Jet - Are You Gonna Be My Girl Guitar Lesson
Are You Gonna Be My Girl
David Wallimann and Mark Lincoln team up to teach the classic Jet rocker "Are You Gonna Be My Girl." This lesson features both an acoustic and electric version.
Taught by David Wallimann in Songs with David Wallimann seriesLength: 44:15Difficulty: 2.0 of 5
Jet is an Australian rock band that started to demand attention in 2003 and has made quite a name for themselves over the last few years. The song that we're going to talk about today is probably their most well known and is certainly one of their most rocking, at least from this player's perspective. So fasten your seat belts everyone as we take off with Jet and "Are You Gonna be my Girl."
The chords for this song are straightforward and can be played as simple open chords or as power chords. There is a signature riff in the song which is probably better accessed while playing the rhythm with the power chords but that decision will be up to you. I'll show you both versions of the chords so you can make an educated decision for yourselves:
A
E__________|_____0_____|___________
B__________|_____2_____|___________
G__________|_____2_____|___________
D__________|_____2_____|___________
A__________|_____0_____|___________
E__________|_____0_____|___________
A5 (5th fret)
E__________|__________|___________|__________|___________
B__________|__________|___________|__________|___________
G__________|__________|___________|__________|___________
D__________|__________|___________|__________|_____7_____
A__________|__________|___________|__________|_____7_____
E__________|__________|_____5_____|__________|___________
C
E__________|_____0____|__________
B____1_____|__________|__________
G__________|_____0____|__________
D__________|_____2____|__________
A__________|__________|_____3____
E__________|_____0____|__________
C no fifth (5th fret)
E__________|__________|_____0______|__________|__________
B__________|__________|_____5______|__________|__________
G__________|__________|_____5______|__________|__________
D__________|__________|_____X______|__________|__________
A__________|__________|_____X______|__________|__________
E__________|__________|_____X______|__________|__________
C5 (8th fret)
E__________|__________|_____X______|__________|___________
B__________|__________|_____X______|__________|___________
G__________|__________|_____X______|__________|___________
D__________|__________|____________|__________|_____10____
A__________|__________|____________|__________|_____10____
E__________|__________|_____8______|__________|___________
C5 (3rd fret) Type II
E__________|__________|_____X______|__________|___________
B__________|__________|_____X______|__________|___________
G__________|__________|____________|__________|_____5_____
D__________|__________|____________|__________|_____5_____
A__________|__________|_____3______|__________|___________
E__________|__________|_____X______|__________|___________
D
E__________|_____2____|_________
B__________|__________|_____3___
G__________|_____2____|_________
D__________|_____0____|_________
A__________|_____X____|_________
E__________|_____X____|_________
D5 (10th fret)
E__________|__________|_____X______|__________|__________
B__________|__________|_____X______|__________|__________
G__________|__________|_____X______|__________|__________
D__________|__________|____________|__________|_____12___
A__________|__________|____________|__________|_____12___
E__________|__________|_____10_____|__________|__________
D5 (5th fret) Type 2
E__________|__________|_____X______|__________|__________
B__________|__________|_____X______|__________|__________
G__________|__________|_____X______|__________|__________
D__________|__________|____________|__________|_____7____
A__________|__________|_____5______|__________|_____7____
E__________|__________|_____X_____|__________|___________
G
E__________|_________|_____3___
B__________|_____0___|_________
G__________|_____0___|_________
D__________|_____0___|_________
A__________|_____2___|_________
E__________|_________|_____3___
G5 (10th fret)
E__________|__________|_____X______|__________|__________
B__________|__________|_____X______|__________|__________
G__________|__________|____________|__________|_____12___
D__________|__________|____________|__________|_____12___
A__________|__________|_____10_____|__________|__________
E__________|__________|_____X______|__________|__________
E
E__________|_____0___|_________
B__________|_____0___|_________
G_____1____|_________|_________
D__________|_____2___|_________
A__________|_____2___|_________
E__________|_____0___|_________
Please familiarize yourself with each of the chords even if you're only planning on playing the song using open chords. Are You Gonna be my Girl is, in reality, played with power chords so hopefully by acquainting yourself with the power chords you'll eventually be able to play the song just as the band does it.
Play Along
Please play the chords with me to get comfortable with the rhythmic portions of this song.
The Boom
Many of you have heard me use this term when it comes to using your voice to gain momentum and power during a certain portion of a song. Jet's "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" is no exception to this rule as you can use your voice to really accentuate the vocal portions of the song to make it more dynamic. In fact, the singer (Nicholas Cester) comes into the song immediately with a boom letting the listener know that the song begins on a high note and is undoubtedly going to rock your socks off! Keep in mind that there are certain techniques and integral factors to using your voice with this much power and intensity without causing yourself irreparable harm including proper warm-ups (see my Voice and Performance series in Phase 2 for more on warm-ups). Watch me for more on this in the video and I'll show you how to add power and intensity during a given portion of a song.
