Below is the lesson for “Summertime” by George Gershwin.

Helpful Tips

A sultry take on a timeless melody. This fingerstyle arrangement is perfect for the intermediate player. I want to stress that last sentence again. Because on first watch/listen, this piece appears to be quite challenging. But sometimes, looks can be deceiving.

From a fingerstyle perspective, this is an intermediate piece. So what gives, why does it sound harder than it is? The answer lies in the way it’s performed. Steven’s performance gives the song life! For example, he accents strums with rasgueado technique to make the music pop in spots. On the contrary, he uses rubato to slow the tempo down in sections to elicit more emotion.

The above are two examples of why it’s important to think about how you’re playing the music rather than just playing the correct notes/chords/rhythm. To dive deeper into this concept, check out this lesson.

Part 1 – Performance & Free Lesson

Tab Play Along