“There She Goes” by The La’s is a timeless classic, instantly recognizable and incredibly fun to play on guitar. Released in 1988 from their debut album, this catchy tune reached number 13 on the UK charts and has remained a beloved song for generations. If you’re looking for a song to improve your guitar skills with simple chords and rhythms, you’ve come to the right place. This lesson will break down the guitar chords for “There She Goes”, making it easy for beginners to learn and enjoy playing this popular track.
Decoding the Song Structure
Before diving into the chords, let’s understand the song’s structure. “There She Goes” follows a straightforward and memorable arrangement:
- Intro
- Verse 1
- Verse 2
- Instrumental
- Bridge
- Verse 3
- Outro
To play along with the original recording, ensure your guitar is in standard tuning.
Intro Riff and Instrumental Break
The intro riff, which also serves as the instrumental section, adds a distinctive melodic hook to “There She Goes”. While learning this riff is optional, it’s a great way to enhance your playing and capture the full essence of the song. Figure 1 provides a music score excerpt for this part. Consider using alternate picking for a smoother execution.
Rhythm Guitar and Essential Chords
The beauty of “There She Goes” lies in its accessible rhythm guitar part. The song primarily uses a set of fundamental guitar chords: G, C, D, Am, and Em. These are common open chords that every guitarist should know, making this song perfect for practice.
Furthermore, “There She Goes” incorporates chord variations like D/F#, G/B, and C(add9) to add subtle harmonic color. However, for beginners, simplifying these to standard D, G, and C chords will still sound excellent and allow you to focus on the rhythm and chord changes.
Figure 2 illustrates the rhythm guitar part during the intro. This rhythm pattern remains consistent throughout the song. Notice the “6” above the first bar, indicating six bars of rest at the song’s beginning. Also, observe the quaver (eighth note) rest at the start of bar 14. To create this rest while playing, gently mute the strings with the edge of your strumming hand.
Conclusion: Your Fast Track to Playing “There She Goes”
We hope this guitar chords lesson for “There She Goes” has been helpful and inspiring! This song is a fantastic choice for guitar students due to its reliance on a limited number of easy-to-play chords, all of which are open guitar chords. This makes “There She Goes” a relatively quick and rewarding song to learn, building your confidence and chord vocabulary.
Note: The chords, lyrics, and score excerpts in this article are provided for educational purposes only.