Stops
"Are You Gonna Be My Girl" uses a number of stops and this technique can add some great shifts in dynamics as well as drama. Stops can also help to emphasize the singer's parts in the song and when it comes to performing a piece as a solo artist, this facet can be especially important. Pay attention to the use of stops while you are learning the song and how they affect the overall feel of the song.
The Main Riff
The key Riff in the song (referred to as Riff 1, from this point on) really defines this song and sets it apart from other rock songs. The tab for the riff looks something like this:
E--------------------- B---5-7b-7b-5--------- G---5-7b-7b-5--------- D-7-----------7-7-5-7- A--------------------7- E--------------------5-Watch me closely in the video as the riff should be played as part of the rhythm chords i.e. the A5 chord. See if you can get a good feel for the riff as it appears numerous times throughout the song and is undoubtedly an important part of the song.
The Bridge
The bridge for this song looks like this:
D5 C5 G5And has a quick fluid change to the chords. Play the chords along with me using the power chord versions of them and see if you can get the hang of them before you delve head first into the song.
Exercise 1
Play the verse chords in the proper rhythm like I'm doing in the video. Get a good feel for the flow of the song as well as where the riff is and how it coordinates with the rhythm guitar. The transition between the riff and the rhythm is perhaps one of the most difficult parts of the song and certainly may warrant an extra amount of time and attention.
Exercise 2
Practice the bridge chords like I'm doing in the video. This is really a simple progression especially if done with the power chords so work through these and make sure you can do them smoothly and without slowing down.
Exercise 3
Play the whole song with the lyrics. Take your time with it and try to hit the changes cleanly and without losing the rhythm while you sing. Please open up the "Song Lyrics and Chords" entry in the supplemental content section for a play along guide.
Well, that's it! Really a fairly simple song that can be played in a number of different ways depending upon your skill level. You may want to learn the rhythm portions of the song before attempting to sing along but that's certainly up to you. Again keep in mind that this is a fairly difficult song to sing and may require some work in terms of finding the power and breath to sing the vocals correctly and in tune. In addition as I will always remind you, please please please make sure to warm-up your voice before attempting something as demanding as this! Improper warm-ups will not only mitigate your ability to sing s song like Are You Gonna Be My Girl but may also create potential complications for you and your singing voice in the future so be careful! Enjoy responsibly!
Supplemental Learning Material
Songs with David Wallimann
Found in our Beginner Lesson SetsDavid Wallimann explores some of his favorite songs in this phase 3 lesson series.
Lesson 1
Canon in D
David Wallimann teaches his own version of the classic song, "Canon in D."
Length: 54:30 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
Shine
David Wallimann teaches the classic rocker "Shine" by Collective Soul. This lesson features the entire song, including the lead and backing tracks.
Length: 56:41 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
Don't Fear the Reaper
David Wallimann and Mark Lincoln team up for a two part lesson on "Don't Fear the Reaper" by the Blue Oyster Cult. Learn both an electric and acoustic version in this fascinating lesson.
Length: 81:49 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Are You Gonna Be My Girl
David Wallimann and Mark Lincoln team up to teach the classic Jet rocker "Are You Gonna Be My Girl." This lesson features both an acoustic and electric version.
Length: 44:15 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
I Can See You Through The Clouds
David Wallimann smashes this original song into the clouds. Entitled "I Can See You Through The Clouds," David teaches all the amazing finger work in this song.
Length: 73:15 Difficulty: 4.5 Members Only
Duke Nukem Theme
David Wallimann teaches the Duke Nukem theme by Megadeth.
Length: 40:22 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
It's Time You Learned About Goodbye
David Wallimann teaches Alan Jackson's hit country song "It's Time You Learned About Goodbye".
Length: 38:01 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
It's Five O'Clock Somewhere
In this lesson David Wallimann teaches the classic song from Alan Jackson "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere."
Length: 39:01 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
About David Wallimann
View Full Biography
David was born in Aix-en-Provence, South France in 1977. At the age of 15, he picked up the guitar and started developing a true love for instrumental music and composition.
In 1999 he was recognized by Ibanez for his promising musical achievements and received an artist endorsement. That early recognition in David's musical career encouraged him to consecrate more time on crafting his musical art and apply to the school of modern music Artist' in Cavaillon, France. He received a full scholarship there where he graduated with honors.
