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learning guitar

Sidelined by Eric Clapton’s “Tears in Heaven” song lyrics

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Sidelined by Eric Clapton’s “Tears in Heaven” song lyrics

April 25, 2025

Sharifu

So there I was, making my morning coffee. I popped on some headphones, hit the play button on the right ear muff not knowing what music would come on, as one does, and then proceeded to watch water boil as I came into consciousness. Then came out of nowhere these beautiful lyrics accompanied by great acoustic guitar…

“Would you know my name
If I saw you in Heaven?
Would it be the same
If I saw you in Heaven?”
— Eric Clapton, Tears in Heaven

I was like, “what? Excuse me?” Talk about a loaded statement…. one that I clearly did not have the context of, nor did I really understand.

I imagined friends talking and I thought “of course you’d know your friend’s name in Heaven.”

But it still didn’t make sense…

So I hit Google with a “tears in heaven lyrics meaning” query and damn, when I heard the story, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. This might be the saddest song I’ve ever heard - and not in a bad way - in a beautiful way. A way that captures something real and meaningful and personal; this is what songs can only hope to do.

Brace yourself

Full “Tears in Heaven” lyrics

[Verse 1]

Would you know my name

If I saw you in Heaven?

Would it be the same

If I saw you in Heaven?

[Chorus]

I must be strong

And carry on

‘Cause I know I don't belong

Here in Heaven

[Verse 2]

Would you hold my hand

If I saw you in Heaven?

Would you help me stand

If I saw you in Heaven?

[Chorus]

I'll find my way

Through night and day

‘Cause I know I just can't stay

Here in Heaven

[Bridge]

Time can bring you down

Time can bend your knees

Time can break your heart

Have you begging please

Begging please

The song is about Eric Clapton losing his 4 year old son. Ahh, to die so young, now the first verse made sense… Would they even remember you? Would they meet you with the same glee a son meets their father with, years and years later presumably, in heaven?

A single day before the accident that took young Conor Clapton’s life, nzherold.co.nz says that Eric had taken his son out for the first time on his own to the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island. There were clowns, elephants… Conor was over the moon and Eric had discovered the joy of being a father. When they got back, Conor bouncing with glee, Eric told his wife Lory…

“From now on, I intend to be a proper father.”

Biographer Philip Norman remarks “That sawdust-scented afternoon showed [Eric] what he’d been missing.

On the tragic day of the incident, and lets be sensitive enough not to lay blame here, a janitor was working on a window in their high-rise apartment and had left it open.

The janitor called out to warn the nanny looking after Conor, but the boy ran past her before the information could register…

Conor was in the habit of leaning against that window to look out.

I just can’t imagine having the best thing in life slip out of your hands so suddenly.

Before the incident, Conor asked his mother ‘Mommy, I want to write to daddy. What should I write?’

After the funeral, Eric Clapton received that letter in the mail.

The letter simply read “I love you, dad.”

CONFESSION

I’ve always found it a touch bland when I see really talented musicians do cover after cover after cover after cover… nothing original.

Songs, for me, are really personal to the artist(s) that write them. Perhaps it’s a skill to write so vaguely that anybody can resonate with a song. But for me, the good stuff is personal.

“Tears in Heaven” is an incredible song. It starts like a puzzle that makes you want to discover the context. And when you do, those lyrics hit like a truck.

The song can make you feel something without the context as well and with that mellow tone, it seems so harmless, casual in a way…

It moved me to share the story with you.

Lets learn GUITAR together.

What song are you thinking about?

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How to sing and play guitar at the same time without embarrassment

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How to sing and play guitar at the same time without embarrassment

April 17, 2025

Sharifu

I went on a guitar learning tangent lol... so the guys and gals in our String Theory Live Guitar Club got me thinking about singing and playing at the same time so I wrote a song and have been working on singing it in time for about a week..

1) impossible at our skill level without a metronome in your ear that matches the song (MUST MATCH)

2) often verses and chorus' have different chords (transitions are key if you're ever going to play for anybody else without people saying "what's with the pauses")

3) I struggled to memorize my own lyrics lol... so I printed it out on 1 page MAX (but you need at least 75% memorized)

4) the more comfortable I got with the guitar part, the easier it was to sing

5) recording hardware a major factor... often drowning out my singing voice with my guitar..

CONCLUSION: we can do this... but it's going to take effort.

