Learn How to Play Bon Jovi's Best Songs on Guitar
Bon Jovi’s anthems have been rocking arenas since the 1980s, and many of those songs translate surprisingly well to acoustic guitar. From driving rock rhythms and signature riffs to slower power ballads, these lessons show you how to bring that Bon Jovi sound to a one-guitar arrangement.
This page features step-by-step Bon Jovi acoustic guitar lessons for 9 songs, including Bed Of Roses, Blaze Of Glory, It's My Life, Wanted Dead Or Alive and Who Says You Can't Go Home. You'll learn the chords, strumming patterns, riffs, fills and acoustic techniques I use to play each song.
Whether you're looking for an easier song to get started or an intermediate arrangement with riffs and lead work, you'll find demo videos, chord and lyric sheets, lesson details and practical playing tips to help you choose the right Bon Jovi song for your skill level.
🎸 Watch the Bon Jovi Guitar Lessons Overview
performance clips taken directly from the complete lesson videos.
Click Play, then drag the timeline to quickly preview any Bon Jovi lesson featured on this page.
Note: Every arrangement has been personally created, recorded and taught by Kirby
using teaching methods refined through decades of acoustic guitar instruction.
What's Included With Every Lesson
📦 Your Lesson Package Includes
✓ 8–12 minute HD video lesson so you can learn each song step-by-step.
✓ Printable chords & lyrics PDF for easy practice away from the screen.
✓ Instant download—start playing in minutes.
✓ Learn at your own pace on any device.
New to Bon Jovi?
Start here: It's My Life — our clearest beginner-friendly choice. Simple chords, two manageable rhythm approaches, and the keyboard hook worked into the Am chord.
Build your rhythm: Bed Of Roses or Thank You For Loving Me — both slow things down and introduce more control, arpeggio work, embellishments and dynamics without throwing a pile of lead guitar at the student.
Ready for more: Stick To Your Guns or Wanted Dead Or Alive — riffs, hammer-ons and more involved arrangements. Wanted is the obvious destination for someone wanting the iconic Bon Jovi acoustic-guitar experience.
Bon Jovi Guitar Lessons Included On This Page
Bed Of Roses Guitar Lesson
Blaze Of Glory Guitar Lesson
It's My Life Guitar Lesson
Keep The Faith Guitar Lesson
Lost Highway Guitar Lesson
Stick To Your Guns Guitar Lesson
Thank You For Loving Me Guitar Lesson
Wanted Dead Or Alive Guitar Lesson
Who Says You Can't Go Home Guitar Lesson
Bed Of Roses
- Learn To Play On Acoustic Guitar
Bed Of Roses was released in 1993 as the second single from Bon Jovi’s Keep the Faith album. Written by Jon Bon Jovi, the power ballad reflected the more mature direction the band was taking in the early 1990s and became another major hit, reaching No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Jon has said he wrote the song while suffering through a hangover in a hotel room, which helps explain some of the weary, reflective tone in the lyrics. The accompanying music video matched the song’s dramatic scale, combining hotel and studio scenes with footage of the band performing high above the landscape on a mountain near St. George, Utah. The remote location required equipment and crew to be transported to the site by helicopter.
What You'll Learn From This Lesson
Bed Of Roses is played in standard tuning without a capo. The original key can be reached by placing a capo on the 3rd fret, but you'll need a fairly high vocal range to sing it comfortably there. I leave the capo off to bring the song into a more manageable vocal range.
The chords you'll need are G6m, Dsus2, G, A7, Gbm, D, A/Db, Bm and A. The rhythm combines arpeggio picking with strumming using a 1-2-3, up-down-up-down pattern, where the numbers represent individual notes picked from the chord. I also use occasional downstroke accents on certain chords to help shape the arrangement. There is no lead work to learn.
I'd rate this arrangement Beginner Friendly. Learn the chord changes first, then concentrate on blending the three arpeggio notes smoothly into the strumming pattern. Once that's comfortable, find a vocal position that works naturally with your range.
