True Colours. Another classic. Released in 1986. Sung by Cyndi Lauper. Also recorded for the film Trolls by Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick. The original recording is synth-based but it really lends itself very well to an acoustic guitar arrangement. 

A lyrically beautiful song with some nice picking motifs for the guitar, resonating chords in the Verses and topped off  with some simple strums in the chorus. 

THE SONG

The Intro

The intro to this song sounds amazing picked.  Follow the tab below. Play it twice for the intro.

The Verse

The chords you’ll need:

These chords are all played as single strums…

I like to pick the third line to emulate the synth on the recording.  The tab for this is below:

 

The Chorus

The chords:

Play the following rhythms for the Chorus –

 

End the chorus by arpeggiating (pick the strings separately) the Gsus4 chord.  If you are unable to reach this chord you can substitute it with the G chord.

This is followed by the intro picking pattern with a slight variation (tabbed below).

 

The Song Structure

If you’d like to hear this being played and watch the FULL VIDEO LESSON CLICK HERE

 

Enjoy! 🎸