This is the version of Cheshire Cat I'm not embarrassed by :) 

p.s. starting with a song you memorized already will cut the time like crazy



my GUITAR story…

After connecting, Bob Harris and I came up with a plan for me to reach the next level. Instead of learning 20 songs poorly, what if we could come up with one song that would give me essential skills I was missing. So that's what we did. The song we're going to learn is something we came up with together, and it will take you to the intermediate level because it teaches 10 essential guitar skills. Welcome and get pumped to get better together! 

Together - Bob, me, and you - will learn this song from the beginning and over 6 weeks, we will explore what makes an intermediate guitarist. 

Explore the program (AND A SURPRISE) by clicking here.

About Bob

Bob Harris is an acclaimed acoustic guitarist whose career spans nearly 1,000 albums and recording sessions for major labels including Universal, Atlantic, Mercury, and QVC’s Q Records, as well as numerous independent projects. He has collaborated with some of the industry's most iconic acoustic, bluegrass, and country musicians, including producing and performing on Johnny Cash’s The Great Lost Performance, as well as working with Bob Dylan and many other renowned artists in live performances worldwide.

As the founder of Ampersand Records USA, Bob has been instrumental in producing and performing on a wide range of projects. His illustrious career includes a 15-year tenure with the Vassar Clements Band, where he shared the stage with the legendary fiddle virtuoso.

In 1992, Bob’s extraordinary talent earned him first place in Guitar Player Magazine's International Ultimate Guitar Competition, solidifying his reputation as a world-class guitarist.

Bob’s songwriting achievements include a contract with Tree Publishing Nashville (now Sony Tree) in 1991. He later collaborated with Movieville Music and Great Galen Publishing, writing alongside Country Music Hall of Fame songwriter Jerry Foster.

Beyond music, Bob joined forces with comedian and talk show host Lionel of WABC Radio in 1995, touring the New York Tri-State comedy circuit for over 15 years, adding a unique dimension to his multifaceted career.

Today, Bob is the host of one of YouTube's most popular beginner fingerstyle guitar channels, Acoustic Guitar Videos & Lessons, which has garnered over 17 million views. His passion for teaching and inspiring musicians worldwide continues to make a lasting impact on the guitar community.

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From guitar noob to writing songs in 1 year

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From guitar noob to writing songs in 1 year

March 6, 2025

Sharifu

Before connecting with the legendary guitarist, maestro and teacher Bob Harris, I was that guy that had a guitar that he’s never touched in his closet for 10 years.

In looking back at my journey though, there are a few things that I can attribute to my fairly quick progress. One year, relatively speaking, is a short time to be considered an advanced beginner/intermediate guitar player. There is so much more progress to make but I’m at a turning point again. Do I keep going? Have I had enough guitar? Is this worth it?

Don’t freak out. I am addicted to guitar at this point. As I look forward to the potential progress I could make in year 2 of learning guitar, this is what worked for me in very short points:

  1. Desire to learn. This part you can’t fake and somehow, from somewhere you need to find a fire to light under your own ass to have some kind of urgency to learn. lol for me, I just got sick of seeing my guitar collect dust and I remembered back to when my dad was alive, that he thought I could learn it - so what the hell was I waiting for? Time to do it for not only myself, but dad too.

  2. Willingness to learn alone. It is what it is. As you will see in point 3, a teacher saves you time… years in fact. But even without a teacher, I would’ve kept learning on my own. Yes I would’ve sounded like garbage, but I still would’ve kept going. This is a journey and I’m not quitting until the ring gets thrown into the damn volcano (nerd reference).

  3. Find a teacher already. I lucked out. Bob Harris is the best. You can learn with him too here.

  4. record yourself. There are a lot of points that really just come back to this one. Record yourself playing until it’s not embarassing to share. It might take 20 takes. Might take 100. But just do it and share it and make it look easy and effortless and beautiful. That’s it. In my case I really enjoy being creative and so I wrote a bunch of songs while learning almost right away from month 1 of seriously learning. It’s just who I am.

    If you listen to anything below can you give me some feedback?

  5. Stick to what is exciting. Play songs that excite you. Do courses that you think are delivering a good return on your time investment. Don’t make it homework. Music is something you play, not work.




my story…

After connecting, Bob and I came up with a plan for me to reach the next level. Instead of learning 20 songs poorly, what if we could come up with one song that would give me essential skills I was missing. So that's what we did. The song we're going to learn is something we came up with together, and it will take you to the intermediate level because it teaches 10 essential guitar skills. Welcome and get pumped to get better together! 

Together - Bob, me, and you - will learn this song from the beginning and over 6 weeks, we will explore what makes an intermediate guitarist. 

Explore the program (AND A SURPRISE) by clicking here.

