Video Lesson
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Editorβs notes
In this lesson, Iβll teach you how to play βWhitehouse Roadβ by Tyler Childers. This is a great song in drop-D tuning with a capo on the 5th fret - and it only needs 3 chords! Iβll teach you the chords, explain the intro riff that Tyler Childers plays, and break down the strumming pattern. I hope you enjoy!
Iβll be basing this lesson off of this solo acoustic performance of the song, which is great β you can hear so much more intricacy in his guitar work (especially compared to the album version, where the guitar is harder to hear).
Lyrics w/ chords
(drop-D tuning, capo 5th fret)
INTRO
E ββββββ0ββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββ
B ββββββ3βββββ3β3β3ββ|βββββββββββββββββββ|ββββββ3ββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββ
G ββββββ2βββββ2β2β2ββ|ββββββ2β2β2βββ2β2ββ|ββββββ2ββββββββββββ|ββββββ0ββββββββββββ
D ββββββ0βββββ0β3β0ββ|ββββββ0β0β0βββ0β0ββ|ββββββ0βββββ0β0β0ββ|ββββββ0βββββ0β0β0ββ ...repeat
A ββββββ0ββββββββββββ|ββββββ3β0β3βββ0β3ββ|ββ3βββ3βββββ0β0β0ββ|ββββββxβββββ0β0β0ββ
D ββ0βββ0ββββββββββββ|ββ0ββββββββββββββββ|ββββββββββββ0β3β5ββ|ββ5βββ5βββββ0β3β0ββ
D D C G
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
VERSE
D
Early in the morning when the sun does rise
C G D
Layin' in the bed with bloodshot eyes
D
Late in the evenin' when the sun sinks low
C G D
Well that's about time my rooster crows
D
I got women up and down this creek
C G D
And they keep me going and my engine clean
D
Run me ragged but I don't fret
C G D
Cause there ain't been one slow me down none yet
CHORUS
D
Get me drinking' that moonshine
C G
Get me higher than the grocery bill
D
Take my troubles to the highwall
C G
Throw'em in the river and get your fill
D
We been sniffing that cocaine
C G
Ain't nothin' better when the wind cuts cold
D
Lord it's a mighty hard livin'
C G D
But a damn good feelin' to run these roads
I got people try to tell me, Red
Keep this livin' and you'll wind up dead
Cast your troubles on the Lord of Lord's
Or wind up laying on a coolin' board
But I got buddies up White House Road
And they keep me strutting when my feet hang low
Rotgut whiskey gonna ease my pain
'N all this runnin's gonna keep me sane
[ chorus ]
When they lay me in the cold hard clay
Won't ya sing them hymns while the banjo plays
You can tell them ladies that they ought not frown
Cause there ain't been nothing ever held me down
G
Lawmen, women or a shallow grave
G
Same ol' blues just a different day
[ chorus ]
Drop-D Tuning, Capo 5th Fret!
To play this song like Tyler Childers, youβll need to put a capo on the 5th fret. Also, tune your guitar to Drop-D tuning, which is where your low-E string is tuned down a whole step to a D.
How to play the chords
Hereβs how to play the chords, in the manner of Mr. Childers. Technically, these are a Dsus2 and Dsus/C and Gadd6 (if you leave the high E string open), but donβt get bogged down in these details. Think of them as D C and G. You can replace them with the βregularβ voicings of D C and G if you want, too.
E βββ0βββ0ββ(0)βββ
B βββ3βββ3βββ0ββββ
G βββ2βββ2βββ0ββββ
D βββ0βββ0βββ0ββββ
A βββ0βββ3βββxββββ
D βββ0βββββββ5ββββ
D C G
Strumming pattern
Start out by realizing you want to begin with two downstrums, the first of which targets the bass note of the chord in question. Then, on the β2β count do a full strum.
E ββββββ0ββββββββββββ|ββββββ0ββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββ
B ββββββ3ββββββββββββ|ββββββ3ββββββββββββ|ββββββ3ββββββββββββ|ββββββ0ββββββββββββ
G ββββββ2ββββββββββββ|ββββββ2ββββββββββββ|ββββββ2ββββββββββββ|ββββββ0ββββββββββββ
D ββββββ0ββββββββββββ|ββββββ0ββββββββββββ|ββββββ0ββββββββββββ|ββββββ0ββββββββββββ
A ββββββ0ββββββββββββ|ββββββ0ββββββββββββ|ββ3βββ3ββββββββββββ|ββββββxββββββββββββ
D ββ0βββ0ββββββββββββ|ββ0βββ0ββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββ|ββ5βββ5ββββββββββββ
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
d d d d d d d d
Once you have that, add an βup down upβ on the β+ 4 +β counts. Get this down pat, then you can move on to the riff if you want.
E ββββββ0βββββ0β0β0ββ|ββββββ0βββββ0β0β0ββ|βββββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββ
B ββββββ3βββββ3β3β3ββ|ββββββ3βββββ3β3β3ββ|ββββββ3βββββ3β3β3ββ|ββββββ0βββββ0β0β0ββ
G ββββββ2βββββ2β2β2ββ|ββββββ2βββββ2β2β2ββ|ββββββ2βββββ2β2β2ββ|ββββββ0βββββ0β0β0ββ
D ββββββ0βββββ0β0β0ββ|ββββββ0βββββ0β0β0ββ|ββββββ0βββββ0β0β0ββ|ββββββ0βββββ0β0β0ββ
A ββββββ0ββββββββββββ|ββββββ0ββββββββββββ|ββ3βββ3ββββββββββββ|ββββββxβββββxβxβxββ
D ββ0βββ0ββββββββββββ|ββ0βββ0ββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββ|ββ5βββ5ββββββββββββ
D D C G
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
d d u d u d d u d u d d u d u d d u d u
Intro riff
Pay attention to the notes youβre adding (usually with your middle finger) within each measure. Also, on the final two measures, note how youβre playing those three strums consistently on the β+ 4 +β parts of those measures. See my video lesson for context!
E ββββββ0ββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββ
B ββββββ3βββββ3β3β3ββ|βββββββββββββββββββ|ββββββ3ββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββ
G ββββββ2βββββ2β2β2ββ|ββββββ2β2β2βββ2β2ββ|ββββββ2ββββββββββββ|ββββββ0ββββββββββββ
D ββββββ0βββββ0β3β0ββ|ββββββ0β0β0βββ0β0ββ|ββββββ0βββββ0β0β0ββ|ββββββ0βββββ0β0β0ββ ...repeat
A ββββββ0ββββββββββββ|ββββββ3β0β3βββ0β3ββ|ββ3βββ3βββββ0β0β0ββ|ββββββxβββββ0β0β0ββ
D ββ0βββ0ββββββββββββ|ββ0ββββββββββββββββ|ββββββββββββ0β3β5ββ|ββ5βββ5βββββ0β3β0ββ
D D C G
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
d d u d u d d u d d u d d u d u d d u d u
Good luck!
Let me know if you have questions. I hope this was helpful.
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