In 2001, David won first place for the Tal Farlow French national jazz contest which gave him a full paid scholarship to the CMA school of modern music in Valenciennes, France. He graduated specializing in advance guitar with honors.
Following his school years, David spent the next 5 years working with several bands recording, writing and playing shows in France and Belgium. It's during that time that Wallimann was exposed to the world of progressive rock which opened new doors to his musical creativity.
Deep inside the Mind is his first release as a solo artist in which he exposes his Christian faith. The album was well received in the specialized press and was compared several times to some of Frank Zappa's approach to music adding an element of humor to deep subjects.
In 2005 he joined the internationally renown progressive band Glass Hammer based in Chattanooga, TN. He released several studio albums and live DVDs with the band.
David is today working on his next upcoming solo release and is also spending quite a bit of time teaching guitar in his studio and online at JamPlay.
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Member Comments about this Lesson
Discussions with our instructors are just one of the many benefits of becoming a member of JamPlay.Jet actually plays this song with full barre chords (A at 5th fret), not with a first position A power chord as this lesson shows.
Great lesson guys. I noticed that when comparing the Backing track to the Rhythum pages there is a bar missing between no. 17 & 18. ie. Bar 17 should be repaeted 1 more time. Cheers, Will
To match the backing track that is.
Fun, thanks! Love this song and now can play it!
Thank you! Great Lesson!
Great job on the lesson! What amp and amp settings are you using for the sound?
Hello, the backing track download doesn't work. Please make it available. Each time, I right-click save as, it saves the David HTM page.
Great job on the teaching your awsome :P For those of you who think it took to long cuz of his explanations. People pick up things at diffrent speeds so just bare with it or i would join in with "keep it simple stupid" if this was another case.
Hi! I just wanted to know, what is the strumming pattern for the electric version?
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Good lesson. Thank you! I would like to learn the 2nd guitar part of the electric version. I think the 2nd guitar is playing full barre chords instead of power chords. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Hi David. My laptop jumps from Scene 1 to Scene 3. Is there a Scene 2 or is it a blip in the program? P.S. I love the way you teach, constantly reminding me of things I had forgotten. Helps and suits me. Cheers. Chris
It actually plays scene 2, there is just a bug in the flash player we use that for some reason if the lesson has more then 10 scenes it won't display the scene name for scene 2 while scene 2 is playing. Very weird i know, its on the "fix" list!
l v ur lesson bit long though soz just ma dumb opiniyon
My question is on the electric version. Are you using a foot pedal to distort or just using the distort in the amplifier?
i think its just an efect on the amp
There is somebody in my town that looks almost exactly like David. Also, great lesson.
good song and great lesson , but i mean you describbed everything wayyyyyyyyy toooooo indetail cause you could have taought this lesson in about 10 minutes instead of 44
great job guys !! Two different perspectives with lots of different chops and riffs and ways to get the song down. Yeaaahhh !
You guys rock!! You guys do great lessons and pick good songs to learn, love it!! Keep up the great work guys.. You make it easy and fun to learn guitar!!
Thanx Lion great to hear from you!
Very nice lesson! You both did a great job. Mark, I think you had a couple of espresso shots. Love the energy. Gave me something to help me work on landing some Power chords but have fun at the same time. Ralph
Hey Ralph I dont drink coffee but I think it was Walliman's rockin' chops that got me going!
Thanks everyone, and thanks a lot Mark for making this song so cool! :-)
Marc, pushing your voice to the limit really hits the mood of this song. Thank you!
Right I got it; comments go on top, that's why I could not see them when I hit replay. Feel free to delete :D
Ah David, cool how you push your voice to the limits. This really fits to the song's mood.
Hey Frank that's me (Mark) wailing and cracking on the vocals, I couldn't get David to sing the parts so I thought I'd step in for a song! Thanx for the feedback anyway...Mark
Props to the filming/editing team there ;D for making JamPlay vids ever more stylish!
Yes Sanctum the team has really been stepping up on the production values of these right? Props to Jeff, Nessa, Tyler and Jason for the great work:)
great rendition Mark, loved it
Thanks Fleet we're trying to give more than one rendition when David and I put these together so we hope you all enjoy this stuff.Good to hear from you:)
Excelent work guys! Geniuos making a acoutisc version and a electric!
Thanks Dag nice to hear from you! Mark
WOW! Really Good! Im a kinda glade Jet ripped off Iggy Pop for this song...
Ha! Yeah...this song does have pretty much the same groove as Lust for Life.
OH... you mean the Royal Caribbean cruiseline song... right? =P
great job guys!!!
Nice choice of song!