Below is the lesson for “You Are My Sunshine”.

Helpful Tips

A classic children’s anthem, ‘You Are My Sunshine’ is a simple song with a handful of chords and a catchy melody. This arrangement contains 3 versions labeled as Melodies: A, B, & C. Think of it as beginner, intermediate, and advanced.

The A Melody is a simplified version of the song. This is perfect for a beginner, or someone who wants to learn the song quickly for fun. The B Melody picks up the pace. Here we encounter a swung 16th note feel in our rhythm playing. This ‘triplet feel’ creates a joyful-like rhythm. In part 2 of the video lesson, I will explain how to understand, play, and most importantly ‘feel’ the rhythm.

The C Melody is for the advanced player. This is a fingerstyle take on the tune and uses advanced hammer-on and pull-off techniques. I tried to go for an old-time feel for this section.

One thing to keep in mind: If you think the B or C melody may be too hard for your current ability, try it anyway! Even if you don’t end up learning the whole melody, you will get better in the process! Hope you have fun and good luck!

Part 1 – Performance & Free Lesson

Part 2 – For Premium Members

Tab Play Along