New Song: Only Happy When It Rains

Let’s play this 90s classic! It manages to blur the line between angst-ridden grunge and sing-along pop, with big fuzzy guitars and catchy vocal hooks. If you listen to the drums, you’ll hear one of the most popular beats of all time: 1 2 3&4, repeated over and over. It’s worth memorizing this beat, as it will help you recognize and count lots of other songs too.

“Only Happy When It Rains”, made famous by Garbage, is now available in Yousician for Guitar, Ukulele, Bass, and Singing.

Only Happy When It Rains for Guitar
by: James Neilson, Music Education Designer for Guitar

In the basic riff exercise (level 2) you’ll play along with a simplified version of the main guitar riff. It’s in 2nd position (meaning the index finger plays on the 2nd fret), so concentrate on using the correct fingers so you can play it as efficiently as possible.

In the main riff exercise (level 4) you’ll play the recorded heavy guitar parts, but arranged for one guitar. It uses a range of slightly uncommon power chords (e.g. G#5, C#5), so it’s a great opportunity to memorize the names of those so you know them for next time.

In the cowboy chords exercise (level 5) you’ll play the main chords of the song, using familiar cowboy chord shapes (with a capo if you have one). The rhythm is fairly straightforward, but the chords keep moving quite quickly, so you’ll need to keep thinking ahead.

In the melody exercise (level 5) you’ll play the main vocal and instrumental melodies. There are lots of quick pull-offs, so start slow until the pattern gets under your fingers.

Only Happy When It Rains for Ukulele
by: Joona Hasan, Music Education Designer for Ukulele

In the chords exercise (level 5) you’ll be playing along with the grungy guitars and punchy rhythm section! Try to stay loose but focused!

In the melody exercise (level 5) you’ll be playing Shirley Manson’s moody vocal melody, as well as the guitar interlude. There’s quite a bit of picking involved, but luckily it’s mostly on one string!

Only Happy When It Rains for Bass
by: Antti Halmetoja, Bass content specialist

In the basic bassline exercise (level 1) you’ll learn the basics of the song. It only uses the E and A strings in one position, so it’s super fun to play even if you are just getting started on the bass.

The full bassline exercise (level 5) includes the originally recorded bassline. The main rhythm pattern stays pretty consistent throughout the song, but there are lots of little variations to look out for. There’s a particularly tricky fill before the outro, so start slow on that section to get it under your fingers.

Only Happy When It Rains for Singing
by: Sonja Patrikainen, Music Education Designer for Singing

This song is good for practicing pitch and ear training. Pay attention to the patterns of the melody – it might look like it’s repeating the same thing over and over, but there are slight differences between the patterns. Keep your ears open for chromatic movements, meaning that practicing to listen and sing half steps will also help you with this song. You can learn more about half steps from the knowledge path!