About Bob

Bob Harris is an acclaimed acoustic guitarist whose career spans nearly 1,000 albums and recording sessions for major labels including Universal, Atlantic, Mercury, and QVC’s Q Records, as well as numerous independent projects. He has collaborated with some of the industry's most iconic acoustic, bluegrass, and country musicians, including producing and performing on Johnny Cash’s The Great Lost Performance, as well as working with Bob Dylan and many other renowned artists in live performances worldwide.

As the founder of Ampersand Records USA, Bob has been instrumental in producing and performing on a wide range of projects. His illustrious career includes a 15-year tenure with the Vassar Clements Band, where he shared the stage with the legendary fiddle virtuoso.

In 1992, Bob’s extraordinary talent earned him first place in Guitar Player Magazine's International Ultimate Guitar Competition, solidifying his reputation as a world-class guitarist.

Bob’s songwriting achievements include a contract with Tree Publishing Nashville (now Sony Tree) in 1991. He later collaborated with Movieville Music and Great Galen Publishing, writing alongside Country Music Hall of Fame songwriter Jerry Foster.

Beyond music, Bob joined forces with comedian and talk show host Lionel of WABC Radio in 1995, touring the New York Tri-State comedy circuit for over 15 years, adding a unique dimension to his multifaceted career.

Today, Bob is the host of one of YouTube's most popular beginner fingerstyle guitar channels, Acoustic Guitar Videos & Lessons, which has garnered over 17 million views. His passion for teaching and inspiring musicians worldwide continues to make a lasting impact on the guitar community.

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Who is Bob Harris of Acoustic Guitar Video Lessons on YouTube? Fingerpicking for Beginners

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Who is Bob Harris of Acoustic Guitar Video Lessons on YouTube? Fingerpicking for Beginners

by Sharifu

Before I tell you about the great renowned guitarist we're learning with in this 6-week live zoom guitar class, I want to say something about what Bob Harris taught me.

If you're a self-taught guitar beginner or just trying to get to that next level, you're in the right place. I was just like you. I bought a guitar and barely touched it for about 10 years. I finally bought an app subscription, went on YouTube and scoured the web for guitar tabs of my favourite songs from anime, videogames, movies and musicians. I tried to get as far as I could by myself. However, I hit a wall. I couldn't honestly get out of this beginner phase because you don't know what you don't know - I needed a teacher.

Enter Bob Harris. 

About Bob

Bob Harris is an acclaimed acoustic guitarist whose career spans nearly 1,000 albums and recording sessions for major labels including Universal, Atlantic, Mercury, and QVC’s Q Records, as well as numerous independent projects. He has collaborated with some of the industry's most iconic acoustic, bluegrass, and country musicians, including producing and performing on Johnny Cash’s The Great Lost Performance, as well as working with Bob Dylan and many other renowned artists in live performances worldwide.

As the founder of Ampersand Records USA, Bob has been instrumental in producing and performing on a wide range of projects. His illustrious career includes a 15-year tenure with the Vassar Clements Band, where he shared the stage with the legendary fiddle virtuoso.

In 1992, Bob’s extraordinary talent earned him first place in Guitar Player Magazine's International Ultimate Guitar Competition, solidifying his reputation as a world-class guitarist.

Bob’s songwriting achievements include a contract with Tree Publishing Nashville (now Sony Tree) in 1991. He later collaborated with Movieville Music and Great Galen Publishing, writing alongside Country Music Hall of Fame songwriter Jerry Foster.

Beyond music, Bob joined forces with comedian and talk show host Lionel of WABC Radio in 1995, touring the New York Tri-State comedy circuit for over 15 years, adding a unique dimension to his multifaceted career.

Today, Bob is the host of one of YouTube's most popular beginner fingerstyle guitar channels, Acoustic Guitar Videos & Lessons, which has garnered over 17 million views. His passion for teaching and inspiring musicians worldwide continues to make a lasting impact on the guitar community.

Back to my story…

After connecting, Bob and I came up with a plan for me to reach the next level. Instead of learning 20 songs poorly, what if we could come up with one song that would give me essential skills I was missing. So that's what we did. The song we're going to learn is something we came up with together, and it will take you to the intermediate level because it teaches 10 essential guitar skills. Welcome and get pumped to get better together! 

Together - Bob, me, and you - will learn this song from the beginning and over 6 weeks, we will explore what makes an intermediate guitarist. 

Explore the program by clicking here.

Explore More


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Play Time's Scar from Chrono Cross - Guitar Tab by Toshiro

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Play Time's Scar from Chrono Cross - Guitar Tab by Toshiro

Hi there,

I’m trying to learn acoustic guitar so I can play all the songs I enjoyed in anime and videogames growing up. Here’s my journey:

What makes this so hard for me is the use of hammer-ons and pull-offs which I’ve never seen before in my learning guitar journey.


