In Spite of Ourselves

by John Prine • Lesson #437 • Jun 4, 2022

Today we’ll learn In Spite of Ourselves, the classic John Prine duet that he recorded with Iris DeMent (1999). I’ll start off by showing you campfire chords & strumming, allowing you to play this song even if you’re just getting started with guitar. From there, I’ll pile on a few additional tricks (e.g. strumming with alternate bass notes) before diving headlong into the Travis Picking fingerstyle used in the song’s intro. This passage took me a while to learn, but with time and persistence, I got over the hump! And I’m sure you can learn it just the same. Enjoy!

Free Video Lesson

Timestamps:

0:00 Preview & Lesson Summary
0:57 Basic Chord Shapes
3:51 Chord Progressions
5:51 Strumming Patterns
7:50 Alternating Bass Notes
13:40 Fingerstyle: Right Thumb
19:45 Fingerstyle: Melody Notes
23:48 Fingerstyle: Full Tab
27:52 Full Playthrough
29:38 Tour of my Song Sheet

Licensed Song Sheet 5 pages

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Listen to John Prine Play This Song

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In Spite of Ourselves

Free Video Lesson

Licensed Song Sheet 5 pages

Listen to John Prine Play This Song

Related Lessons

Unlock My Secret Stash!

Browse Related Lessons

Enjoy My Lessons? Show Your Support!

Looking for More Song Lessons?

Featured Courses

Strumming & Rhythm

Fingerstyle & Travis Picking

Blues Starter Kit

Reading Music for Guitarists

Learning Lead Guitar

Beginner Chord Guide

Practical Music Theory

Using a Capo

Fun & Helpful Tools I've Made

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Capo Captain

Key Master

Blank Tabs

Subscribe to my YouTube channel

Recent Lessons