Intro guitar lesson
Here’s my lesson on how to play the intro (first 20 measures). Note, my PDF linked below includes lyrics & chords for the entire song, should you want to use it as a guide to strum along to the entire song (click here to see a preview).
Get the PDF chord sheet (3 pages)
- Support me on Patreon.com to get access to this and 200+ other PDF chord sheets I've made, plus new PDFs I make going forward (1-2 added each week).
- The cost is $3/month (one month minimum, cancel anytime). Annual plans also available. Here's a free sample if you're on the fence. Thanks!
After clicking the button and logging in to Patreon, look for the PDF attached to the bottom of the post.
Editor’s notes
Hey friends, here’s my lesson teaching you how to play the intro sequence to “Sweet Virginia” by the Rolling Stones, from their classic 1972 album Exile on Main Street. I’ll be focusing on the first 20 measures, which offer a great sampling of guitar technique: strumming, walking bass notes, little fills, and a few lead riffs you can imitate with a solo acoustic guitar while strumming. I’ll break all this down thoroughly in my video. Whether a relative beginner or pretty far along your guitar journey, I trust this will help take you where you want to go.
A quick final note: as per usual, I’m less interested with highlighting every single note that Keith Richards & Mick Taylor are technically playing, in all cases – as this would be quite tedious and miss the forest for the trees, in my opinion. Instead, I’ll show you the lay of the land, explain the foundation, and talk about how to approach the intro overall – so you’ll be able to pick it up and run with it, no matter your skill level.
Lesson timestamps:
- 0:00 Lesson overview
- 0:51 Intro tab: big picture
- 2:30 Chords needed
- 3:57 Strumming (simple & advanced)
- 7:05 Intro tab: line-by-line walkthrough
- 16:30 Lead riff at the end of the intro
- 18:05 Tips for mimicking the lead guitar
- 19:55 Playthrough (simple & advanced)
- 21:28 Farewell
Recordings of this song
Rolling Stones studio album version:
Rolling Stones live version:
Lyrics with chords
(Capo 2nd fret)
INTRO
G D G (C) G
C A7 G G
C A7 G G
C A7 G C
G D G (C) G
VERSE
C A7 G
Wadin'... through the waste... stormy winter
C A7 G
And there's... not a friend... to help you through
C A7 G C
Tryin'... to stop the waves... behind your eyeballs, uh huh
G D G (C) G
Drop your reds... drop your greens and blues
C A7 G
Thank you... for your wine... California
G A7 G
Thank you... for your sweet... and bitter fruits
G A7 G C
Yes I... got the desert... in my toenail, uh huh
G D G (C) G
And I hid the speed inside my shoe
CHORUS
C A7 G
But come on... come on down... Sweet Virginia---
C A7 G
Come on... honey child... I beg of you----
C A7 G C
Come on... come on down... you got it in ya--- uh huh
G D G (C) G
Got to scrape the shit right off your shoes
BREAK / SOLO
C A7 G G
C A7 G G
C A7 G C
G D G (C) G
C A7 G
Yeah, I want you to come on... come on down... Sweet Virginia----
C A7 G
I want you to come on... honey child... I beg of you----
C A7 G C
I want you come on... honey child... you got it in ya, uh huh
G D G (C) G
Got to scrape that shit right off your shoes.......... one more time!
C A7 G
But come on... come on down... Sweet Virginia
C A7 G
Come on... come on down... I beg of you
C A7 G C
Come on... come on down... you got it in ya, uh huh
G D C G
Got to scrape that shit right off your shoes-------
[let final two chords ring]
Chord progression (key of G)
Verse:
| C . . . | A7 . . . | G G
C A7 G G
C A7 G C
G D G (C) G
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:
📝 Print-friendly PDFs now available for all new lessons I make, including all those listed below. Get a free sample »
-
Long Haul (stripped version)
by Ian Munsick
Apr 18, 2021 • Lesson #360
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Mary Jane's Last Dance
by Tom Petty
Apr 11, 2021 • Lesson #85
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Sound of Silence
by Simon and Garfunkel
Apr 7, 2021 • Lesson #358
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Kodachrome
by Paul Simon
Mar 31, 2021 • Lesson #357
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Understanding the 12 Notes
Practical Music Theory Ep. 1
Mar 27, 2021 • Lesson #356
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Saskatchewan in 1881
by Colter Wall
Mar 20, 2021 • Lesson #318
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Pancho and Lefty
by Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard
Mar 14, 2021 • Lesson #57
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Keep 'Em on They Toes
by Brent Cobb
Mar 13, 2021 • Lesson #355
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
How to "See" Walk-Ups & Walk-Downs on the Fretboard
Mar 7, 2021 • Lesson #354
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Souvenirs
by John Prine
Feb 28, 2021 • Lesson #353
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Feathered Indians
by Tyler Childers
Feb 26, 2021 • Lesson #107
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Starting Over
by Chris Stapleton
Feb 20, 2021 • Lesson #352
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Lonesome Town
by Ricky Nelson
Feb 14, 2021 • Lesson #38
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Simple Twist of Fate
by Bob Dylan
Feb 12, 2021 • Lesson #351
Watch Video & Get PDF »
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