Learn how to play "As It Was" by Harry Styles on the acoustic guitar!

This song is a fantastic pop tune and a great one for beginner guitarists. You will only need easy chords and a simple strumming pattern to play along with the original recording. :)

😅 Struggling with basic techniques? Grade 1 is for you. :)

Now let's get stuck in and learn how to play As It Was by Harry Styles on the acoustic guitar. You should be able to cover this song on your own by the end of this tutorial. :)

As It Was by Harry Styles – Basic Chords and Rhythm

This song uses a capo on fret 2. The only chords you'll need are C, Am, D, and G, and we stay on each chord for two bars.

It's crucial to realize that when transitioning from C (X32010) to Am (X02210), the only finger that moves is finger 3, from string 5 to string 3. Fingers 1 and 2 don't move. That makes the change easier! :)

There are many ways to play G as an open chord. You can play 3X0003 using fingers 2 and 3 or 3X0033 with fingers 2, 3, and 4. In both cases, you can add finger 1 to fret 2 of string 5 or mute string 5 with finger 3. Use the variation you like most!

💡Effortless Chord Changes – Make your chord changes smooth and slick with my One Minute Changes exercise!

Try playing one strum per chord to start if you struggle with chord changes. Notice that for the first two bars of the intro, we only hear the riff – no chords, no lyrics. So miss the first C chord and start on the Am. The lyric begins on the next C.

As It Was – Dynamics And Developing The Rhythm

You must vary your rhythm when playing a song with a repeating chord sequence. Otherwise, the listener will get bored – fast! You want to ensure the verses are quiet and the choruses are loud. Let's see some ways to do that for As It Was. :)

One option is to play one strum per chord on beat 1 of the verses. Once you hit the chorus, you can add strumming. This way, you vary the dynamics and keep it interesting. A great pattern for this one is 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +, accenting beats 2 and 4.

You could play the bass note for the verses: C (X3XXXX), Am (X0XXXX), D (XX0XXX) or (X5XXXX), G (3XXXXX), using the rhythm 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +.

💡 Play Along – playing along with the original is a great way to get the song's feel, rhythm, and timing.

As It Was by Harry Styles – Riffs

For the catchy synth riff, we start on string 3. For the first two bars, play open, fret 2 and fret 4. Then play fret 2 four times, then 0, 2, 0. The rhythm for this is 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +, 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +.

The second two bars are almost identical, except that on the second "+ 3 + 4", we play string 3 open, string 2 fret 3 twice, then string 3 fret 4.

There's another riff played on an acoustic guitar that accompanies all the verses and choruses. The rhythm for it is 1 2 + 3 + 4 +, 1 + 2 + 3 4. All the notes are string 3 fret 2, except for the "and" after the second "2" and "4", which are fret 0.

As for picking, use alternate picking. It means we use down picks for notes on the beat and up picks for "ands." Since there are a lot of off-beat notes in these riffs, they are good ones for developing your alternate picking.

💡Alternate picking – Sharpen your alternate-picking skills with this beginner lesson on alternate picking the C Major Scale.

If you have a jam buddy, one of you can play the rhythm and sing while the other play these riffs. It's loads of fun! Whatever you do, make sure you enjoy it. Have fun with this Harry Styles tune, and I'll see you for more lessons soon. :)

🎵 Making a cover of this tune? Tag me on Instagram or TikTok, and I'll check it out!