Chords for Jeff Beck "Beck's Bolero" Intro Riff on Guitar | Reverb Learn to Play

Tempo:
139.25 bpm
Chords used:

A

G

D

Am

B

Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Show Tuner
Jeff Beck "Beck's Bolero" Intro Riff on Guitar | Reverb Learn to Play chords
Start Jamming...
[A]
[Am]
[D] [G]
[A] [G]
[A] [G] Hi friends, [A] Joe here at Reverb, checking out some Jeff Beck riffs [Am] and progressions.
And in this lesson we're going to learn the [D] progression and the melody of Beck's Bolero.
[A] Now there is a little bit of [G] tension [A] surrounding the writing [G] credits to this tune.
And apparently [A] Jimmy Page actually wrote the rhythm and based it on Maurice Ravel's Bolero,
which is a beautiful piece.
You should check it out if you haven't heard it.
And Beck wrote the melody and there was like all this kind of like confrontation about it.
But regardless of who wrote it, it's totally awesome and it's Jeff Beck's kind of namesake tune.
So let's give it a go.
[Am]
[D]
[A] [G]
[A] [G]
[A] Let's get this rhythm ironed out.
It's kind of tricky, but the way that I think feels comfortable and feels natural is
down and then down up, down up.
[G] And then there's the down up, down up, down up at the [A] very end.
[Am] So if you use this rhythm the way that I think feels natural, then all the [A] remaining chords
in the progression will come at an upstroke.
[Am] A minor 7, D [D] major, [A] A major 7, G, [G] same thing, A major [A] 7, [G]
[A] back to the top.
[Am]
[D]
[A]
[G] [A]
[G]
[A] So this is such a great progression, you know, and the rhythm kind of gives it this epic,
this kind of very grand feeling.
And the chords are very simple.
And I really love how it utilizes an A major, you know, we're in the key of A,
but then it kind of circles around and we [Am] use an A minor 7 [A] and an A major 7.
That's very cool.
I think that's probably rare in a progression that
that all three of those chords are used from the tonic center.
So definitely work on that rhythm with your right hand.
And now let's take a look at the melody played on electric.
It's going to start with a bend on the 12th fret of the G string.
[D] Kind of start with the bend up and then release it [G]
[Gb] to 11 and then back to 12.
[G]
[A] And that kind of comes in after the first chord.
So you hear the first chord of the tune, and the first riff starts [G] right there.
So you land on that G as the acoustic chord lands on the A minor 7.
Bend from 12, [A]
[D] landing on A.
[A] [D] Again, same [B] bend.
[Ab] G sharp.
G.
[G] And those notes are target notes over when the chord hits A major 7 and then G.
So the melody there is [Abm] outlining the major 7th of the [G] chord and then the root of the G chord.
[D]
And then that same thing happens [B] again.
[A] [Abm]
[G]
Then back to the top, [A] landing on A.
And that begins the progression again.
Very cool.
It's actually very simple and it kind of speaks to,
you know, if you've got some cool chords and like I said, like with that A major 7,
that A minor 7 in there, just using chord tones, just using simple language,
target notes, chord tones, makes for a simple and very singable and very memorable melody.
And I think that's what Beck did here with this one for sure.
Let's take it through one more time.
[G]
[D]
[Ab]
[A] [Fm] [G]
[Bm]
[A] Okay, let's put both parts together.
One, two, three, four.
[Am]
[D]
[A] [G]
[A] [G]
[A]
[Am]
[D]
[A] [G]
[A] [G]
[A] There you have it, friends.
The chord progression and main melody from Beck's Bolero,
written by Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck.
Thanks so much for watching.
We've got a couple of other Jeff Beck videos on the site.
See you guys next time.
[Am] [Bb]
Key:  
A
1231
G
2131
D
1321
Am
2311
B
12341112
A
1231
G
2131
D
1321
Show All Diagrams
Chords
NotesBeta
Download PDF
Download Midi
Edit This Version
Hide Lyrics Hint
[A] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Am] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[D] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [G] _
[A] _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _ _
[A] _ _ _ _ [G] _ Hi friends, [A] Joe here at Reverb, checking out some Jeff Beck riffs [Am] and progressions.
And in this lesson we're going to learn the [D] progression and the melody of Beck's Bolero.
[A] Now there is a little bit of [G] tension _ _ [A] surrounding the writing [G] credits to this tune.
And apparently [A] Jimmy Page actually wrote the rhythm and based it on Maurice Ravel's Bolero,
which is a beautiful piece.
You should check it out if you haven't heard it.
_ And Beck wrote the melody and there was like all this kind of like confrontation about it.
