Tonight, Tonight
by The Smashing Pumpkins • Lesson #350 • Feb 6, 2021
Video lesson
Licensed Song Sheet 5 pages
Follow along with my print-friendly guide for this song! It’s available for purchase at Musicnotes.com, the web’s leading provider of licensed sheet music.
On the fence? Here's a guide I made showing the purchase & print process, including answers to common questions about my song sheets.
Buy at Musicnotes.comEditor’s notes
Hey there friends! Here’s a new guitar lesson showing you how to play an acoustic version of “Tonight, Tonight” by the Smashing Pumpkins, from their 1995 classic album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. This is an amazing song on its own (the full-band version is an incredible bundle of energy), but even with an acoustic guitar you can do quite a bit to capture the magic of this song. And let me tell you: while it takes some practice to get over the hump, this one is quite fun to play. Ultimately, there’s just 4 guitar parts this song uses – and for each I’ll explain how to play it, as well as show some easier & modified versions in order to keep things accessible, should you have trouble with “the way Billy Corgan plays it”. One last note: I’ll be in standard tuning to keep things simple (tune down 1/2 step to play along with the Smashing Pumpkins). Thanks for all of the requests for this one, it was a pleasure to finally learn!
Video timestamps:
- 0:00 Playthrough & lesson summary
- 3:01 The 4 guitar riffs, at a glance
- 6:19 Riff #1: G and E-minor
- 10:18 Riff #2: C-D-Em-G (picked)
- 13:33 Riff #3: G-D/F#-Em-Am-C
- 16:13 Riff #4: C-G/B-D
- 17:38 My secret stash intro tab
- 20:41 Full playthrough, with all tabs
Lyrics with chords
Tune down 1/2 step to play along with Smashing Pumpkins. Note, my video is in standard tuning.
See my licensed song sheet for the lyrics and chords
Tune down 1/2 step to play along with Smashing Pumpkins
To play this song along with the Smashing Pumpkins version, you’ll need to tune all strings on your guitar down by a half-step. That is, E-A-D-G-B-E becomes Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-Bb-Eb. My video is in standard tuning, to keep things simple. You can play the song in whatever tuning you want (and even add a capo), using the chords I show you – but you’ll only be able to play along with the Smashing Pumpkins if you’re in their exact tuning (no capo, all strings down 1/2 step).
If you disregard tuning down 1/2 step, this song is in the key of G.
Enjoy My Lessons? Show Your Support!
Most of the lessons on my website are 100% free. If you have the means, please show your support with a tip jar contribution. I put many hours into every lesson — but it only takes you a minute to make a donation. You have my thanks!
Looking for More Song Lessons?
Featured Courses
Fun & Helpful Tools I've Made
Coming soon is Jambox – which shows all the video jam tracks I've made. It's note quite ready for the spotlight, but check it out if you like!
Subscribe to my YouTube channel
Be sure to never miss a lesson by subscribing on YouTube. I put out 2-3 new videos every week. These include full song lessons, as well as covers, practice tips, behind-the-scenes updates. Thanks!
Recent Lessons
-
December 6, 2024
"Our House" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
-
November 28, 2024
Thanksgiving Roundup: Improved Search, Vidami Coupon Code, and Melody Deep-Dives
-
November 15, 2024
"Scarlet Begonias" by Grateful Dead
-
November 12, 2024
Does CAGED Help When Learning Songs?
-
November 8, 2024
Rhythm Deep Dive: "Guitar Town" by Steve Earle
-
Nov 1, 2024
Website Tour – November 2024
-
Oct 24, 2024
"Fast Car" - Strumming & Rhythm Guide!
-
October 18, 2024
CAGED - It's More Than Just Chords!