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One of the most rewarding ways to play guitar behind a singer or back up another musician is to play fingerstyle.
This means playing guitar without a standard flatpick.
Many great artists have used this technique to play on countless hit songs. There are many different types of fingerstyle. I would consider this style a singer-songwriter fingerpicking style.
Today I want to share with you how the Beatles did this, in this “Dear Prudence” guitar lesson.
So grab your guitar and let’s get started!
Who wrote Dear Prudence?
"Dear Prudence" is a timeless classic from the Beatles' 1968 album, The Beatles (also known as the White Album.
"Dear Prudence" was written during the Beatles' transcendental meditation retreat in Rishikesh, India, in 1968. The song was aimed at Prudence Farrow, sister of actress Mia Farrow, who was also attending the retreat. Prudence was known for her introverted nature and tendency to stay in her room meditating.
John Lennon wrote the song with possible contributions from Paul McCartney. It was recorded in Trident Studios, London, England, between August and October 1968. George Martin was the producer at the helm of the studio.
While it wasn’t released as a single, "Dear Prudence" did receive critical acclaim for its melody, lyrics, and unique arrangement. The song was ranked in Rolling Stone Magazine's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" (2004) at No. 278
The song's ethereal atmosphere and soothing melody have made it a standout track on the album and in the band's catalog.
"Dear Prudence" remains a loved song by fans and musicians alike. Its simple yet profound message continues to resonate with listeners of all ages. The song has been covered by numerous artists and has been featured in various films and television shows.
What tuning is Dear Prudence in?
"Dear Prudence" is played in Drop D tuning. This means that you tune your low E string down to D while keeping the other five strings at their standard tuning (A, D, G, B, E).
This tuning allows for a deeper resonance and a fuller sound. This also contributes to the song’s droning character and atmospheric vibe.
Dear Prudence Fingerpicking Pattern
Except for the quick exception I demonstrate in the video above. Essentially the entire song uses just one fingerpicking pattern. I play it using a 3-finger style in my fingerpicking hand. This means I am only using my thumb, index, and middle fingers of the fingerpicking hand.
I assign each finger in my fingerpicking hand specific strings. This gives me a system to work with that goes like this:
6th string, 5th string, 4th string = THUMB
3rd string = INDEX
2nd string, 1st string = RING
Using that system let’s look at the fingerpicking pattern next on all open strings. The reason I start with all open strings is to solely focus on the fingerpicking hand without any distraction from the fretting hand. The pattern is going to go like this...
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