Below is the lesson for “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King.

Helpful Tips

A classic 60’s hit, this arrangement covers everything from the iconic bass intro to the smoothly delivered vocal lines. This song uses a 4 chord progression over 8 bars: A F#m D E (1 6 4 5 in the key of A). The entire song revolves around this progression. The two trickiest parts of the song are the hammer-on and pull-off licks and the timing. For example, if we look at bar 11 in the chorus, we notice 2 single notes that get held out for a beat and a half each. It’s hard to not rush sections like this. I would recommend either tapping the beat with your foot while you play or using the on-screen tab viewer to help you “feel” the beat when notes are sustained.

Part 1 – Performance & Free Lesson

Part 2 – For Premium Members

Tab Play Along