Iris Guitar Lesson - Easier Standard Tuning - Strum Like The Goo Goo Dolls
Lauren Bateman teaches how to play Goo Goo Dolls' "Iris" in standard tuning using five chords: D, A, G, E minor, and B minor. The original uses an unusual B-D-D-D-D-D tuning, but this version works in 12/8 time with a waltz feel. She covers multiple strumming patterns and suggests singing along to nail the rhythm.
Questions this video answers
Standard tuning (she chooses standard to avoid restringing and truss-rod adjustments).
A custom tuning with strings tuned to B, D, D, D, D, D (one B on top, the rest D).
D, A, G, E minor, and B minor.
12/8 time (recommended to think of it as four measures/groups of three — a waltz feel).
Chapters
Hey, guitar enthusiasts. I have an amazing song by the Goo Goo Dolls. It's called Iris. We're going to be doing it in standard tuning just to make it a little bit easier for you. But there are some amazing strumming patterns and dynamics that we're going to work on for this song. It's a really, really great song to take your guitar playing to the next level. Now, the original is tuned very, very differently. So the guitar would be tuned to B, D, D, D, D, D. Okay, so one B string on the top. The rest of the strings are going to be D. You'd have to restring your guitar to adjust for the tension and maybe do some truss rod adjustments. So we're just going to keep it in standard tuning. And that leaves us with five wonderful chords. We have a D chord, we have an A chord, we have a G chord. We have an E minor chord and a B minor chord. Okay. And I'm going to be showing you some different ways to strum through this song to provide some dynamics, especially if you're playing by yourself. But I used to play this in standard tuning with my band, so it works fine. No one was mad at us that we were playing it in standard tuning. So if you want to learn this song, let's get into it.
So this song has some interesting time signatures and time changes. I'm going to try to simplify it as best as possible for you. So this song is in 12, eight time. And since I don't play particularly like counting to the number 12, I would recommend just thinking about it as four measures of three beats. Okay. And all I want you to do is think of each chord as being A.
Down, down, up, down, up.
Okay. 1, 2, n, 3, n. 1, 2, n, three, m. 1, 2, n three, m. 1, 2', n three, n. So I'm going to show you how we're going to strum over this verse. The chord progression, we're going to do D, E minor, gg, and then we have B minor, A, gg. Now, a lot of this song is going to be a G chord into the B minor. Okay? So that's our one bar chord. So if you're still getting used to bar chords, take some time and just practice going between G and B as many times and as fast as you can. Because that B minor does play an important part in this song. So timing. If I just play through it here with this waltz feel. Okay, we're going to break it down. I'm going to show you a couple ways to play this for Dynamics. So we've got 1, 2 and 3 and 1, 2 and 3 and down.
Down, up, down, up, down, down, up, down, up, down, down, up, down, up, down, down, up, down, up, down, down, up, down, up, down, down, up, down, up, down, down, up, down.
And that sounds lovely. That's a great way to start off the song. And you can get that waltz feel. Let me show you what I used to do when I played this song live with my band. Basically, we would hit the bass note. We'd let it ring out. So instead of doing bass, down, up, down, up, it's going to be bass, up, down, up. Okay, so it's going to be 1 and 3. And especially for these first couple verses where there's not a lot going on, where it's kind of the beginning of the song sets it up so nicely. So it's gonna sound like this.
And that's when we get into our chorus and things really explode there. But you can see how by doing that.
It provides a very, very different feel to the song versus strumming everything.
That's fine and that works great. But if you're performing by yourself and you don't have a band, it's great to create those dynamics. I just wanted to give you two different ways to go about processing this verse that work really well. My preference is the bass.
Up, down, up.
Because then when we get into the next section, which is the chorus, we can really explode things. Okay, so the chorus is really where I think that first strumming pattern will come in handy more. Now, the great thing about this chorus is we have B minor, A, double G. Okay, so it's a repetitive chord progression. But here you really want to dig into the guitar, make it loud. Because this is such a big climactic point in the song. So we've got.
You to know who I am.
See how the. See how the dynamics can really, really shift on this song by digging in on the chorus and keeping the verses really, really light. So what I want to do before we get into the bridge section, which is really, really intricate rhythm wise, I just want to do a little playthrough of the verse and a chorus for you guys so that you can get a feel for this section of the song. And then we'll talk about what's going on on the bridge because there's a lot going on there. We'll do a count and we'll just play through a little bit. We'll play through the first couple chord progressions just to do a little bit of an intro. And then we'll get into the. The lyrics. So we got 1, 2, 3. 1, 2, 3.