Guitar Lesson Details - (chords & lyrics sheet incl with lesson)
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Blaze Of Glory
- Learn To Play On Acoustic Guitar
Blaze Of Glory came out in 1990 as the title track from Jon Bon Jovi’s debut solo album, a collection of songs written for and inspired by the film Young Guns II. The song became a major solo success, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and later winning the Golden Globe for Best Original Song.
Its origins began when actor Emilio Estevez approached Jon about using “Wanted Dead or Alive” in the movie. Jon felt that song didn't properly fit the story, so he wrote “Blaze Of Glory” instead and performed it acoustically for the filmmakers.
The memorable video was filmed atop The Rectory near Moab, Utah, where Jon performs among the remains of a drive-in theater while scenes from Young Guns II appear on the screen.
What You'll Learn From This Lesson
Blaze Of Glory is played in D using Drop D tuning, which gives you the deep bass note heard at the beginning of the song. That tuning also works well with the famous intro riff, which you'll learn and use again in other sections of the arrangement.
The chords you'll need are D, Dm, C, G and F. For the rhythm, I use a repeating down-down-up-down-up-down-up strumming pattern. There is also a lead break, but rather than copying the electric solo note for note, I play an improvised acoustic lead that fits naturally into a one-guitar arrangement.
I'd rate this lesson Beginner to Intermediate. One of the bigger challenges may actually be the vocal range. I'm playing in the original key but singing toward the lower end of my range. If that sits too low for your voice, you can capo up while keeping the same chord shapes. Learn the chords and rhythm first, then work on the intro riff and either use my improvised lead break or create one of your own.
Guitar Lesson Details - (chords & lyrics sheet incl with lesson)
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It's My Life - Learn To Play On Acoustic Guitar
It's My Life arrived in 2000 as the lead single from Bon Jovi's Crush album and introduced the band to a new generation of listeners. Written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and Max Martin, the song reached No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 but became an even bigger international hit, reaching the Top 10 across numerous countries.
The lyrics include two clever connections to Bon Jovi's past. Tommy and Gina, first introduced in “Livin' on a Prayer,” return as examples of people who refused to back down, while the reference to Frank Sinatra and “My Way” reflects Jon's admiration for another famous New Jersey performer.
Musically, Richie Sambora's talk box gives the recording one of its most recognizable guitar sounds and helps connect the band's classic arena-rock style with their early-2000s comeback.
What You'll Learn From This Lesson
It's My Life is played in standard tuning without a capo. The song can be played higher using these same chord shapes with a capo on the 3rd fret, but that may put the vocals too high for many singers, so I leave the capo off for a more comfortable vocal range.
The song begins with a couple of downstrokes followed by the recognizable keyboard riff, which I've worked directly into the Am chord. Once the vocals begin, you can continue playing the Am using all downstrokes until the progression moves to D near the end of the verse. When the chorus arrives, the rhythm changes to down-up-(mute)-up-down-up-(mute) before returning to the downstroke pattern for the next verse.
The chords you'll need are Am, D, F, C, G and a G/G# note. There isn't a traditional lead break to reproduce, so I use a few hammer-ons to carry the acoustic arrangement through that section.
I'd rate this lesson Beginner Friendly. Learn the chord changes and the short keyboard riff built around the Am chord first, then concentrate on the two simple rhythm patterns and where they change throughout the song.
Guitar Lesson Details - (chords & lyrics sheet incl with lesson)
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Keep The Faith
- Learn To Play On Acoustic Guitar
Keep The Faith became the lead single and title track from Bon Jovi’s 1992 album Keep the Faith. Built around Hugh McDonald’s distinctive bass line, the song helped introduce a more mature sound as the band moved beyond the glam-metal image associated with much of their 1980s success.
The change worked. “Keep The Faith” topped Billboard’s Album Rock Tracks chart and reached No. 5 in the UK, helping establish that Bon Jovi could remain successful as the rock landscape changed dramatically in the early 1990s.
Directed by Phil Joanou, the energetic music video placed the band throughout New York City, including Times Square and subway locations. Their shorter hairstyles and updated appearance also made the visual break from the Slippery When Wet and New Jersey era impossible to miss.
