Create your free account to access this lesson
Have an account?
Arms Wide Open Acoustic Version Guitar Lessson - Introduction
Arms Wide Open - Introduction
Welcome to the guitar lesson on a song that has the best rock song Grammy to its name âWith Arms Wide Open by Creed. Scott Stappâs wife was pregnant with his first child, he wrote the lyrics when he found out, with great surprise, that he was going to be a father. According to Stapp, the song was written in just fifteen minutes during a soundcheck. The song has received almost 200 million views on YouTube.
Stapp says, âIt continues to have relevant meaning in my life because as I sing it now, I think of my daughter who's now on this planet and alive. And then I think of my newest son, my three-year-old, Danielâ. The song is about a man expressing his feelings about thinking about becoming a father.
Arms Wide Open Guitar Lesson
This is a guitar lesson that is an acoustic cover version of the song performed by James Boyce, taught by our expert Steve Luciano, in a section-by-section manner. They start with the introduction
The song is in the key of C major and features a number of suspended chords. There is a C major 9 chord with a B note in the bass, which sounds like a suspended chord because of the 9th scale degree. There is also a very unique A minor 11th chord, which also sounds like a suspended chord because of the 11th scale degree, which is actually the 4th scale degree on the octave higher. The instructor explains all the chord shapes in great detail. You can also refer to the Arms Wide Open tabs along with the lesson on the sidebar.
The strumming of the chords is very simple, compared to the chord voicings, that is â D - U U D - U U D - D U for the most part (D is a downward strum and U is an upward strum).
There is also an easy verison of the song that the instructor demonstrates, which is a beginner-friendly version of the song focused more on the singing part of the track.
FAQs
Q. What skill level is Arms Wide Open for?
This lesson is ideal for beginner to intermediate players. If you know basic open chords, you can easily learn the song.
Q. Is this version different from the original Creed version?
Yes. This is a soft acoustic cover by James Boyce. It keeps the emotional depth of the original but focuses more on the singing part.
Q. What is the tuning of Arms Wide Open by Creed?
Nope! This version is played in standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-e), making it very accessible. Drop D is not required here.
Q. What chords are used in this version?
The song uses common suspended and power chords, with some being 9 and 11th chords. The tutor goes over each one slowly and clearly.
Explore More in English Songs
Similar Pop Songs
Songs with Similar Difficulty
