Britpop guitar
Britpop is guitar anthems: a wide strum, ringing chords and melodies a whole stadium sings. Below are the chords, scale, techniques, a strum and a melody you can hear and slow down.
1990s80–130 BPMEm7–G–Dsus4–Asus4strumming
What is britpop
Britpop blossomed in England in the mid-1990s. Oasis, Blur, Pulp and others took classic 60s British guitar music and turned it into big songs with simple chords and memorable choruses.
A Britpop guitarist mostly plays rhythm: a thick sixteenth-note strum, often several guitars at once stacking into a "wall". Chords are fingered so the top-string fingers stay put and open strings keep ringing.
Signature chords
Em7, G, Dsus4, Asus4 are played with two fingers fixed on the 3rd fret of the 2nd and 1st strings: only the bass notes change. The sus4 chords sound open and a little wistful, a sound instantly recognised as Britpop.
Scale for soloing
G major suits the melodies. The melody on this page is played on the top two strings, with a slide and vibrato on the long notes, like a vocal line.
Techniques
Sixteenth-note strum
The hand moves down-up in sixteenths without stopping and hits the strings in a pattern: downstrokes on all strings, upstrokes on the top ones only. Listen to the strum below.
Anchor fingers
The ring and little fingers stay on the 3rd fret of the 2nd and 1st strings in every chord. Chord changes become very easy, and the top notes ring through the whole song. Tap Dsus4 to hear it.
Wall of guitars
Britpop records stack several rhythm guitars: an acoustic and a couple of lightly driven electrics. If you play alone, strum with more confidence and keep the rhythm steady to sound fuller.
Britpop strum
Four bars of sixteenth-note strumming, one chord per bar, top-string fingers fixed. The bass plays quarters and walks into the next chord. Start at 60% and do not stop your hand on the chord changes.
Britpop melody
A singable melody on the 2nd and 1st strings: G, A, B with vibrato, then D and back down, a slide to A over Dsus4 and a long A at the end. Play it like a voice, smooth and unhurried.
Bass part
Under the wide guitar strum the bass does not sit still; it sings a small melody: root, a step up, a chord tone and back. That is how bassists in British bands of the 60s and 90s brought simple songs to life.
The guitar plays the genre’s chords quietly underneath: switch it off with the "Guitar" button to hear the bass alone. Bass guitar exercises in the trainer →
The riff opens as a draft: change notes, tempo and tracks however you like.
Open in RiffonicWhat to listen to
Listen to these songs and pay attention to what is described next to each one.
- Oasis - “Live Forever”. A thick wall of rhythm guitars and a long melodic solo on top.
- Blur - “Song 2”. A quiet verse and an explosion of a distorted riff in the chorus: Britpop can be loud too.
- Pulp - “Common People”. Simple chords, a steady strum and a build that runs through the whole song.
Every riff and solo on this page is an original exercise in the style of the genre, not the notes of someone else’s song.
FAQ
What strumming pattern is used in Britpop?
Mostly sixteenths: the hand keeps moving, downstrokes on all strings, upstrokes on the top ones. Start slowly and keep your hand relaxed.
Why keep fingers on the top strings?
That way chords change with almost no movement, and the top notes ring through the whole song, tying the chords together. That gives the open, ringing sound.
Do I need a capo for Britpop?
Often yes: the same shapes with a capo sound higher and suit the voice. Try it on the 2nd fret and play the strum from this page.