How to Play Rockabilly Guitar 7 Easy Songs for Beginners

How to Play Rockabilly Guitar 7 Easy Songs for Beginners Megan L. Ready to learn about rock and rolls cousin from the south? If so, youre in the right place! In this article, music teacher Christopher S.  explores some of the most influential rockabilly songs of our time  and shows you how to play them on guitar The History of Rockabilly The rock  and roll style, dubbed rockabilly, is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950’s and comes from the good ol USA, especially from the south. Its a blend of sounds from Western musical styles  like country, sometimes bluegrass styles, and that of rhythm and blues. The  style’s name in itself comes from the combination of “rock” (from the 1950s) and  â€œhillbilly” music, a common term being used to describe country music of the 40s  and 50s. This style was very important for the development of rock and roll music, and it was the  basis and influence of many famous bands from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. It was a style which was, in a sense, a rite of passage to play if you wanted to  play rock and roll. The styles defining features include strong rhythms, vocal twangs, and often the use of tape echo. It also tends to have fast lyrics and distorted  guitars, which gives it a progressive feel, thus attractibg the ears of young  listeners. Notable Rockabilly Players The first major artists to be associated playing rockabilly music were  Bill Haley, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Bob Luman, and Jerry Lee  Lewis. The style started a legacy of rock and roll which spawned a variety of sub-styles  and influencing styles such as punk rock. If you want to play rock  and  roll  the way famous guitarists such as Jimi Page, Jeff Beck, and Jimi Hendrix did, then you  have to learn, at minimum, the basics and some songs by the very first rock  and  rollers who  played rockabilly. Here are seven  rockabilly songs that are easy to learn and  will teach you how to play rockabilly guitar. 1) Hello Mary Lou by Ricky Nelson This song was recorded and released in 1961 in California. Although its  one of the later  and poppier songs in our timeline of rockabilly music, this song is  easy to play on the guitar and makes for a good intro to the musical style. Below is a guitar tab showing  how to play it. You’ll notice most of the song is played with  chords. You just have to get that good country guitar rhythm down, and then theres a short but sweet solo to learn. 2) Be-Bop-A-Lula by Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps This song is a classic and probably one of the slower tunes of the rockabilly  scene. It has a very swampy but typical singing style with country-influenced  twangy guitar sounds. Below is the chord chart for the song. The strumming is a very simple  down strum on the beat of a 4/4 rhythm. Its a very easy song to learn because of its  slow tempo. 3) Train Kept A-Rollin’ by Johnny Burnette and The Rock and Roll Trio This is a great song because it  really shows the rebellious side of the rockabilly sound  and its true roots as the precursor to rock and  roll. It begins with a rockin’ guitar  lick and strummed  chords with the rumbling sound and rhythm  of a train. This song was considered almost a rite of passage for bands to play  in the 70s and 80s. The well-known band The Yardbirds, with guitarists Jeff Beck  and Jimmy Page, also made this song well-known in the late 60s. The easy part about this song is that you can almost get away with playing  the chords by using only the top and the bottom string.  Below is the intro riff and the chord charts. 4) Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On by Jerry Lee Lewis This is another great tune that was a hit in 1957. The song acutely has its compositional origins from a pianist and club owner named Dave “Curlee” Williams however, Lewis had been performing it and he released it on his recording session for Sun Records which made it hit the Billboard magazine charts. The chords are played with piano but there are guitar licks and chord figures strumming throughout.  Below are the tabs for the guitar parts. 5) Blue Suede Shoes by Carl Perkins This is a very well-known rockabilly song released in 1955, made infamous  by the one and only, Elvis Presley. It was released only a year after the Carl Perkins version. This song is very easy to play because its mostly stop and go chords. It has a driving bluesy rhythm, which is easy to strum. Below  are the chords to Elvis Presley’s version of the song. This would be a good version to learn because its the one that most people will recognize. 6) Ooby Dooby by Roy Orbison This is yet another classic, well-known tune by a classic artist. This song was released again by Sun Records. It has a swampy blues rhythm and sounds great at both slow and faster tempos. Roy was even known to perform this song at various tempos. The original has some great rockabilly licks that, if youre learning this style of guitar, theyre essential licks to learn! Below are the tabs for this song. 7) Twenty Flight Rock by Eddie Cochran This is a comical song which was actually released in the comedy film titled The Girl Can’t Help It in 1956. Its a song about a man who is complaining about seeing his girlfriend who lives on the 20th floor of an apartment build with no elevator. Its a very cool song and actually was the song that got Paul McCartney into the Beatles. McCartney retells the story of how, at the auditions to enter the Beatles, he played that song and John was so impressed that he actually knew all the words to Twenty Flight Rock that he got the spot. Either way its a great song to learn when learning the rockabilly genre. Below are the tabs for this one. So whether youre just starting to learn the guitar or youre already a skilled guitarist, I hope these songs will get you strumming and picking away at the rockabilly music that came from the 50s and 60s. Learn to play them all and you will see your rock playing improve tenfold! Let’s rock again now! Are there any other rockabilly songs youd like to learn how to play on guitar? Share us with them in the comments below and well help you out! Post Author:  Christopher S. Christopher S. teaches bass guitar, guitar, and composition in Jamaica Plain, MA. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Humboldt State University  and is currently attending New England Conservatory for his Master of Music degree. Christopher has been teaching students since 2004.  Learn more about Christopher S. here! Photo by Dena Flows Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. 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