riffs […]

Read more ›

Depeche Mode: Never Let Me Down Again | fingerstyle guitar + TAB

Never Let Me Down Again Never Let Me Down Again, is a song by the English band Depeche Mode, who were pioneers of electronic and “alternative” music in the 1980’s. This song is from their 6th album, Music for the Masses (1987) My arrangement is directly […]

Read more ›

Lana Del Rey: Video Games | fingerstyle guitar + TAB

Video Games I’ve always loved the song, Video Games by Lana Del Rey. With her usual deft lyricism and poetry — Lana sings about the relationship she has versus the relationship she fantasizes. It’s all stylized with her signature ‘longing in California’ vibe. Composer Ramin […]

Read more ›

Euphoria (HBO): I’m Tired | fingerstyle guitar + TAB

I’m Tired I’m Tired is the signature track from Euphoria (HBO) season 2. The music is from English musician, Labrinth, who scores the entire show. Labrinth (a singer, rapper, songwriter, and producer) is in Alt-hip hop space where musicality reigns supreme. I’m Tired is an […]

Read more ›

Titanic: My Heart Will Go On | fingerstyle guitar + TAB

My Heart Will Go On I recently heard a super minimal version of My Heart Will Go On played with two cellos. I believe the duo’s name was literally 2CELLOS. It was beautiful and I wanted to create a subtle and minimal guitar version too. […]

Read more ›

Kate Bush: Running Up That Hill (Stranger Things) fingerstyle guitar + TAB

Running Up That Hill If you’re right around my age (or older) you might fondly remember Kate Bush’s 1985 hit, Running Up That Hill. I was in second grade when that came out. Like everything from the 80’s — it’s a reminder of a far […]

Read more ›

The House (Netflix): This House Is… (Jarvis Cocker & Gustavo Santaolalla) fingerstyle guitar + TAB

The House I highly recommend The House on Netflix. In general, stop-animation is incredibly engaging — with a weirdness and authenticity that’s impossible to look away from. The House couples this with excellent writing and a creeping dread. This film is an easy watch — […]

Read more ›