Difficulty: intermediate
Capo:no capo
Author Toshiro 
Lead Guitar: E-A-D-G-B-E
Rhythm Guitar: E-A-D-G-B-E
 
[Lead guitar]
(Melody)
(start after Rhythm finishes intro)
e|-----------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----12---12---10------------------------------------------|
G|-9----------------12-11-12-14---12h14p12-11-11--h12p11-9---|
D|-----------------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------|
 
e|------------------9-10-12-p10h12p10-9-------------------------------------------|
B|-----12---12---12---------------------12---10----10-h12-p10h12p10-----10---12---|
G|-9--------------------------------------------12--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
 
e|----------------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------10---12--------------------------------|
G|-12-11-12-----12-------------12-14---12---11h12p11-9------|
D|-------------------------------------------------------12-|
A|----------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------|
 
e|--------------------------------------------------|
B|-12---12h13p12-10---------------------------------|
G|-------------------12--11--9-----11p9-7-7b(9)-----|
D|--------------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------|
 
(faster part)
e|---------------------------------------------------------10-----|
B|---12-----10---8h10p8-7-8-7-------12-----10---8h10p8-7-8--------|
G|-9------9-------------------7-9--------9------------------------|
D|--------------------------------9-------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------|
 
e|---------------------------------------------------------10-----|
B|---12-----10---8h10p8-7-8-7-------12-----10---8h10p8-7-8--------|
G|-9------9-------------------7-9--------9------------------------|
D|--------------------------------9-------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------|
 
e|-10-12----------------------------------10--------|
B|-----------15p13-12---10---------------------12---|
G|---------------------------12-----11h12-----------|
D|--------------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------|
 
e|-12----------------------------------------------------|
B|--------15p13-12---10--------10h12p10------------------|
G|------------------------12--------------11-12p11-9-----|
D|-------------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------|
 
e|-12----------------------------------10--------|
B|--------15p13-12---10---------------------12---|
G|------------------------12-----11h12-----------|
D|-----------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------|
 
e|-12----------------------------------------------------|
B|--------15p13-12---10--------10h12p10------------------|
G|------------------------12--------------11-12p11-9-----|
D|-------------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------|
 
e|-12----------------------------------10--------|
B|--------15p13-12---10---------------------12---|
G|------------------------12-----11h12-----------|
D|-----------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------|
 
e|-12-------------------------------------10-12-|
B|--------15p13-12---10--------10h12p10---------|
G|------------------------12--------------------|
D|----------------------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------|
 
[Rhythm guitar]
[Intro]
e|---------------------------------------------------------0---|
B|---------3-----3---------3-----3---------3-----3---------3---|
G|-------0-----0---------0-----0---------0-----0---------0-4---|
D|-----4-----4---------4-----4---------4-----4---------4-------|
A|---2---------------2---------------2---------------2---------|
E|-0---------------0---------------0---------------0-----------|
 
(Melody)
e|-----------------------------------------0---------------0-------|
B|---------3-----3---------3-----3-------3-------3-------3-------3-|
G|-------0-----0---------0-----0-------0-------0-------0-------0---|
D|-----4-----4---------4-----4-------4-------4-------4-------4-----|
A|---2---------------2-------------3---------------3---------------|
E|-0---------------0-----------------------------------------------|
 
e|-------------------------2p0---------------0---0-----------0---0---|
B|---------3-----3-------3-----3-------------0---0-----------0---0---|
G|-------0-----0-------0---------0---------2-2---2---------2-2---2---|
D|-----4-----4-------4-------------0-----3-----3---3-----3-----3---3-|
A|---2---------------------------------3---------------3-------------|
E|-0---------------0-----------------1---------------1---------------|
 
e|-------------------------2p0---------------2-----------------------|
B|---------3-----3-------3-----3-------------3---3---------0---------|
G|-------0-----0-------0---------0-----------2-2---2-----0-------0---|
D|-----4-----4-------4-------------0-----5-----------2-4-------2---2-|
A|---2---------------------------------5---5-----------------3-------|
E|-0---------------0-----------------3-------------------------------|
 
e|---------------------------|
B|-0---3---------------------|
G|-0-0---0-----2-------------|
D|-0-------0-4---4-5-4-5-----|
A|-----------------7-5-7-----|
E|---------------------------|
 
 
************************************
 
| h  Hammer-on
| p  Pull-off
 
************************************

by Sharifu

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