New Song: You Shook Me All Night Long for Guitar and more

Alright, let’s play this iconic classic rock tune! You’ll notice it has a straight-ahead groove you can’t help but stomp your foot to, but many of the strong notes and chords start in-between those stomps. This combination of on-beat and off-beat (syncopated) notes is what gives the song such a driving rhythm, and a sense of momentum. “You Shook Me All Night Long”, made famous by AC/DC, is now available in Yousician for Guitar, Bass, Ukulele, and Singing.

You Shook Me All Night Long for Guitar
by: James Neilson, Music Education Designer for Guitar

In the basic riff exercise (level 2) you’ll play a simplified version of the rhythm guitar part, using single notes on the E, A, and D-strings. If you learn one section at a time you’ll notice the repetition – there are really only 2 main riffs, plus some small variations. If you pay attention to this repeating structure, it makes it much faster and easier to learn the whole song.

In the main riff exercise (level 5) you’ll play a slightly simplified version of the rhythm guitar part, using moveable power chords and single notes. Look out for the fast chord changes and string skips! You’ll want to start slow with one section at a time to get each riff under your fingers.

The full rhythm exercise (level 7) includes the classic rhythm guitar part, with big open power chords and cowboy chords, mixed with some awesome arpeggios. One of the biggest challenges will be muting unused strings, which you can do with both the fretting and picking hands. Each chord should blast out of your guitar like a sledgehammer, and if there are unwanted strings ringing out it can quickly turn to mush.

In the rhythm & lead exercise (level 9) you’ll combine the iconic rhythm guitar parts, with the equally iconic solo. This solo is a masterclass in blues-rock playing, with impeccable phrasing and melodic development – an excellent choice to add to your repertoire! Notice it’s mostly in the dark-sounding G minor pentatonic scale, with some bright G major pentatonic blended in to balance things out.

You Shook Me All Night Long for Bass
by: Vellu Halkosalmi, Music Education Designer for Bass and Ukulele

In the basic bass exercise (level 2) you will be playing the most important notes of the bassline. This one only has 4 notes for you to play, but it gives you a nice challenge in rhythm. This is an excellent opportunity for you to practice playing notes both on the beat and off the beat.

Play the song as Cliff Williams plays it in Back In Black-album with the full bass exercise (level 5). Use a pick for an authentic sound, and focus on really locking in with the drums and guitars. The more solid rhythm you have, the more punchy your bassline will be!

You Shook Me All Night Long for Ukulele
by: Vellu Halkosalmi, Music Education Designer for Bass and Ukulele

In the basic melody exercise (level 2) you’ll practice playing notes both on-beat and off-beat, so try to focus carefully on the rhythm. Use one-finger-per-fret with your fretting hand: middle finger on the 2nd fret, and ring finger on the 3rd fret.

The chords exercise (level 5) is a ukulele-friendly adaptation of Malcolm Young’s rhythm guitar part, and it’s an amazing adventure into what you can do with just 3 chords. The important trick is to quickly switch chord shapes C-G-C and G-D-G with your fretting hand while keeping your strumming hand moving down for on-beats and up for off-beats. It’s a good idea to start by training the fretting hand muscle memory to get those quick changes going smoothly, and then shift your focus to the strumming hand coordination. Start in practice mode at a slow-enough tempo, and work your way up until you’re comfortable to strum away at 100% speed.

You Shook Me All Night Long for Singing
by: Sonja Patrikainen, Music Education Designer for Singing

This song – yet another iconic one made famous by AC/DC – offers a very naturally flowing, speech-like verse, followed by a power chorus with a beautifully flowing yet minimalistic melody.

These are really the two keys for mastering this song: Firstly, speak the verses. And secondly, in the choruses let your air flow freely without pushing or holding back.