I give up forever to touch you. Cause I know you feel me somehow. You're the close heaven that I'll ever be. And I don't wanna go home right now.
And all I can taste is this moment. And all I can breathe is your life.
Sooner or later it's over.
I just don't wanna miss you tonight. Here we go.
Ready then?
I don't want the world to see me. Cause I don't think that they understand.
When everything's made to be broken. I just want you to know I am.
As you can see, there's that big dynamic change from the verse into the chorus. And thank you for bearing with me as I'm still getting over a head cold. So thank you for listening to me sing. Hopefully it wasn't too bad. Alright, so this next section is the intensely insane section, which is the bridge into the guitar solo. Okay, so the bridge section, we have a completely different timing. And this is something I wouldn't count. This is something you gotta feel. Alright, so let me just play through it very quickly for you. It's gonna be B minor into G. Okay? So it's going to sound like this.
Okay, so what are you hearing? A lot of strumming.
Right.
So when I teach this to people, I say this is not going to count. We can put the count on screen and you're like, how do I even count that? One and.
A 3e. And you're not going to be able to count it. You have to feel it. This is where you don't count this. You feel it. And I tell students it's mostly on B minor. Alright, so let's just get the feel down. So it's going to be three quick.
Down, up, down, up, down, up, down, up.
Okay. And we're going to mute after that. You heard me, I cut the strumming off and I'm doing that with my strumming hand. So really quickly with this B chord.
It'S going to be down, up, down, up.
Or actually I lied, I'm muting it with the frettingham. So sometimes I am hitting the guitar. It's probably gonna be easier to mute with the frettingham.
Okay, you hear those three really quick.
Down, up, down, up. So it's down, up, down, up, down, up, down, up, down, up, down, up, down.
And that's where the G chord comes in.
So it's down, up, down, up, down, up, down, up, down, up, down, up, Down.
That's the most important part. Okay, again.
Down, up down, up down, up down, up down, up down, up down.
One more time.
And down, up down, up down, up down, up down, up down, up down.
Okay, once you get to the G chord, you can really do whatever you want. I've kind of wrote down, down, up.
Down up down up down up down up down up.
So it's going to sound like this.
Down, up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down, up.
So let's break that down. I don't have the count. Just sing it along with me. Okay. If you're ever having trouble with the strumming pattern, just sing it.
Down, up down, up down, up down, up down, up down, up down, up down, up down, up down up down up down up down up down, up down up down up down up down up down, up down, up down up down up down up down, up.
Alright, so we've got ready?
It's going to be down, up down, up down up down, up down, up down, up down, up down, up down up down up down up down up down, up down, up down, up down, up down up down up down up down, up down, up down, up down, up down, up down up down up down, up down, up down, up down, up down, up down up down up down up down up down up.
And then the fourth time through is where everything changes.
We've got down, up, down, up down, up down, up down, up down, up down up down up down up down up down up down up.
Now you can just stay on that second strum.
Okay? And at this point you really can do whatever you want. You can totally improvise here. I'm sticking on that.
Down, up down, up down, up down, up down, up down, up down, up down up down up down up down up down.
Because I think it feels. I think it feels good. And this is where the guitar solo comes in. So if we take it from the top of this bridge and we're just going to say it together, just say the downs and the ups with me.
And feel.
Listen to the song, feel the rhythm for this part. All right, so we'll take this from the top of the bridge. Remember, it's going to be down, up.
Down, up down, up down, up down, up down, up down, up down, up down, up down, up.
Ready? And 1, 2, 1, 2. Here we go.
To d.
To g.
Back to d.
To g.
Back to d.
Then we got b minor.
Twice.
Back to g.
Then b, b minor, tw.
And then we have that beautiful little breakdown that comes in after that with some violin. And then we get right back into the chorus.
And I don't want the world to see me? Cause I don't think that they'd understand?
When everything's made to be broken.
Key takeaways for this song. One. First couple verses. Keep the dynamics low, keep it simple, build into that chorus, make that chorus as big as you can, and then for the next verses, come back down. And then for that bridge section, really go gung ho on that. Okay? And again, this is not about counting every single strumming pattern at this point. We are just trying to feel the strumming pattern. So you may have to sit and watch this video with the song and just get a feel for it. Try and sing those parts, especially that bridge section.
So if you can sing something with it, you can play.
Whatever you want to do on that part. Feel the rhythm instead of always trying to count the rhythm. If you want another great song that's all about strumming and rhythm and 16 note patterns, go check out my Hootie and the Blowfish. Only want to be with you lesson right over there. I'll see you in another lesson video real soon.
