How to Play Love Me Do on Guitar MADE EASY

How to Play Love Me Do on Guitar MADE EASY

Hey guys, Brad Litton from SimpleGuitar.com. This is the write-up of my YouTube lesson on "Love Me Do" by The Beatles — a beginner song I think everybody should play. It's a lot of fun, and it only uses three very simple chords: G, C, and D. Standard shapes. Nothing fancy.

The song really only has two parts: the verse (which includes the hook) and a bridge. Traditionally you'd call those the A section and B section. Today we're just saying verse and bridge.

I made a free rhythm sheet and tab with the strum patterns laid out. Grab it here: simpleguitar.com/lovemedo

The Three Chords

• G
• C
• D

Assuming you already know those, we're talking song structure, strum pattern, and putting it together.

Most of the song is just G to C, back and forth, with a little variation as we go. The bridge is D for two measures, C for a measure, then G — and we repeat that.

Strumming Patterns (3 Options)

1. Beginner-friendly: boom-chuck

On beats 1 2 3 4, hit the low strings of the chord, then the whole chord. On G, that's strings 6 and 5 for the boom, then the whole chord for the chuck. Repeat. That's quarter notes that still sound interesting. Straight strums on every beat get boring fast.

2. The most common pattern: down down up up down up

You have to tie the upstrokes: down down up up down up, and loop it.

3. Mix them (what I tend to do)

Whoever's playing the acoustic on the record varies the pattern. On a G I go 1 2 & 4 &. On a C I do down down up up down up. Same mixed approach on D as C.

Swing the Rhythm

This song swings. It's not straight 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and. It's long-short, long-short, long-short, long. Make sure you swing while you strum.

How to Read the Rhythm Sheet

The song is in 4/4. Every time you see a chord name, you're playing that chord for one measure (four beats). Boom-chucks for four beats = one measure. If you see the chord again, that's another four beats.

Intro

• G, C, G, C
• Then again: G, C
• Then G for two more measures

I'll alternate strum patterns. If this is new, slow it down and repeat. You can even just practice changing G to C until that change is smooth, so you don't have to stop when you add the strumming. Stopping kills the vibe.

Verse 1

Still mainly G and C, one measure each, until you get to "please" in the lyrics.

At "please," hold the C. Play C for a total of three measures, and on the fourth measure hit just beat 1 and stop — that's when we sing the hook, "Love me do." Come back in on G.

Then G and C two more times, alternating.

Verse 2

Same as verse 1, except at the end: instead of G and C repeating twice, the last C is replaced by G for another measure, then we go into the bridge.

Bridge

We only sing the bridge lyrics one time. The second time this part happens, it's the harmonica solo.

Chord progression:

• D — 2 measures
• C — 1 measure
• G — 1 measure
• Repeat that twice

On that last G of the sung bridge: strum 1 2 3 and stop on 4. Rest. Silence.

Verse 3

Exactly the same as verse 2.

Harmonica Solo (Bridge Again)

Same D D C G, twice. Difference: at the end of the solo, hold G. Hold G for a total of four measures. On the fifth measure, hit G on beat 1, then D on beat 3, and hold that. Then into verse 4.

Verse 4 + Outro

Pretty much the same as verse 1, and it includes the outro. Keep alternating G and C each measure. They fade the record out. In real life we can't fade, so end on a G.

The Big Trick

Memorize the chords. Change between them. Strum cleanly and change in time — whether you're just playing or playing and singing.

If you haven't got a full song under your belt — something ready when somebody says "grab the guitar, play us something" — this is a great one to start with.

Download the sheet: simpleguitar.com/lovemedo

If you want a simple place to start, grab my free Top 10 Things to Learn on Guitar First at http://simpleguitar.com/top10.

And hang out with other adult guitar players in the Simple Guitar Facebook group: http://facebook.com/groups/simpleguitar.

About the Author
Brad from Simple Guitar helps adult learners play the songs they love without the frustration. Visit simpleguitar.com for more free resources and lessons.