Atlantis - Acoustic - Seafret
Hey everyone, and welcome to this new tutorial! Today, I’m going to show you how to play Atlantis by Seafret, the most famous song from the British duo, which has recently hit one billion streams on Spotify — crazy, right?
As you know, I usually prefer acoustic versions of songs, but this time I wanted to try something different. A while ago, I came across a video on their Instagram profile, and I immediately felt the need to break down the picking pattern. That’s why I’ve structured this tutorial into two parts: the first focuses on the version from the video, while the second covers the acoustic studio version.
Now, let’s get into the details. Structurally, we can divide each half into three sections. The first includes the intro, verses, and outro; the second focuses on the pre-chorus; and the third is all about the chorus.
In the intro, verses, and outro, we do something a bit unconventional. Usually, we use the thumb to pluck the bottom three strings, but not this time. Here, the thumb is only used for the fifth string, while the index finger is responsible for the fourth string. I personally use my middle finger for the third string and my ring finger for the notes on the first and second strings. However, if you find it more comfortable, you can skip the ring finger and use just your middle finger for the top three strings. As for the left hand, be mindful of which fingers to keep pressed down to ensure a smoother transition between chords.
The pre-chorus is a bit of a hybrid. For the first two chords, we continue using the index finger on the right hand for the fourth string, but for the last two chords, we go back to the usual fingerpicking style.
The chorus follows a more traditional right-hand technique, except for the D major chord, where you’ll sometimes use your thumb and other times your index finger to pluck the third string. The same principle applies to the first-string notes as in the first section — use your ring finger only if it feels comfortable for you.
One important thing to remember: don’t forget to tune down the high E string by a step (from E to D)!
There are plenty more details I could go into, but these are the key points to focus on. As always, you can find the tabs on my Patreon page. Have fun learning!
