Music - Learn to play . . .

The Reason by Hoobastank

Here's an excellent and surprisingly simple song by the group Hoobastank. I've embedded two videos this time. This first one shows the group peforming the song live, as a full band. The second is an acoustic performance by the singer and lead guitarist which shows more clearly the chords they're using. You'll notice in both videos that the lead guitarist plays a riff over the verses, and joins in with full chords on the choruses.

The theme of the song is pretty surprising for a modern pop/rock song: admitting being less than perfect, admitting making mistakes, and expressing a desire to change. I'm pretty sure the person in the song is talking about his lover/beloved being the reason he wants to change. And I can identify with that. But for me the song also expresses pretty well perfectly my own experience and my relationshp with God, through Jesus.

The Bible talks about us needing to change, and being far less than perfect (Romans 3:23-24; 1 John 1:8-10), which is a felt reality in my own life. But it also talks about Jesus being an example for change and an instigator of that change in us (Epehesians 2:8-10, 5:1-2). Jesus is not only a massive influence in my life for change, particularly when I need to admit hurtful choices and acts against him and others, but also because he actually brings about change in my life too. I want to change for him, and where I fail, he steps in to facilitate the necessary changes; or sometimes, simply to remind me of those areas in my life where change is needed . . . generosity, forgiveness, grace, humility, love, etc . . .

For the chords and tab, there are several 'roadmaps'. The first is in E, so you can just play along with the video, or the CD/mp3. The second is in C, using a capo on the 4th fret. And the third file is again in C, using a capo on the 4th fret, but the way I tend to play it when I perform it live with Michelle. The chords aren't strictly the same as the Hoobastank version, but when you've only got one guitar and two voices, I think the chords add extra interest.

These files are, for the most part, the author's own work, and the author's own interpretation of the song. They were created and worked out in order to encourage others to experience the joy of learning an instrument and playing music. They also serve to explore songwriting skills, wordcraft, chord structures, perfomance ideas, etc. To this end they are therefore only for private study, scholarship, or research.