March 8, 2022 by Klaus Crow
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Hi Folks,
Today I’m going to teach you how to play “Knocking on heavens door” by Bob Dylan, also covered by Guns ‘n Roses. This is a great song to learn on the guitar and a “must” to have on your repertoire :)
It’s an easy version for beginners using open chords and a basic strumming pattern to make the learning process as smooth as possible.
How to Play “Knocking on heavens door” on Guitar
Knocking on heavens door is played with 4 chords: G – D – Am – C
You can learn the chords on The 8 Most Important Guitar Chords for Beginners
Here are two basic strumming patterns you can use to play the song:
Basic strumming pattern #1:
/ G ↓↓ D ↓↓ / Am ↓↓↓↓ / G ↓↓ D ↓↓ / C ↓↓↓↓ /
Basic strumming pattern #2:
/ G ↓↓↑ D ↓↓↑ / Am ↓↓↓↑↓↓↓↑ / G ↓↓ D ↓↓ / C ↓↓↓↑↓↓↓↑ /
Watch the video guitar lesson below to learn the entire song step by step.
Please share your feedback in the comments below or on Youtube. I read and reply to everyone of them. I’d love to hear from you!
Enjoy!
Looks like a great lesson.
Really enjoyed the Knocking on heavens door lesson. and can now play it.
Hi Robert,
Thanks. It’s definitely worth the practice! ;)
Hi Gerald,
Wow! That’s fast.
Nice to hear you’ve learned the song.
I assume the explanation was clear. :)
Best,
Klaus
Great Lesson Klauss. You really make it easy to follow and understand.
Thanks.