What You'll Learn From This Lesson
Keep The Faith is played in standard tuning with a capo on the 3rd fret and is based on Bon Jovi's acoustic version of the song. There is no lead work to learn, but the arrangement uses three different rhythm patterns that give the song plenty of movement.
The main pattern is up-down-up-down-up-down-up-down, with a few individual arpeggio notes picked from within the chords as you strum. A second section uses a straight down-up-down-up rhythm without the arpeggio notes, while a third pattern changes to down-down-up-down-down-up-down-up. The chords you'll need are Em, G6, A6, Cmaj7, D and A.
I'd rate this lesson Beginner to Intermediate. Start by getting comfortable with the chord changes, then learn each of the three rhythm patterns separately. Once those feel natural, concentrate on where the patterns change throughout the song and on blending the arpeggio notes smoothly into the main strumming pattern.
Guitar Lesson Details - (chords & lyrics sheet incl with lesson)
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Lost Highway
- Learn To Play On Acoustic Guitar
Lost Highway opened Bon Jovi’s 2007 album of the same name and showcased the country and Nashville influences that had begun appearing in the band’s music. Written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and John Shanks, the upbeat track uses the open road as a metaphor for leaving the past behind and heading toward something new.
The album followed Bon Jovi’s successful venture into country music with “Who Says You Can’t Go Home” and was recorded largely in Nashville, where the band worked with musicians and songwriters from the country scene.
That direction proved commercially successful: Lost Highway debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, giving Bon Jovi their first chart-topping U.S. album since New Jersey nearly two decades earlier.
What You'll Learn From This Lesson
Lost Highway is played in G in standard tuning. The chords you'll need are G, Em, D, C, F and D/Gb. There is electric lead work in the original recording, but I've replaced that with an improvised acoustic lead break that works better for a one-guitar arrangement.
The song begins with a repeating down-up-down-up rhythm while playing an underlying riff that helps capture the feel of the original. Once the vocals begin, the rhythm changes to all downstrokes, which can be lightly muted with the right hand to give the arrangement a tighter sound.
I'd rate this lesson Intermediate. Start by learning the chords, the two rhythm approaches and the underlying riff. Once those are comfortable, move on to the improvised acoustic lead section. You can play my lead as taught or modify it to create a solo that better suits your own playing style.
Guitar Lesson Details - (chords & lyrics sheet incl with lesson)
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Stick To Your Guns
- Learn To Play On Acoustic Guitar
Stick To Your Guns appeared on Bon Jovi’s hugely successful 1988 album New Jersey. Written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and Holly Knight, the song carries a strong message about perseverance, staying true to yourself and refusing to give up when circumstances turn against you.
Unlike many of the best-known songs from New Jersey, “Stick To Your Guns” wasn't released as a major U.S. single and remained one of the album’s deeper cuts. It was surrounded by plenty of hits, however, as New Jersey became the first rock album to produce five Top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100.
The album was recorded primarily at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver and followed the enormous worldwide success of Slippery When Wet.
What You'll Learn From This Lesson
Stick To Your Guns is played in standard tuning using a repeating down-down-up-down-up-down-up rhythm pattern, with several riffs and embellishments worked directly into the strumming. The chords you'll need are Gb, D, G, A and Bm.
There are a few quick accent changes involving the D and A chords, along with several hammer-ons that appear near the beginning and return at different points throughout the song. There is also a lead break, but rather than separating it completely from the accompaniment, I blend the lead work with rhythm to keep the acoustic arrangement moving.
I'd rate this lesson Beginner to Intermediate. Start by learning the chords and getting comfortable with the main rhythm pattern. Next, add the quick accent chord changes, followed by the hammer-ons and riffs that appear throughout the song. Finally, work on the lead break and its surrounding rhythm to complete the arrangement.
Guitar Lesson Details - (chords & lyrics sheet incl with lesson)
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Thank You For Loving Me
- Learn To Play On Acoustic Guitar
Thank You For Loving Me became the third single from Bon Jovi’s 2000 album Crush. Written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, the romantic ballad reached the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also found success on adult contemporary radio.
Jon Bon Jovi has explained that the song’s title was inspired by the 1998 film Meet Joe Black. In one scene, Brad Pitt’s character says the words “thank you for loving me,” a phrase Jon remembered and later developed into the song.
