Born to Be Wild Guitar Lesson - Steppenwolf

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/ iplaygitar
In this Born To Be Wild guitar lesson video, I will show you how to play all the guitar chords, riffs and licks found in this hard rocking classic from Steppenwolf.
There is some really fun stuff to play in this one. The opening main riff was an instant classic when the song was releases and requires a pretty large fret-hand stretch to accomplish it. The main thing to focus on when attempting a stretch like this is your thumb's position on the back of the neck.
Keeping your thumb too high up will prevent your fingers from being able to stretch out and reach those notes. So if you are having trouble with that be sure to lower that thumb and things should fall into place much easier.
The verse is basically made up of two different parts. The first part is a simplified version of the main opening riff, that is followed by some quick bar chords with great guitar licks thrown in between the repeats.
In total, there are 3 verse sections of the song and they all use slightly different guitar licks. I will cover them all in detail so you will be able to quickly match each guitar lick on the original recording.
From there we will have a very simple to play chorus and pre-chorus. However, that is just setting us up for the great jam session coming up!
This jam session happens twice in the song and is a fantastic rhythm guitar exercise. I will break down all the rhythm hand strumming patterns along with the fret-hand muting in detail at a very slowed down tempo.
All-in-all "Born To Be Wild" is a lot of fun and a great guitar workout for the intermediate level guitarist. Have Fun!
Carl...

[@danieldiorio7002]

I love it, I leaned the beginning awhile back and it was intimidating, I'd listen and hear him slide down to the major chord and then a step up with the fills. It's so explosive. I like how direct the playing is, it's not like a Zeppelin or other bands just raw in your face. Thank you, my friend Matt told me of your lessons 2 years ago and it has been a great way to learn songs, techniques, and develop my playing. Thank you, thank you, and keep on Rocking in the Free World!

[@robertdusair5770]

Thanks!

[@powergin1]

You are excellent Carl and as always respect to you sir for sharing this with us. I have learnt so much from you and i will be forever thankful . Much love from England.

[@ulib-ml4wy]

great Carl.... but i don't know if i should go directly in my guitar room or in my garage to my motorbike...:-)

[@markjordan4593]

Why do people put a thumbs down, cos they can't play?

[@jamiemontgomery7846]

I totally agree.

[@rebelrocker113]

Awesome Lesson as always Carl is a great teacher 🎸🎸🎸

[@RandomPablo-b4l]

For the chorus part, I like to slide a fret farther for a split second. Basically, I play E D Db D. It adds a nice touch if you're playing solo.

[@LWar103]

Great point. Me too. Surprised he didn't suggest that!

[@garyjohn316]

That is a lot better, thanx!

[@r1deftone]

That Strat sounds pretty bad ass.

[@theali8oras274]

Heavy metal thunder !

[@garyjohn316]

And the feeling that I'm under.

[@marcbudicin]

Hey Carl, do you think that you can do a lesson on "The Boys Are Back In Town" by Thin Lizzy please?

[@shawnwilkinson6607]

Good one, everyone should know how to play this one. The Hendrix cord is a E7(#9). I haven't played the wolf sine the 80's, good stuff, kept it up! oh and thanks again for the great video!

[@billdahl7962]

You are one of my favorites on you tube! Great lessons! Good job man!

[@gqlow12]

Jeez, i need bigger hands just to play the intro.

[@joseabad2552]

Thank you for sharing keep up the great work ❤

[@casp3roo317]

Thx so much, i was looking for lessons but it looked hard but with your explonation its sooo easy

[@matthew5686]

This video is 14:19 long and it's been up one minute but you've watched all of it and had time to comment? You're magical

[@nicolasgia]

Would you do Since I've Been Loving You by Led Zeppelin please?

[@juliareid1775]

Thank you Carl your a guitar God

[@matthewturner5773]

Just a tip that my guitar teacher had play the guitar in classical position, it helps with the stretch.

[@ShashankNaithani]

Hey thanks for the tutorial. Very helpful and easy. However My pinky is not going further what I can do for this

[@vman992mah2]

U rock man

[@stevenpreszler7467]

very nice job of teaching

[@tokai5707]

Finger stretch from hell

[@zhora0822]

Excellent lesson! Really well explained. You Tube again comes to my aid.

[@daynaholgate4839]

Keep it up teaching us guitar! Your videos help me understand and how to play!!! 😎😎😎🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@McRonson]

Classic Rock never gets old. More, please! And more '70s Brit Punk ;-)

[@ludoms100]

steppenwolf is canadiwn

[@justdave5145]

+ludoms100 I actually didn't know that and I'm Canadian wow

[@Ronno4691]

+ludoms100 - I never said Steppenwolf were English! For the hard of thinking, my comment obliquely referred to Carl recently showcasing the Sex Pistols' Anarchy In The Uk. To avoid any confusion, the Sex Pistols were a Punk rock band from the 1970s. First wave Punk - not the sh*tty Green Day guff - was full of brilliant short sharp guitar riffs. Get a good British Punk compilation and see for yourself.

[@tomcorey3599]

Thank you! (and for the lesson on On My Loving)

[@ficothecroatianrocker]

Great lesson man Only I had to play in different position because my fingers are too short to make big stretch like that

[@sagamanic3083]

or what ever that melody is :) so simple that it bores me. Thank you for the tutorial, love it.

[@budandbean1]

Thanks so much for this one Carl, really appreciate it... Buddy

[@taki384]

Great lesson can you please do a lead guitar lesson for the pusher by steppenwolf there are a ton of rhythm guitar lessons but nobody ever does the lead I know you would do a great job with this song thx mate.

