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How to Play Every Rose Has Its Thorn on Acoustic Guitar

How to Play "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" on Acoustic Guitar. This old classic Poison ballad is a favorite of beginning guitar players everywhere. It's an easy 3-chord composition with an emotional hook and a melancholy sound. Playing the song on the guitar is as easy as learning the sequence of the 3-chord progression.

Instructions

    • 1

      Start out in G. The 3 chords of "Every Rose" can be open chords, which means your fingering will be different for each one. G is composed with your middle finger on low G (third fret on E string), index finger on B (second fret on A string) and your pinkie and ring finger on the top 2 strings at the third fret.

    • 2

      Now alternate between G and C. The transition is easy, just move your index-and-middle-finger combination up 1 string.

    • 3

      Use G and C in an alternating rhythm along with your lyrics to play both the verse and the chorus.

    • 4

      Find the few places where the chord goes to D. One is in the first verse with the lyrics: "Though I tried not to hurt you" where this bar is played with a D chord, with fingers on the second frets on fourth and sixth strings, and the third fret of the fifth string. Another D is in the chorus at "Every cowboy..." where the D is in the second of four chords.

    • 5

      Watch out for the bridge. The bridge of the song has a couple of extra chords, the sequence goes like this: E minor, D, C and back to G. That happens twice in the bridge. Figure that out, and you're done; you can play this soulful glam-rock dirge on your own front porch or in the local coffee house.

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