Master "Who's Crying Now" by Journey with Expert Guitar Techniques

Welcome to Licklibrary.com's detailed guitar lesson on "Who's Crying Now" by Journey, a song celebrated for its melodious structure and emotional delivery. This lesson dives deep into several guitar techniques that not only define this track but also essential skills for any aspiring guitarist looking to enhance their musical expression. Our expert tutors break down each section of the song, focusing on techniques such as pull-offs, string bending, vibrato, and hammer-ons, providing you with a comprehensive toolkit to master this iconic song. This lesson is taught by Sam Bell.

Techniques Focused in This Lesson

Pull-offs

Pull-offs are featured prominently in "Who's Crying Now" and provide a smooth, connected sound between notes. This technique involves plucking the string by "pulling" the finger off the fretboard, allowing the lower note to ring out. Learning pull-offs can add fluidity to your playing, making your solos and melodic lines sound more polished and professional.

String Bending

The emotional impact of this Journey classic owes much to strategic string bending. This technique involves pushing the strings across the fretboard to raise their pitch, adding expressiveness and a vocal-like quality to guitar lines. String bending is a must-learn for players aiming to inject more feeling and intensity into their performances.

Vibrato

Vibrato is used to sustain a note while slightly varying the pitch to enhance its musicality. This technique is a hallmark of expressive playing, adding richness and depth to long-held notes. Mastering vibrato will give you the ability to make your notes sing, crucial for solos and lead sections.

Hammer-ons

Hammer-ons allow for faster note changes without re-picking, where a finger sharply taps down onto the fretboard, creating the next note. This technique is perfect for speeding up your play and adding a legato, flowing sound to your music. In "Who's Crying Now," hammer-ons are used to embellish phrases and add complexity to the melody.

The Guitarists of "Who's Crying Now"

Neal Schon, Journey's legendary guitarist, showcases his versatility and emotion in "Who's Crying Now." His playing reflects a blend of rock precision and melodic intuition, making his style influential in the rock genre. Schon's technique, particularly his use of vibrato and meticulous string bending, offers an excellent study in combining technical skill with expressive, soulful playing. Learning these aspects from Schon’s style can significantly enhance your own guitar playing, providing inspiration for both technical growth and expressive depth.

Benefits of Learning These Techniques

Each technique highlighted in this lesson serves to broaden your musical vocabulary and technical abilities on the guitar. By mastering pull-offs and hammer-ons, you can play more fluidly and quickly. String bending and vibrato add emotional expressiveness to your playing, essential for making your performances stand out. These techniques are not only pivotal in playing "Who's Crying Now" authentically but also form the foundation of versatile, expressive guitar playing across various musical genres.

Conclusion

This lesson on "Who's Crying Now" by Journey offers more than just a song tutorial; it's a deep dive into essential guitar techniques that elevate your playing to a professional level. By the end of this lesson, you'll not only capture the essence of this classic track but also enhance your overall guitar skills, equipped with techniques that are crucial for any aspiring guitarist.

List of Guitar Techniques Used in the Lessons

• Pull-offs
• String Bending
• Vibrato
• Hammer-ons

This comprehensive approach ensures you're not just learning a song but embracing techniques that will last a lifetime in your guitar playing journey. Join us at Licklibrary.com to start mastering "Who's Crying Now" and many more iconic tracks with the guidance of expert tutors.