The accompanying music video was filmed in Rome and directed by Wayne Isham, who had previously worked with Bon Jovi on several videos. Musically, the track combines the band's rock-ballad style with piano, strings and a gradual build toward its powerful final choruses.
What You'll Learn From This Lesson
Thank You For Loving Me is played in standard tuning with a capo on the 2nd fret, putting the song in the key of E. When Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora performed the song acoustically, they played it using G-position chords with their guitars tuned down one fret, putting them in Gb. That's two frets higher than my arrangement and makes for a fairly high vocal.
I keep the song lower to make it easier to sing. If you want to move my arrangement up to the key of their unplugged version, simply move the capo from the 2nd to the 4th fret.
For rhythm, I use a repeating down-down-up-down-up-down-up pattern with a few small riffs and hammer-ons worked into the strumming. The chords you'll need are D, G, Bm, A7sus, A7, Em and C. During the chorus you'll move up the neck briefly to play a two-note part, but the slow tempo gives you plenty of time to make the move. There is also a short melody break played farther down the neck.
I'd rate this lesson Beginner to Intermediate. It's a slow ballad built around a manageable group of chords and one main rhythm pattern. Learn those first, then add the hammer-ons and small riffs before finishing with the short melody break.
Guitar Lesson Details - (chords & lyrics sheet incl with lesson)
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Wanted Dead Or Alive
- Learn To Play On Acoustic Guitar
Wanted Dead Or Alive became the third single from Bon Jovi’s breakthrough 1986 album Slippery When Wet. Written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, the song reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became instantly recognizable through Sambora’s haunting acoustic intro, originally played on a 12-string Ovation guitar.
The song compares life as a touring rock musician to that of an Old West outlaw, constantly moving from town to town with little time to settle down. Its black-and-white music video reinforced that idea with behind-the-scenes footage showing both the excitement and exhaustion of life on the road.
In 1989, Jon and Richie performed a stripped-down acoustic version at the MTV Video Music Awards, a performance often cited as an important precursor to MTV’s Unplugged series.
What You'll Learn From This Lesson
Wanted Dead Or Alive uses Drop D tuning, which gives me the deep bass D that works so well with this song. The original recording isn't actually in standard tuning either — the guitars are tuned down one fret from concert pitch to match the original key.
I teach the famous descending intro riff, and for this song it's really an essential part of the arrangement. The riff isn't used only at the beginning; it returns again in the middle and near the end of the song. For rhythm, I use a repeating down-down-up-down-up-down — down-up-down-up-down-up pattern, with several hammer-on fills worked into the arrangement. The chords you'll need are D, C, G and F.
The original recording includes a heavily distorted electric guitar break, but I don't try to duplicate that section on acoustic, so there is no lead break taught in this lesson.
I'd rate this arrangement Intermediate. Start with the chords, rhythm pattern and hammer-on fills. Once those are comfortable, concentrate on the descending intro riff and the other places where it returns throughout the song. Vocally, this is also a high song, so the singing may prove every bit as challenging as the guitar arrangement if the key sits above your comfortable range.
Guitar Lesson Details - (chords & lyrics sheet incl with lesson)
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Who Says You Can't Go Home
- Learn To Play On Acoustic Guitar
Who Says You Can't Go Home appeared on Bon Jovi’s 2005 album Have a Nice Day and became one of the songs that opened an unexpected door into country music for the band. A second version featuring Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, making Bon Jovi the first rock band to top that chart.
Before Nettles joined the project, the duet had been recorded with Keith Urban, but Jon Bon Jovi felt their voices were too similar and decided to try a female vocalist instead. The pairing with Nettles proved successful, and their version later won the Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals.
The song’s success in Nashville helped influence the country-flavoured direction Bon Jovi explored further on their 2007 album Lost Highway.
What You'll Learn From This Lesson
Who Says You Can't Go Home is played in the original key of G in standard tuning. Vocally, the original sits too high for me, so I sing it at the lower end of the G range. If you can't reach the higher vocal comfortably but find the lower range too low, you can place a capo on the 2nd fret and move the song up to A while using the same chord shapes.
