Learn "Edge of Desire" by John Mayer on Guitar

In this lesson, we'll learn how to play Edge of Desire by John Mayer on the electric guitar.

🎤 I've received tons of requests for this one, but I've always found it a tricky song to play and sing simultaneously. So I set it as a challenge to myself, and I'm now confident I can make a video for it! How did I learn it? Using my 10-Step Method to Singing & Playing Guitar at The Same Time. Give it a try!

If you don't want to sing it, you'll still get an excellent guitar workout – picking, using the thumb, and coordination. We'll look at the chord part that John Mayer plays for live versions and check out the solo too! Let's start with the intro and verse riff.

Edge of Desire – Intro and Verse Riff

We start with an E/A chord (5764XX), using the thumb to play the bass note, and fingers 1, 2, and 3 for the other three notes. The three notes on the middle strings form an E Major triad, and the lowest note is A at fret 5 on string 6, meaning the chord is called E/A.

On this chord, we pick strings 6, 5, 4, 5, 3, and 4 with down picks, muting the strings slightly with the palm of our picking hand. In the next bar, we play 6, 5, 4 (this time at fret 4 with finger 1), 3 (fret 6, finger 3), 3 (fret 4, finger 1), and 4 (fret 7, finger 3). Keep the thumb on the bass note throughout.

We play this two-bar sequence twice, then move the whole pattern up by five frets. The chord changes to A/D, but the pattern is the same. The second time, we played 6, 5, 4 (fret 9 with finger 1), 3 (fret 11 with finger 3), 3 (fret 9 with finger 1), and 4 (fret 11 with finger 3). Again, hold down the bass note with the thumb as you play the riff.

🧐 CAGED System – Mayer moves positions several times in this riff. Mastering the CAGED system helps you make sense of what he's doing!

We then switch to Bm, with the thumb playing the bass note at fret 7 of string 6. We pick 6, 5 (fret 9, finger 3), 4 (fret 7, finger 1), 5, 3 (fret 7, finger 1), 4 (fret 9, finger 3).

On the next bar, we play 6, 5, 3 (finger 1, fret 6), 3 (finger 1, fret 7), 4 (fret 9, finger 3), 5 (fret 9, finger 3). Finger 3 rolls from string 4 to string 5: play the first note with the flat part of the tip, then roll your finger onto the end.

We then switch to an E Major using the shape 0X999X. To play this, barre strings 2, 3, and 4 at fret 9 with finger 1, muting string 5 and string 1. The three middle notes make an E Major Triad, and the open E string acts as the bass note. Pick strings 6, 4, 2 (finger 2, fret 10), 4, 2 (finger 1, fret 9), 4. Let the E string ring out as you play the other notes.

🎸 Advanced Triads – John Mayer uses several triad shapes on the middle strings and adds bass notes over them. Master these grips with my lesson on triads on the middle strings.

On beat 1 of the next bar, we play a double stop on strings 3 and 2. We use finger 3 on fret 11 of string 3, leaving finger 1 barre down on fret 9. On the "and" of 1, we lift off finger 3 and play strings 3 and 2 together.

After that, we play three double stops in a row. The top note of each is fret 9 of string 3, using finger 1. The lowest notes are all on string 4: fret 12 (finger 4), fret 11 (finger 3), and fret 9 (finger 1). The last note in the bar is a slide from fret 9 of string 4 to fret 7.

The intro and verse sequence is E/A, E/A, A/D, A/D, Bm, E, E/A. On the final bar of E/A at the end of each verse, he plays strings 3 (fret 7, finger 3), 4 (fret 7, finger 3), 3 (fret 6, finger 2), 4, 3 (fret 4, finger 1), 4.

Phew! Time to check out the chorus. :)

Edge of Desire – Chorus

The original recording has multiple guitar parts, meaning the chorus has several options. The basic chords are D to A.

One option is to play an ostinato part. For the D chord, put finger 1 on fret 5 of string 2 and finger 2 on fret 6 of string 3 (XX065X). Pick strings 4, 2, 3, 2, 3 (fret 7, finger 3), 2. Repeat four times. For the A, do the same, but put finger 3 on fret 7 of string 4 (XX765X). Use finger 4 on fret 7 of string 3 instead of finger 3.

There's also a strumming version I've seen him play live. For the D chord, finger 1 goes down on fret 9 of string 1, and finger 2 goes down on fret 11 of string 3 (X X 0 11 0 9). Strum 1 + 2 + 3 +, then move finger 1 up one fret (X X 0 11 0 10) and strum the same rhythm again. Repeat this twice.

😧 Crazy Chord Stretch! – I've seen Mayer play the first D shape as 10 12 X 11 0 9 using the thumb and fingers 1, 2, and 3. But he has enormous hands – this is a crazy stretch for mere mortals! My mini version has a similar sound.

Then over the A chord, we play X07600 using fingers 2 and 3. Use the same rhythm as the D chord, and add little finger on fret 7 of string 3 for the embellishment.

It's good to add strumming to the chorus to vary the dynamics in any song. In Edge of Desire, the verses are melodic and complex, so strumming the chorus is even more crucial.

Edge of Desire – Solo

Rarely is a John Mayer solo easy! This one isn't super easy, but it's simpler than many, and it's pretty slow.

The chords before the solo are A power chord (577XXX), F#m (244222), D power chord (X577XX), and A power chord, each for two bars of 6/8. The chords under the solo are A power chord, F#m, D power chord, and E power chord. Then it goes to F#m, D, before moving to A for two bars.

As for the solo itself, we start with finger 3 on fret 12 of string 2, play a tone bend, and hold it. When the chord changes to F#m, we play it again.

🎸 String Bending – You must master string bending to play this solo well. Learn the art of string bending.

Over the D chord, we play the same bend, relaxing on the beat and bending on the off-beat several times until the note fades. Only pick on the first bend. Rest the picking hand on the strings above, and use finger 2 of the strumming hand to hold the thinnest string. That way, only string 2 rings out.

Stay on string 2. Play fret 10 with finger 1, fret 12 with finger 3, and bend one tone from 12, then 12, 12. Then 10, 12, 14 with finger 3, semitone bend from 14, 14, 14.

Then he plays a blues lick! Bend a tone from fret 12 with finger 3, release it, flick off to fret 10, play fret 11 of string 3 with finger 2, then fret 10 of string 2 with finger 1. Make sure to hit this final note on the beat – it's the note A, and it falls over the A Major chord.

Now play another tone bend from fret 12 of string 2, use finger 4 to play fret 12 of string 1, then play the bend again. And when you pick string 1, mute string 2 and release the bend so you can repeat it!

🧐 Harmonic Analysis – Analyzing how the notes in a solo fit over the chords helps you understand music deeply and create your own hip sounds.

Then play fret 14 of string 2 with finger 2, fret 15 with finger 3, fret 12 of string 1 with finger 1, fret 14 of string 1 with finger 3, tone bend from 14, flick off to fret 12, and finish on fret 17.

For the rhythm of the solo, listen to the original song lots, check out the video or use the Tabs for this song!

Edge of Desire – Amp and Settings

I'm using the Quadcortex with the US Deluxe Normal Amp. I used analog delay, a plate reverb, and a looper for the solo. I chose Myth Drive for the solo section. My settings are on my public profile on Neural DSP. Find me if you want to download the patch – my profile is JustinGuitar. :)

I hope you have tons of fun with Edge of Desire. There's a ton of cool stuff in this song. The main riff was more tricky than I thought, and the speed was slower. Play along with the original and try soaking into the slow tempo. Laters. :)

🎵 Are you a John Mayer fan? Explore many more John Mayer song lessons!