Get 25% off tabs, try the courses for free and get exclusive lessons when you join the mailing list.
Join The Mailing List
Angeles was written by singer-songwriter Elliot Smith in the mid ’90s and appears as track 9 on his 1997 album Either/Or. Although Angeles wasn’t released as a single, it’s still a very well-known song of Smith’s and certainly a favourite among his fingerpicking fans.
This song certainly has its challenges and isn’t for beginners. Likely one of the hardest things you may struggle with is the speed of it, Angeles come in at about 120 bpm and playing sixteenth notes at this tempo is very hard.
There’s also a lot of chords to wrap your head around and many different techniques to deal with. Despite all these obstacles I’m sure you can get it together with consistent and steady practice.
Structure: Intro, verse x2, bridge, verse.
Get 25% off tabs, try the courses for free and get exclusive lessons when you join the mailing list.
Join The Mailing ListThe intro is likely the hardest part of the song, as this is where most of the really fast fingerpicking rolls are. Take your time and bring out the metronome to track your speed.
The next challenge as you venture into the verse is the quick strumming you have to do. Along with this you also have to often pluck the bass notes with your thumb as you work your way through the chords.
Develop your fingerpicking skills and musicality! This is the perfect course to develop you into an accomplished intermediate player. Join the course today and take your fingerstyle playing up a gear!
After the second verse there’s a quick four bar bridge. Thankfully this section isn’t too tricky but it may still require some work.