[@tweedguitar9103]

Hey Carl, Good stuff thanks. Any chance you could do "Magic Carpet Ride" by Steppenwolf ? thanks cheers tweed

[@GuitarLessons365SongLessons]

+tweed guitar Yes it is on the way. Probably early next week!

[@McRonson]

Um, I found that if I played the Magic Carpet Ride riff in Eb (tuned down to E flat, that is), it sounded totally 'in the pocket'. At concert pitch, it doesn't sound right at all but tuned down? Yeah, baby!! It might even make you horny, baby! Apologies for the gratuitous Austin Powers reference.

[@MuKaEclipse]

perfect thanks for sharing this.

[@leandrodavid6256]

Awesome! Thanks

[@KowboyUSA]

Excellent!

[@BodyMachineShop]

Carl you are a bloody great teacher! Thank you so much a definite go to for clarity and execution. Do you do lesson on skype?

[@hakimmaszelan5158]

awesome tutorial :D . please do rocket queen by guns n roses

[@runeS2000]

Hey carl, could you maybe do a lesson on the outro solo from Believe by Lenny Kravitz? there are no lessons to be found anywhere nor are tabs. ._. and it's such a sick solo too.

[@briguylor]

The so called Hendrix chord is actually an E+9 or E raised 9. Good session Carl thanks.

[@GuitarLessons365SongLessons]

+briguylor proper terminology would be E7#9 or E dominant 7 sharp 9 ... thanks!

[@GWParadise]

I wonder if Hendrix knew that. LOL

[@georgeallison2329]

Hey Carl on the main riff you mute the strings after you each strum

[@raghavgrover8776]

please could u give a tutorial on pocupine tree -trains acoustics part ! i knw its not tht famous but its an awsm song i hv been trying to get for so long ! :) thank u !

[@rockyvideomaker123]

Hey Carl do you think you can teach "ritual knife" by uncle acid and the deadbeats? There is no tutorial on KZbin.

[@neighbourhoodmusician]

Holy shit that's a lot of gain for this song. Steppenwolf via Whitesnake circa 1987.

[@contemporarylatinchristian7848]

Hey Carl, are you ever going to be doing anymore Bon Jovi songs? It would be awesome if you did.

[@micgreene1198]

Could you please consider doing a lesson on So Far Away by Dire Straits. Great video!

[@bradenjones5627]

Hey Carl do u think u can do generator by the foo fighters

[@12345678968241]

Hey man could you please do Watch the corners by dinosaur jr

[@henryssurfshowcase]

Cool man!

[@louisdutoya857]

Hi Carl, Horizons by Genesis or Moonlight shadow by Mike Oldfield possible please ? :)

[@saganstephen2929]

Wonder what kind of strat is this? Custom shop 50s 60s??

[@godzillagamer4352]

What brand is your amp?

[@kevinjepson8928]

What pedal are you using?

[@vernonchelski7385]

What guitar, effects and amp are you using? I can barely see the logo on the head stock of the guitar. I can't read it.

[@benparsons4979]

probably a Fender Strat

[@vernonchelski7385]

@@benparsons4979 Usually the logo is darker od.lk/s/OV8xNjc2MDQ2NjVf/Fender-logo.jpg

[@merickel1]

Been playing for 20 years. Cant make that stretch :(

[@johnenock1198]

Play it on the next string! Sounds almost exactly the same.

[@AllenR]

(cont'd...) even the "Hendrix" chord with a 3b on top, played by the organ in the verse, has no major or minor 3rd present. This is excluded from the D (7b) chord which is obviously major.

[@Alcantpwn]

6:00

[@juungakagi4262]

wind of change please come on man!!!!

[@fergusonja8]

I'm having a REALLY hard time barring those three strings with my ring finger...

[@robertoalmeida6605]

with a gibson this song sounds like the record

[@chrismartin8467]

please arpeggios from helll tnx carl

[@zero.andreguimaraes]

number 1000 like

[@XterraRon]

Tab?

[@JFD18]

Heading on the highway!!

[@welshwalsh]

Mr giant hands!

[@oisinmcphillips2090]

I love having big hands...

[@AllenR]

Sounds good except the major third is never played in the tonic chord (E or 1), only in the G & A. When the song gets into the instrumental interlude in the middle, the only instrument that plays the 3rd in the 1 chord at all is the organ and it reveals itself to be a minor third, not a major. The rest of the time, it's simply parallel 5ths on the E or 1 chord (which all the music professors hate) with no third playd on the guitar.

[@giacomobergonzi4906]

Wait. Wait. WAIT. You mean i always played those intro and main riffs with pull offs from the 11th and 12th frets ... for nothing? I always tought that was what the song was like on the record... i kinda hear pull offs there... It was incredibly hard to get used to do that lol.

[@shawnhuff3920]

A cover song for Metallica still garaging ..... album that they should release

[@Dablooo356]

Directions unclear, I bought a Harley Davidson and wear assless chaos now.

[@Desmond000007]

My fingers are too short for this s***

[@РостиславШкромюк]

Little fingers cant reach this far

[@adrianagalinska8471]

It's possible if you practise stretching it on strings.

[@raakaroki]

Grrrrr... Got too short fingers for that ☹

[@sid1982able]

That effect is not authentic it did not exist that time and classic old school overdrive efect (early 70)would be much more better I notice that you use it for many songs

[@sid1982able]

You are awesome gutarist but I just do not like some songs you play with this type of distortion

[@pulidomi]

Less distortion please!!!

[@randallyoung6647]

Carl the pre chours has e d d flat I learned that from listening to the vinal yea I know it's old school but it still plays its whole half half whole step