Below is the lesson for “Bad Guy” by Billie Eilish.

Helpful Tips

In this lesson, you’ll learn a fingerstyle take on one of the biggest pop songs of 2019. This is a great song for working on syncopation. Syncopation means that we are hitting “off” the beat. This can be tricky as playing off the beat doesn’t come as natural as playing on the beat.

There are two learning approaches we can take for tackling syncopation. The first is to play by ear. This will be the easiest way, as you simply have to memorize the beats. In other words: if you can sing it, you can play it.

The second approach involves us counting rhythms. This requires an understanding of rhythmic notation. The lesson video will focus on this approach.

The majority of this lesson is taught in two bar sections. I’d recommend counting eighth notes out loud and clapping on the beats before putting it onto the instrument. This will help to get the rhythm deeply ingrained.

If you really want to gain a thorough understanding of rhythmic notation, there is no better way than by learning to read standard notation.

Part 1 – Performance & Free Lesson

Tab Play Along