Video Lesson
Sheet music for this song will be returning shortly!
- The sheet music for this song is temporarily unavailable while I move it over to Musicnotes.com, a sheet music service that is providing licensing for my "song" arrangements.
- Want me to priortize this song, so the sheet music is ready sooner? Click the button below and let me know – this helps me know which songs to work on next!
To learn more about my library of song sheets & instructional PDFs, click here.
Editor’s notes
In this lesson, I’ll teach you how to play “Whitehouse Road” 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! I’ll teach you the chords, explain the intro riff that Tyler Childers plays, and break down the strumming pattern. I hope you enjoy!
I’ll be basing this lesson off of this solo acoustic performance of the song, which is great – 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 ––––––0––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––
B ––––––3–––––3–3–3––|–––––––––––––––––––|––––––3––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––
G ––––––2–––––2–2–2––|––––––2–2–2–––2–2––|––––––2––––––––––––|––––––0––––––––––––
D ––––––0–––––0–3–0––|––––––0–0–0–––0–0––|––––––0–––––0–0–0––|––––––0–––––0–0–0–– ...repeat
A ––––––0––––––––––––|––––––3–0–3–––0–3––|––3–––3–––––0–0–0––|––––––x–––––0–0–0––
D ––0–––0––––––––––––|––0––––––––––––––––|––––––––––––0–3–5––|––5–––5–––––0–3–0––
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, you’ll 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
Here’s 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 don’t get bogged down in these details. Think of them as D C and G. You can replace them with the “regular” voicings of D C and G if you want, too.
E –––0–––0––(0)–––
B –––3–––3–––0––––
G –––2–––2–––0––––
D –––0–––0–––0––––
A –––0–––3–––x––––
D –––0–––––––5––––
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 “2” count do a full strum.
E ––––––0––––––––––––|––––––0––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––
B ––––––3––––––––––––|––––––3––––––––––––|––––––3––––––––––––|––––––0––––––––––––
G ––––––2––––––––––––|––––––2––––––––––––|––––––2––––––––––––|––––––0––––––––––––
D ––––––0––––––––––––|––––––0––––––––––––|––––––0––––––––––––|––––––0––––––––––––
A ––––––0––––––––––––|––––––0––––––––––––|––3–––3––––––––––––|––––––x––––––––––––
D ––0–––0––––––––––––|––0–––0––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––|––5–––5––––––––––––
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 “up down up” on the “+ 4 +” counts. Get this down pat, then you can move on to the riff if you want.
E ––––––0–––––0–0–0––|––––––0–––––0–0–0––|–––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––
B ––––––3–––––3–3–3––|––––––3–––––3–3–3––|––––––3–––––3–3–3––|––––––0–––––0–0–0––
G ––––––2–––––2–2–2––|––––––2–––––2–2–2––|––––––2–––––2–2–2––|––––––0–––––0–0–0––
D ––––––0–––––0–0–0––|––––––0–––––0–0–0––|––––––0–––––0–0–0––|––––––0–––––0–0–0––
A ––––––0––––––––––––|––––––0––––––––––––|––3–––3––––––––––––|––––––x–––––x–x–x––
D ––0–––0––––––––––––|––0–––0––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––|––5–––5––––––––––––
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 you’re adding (usually with your middle finger) within each measure. Also, on the final two measures, note how you’re playing those three strums consistently on the “+ 4 +” parts of those measures. See my video lesson for context!
E ––––––0––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––
B ––––––3–––––3–3–3––|–––––––––––––––––––|––––––3––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––
G ––––––2–––––2–2–2––|––––––2–2–2–––2–2––|––––––2––––––––––––|––––––0––––––––––––
D ––––––0–––––0–3–0––|––––––0–0–0–––0–0––|––––––0–––––0–0–0––|––––––0–––––0–0–0–– ...repeat
A ––––––0––––––––––––|––––––3–0–3–––0–3––|––3–––3–––––0–0–0––|––––––x–––––0–0–0––
D ––0–––0––––––––––––|––0––––––––––––––––|––––––––––––0–3–5––|––5–––5–––––0–3–0––
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.
Get my lessons in your inbox!
Every couple weeks I send out an email newsletter with links to whatever new lessons I've made. Sign up here and stay in the loop!
Enjoy my lessons? Buy me a beer!
If this and my other lessons have proven helpful to you, please consider making a one-time donation to my tip jar. Contributions of any amount help make this project possible (including the many, many hours I put into it).
You can also support me on Patreon. For only $3/month you'll get access to a print-friendly PDF of my notes for each new lesson (view free sample).
Thanks!
Subscribe to my YouTube channel
Be sure to never miss a lesson by subscribing on YouTube. I put out 2-3 new videos every week. These include full song lessons, as well as covers, practice tips, behind-the-scenes updates. Thanks!
Recent video lessons:
📝 My "song" PDFs are now individually purcasheable! I've arranged a licensing agreement with Musicnotes, a service that lets you buy sheet music. Patreon suppoters get 50% off each purchase. Get the latest info here » (last updated July 1, 2021)
October 14, 2021
How to Tune Half-Step Down (E-Flat Tuning)
A quick guide to tuning all your strings down 1/2 step (E-flat tuning), which is a very common alternate tuning used in many songs.
October 2, 2021
F Chord Cheat Sheet! 7 Easier Ways to Play It
A quick inventory of 8 different ways to play the dreaded F chord, 7 of which are easier than the dreaded six-string barred version.
September 28, 2021
Beginner Riffs with Major 7th Arpeggios
A quick exercise where I share over 10 riffs based on a single arpeggio shape, using major 7th chord tones. Backing track included!
September 19, 2021
Key of C Major Cheat Sheet!
A deep dive into everything you need to know when playing in the Key of C: notes, chords, fretboard map, tips & tricks, easier ways to play the F chord, and plenty more.
September 12, 2021
Major Scale Positions & CAGED Chord Shapes
A deep-dive into the common positions of the major scale, and how they each relate to the CAGED chord shapes... which makes it all easier to understand!
August 29, 2021
First Electric! 8 Things I Didn't Expect
I recently got my 1st electric guitar, and was surprised how many things immediately confused me. Here's a quick inventory, in case it helps anyone else starting out!
Browse my all lessons
By lesson type
By song decade
By musical genre
By guitar technique
By musical key
By popular artist
- Johnny Cash
- Tyler Childers
- Tom Petty
- Neil Young
- Nirvana
- Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Willie Nelson
- John Denver
- Guns N' Roses