Queen 39 Lesson

Hi Youtubers!
I just learned to play this song and thought I'd pass along some wisdom.. to whomever seeks it.
This is a lesson for the whole song - '39' by Queen, written and sung by Brian May.
It's a great, catchy folk tune that's relatively easy to play. It just looks tricky.

Intro C, Am, E Bb Eb Bb C F G G D Em C, G D C G
G D Em C, G D G G G G

D Em
In the year of '39...assembled here the Volunteers
C G
In the days when the lands were few
D Em Em7 C D
Here the ship sailed out into the blue and sunny morn
D (add G) D G
Sweetest sight ever seen.
G D B7
And night followed day And the storytellers say Em Am
That the score brave souls inside
G D
For a many lonely day sailed across the milky seas
C Em C D C (G) D
Ne'er looked back, never feared, never cried. G C G
Don't you hear my call though you're many years away
G C G D
Don't you hear me calling you G F# Em D C G Am
Write your letters in the sand For the day I take your hand Em D G
In the land that our grandchildren knew.

| Eb | Eb | Cm | Cm | C7 | C7 | C7 | C7 | A | A | A | A |
| C | C | Cadd9 | C | Am | Am | E | E | Bb | Bb | Bb | Eb | Eb | Bb| C | F | G |

G D Em
In the year of '39 came a ship in from the blue C G D
The Volunteers came home that day
D Em Em7 C D
And they bring good news of a world so newly born
D (add G) D G
Though their so heavily weigh
G D B7
For the earth is old and gray, to a little darling we'll away Em Am
But my love this cannot be
G D
For so many years have gone though I'm older but a year
C Em C D C (G) D
Your mother's eyes in your eyes cry to me.

G C G
Don't you hear my call though you're many years away
G C D D
Don't you hear me calling you G F# Em D C G Am
All the letters in the sand cannot heal me like your hand Em D G
In the land that our grandchildren knew.
Em
For my life
D
Still ahead G
Pity Me.




Outro
| G | D | Em | C | Cmaj7 | D G | G | D G |

There it is!!!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Queen
• 39
• Night at the Opera
• Brian May
• Freddie Mercury
• Roger Taylor
• John Deacon
• Acoustic Cover
• How to
• Lesson
• Classic Rock
• lowflyer1200
• 1975

[madgeniusmusic]

Great lesson, have you done a lesson for the right hand at all yet?

[LowFlyer1200]

@madgeniusmusic I have not made a lesson for the right hand strumming yet. When I made the first few lessons I thought no one would have difficulties with that.. dont know why.

[Muuminja]

Good Lesson, but I have problem with right hand.

[LowFlyer1200]

@Muuminja Hi and thanks for watching the video. When I posted this I assumed most people would know what to do with the right hand. Also Im using an old picture camera with video mode so my zooming capabilities are limited. I will make another lesson showing both hands. In the meantime look at Brian May playing the song- search for --- Queen: A night at the Opera - '39

[thenyeguy]

Great lesson! Helped me figure out how to play the beginning finally. Though I would like to make a small correction at around 6:55. You say you play a Cdim, but that's actually a Cadd9.

[LowFlyer1200]

@thenyeguy Thanks for pointing that out. And for watching the vid. I made the correction in the description box and added an annotation to correct the Cdim to Cadd9. To be honest, Im still just learning music theory, so dims and adds and sus can be tricky.

[tburgplayer777]

what is the strumming?

[ferforever74]

Thank you, excellent explanation!!!

[Teo22athome]

What's with the backlighting asks Ben

[marycockburn1]

and theres no C diminished either

[marycockburn1]

sorry but thats terrible everything is good but your explination on the G doing the lead intro after the chords that lead up to it is not very good info. sorry to sound like dick mate but its true your not showing the exact notes yes them chords are correct but we cant hear the notes that are picked. only one thing  for it i will have to do a lesson myself

[rokibatid]

Great lesson.. Thanks.

[ayres13081970]

hello you sound great what your strumming pattern ? only thing that i struggle with . thanks ,

[flametahu]

Great lesson! Thank you very much!