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Time Of Your Life - Green Day

Learn How To Play 'Time Of Your Life' by Green Day On Guitar!

In this guitar lesson you have the opportunity to learn the song “Good Riddance” AKA “Time of Your Life” by the band Greenday. This song is pretty easy for the left hand because it only used four open chords. The picking patterns for the right hand are the tricky parts, but once you learn them they are just repeated over and over again throughout the entire song. Try to be aware of the right hand up and down stroke indicators. These are really just recommendations so feel free to come up with whatever picking pattern works best for you. We have provided you with the TAB and sheet music for each of the main parts in the song.

Let’s start off by learning the specific shapes for each chord in this song. The chords that we will be using are G major, C add 9, D major, and E minor. This particular G major chord only requires that you put your 2nd finger on the 3rd fret of the 6th string, 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the 2nd string, 1st finger to the 2nd fret of the 5th string, and 4th finger to the 3rd fret of the 1st string. You will probably notice that you are note going to be using all of the notes that you are fretting on this G chord. I like to make the entire shape because I don’t have to think about it as much, but if you want to fret only the notes that you are actually playing that is cool too.

Make the C add 9 chord by placing your 2nd finger on the 3rd fret of the 5th string, 1st finger on the 2nd fret of the 4th string and 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the 2nd string. Again you don’t have to use your 1st finger because you will not be using that note in the picking pattern but feel free to make the full shape if you want.

The D shape that we will be using is a standard open D major with the 2nd fret of the 1st string left out. The last chord is a plain open E minor shape. When you apply the picking pattern to the E minor shape you won’t be using the 2nd fret of the 4th string. You can leave that note off if you wish or make the whole shape.

Now it is time to put the picking patterns with the chords. Any time you play a particular chord in the song you will always use the same picking pattern with that chord. Make the G chord shape and use a down stroke to pick the 6th string and another down stroke on the 3rd string. Now play the 2nd and 3rd string with upstrokes. Finish off the picking pattern by playing the 4th string with a down stroke and the 3rd string with an upstroke. Every time you play a G major chord in this song, this will be the pattern that you will use. This is the fundamental picking pattern for every other chord in the song. The only thing that really changes is which low note that you start on.

Make the C add 9 chord and play the same picking pattern but instead of starting on the 6th string, start on the 5th string. Now get your D major chord in place. Play the same pattern but start on the 4th string. This one may feel a bit different so I will walk you through it. Use a down stroke on the 4th and 3rd strings, up strokes on the 2nd and 3rd, down stroke on the 4th, and an up stroke on the 3rd string. When you get to the E minor use the same fundamental picking pattern, just start on the 5th string.

This song is a great exercise to work on picking chords. You might even want to come up with your own picking patterns to change it up a bit.

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