"Losing My Religion" by REM is an all-time classic acoustic guitar tune!

Hey, it's Justin here! Today, we'll check out Losing My Religion by REM. I used to play this song on the mandolin in cover bands back in Tasmania. Oh, to be a teenager. :) I also played and sang Losing my Religion many years ago. However, I wasn't playing it right. I was playing a much simpler beginner version, particularly for the chorus.

In today's lesson, we'll learn both versions: an easier one suitable for advancing beginners and an authentic version too. You can adapt this song according to your level! Keep it simple to start, especially if you're new to guitar playing, then build up the difficulty over time.

💡 Use JustinGuitarTABS to help you learn faster. :) Get the chords and lyrics right in front of you to follow along with this easy tutorial. But remember: your goal is to play Losing My Religion by memory!

Simultaneously singing this song and playing it on the guitar is pretty tough. Maybe you won't agree, but singing the chorus with all the chord changes and syncopated rhythm was tricky for me. Let's look at the intro.

Losing My Religion – Intro Part

We'll start by looking at the authentic version. Then, we'll dig into a few tips and tricks for a simplified, easy way of playing Losing My Religion on the acoustic guitar. Now let's get stuck in!

The classic mandolin riff comes on "3 + 4 +" before the chords begin. And you need four notes! Place your little finger on 2:3 (string 2, fret 3). Then pluck the thin E string before hitting string 2 again. Now, finger 2 goes down on 3:2 (string 3, fret 2). Make sure to use my suggested fingering – it makes moving to the first chord easily. Finger 2 stays down for the jump to our F chord. :)

💡 You don't have to play the little starting riff, but it's a lot of fun! In R.E.M.'s original version, this part is played on the mandolin.

F is the first chord, and we'll play a mini version of F: XX3211. This grip allows us to lift off finger 2 to get Fsus2 (XX3011). If you like, you can grab the bass note at 6:1 with your thumb (1X3211), but don't worry if that's too tricky. The rhythm is:

F            Fsus2   F
1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +
D     D        U     U

Then we switch to a Dm for a couple of up strums, followed by G:

Dm      G
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
  U   U D   D

If you want to simplify this part, you can ignore the Dm. Stay on F until beat 3. You can also leave out the little riff and the Fsus2. Using the same rhythm is a big deal, though – it's a crucial part of the song.

🚨 Don't let a complex pattern like this make you tense and rigid as you strum. These patterns are just a guide, and strumming only sounds good when it's relaxed. Don't worry if you hit the strings on other beats. :)

After G, we switch to Am for two bars, with rhythm 1 2 + 3 4 +. If you want to get fancy, try adding this climb: A (5:0), B (5:2), C (5:3), D (4:0), and E (4:2), using a mix of fingers 2 and 4. As for time, these notes come on beats 1 and 3 of the first bar, then beats 1, 3, and 4 of the second bar, in that order. Fingers 1 and 3 stay in place throughout.

Repeat the same progression (F, Dm, G), then stick on Am until beat 4. this time round, we switch to G on the "+" of 4. We call this technique a push. We stick on G for a bar, then move into the verse.

🤔 There are some tricky parts here. Definitely isolate the parts you find tough and work on them separately. Do that, and it shouldn't take long for you to master this tune!

Time to check out the verse.

Losing My Religion – Verses + Strumming

The verses are really easy compared to the intro. We have two bars of Am followed by two bars of Em. You'll repeat that sequence three times. Then we've got two bars of Dm followed by two bars of G.

Here's a two-bar strumming pattern that will get you going. Play this once for each chord.

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D   D     U   U     D     U D U

I often strum on the "+" before the second beat 2 and on the second beat 3. Don't get too strict about the strumming, especially if you're singing. Be kind to yourself! Just keep your hand moving consistently and make sure it feels good. That's loads more important than following a strict pattern. :)

💡 To learn or not to learn? There's a lot of value in accurately learning the guitar parts from the original song. You learn to play the song properly and increase your repertoire and understanding. But don't let this get in the way of your creativity!

On the Dm and G sections, the strumming changes to:

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D     U D     U   U   U D U D U

As for the chorus, repeat the intro chords. It isn't easy to play the fancy guitar part and sing the chorus lyrics simultaneously, so feel free to simplify the guitar. And drop the volume down after choruses, especially the first one. That keeps the music interesting for the listener. :)

Losing My Religion – Bridge Chords + Riff

After the second chorus, we go to a bridge. For this section, you'll need Am, G, F, G, C, Dm, C, Dm. It's a good idea to strum once on each bar until the final C and Dm. Then you can build up the dynamics to lead into the verse. :)

In the bridge, there's another mandolin solo. Let's quickly see how to play that. Start with finger 3 at 2:5, taking care not to mute string 1. Pluck strings 1 and 2 together. Then we do the same but with finger 1 on 2:3, then finger 1 on 2:1, then finger 2 on 3:2. When you have finger 1 on 3:2, make sure to mute string 2 with the underside of the finger. In this context, we call that open string a drone because you keep playing it while other notes change.

Losing My Religion is perfect if you want to make your interpretation and move away from what's on the record! Maybe you try a fingerstyle version or completely change up the strumming pattern. Change the speed of it; make it a lot slower. Get creative

Whatever you do, trying different things is how you develop your skills and go beyond the beginner levels. And make sure to come and share a recording with the JustinGuitar Community. :) Happy trails!

🎵 Want chords, tabs, and lyrics to follow along with my song tutorials? Check out JustinGuitar Tabs!