Behind Blue Eyes

The Who's "Behind Blue Eyes" is a timeless classic that showcases Pete Townshend's ability to blend acoustic beauty with rock power, making it an ideal song for guitar players who want to expand their technique and musical expression. Our note-for-note guitar lesson on Licklibrary.com covers the song in great detail, focusing on various techniques used throughout the piece, all aimed at helping guitarists not only learn the song but also elevate their overall playing skills. Jamie Humphries breaks down this classic track in this exclusive Lick Library video tutorial.

Pete Townshend: A Master of Dynamics and Emotion

Pete Townshend, the guitarist behind The Who's iconic sound, is known for his dynamic playing style and ability to express emotion through his instrument. In "Behind Blue Eyes," he crafts an intricate balance between acoustic fingerpicking and powerful rock chords, using both subtle and aggressive techniques to convey the song's emotional depth. Townshend's influence extends far beyond The Who, as his innovative use of guitar dynamics, rhythm, and harmonics continues to inspire guitarists across genres. His unique style makes him a key figure in rock history, and learning to play his songs offers invaluable insights into guitar mastery.

Fingerpicking and Travis Picking

One of the standout elements in "Behind Blue Eyes" is the use of fingerpicking, specifically the technique known as Travis picking. This involves alternating bass notes with your thumb while playing melody notes with your fingers, creating a full, layered sound that works beautifully for acoustic guitar.

Benefit to viewer: By mastering fingerpicking and Travis picking, you'll develop better control over independent thumb and finger movements, which opens up a range of possibilities for solo acoustic playing and creating more complex, dynamic pieces.

Arpeggiated Chord Progressions

Throughout the song's intro and verses, Townshend uses arpeggiated chord progressions to build emotional tension. Rather than strumming chords, he picks out individual notes within the chord shapes, which gives the song a more delicate, melodic feel.

Benefit to viewer: Learning arpeggios helps players improve finger dexterity and timing, enhancing their ability to break down chords into melodic sequences that can be used in songwriting and improvisation.

Open String Riffs

"Behind Blue Eyes" also features sections that make use of open string riffs, where open strings are integrated into the melody, adding a resonant, ringing quality to the guitar part. This technique contributes to the song's expansive and ethereal sound.

Benefit to viewer: Incorporating open strings into your playing not only adds depth and resonance but also helps develop better knowledge of the fretboard and improves fluidity in transitioning between chords and melodic lines.

Slides

During the song, you’ll encounter slides that are seamlessly woven into the main riff and chord transitions. Sliding between notes or chords adds a smooth, connected feel to your playing, which is essential for achieving the fluidity heard in the song.

Benefit to viewer: Practicing slides will improve finger strength and accuracy while allowing you to connect phrases more effortlessly, making your playing sound more polished and professional.

Vibrato and String Bending

Toward the more intense sections of the song, Townshend utilises vibrato and string bending techniques, adding expressiveness to the higher-pitched notes. These are classic rock guitar techniques that give the music a singing quality, imbuing single notes with emotional depth.

Benefit to viewer: Mastering vibrato and string bending is key to playing with more emotion and control. These techniques help to emphasise key notes, making your solos and melodies stand out.

Chord Progressions and Barre Chords

As the song builds in intensity, the focus shifts from intricate fingerpicking to more powerful strummed chords, including the use of barre chords. Barre chords allow you to play movable chord shapes up and down the neck, giving the song its full, rich sound.

Benefit to viewer: Barre chords are essential for any guitarist wanting to play across the entire fretboard. Learning them will allow you to play a wide variety of songs and add more harmonic depth to your playing.

Palm Muting

In the heavier, rock-oriented sections of the song, palm muting is used to add a rhythmic punch and keep the sound tight. This technique is a staple in rock and punk music, allowing for more percussive, controlled playing.

Benefit to viewer: Palm muting adds dynamic contrast and rhythm to your playing, making your guitar sound more precise and powerful. It's a great technique for building tension and controlling your tone.

Guitar Techniques Used in "Behind Blue Eyes" Lessons

• Finger-picking: Learn how to create complex, layered acoustic sounds with fingerpicking patterns. Finger-picking
• Travis Picking: Master alternating bass notes while playing melodies to add rhythmic depth. Travis Picking
• Arpeggiated Chord Progressions: Improve finger dexterity and timing by breaking chords into melodic sequences. Arpeggios
• Open String Riffs: Incorporate open strings into your riffs for a more resonant and full sound. Open String Riffs
• Slides: Add smooth transitions between notes to your playing for better fluidity. Slides
• Vibrato: Emphasise important notes with this expressive technique. Vibrato
• String Bending: Add emotion and character to your solos with precise bends. String Bending
• Barre Chords: Strengthen your fretboard control with movable chord shapes. Barre Chords
• Palm Muting: Enhance your rhythmic playing by muting the strings for a more percussive sound. Palm Muting

By mastering these techniques through our "Behind Blue Eyes" lesson, you'll gain essential guitar skills that can be applied to a wide range of songs, expanding both your technical ability and musical expression.