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About This Lesson
In today’s lesson I’ll get you going with AC/DC’s 1980 classic Back in Black. While you can play this on an electric (as the band does), my lesson approaches the song with an acoustic guitar in mind — which absolutely gets the job done. I’ll show you a few ways to tackle the intro & verse riffs, and also breakdown the tricky rhythm of the refrain. This is quite the fun song to get lost in… let’s get to it!
- 0:00 Overview
- 0:54 Intro & Verse: Strumming
- 3:55 Intro & Verse: Riff #1
- 8:25 Intro & Verse: Riff #2
- 10:52 Refrain
Practice Notes 3 pages
Lesson Discussion
Slow Play-Along Videos
Here’s a few extra videos, made in thanks to those supporting me with Premium membership here on my Song Notes website. To those showing your support, you have my true thanks and appreciation — and I hope you find these additional videos helpful!
Semi-Simplified Version
Here’s a zoomed-in video of me playing through the intro/verse and refrain sections, with a slow drum beat (72bpm) to keep time. One of the biggest things that makes this “simplified” is how I round some of the sharp edges on the riffs heard during the intro & verse. See my PDF practice notes (above) for a list of all other differences vs. the version below.
“Full” Version
Here’s another zoomed-in video of me playing through things — this time with the “full” version of the riffs and strumming. This includes the bend during riff #1, the pinky stretch during riff #2, and me favoring power chords during the refrain strumming. Again, see my PDF practice notes (above) for additional details on how this is different from the simpler version.
Drum Tracks for Extra Practice
Let’s face it, this song is begging for the heavy drums in the background to help keep time. With that in mind, I put together some basic bass drum & snare combos that evoke the AC/DC sound. I’m happy to share these at a few different speeds, which lets you find a tempo that works best per your current comfort level. I recommend starting slow — I use the 72bpm version for my play-along videos above.
Recommended Cover
Check out this version from Jennel Garcia (who crushes the vocals), along with Sean Daniel playing acoustic guitar in the background. There’s plenty of shots of Sean’s fingers, letting you hear how it sounds from someone who really has it together at full speed.
Looking for Power Chord Help?
In my video tutorial above, I mention a power chord lesson. It’s just about to be released… but my PDF guide is available now! Download it here — it contains a wealth of information about power chords, how to play them, the theory behind them, and some riffs to try. Look for the actual lesson in the next week!
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