Badlands
by Bruce Springsteen • Lesson #44 • Feb 4, 2017
Editor’s Notes
Welcome to my guitar lesson for a solo acoustic version of Badlands, originally by Bruce Springsteen. This wasn’t ever my favorite Springsteen song, but it turned out to be the first one I learned. One of the things that hooked me was stumbling upon this acoustic cover by Julien Baker, which had a sparse and stripped down feel that won me over immediately. I went about learning the song myself, and this lesson is the result.
Free Video Lesson
Print-Friendly Song Sheet 3 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.comCapo on the 2nd fret
I’m doing this so you don’t need to use barre chords (specifically, B-major) which is much harder to play than the D-G-A this requires when using a capo. The capo also lets you play an acoustic version of the main melodic intro you hear in the opening bars of the Springsteen recording.
Chords needed
Here’s all the chords you’ll need for this song. Not a lot! Standard I-IV-V in the key of D.
E –––––2–––––3–––––0––––––
B –––––3–––––0–––––2––––––
G –––––2–––––0–––––2––––––
D –––––0–––––0–––––2––––––
A –––––––––––2–––––0––––––
E –––––––––––3––––––––––––
D G A
Note, I’ll often play a single finger barred version of the A-major chord, where I’m focusing on only the middle 4 strings. This is easier to switch to, easier to mute (if you want to mute it), and allows you to add some flourish notes if you prefer. If nothing else this is a good trick to have up your sleeve when playing this chord… and while I certainly use the standard A-major chord voicing (x02220) in this song at parts, this still plays a role:
E –––––x–––––
B –––––2––––– <-- Play these three 2nd fret notes
G –––––2––––– <-- with your left index finger
D –––––2––––– <-- barred across all 3 strings.
A –––––0–––––
E –––––––––––
A
If you need help with this technique, check out this lesson I made:
Enjoy my lessons? Buy me a beer!
If this and my other lessons have proven helpful to you, please consider making a one-time donation to my tip jar. Contributions of any amount help make this project possible (including the many, many hours I put into it).
Thanks!
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
-
March 27, 2023
Beginner Lead Guitar with the Star Spangled Banner
-
March 19, 2023
Brown Eyed Girl
-
March 14, 2023
Major Scales in Open Position
-
March 10, 2023
Tips for Strumming & Singing at the Same Time
-
March 7, 2023
Interstate Love Song
-
March 2, 2023
New Course: Beginner Chord Guide!
-
February 24, 2023
How to Fingerpick in 3/4 Time (feat. "Amazing Grace" & John Prine)
-
February 13, 2023
Adam Sandler's "Grow Old With You," Without Barre Chords