But regardless of who wrote it, it's totally awesome and it's Jeff Beck's kind of namesake tune.
So let's give it a go.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Am] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[D] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[A] _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _ _
[A] _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _ _
[A] _ _ Let's get this rhythm ironed out.
It's kind of tricky, but the way that I think feels comfortable and feels natural is
down and then down up, down up. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
[G] And then there's the down up, down up, down up at the [A] very end. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Am] _ _ So if you use this rhythm the way that I think feels natural, then all the [A] remaining chords
in the progression will come at an upstroke. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [Am] _ A minor 7, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ D [D] major, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [A] A major 7, _ _ _ G, [G] _ _ _ same thing, A major [A] 7, _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ _ [A] back to the top. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Am] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [D] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [A] _ _ _ _
_ [G] _ _ _ _ _ _ [A] _
_ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _ _
_ _ [A] _ So this is such a great progression, you know, and the rhythm kind of gives it this epic,
this kind of very grand feeling.
And the chords are very simple. _ _
And I really love how it utilizes an A major, you know, we're in the key of A,
but then it kind of circles around and we [Am] use an A minor 7 [A] and an A major 7.
_ That's very cool.
I think that's probably rare in a progression that
that all three of those chords are used from the tonic center.
So definitely work on that rhythm _ with your right hand.
And now let's take a look at the melody played on electric.
It's going to start with a bend on the 12th fret of the G string.
_ [D] _ _ Kind of start with the bend up and then release it _ [G] _ _
[Gb] _ to 11 and then back to 12.
[G] _ _
_ [A] And that kind of comes in after the first chord.
So you hear the first chord of the tune, _ and _ the first riff starts [G] right there. _ _ _ _
So you land on that G as the acoustic chord lands on the A minor 7.
Bend from 12, _ [A] _
_ [D] _ _ landing on A. _
[A] _ [D] _ _ _ _ _ Again, same [B] bend.
_ _ _ [Ab] G sharp.
_ _ G.
[G] _ And those notes are target notes over when the chord hits A major 7 and then G.
_ So the melody there is [Abm] outlining the major 7th of the [G] chord and then the root of the G chord.
_ [D]
And then that same thing happens [B] again.
[A] _ _ [Abm] _ _
_ _ _ [G] _ _ _ _
Then back to the top, _ _ [A] _ landing on A.
And that begins the progression again.
Very cool.
It's actually very simple and it kind of speaks to,
you know, if you've got some cool chords and like I said, like with that A major 7,
that A minor 7 in there, just using chord tones, just using simple language,
target notes, chord tones, makes for a simple and very singable and very memorable melody.
And I think that's what Beck did here with this one for sure.
Let's take it through one more time.
[G] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[D] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [Ab] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [A] _ _ [Fm] _ _ _ _ [G] _
_ _ [Bm] _ _ _ _ _
[A] Okay, let's put both parts together.
One, two, three, four. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Am] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[D] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[A] _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _ _
[A] _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _ _
[A] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [Am] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [D] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[A] _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _ _
[A] _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _ _
_ [A] _ _ There you have it, friends.
The chord progression and main melody from Beck's Bolero,
written by Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck.
Thanks so much for watching.
We've got a couple of other Jeff Beck videos on the site.
See you guys next time.
_ [Am] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [Bb] _

You may also like to play

6:46
Learn to Play: Minor Pentatonic Tricks Lesson on Guitar
4:26
Fender Jeff Beck Artist Series Stratocaster Tone Review and Demo