Simple Beginner Guitar Lessons - How to Play Johnny Cash Songs on Guitar

Special Review Simple Beginner Guitar Lessons - How to Play Johnny Cash Songs on Guitar

There is a whole new generation of guitar players discovering Johnny Cash's music; people who would normally be listening to rock or heavy metal are tuning in to this country music legend.

Cash's songs are easy to play, well constructed and full of surprises plus they sound great with just one guitar; I thought it might be interesting to take a closer look at some of the key ingredients to Johnny's style.

Johnny Cash style chord progressions:

Most of Johnny's songs are three chord tunes, notice I didn't say simple three chord tunes. Cash regularly turns three chords progressions into storytelling masterpieces, here's how...

I'll use "I Walk The Line" for our project; let's play it in the key of A.

A three chord song in the key of A usually refers to the chords of A, D & E(7). These chords are the 1st, 4th & 5th chords in that key.

Key of A

Chord 1 = A

Chord 4 = D

Chord 5 = E(7)

Most experienced guitar players would feel pretty confident playing three chord songs, after all they are fairly basic so there shouldn't be too many surprises here!

That's where Johnny catches a lot of players nappin'!

Usually a three chord song begins and ends on the "1" chord; one of Johnny's songwriting tricks is to begin on the "5" chord and then proceed to the "1" chord, quite the opposite to standard three chord songwriting; then again, there's nothing 'standard' about Cash's songs.

Take a close look a "I Walk The Line" and you will see what I mean.

"I Walk The Line" - Key Of "A"

E7/// | E7/// | A/// | A///| E7/// | E7/// | A/// | A///|

D/// | D/// | A/// | A///| E7/// | E7/// | A/// | A///||

How to learn this song quickly:

Tip 1: the first four bars are the same as the second four bars.

Tip 2: the first four bars are used again to form the last four bars.

Summary although "I Walk The Line" is a sixteen bar song there are only two four bar chord sequences to learn.

Chord sequence 1: E7/// | E7/// | A/// | A///|

Chord sequence 2: D/// | D/// | A/// | A///|

Then there's the Johnny Cash trademark alternating bass:

No Johnny Cash song would be complete without the alternating bass part; once you have memorized the chord progression try adding the bass.

Alternating bass for "A" chord would be...

Beat one = fifth sting open; beat two = strum the A chord from the fourth string to the first string; beat three = play the sixth string open; beat four = strum the A chord from the fifth string.

remember to leave your fingers in the A chord formation while you play your bass notes.

Alternating bass for "E7" chord would be...

Beat one = sixth string open; beat two = strum the E7 chord from the fifth string to the first string; beat three = play the fifth string; beat four = strum the E7 chord from the fourth string.

remember to leave your fingers in the E7 chord formation while you play your bass notes.

Alternating bass for "D" chord would be...

Beat one = fourth string open; beat two = strum the D chord from the third string to the first string; beat three = play the fifth string open; beat four = strum the D chord from the fourth string.

remember to leave your fingers in the D chord formation while you play your bass notes.

I invite you to add some Johnny Cash's songs to your guitar playing repertoire they will work nicely in just about any jam session or performance.