Learn how to play Eric Clapton’s romantic classic “Wonderful Tonight” with this complete guitar lesson from Marty Schwartz. This beautiful song is perfect for beginners and uses some of the most essential chords in all of guitar playing.
Wonderful Tonight uses four fundamental chords: G, D, C, and Em. These are among the most important chords you’ll ever learn – literally thousands of hit songs use this exact chord combination. Master these chords with this song, and you’ll have the foundation for countless other songs.
What You’ll Learn in This Lesson:
- Essential chords: G, D, C, and Em
- The signature walking bass line (G to F# to Em)
- The iconic lead riff that makes the song instantly recognizable
- Both strumming and fingerpicking approaches
- How to transition smoothly between chord changes
One of the great things about Wonderful Tonight is that you can start simple with basic strumming and gradually add more sophisticated techniques. Try light fingerpicking through the chords once you’re comfortable with the basic progression, or add the walking bass line that connects the G chord to Em by hitting the F# note on the 6th string, 2nd fret.
Marty also teaches the signature lead riff, so you can play the complete song from start to finish. This is a perfect song to play for someone special – as Marty says, “You can sing it to your lady, they like that…”
If you’re enjoying learning classic rock and pop songs like this, explore more easy guitar songs. You might also enjoy other classics like Brown Eyed Girl that use similar chord progressions.