This is the full fingerstyle guitar lesson for Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac.
Rhiannon was written by Stevie Nicks in 1975. The song appears on Fleetwood Mac's self-titled album 'Fleetwood Mac' and was released as a single in '76. It went on to reach number 11 in the USA and has become one of the band's best known songs.
The most important thing to achieve when playing this arrangement is being 100% true to the melody line of the song. As you learn Rhiannon, really focus on getting that just right.
OK, let's start learning how to play Rhiannon!
Song Details:
- Key - Am major
- Tuning - standard
- Tempo - 126 bpm
- Difficulty - high intermediate
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Rhiannon Fingerstyle Guitar Lesson
The main riff to Rhiannon is a real classic among guitarists; it's great fun to play and sounds so good. However, I have seen so many people play it incorrectly. If you listen carefully to the riff you'll hear that the bass notes aren't just playing on each beat. They're actually quite syncopated, and this is what many people get wrong. All will be taught in the video lesson.
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How to Play The Verse
Onto the verse now and here we have a relatively simple alternating bass with the melody simultaneously being played on top.
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How to Play The Chorus
The chorus is likely a little harder than the verse but it's well worth the extra work as it's a lot of fun to play once you've mastered it.
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How to Play The Bridge
There's just the bridge left to learn now and if you're OK with the rest of the song then you shouldn't struggle too much here.
Want to learn more fingerstyle arrangements of famous songs?: Can't Help Falling In Love (Elvis Presley), Take Me Home, Country Roads (John Denver), Don't Look Back In Anger (Oasis), Ticket to Ride (The Beatles), Have You Ever Seen The Rain (Creedence Clearwater Revival).
Alternatively you can browse the whole song catalogue: Song Lesson Library
Let me know what you thought of the lesson in the comments section below. Say what you found hard/easy, what level you're at and what your fingerpicking goals are.
Amazing course, really helpfull
Thank you, glad you found it helpful.
Excellent course where have you been all these years?
Glad you like it George!
Do you have a complete tab in a printable format?
I’m afraid not, due to copyright laws.
Awesome lesson, it has been helpful!
Looking at your 2nd and 4th course C chord sections, I can’t seem to match the Tab up to your video. Could there be a mistake?
Thanks Sam, as I teach the lessons I follow the tabs, so they should match up.
Great lessons but I don’t think they match up either. You bass notes in the tab for the chorus are not all quarter notes but in the video they are all quarter notes.
Hi Zach, it’s been a long time since I made this lesson but I can tell you that it will work either way – quarter notes or quavers. Play it whichever way sounds best to you.
In the “verse” section you said its trimmed back. What is different between the tab above and what is played in the song?
In the actual song it won’t be played like this at all as this is an arrangement. In the song it’s likely just the chords being strummed underneath the vocal.
Since my hands are rather small, I am having a hard time using the thumb for the F bass. I tend to use my index, which forces me to make the funniest chord positions 🙂 same goes for Eddie Vedder’s Tuolumne.
Anyway, is going well…
Looks like the tabs have disappeared? I was mid – way through learning but they seem to be gone now? Is there any way I can get access?
Hi Max, the tab has been removed due to copyright. For more information on why, this video by Gareth Evans explains the issues: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F63x345mCA
The music will be transcribed in the coming months and then available via Musicnotes as for all other songs.
Thanks, Chris
Hi Max,
I love this song and have practicing alot to get it down.
Im stuck on the beginning of the chourus with C on the 7th fret.
I just cant get my first finger flat on the 8th fret and have my thumb on the 8th low E string at the same time.
Could you help with another kind of arrangement? I really want to get this song down 🙁
Thanks you for your great lessons…super!!!
Glad you like the lesson Danny. I’d really stick with trying to get your thumb around the back of the neck as in Fingerstyle you do it all the time. Well worth the work! Good luck with it.