‘Sweet Home Alabama’ by Lynyrd Skynyrd is a classic that still has millions of listeners all over the world. To, your surprise, it is one of the easiest songs to play on the guitar.
This song revolves around just 3 chords: D major, C major and G major.
The great thing is all these are open chords and requires minimal finger movements.
Tip: Doesn’t matter what song you are learning, it always helps to practice the chords and the strumming pattern individually before putting them together to play the entire song.
So, let’s look at chords for ‘Sweet Home Alabama’.
Chords for ‘Sweet Home Alabama’
The chords for ‘Sweer Home Alabama’ are D major, C major and G major. Here you can also use Cadd9 instead of C major.
‘Sweet Home Alabama’ Strumming Pattern
As you can see the strumming pattern of ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ goes as ‘Down-Down-Down–UP‘.
This pattern is easy to play and requires you to do some muting while strumming it. To learn it in detail refer to the video mentioned above. It starts exactly at 2:39.
Sweet Home Alabama Chords with Lyrics
As you will go through the chords below, you will encounter a ‘F chord’ ( scariest chord ) that appears just once in the second verse of the song.
This ‘F chord’ serves as a transition to the ‘C chord’, which then transit to ‘D Chord’.
You can avoid it by playing the ‘C chord’ two times but it won’t sound good. So, I recommend to refer the video mentioned above where Erich, from ‘Your Guitar Sage’ teaches an easy way to play this part.
Here is the chords for Sweet Home Alabama Chords with Lyrics.
[Verse]
[D]Big [C]wheels keep on [G]turning
[D]Carry me [C]home to see my [G]kin
[D]Singing [C]songs about the [G]southland
[D]I miss’ole’ [C]’bamy once [G]again
(and I think it’s a sin)
[Instrumental] x2
[D][C][G]
[D]Well, I heard Mister [C]Young sing [G]about her
[D]Well, I heard ole [C]Neil put her [G]down
[D]Well, I hope Neil [C]Young will re[G]member,
[D]A southern [C]man don’t need him [G]around anyhow
[Chorus]
[D]Sweet [C]home Ala[G]bama,
[D]Where the [C]skies are so [G]blue,
[D]Sweet [C]home Ala[G]bama,
[D]Lord, I’m [C]coming home to [G]you.
[Instrumental]
[D][C][G]
[Verse]
[D]In Birmingham they [C]love the [G]Gov’nor [F]Boo [C]hoo [D]hoo
[D]Now we all [C]did what we could [G]do.
[D]Now Watergate [C]does not bother [G]me.
[D]Does your [C]conscience bother [G]you?
(tell the truth)
[Chorus]
[D]Sweet [C]home Ala[G]bama,
[D]Where the [C]skies are so [G]blue,
[D]Sweet [C]home Ala[G]bama,
[D]Lord, I’m [C]coming home to [G]you.
[Instrumental]
[D][C][G]
[D]Ah [C]Ah [G]Ah Alabama x4
[D][C][G] x2
[Verse]
[D]Now Muscle [C]Shoals has got the [G]Swampers
[D]And they’ve been [C]known to pick a [G]tune or two
[D]Lord they [C]get me off so [G]much
[D]They pick me [C]up when I’m feeling [G]blue (Now how about you?)
[Chorus]
[D]Sweet [C]home Ala[G]bama,
[D]Where the [C]skies are so [G]blue,
[D]Sweet [C]home Ala[G]bama,
[D]Lord, I’m [C] coming home to [G]you.
[D]Sweet [C]home Ala[G]bama, (oh sweet home)
[D]Where the [C]skies are so [G]blue, (and it’s true)
[D]Sweet [C]home Ala[G]bama,
[D]Lord, I’m [C]coming home to [G]you.
Sweet Home Alabama Intro, Riffs and Licks w/Tabs
‘Sweet Home Alabama’ is one of those songs that is a guitar workout by itself as it is consists of cool licks, riffs and techniques. The great thing is they are all beginner friendly. Below is the tutorial video by Marty Music where you will find step by step walk through of the intro, the main riff and the guitar licks used in this song. So, have fun.