For rhythm, I use a repeating down-down-up-down-up-down-up pattern. The intro includes a riff worked into the rhythm, and that same riff returns at several other points throughout the song. The lead break combines riffs with some quick shuffle rhythm before moving into a descending pattern higher up the fretboard.
The chords you'll need are G, C, Am, Am7, D, Dsus, Bm, Em and D7, with the D7 appearing at the end.
I'd rate this lesson Beginner to Intermediate. Start by learning the chords and getting the main rhythm pattern comfortable. Next, blend in the recurring intro riff. Once those pieces are solid, work on the shuffle section and the descending riff pattern to complete the arrangement.
Guitar Lesson Details - (chords & lyrics sheet incl with lesson)
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Bon Jovi Acoustic Guitar Lessons FAQ
Can Bon Jovi songs be played on one acoustic guitar?
Yes. Although the original recordings often include multiple electric guitars, keyboards and other instruments, these lessons arrange the essential chords, rhythms, riffs and fills so the songs can work with one acoustic guitar. You don't need to reproduce every part of the original recording to make the song recognizable.
Which Bon Jovi song is easiest to learn on acoustic guitar?
Of the songs included here, It's My Life is one of the best places to start. My arrangement uses manageable chords, two simple rhythm approaches and a short version of the recognizable keyboard riff built into the Am chord. Several of the other lessons move into beginner-to-intermediate territory as riffs, hammer-ons and lead-style elements are added.
Do I need a capo or alternate tuning to play these Bon Jovi songs?
It depends on the song and the vocal range you're comfortable singing in. Several lessons use standard tuning, while Blaze Of Glory and my arrangement of Wanted Dead Or Alive use Drop D. Capos are also used or discussed in lessons such as Keep The Faith, Bed Of Roses and Thank You For Loving Me. I explain the tuning and capo position used in each lesson and, where useful, how changing the capo can help place the vocals in a better range.
Do these Bon Jovi lessons include riffs and lead guitar parts?
Where they help make the acoustic arrangement recognizable, yes. Some lessons include riffs, hammer-ons, fills or acoustic lead sections, while others concentrate primarily on chords and rhythm. Wanted Dead Or Alive, for example, includes its famous descending intro riff, while Stick To Your Guns combines riffs and rhythm with a lead break. I don't force an electric solo into an acoustic arrangement when it doesn't suit the song.
Are these Bon Jovi guitar lessons suitable for beginners?
There is a mixture of difficulty levels. It's My Life is beginner friendly, while many of the other arrangements fall into the beginner-to-intermediate range. Songs such as Wanted Dead Or Alive become more challenging because of their riffs and additional guitar work. Each lesson includes a difficulty rating and a suggested order for learning the chords, rhythm, riffs and other parts.
Whether you grew up listening to Bon Jovi or discovered their music years later, these nine acoustic guitar lessons offer plenty of variety to work through. You can start with the simpler chord-and-rhythm approach of It's My Life, move into ballads such as Bed Of Roses and Thank You For Loving Me, or challenge yourself with the riffs and more involved arrangements found in songs like Wanted Dead Or Alive.
Along the way, you'll work with different strumming patterns, capo positions, Drop D tuning, hammer-ons, riffs, fills and acoustic lead ideas. Several of these arrangements also show how a full-band Bon Jovi song can be adapted to work with just one guitar while still keeping the recognizable feel of the original.
Use the song list above to choose a lesson that matches your current playing level, then work through the chords and rhythm before adding the riffs and other details. With nine songs to choose from, there's plenty here to help you build your acoustic rhythm skills while adding some classic Bon Jovi favorites to your repertoire.
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Kirby Swinemar is an acoustic guitar instructor, performer and song arranger who has taught online for 21 years and created more than 4,000 original acoustic guitar lessons. He specialises in song-based acoustic guitar instruction, rhythm guitar techniques, and creating full-sounding solo arrangements that help beginner and intermediate players move beyond basic strumming.
Explore his work at Kirby's Guitar Lessons and on social media on his social media YouTube Channel and his Facebook Page. Learn more about Kirby on his About Me page.
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