Learn to Play "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" by KT Tunstall on the Guitar

In this lesson, we'll learn how to play Black Horse and the Cherry Tree by KT Tunstall on the guitar. This lesson will cover all the chords and strumming methods you need to master this track. This song is a great opportunity to delve into some interesting chord progressions and rhythm patterns.

If you're interested in the looping aspect of this song, which KT Tunstall spectacularly showcased on Jules Holland, check out a lesson she provides on the subject. Just type in "KT Tunstall guitar lesson" on the internet, and you'll find it. It's a fascinating study of her approach to music.

Verse and Chorus

The chord progression for the verse is fairly simple, with an E minor chord and a B7 chord. The strumming in this song is the part that most people find challenging. But don't worry! You'll get the hang of it with a little patience and practice.

The chords in the chorus start with the E minor to a D. Then you just lift off your third finger from your D chord and end up with a D6. Then you go to a C major seven.

Strumming

The key to mastering the strumming in this track is to familiarize yourself with 16th-note strumming. You'll want to write out your downs and ups where the strums occur. It's the easiest way to get a handle on this type of strumming pattern.

It's important to note that there are a few variations in the strumming during the tune, so we'll learn a general pattern. Start with this, and then let yourself loosen up a bit. If you want to copy exactly what's on the record, you'll need to listen closely and figure out exactly what she's doing. But the pattern you'll see is most often the right one.

Rhythm and Mute

Once you've got that strumming pattern sorted out, you'll add some muted parts while the vocals go on. It's not too tricky. The mutes are as important as the actual strums because they help define the rhythm. The count is one and two and three and four. Counting along or playing it slowly with a muted chord is a really good way of making sure you've got that rhythm right.

Final Thoughts

This song is not just about learning the parts but also about getting into the groove. Doing lots of practice, working on the groove, and making sure you've got it right is the fun part. Remember, the song has some variations. Keep it simple at first. You can start loosening it up a bit after you feel more comfortable.

I hope you have a lot of fun playing Black Horse and the Cherry Tree. It's a cracking tune! Remember to watch the video to get a live demonstration of all the techniques we've just seen. Happy strumming!

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