How to play Just Like Heaven by The Cure
Just Like Heaven is a classic ‘80s track by The Cure that is perfect for electric guitar and acoustic players. One of their biggest hits, Just Like Heaven comes from The Cure’s 1988 album Kiss Me, Kiss Me and the sing-along chorus, steady beat and catchy guitar lines have turned it into a streaming hit in the current era.
Chords: A E Bm D F#m G
Pick or Fingers? Best to use a pick for both parts ; Just Like Heaven needs a bit of twang!
Acoustic or Electric? You can play the whole song on electric or use a steel-string acoustic for the gutsy rhythm guitar part. Doesn’t suit nylon-strings ; the tone needs to sparkle to sound like the the original.
Lead guitar : the signature lead melody in Just Like Heaven is played mostly on the 2nd string with just a couple lower notes on the 3rd string. In this chart, bracketed TAB numbers show 1st string alternatives to the highest notes. This may be helpful if you’re playing the melody on an acoustic, or an electric with high string action or intonation issues.
Can I use a capo to avoid the bar-chords? Not if you want to emulate the original. Whilst this group of chords can be played with capo at the 2nd fret, the sound of the progression will be altered from the way you hear it in The Cure’s original. If you want to try this the chord shapes you need are G D Am C Em F (but the F will sound best as a bar-chord).
Relevant pages in Modern Guitar Chord Styles 1 : To learn more about the chords, rhythm reading and strumming patterns in Just Like Heaven see pages 8 - 9, 10, 14 - 15, 17, 20 - 21, 31 and 34
Relevant pages in Electric Guitar Solo Style 1 : to learn more about general techniques for lead guitar scales, timing and picking control, see pages 6 - 10, 13, 16 and 18 - 20. And for an excellent introduction to the art of string bending see pages 25 - 26 and 32 - 35
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