Learn How To Play "Eight Days A Week" by The Beatles On Guitar!

In this lesson, we'll learn how to play Eight Days A Week by The Beatles on the acoustic guitar. It's a Beatles classic that everyone has heard at least once in their lifetimes. These Beatles are hard to get away from, aren't they? :)

This particular song is great for Grade 6+ intermediate guitar players or maybe someone who's just graduated from the beginner course. We'll explore the chords and strumming, and then we'll see how we can add rhythmic interest.

Chords & Strumming

While learning the chord progression, keep it nice and easy with four downstrums per bar. Write the chords down, a lot is going on in this masterpiece, and it'll help guide your playing!

There is one B minor barre chord, so look out for that. And, speaking of that B minor barre chord, it's followed by a G chord. If you're comfortable with your barre chords, you might want to consider playing the G barre chord instead of the traditional G chord.

💡 The G barre chord holds the same shape as the B minor barre, so it might be easier to switch to!

The strum pattern here is pretty simple, but something that might be fun to try is adding a percussive mute on beats 2 and 4 throughout the tune. You can also avoid strumming altogether and try a picking pattern instead. Explore and see what you prefer!

Make It Fancy With Sus Chords!

Another way you can make the song your own is by playing around with some sus chords – it's incredible what a difference one finger can make. The final sound of the song is entirely up to you!

🚨 Try not to do too much at once. You typically don't want to throw your whole toolbox at any song. ;)

Finally, there's a nice intro and ending bit, but it goes pretty high up the fretboard. If you're going to attempt it, be sure to use a cutaway acoustic or an electric guitar.

Want chords, tabs, and lyrics to follow along with Eight Days A Week and hundreds of song tutorials? Check out JustinGuitar Tabs!