How to play "Longhaired Redneck" Chords
on acoustic guitar
Barroom swagger, outlaw wink, tight two step. Three core chords plus a bass
walk will do the heavy lifting. This Guitar Lesson keeps your hands honest and
your groove steady. The Tutorial stays beginner friendly, but we’ll chase pro
nuance so it feels like a record, not homework.
Line: ==================================
Song Overview:
David Allan Coe is playing the 'Longhaired Redneck' tabs
/ chords in the music video.
Key: G major. Capo: no capo. Difficulty: intermediate pocket at a relaxed clip.
Tempo: ~92 to 97 bpm in 4-4, swung feel. Album and single released 1976 on
Columbia; written by David Allan Coe and Jimmy Rabbitt. Producer: Ron Bledsoe.
:contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
Fun easter eggs: chorus lines nod to classic stars, and Coe mimics vocal styles
associated with Ernest Tubb, “Whisperin’” Bill Anderson, and Merle Haggard.
There’s also that famous Johnny Rodriguez goat reference tucked in a later
verse. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
Chords Used:
Performance in the music video.
Standard tuning E A D G B E. Keep the right hand small. Let bass notes speak and
brush only 3 to 4 strings.
G (320003)
Anchor pinky on high E3 to stabilize picking height.
C (x32010)
Slip middle off for a Cmaj7 breath
between bars.
D (xx0232)
Curve ring so top E2 rings; avoid choking the note.
D/F# (200232)
Thumb on low E2 or play 20023x
and mute top string for comfort.
Em (022000)
Used as a passing color when the bass falls through F#.
Am (x02210)
Shows up in some sheets; feel free to try A minor vs A major colors.
CHORD BOX SNAPSHOTS
G 3 2 0 0 0 3 | C x 3 2 0 1 0 | D x x 0 2 3 2
D/F# 2 0 0 2 3 2 | Em 0 2 2 0 0 0 | Am x 0 2 2 1 0
Comfort swaps:
G as 320033; D/F# with thumb only if relaxed; C→Cmaj7 for air.
Voice leading magic: G → D/F# → Em
gives you a smooth falling bass. Even if Em is implied, that F# step is the
glue between G and the softer line. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
Strumming Pattern:
Performance in the music video.
Strumming: ~92 to 97 bpm. Count it as a swung two step. Think boom-chuck with
alternating bass. Keep brushes tiny; bass notes crisp. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
HONKY-TONK SHUFFLE
Count: 1 & a 2 & a 3 & a 4 & a (swing the "&")
Pattern per bar: B b - B b - (B=bass pluck, b=light brush)
Alternate bass map:
G: 6th→4th C: 5th→4th D: 4th→5th D/F#: 6th(F#)→4th
Half-time practice: same motions at ~46–48 bpm to cement pocket.
Dynamic trick: “sing” the downstroke under key syllables and let upstrokes be
air. The lyric carries the punch; the guitar stays polite.
Sections Breakdown:
Roadmaps only, not full chords or lyrics. Use these cells to place changes clean.
Verse cell
Key of G shape
C D | G . | G . | C . |
C . | G D/F# Em | Am . | D . |
Note: keep D/F# short; let the bass lead, then hush the brush.
Hook line lift
C D | G . | (repeat feel, accent the lyric, not the volume)
“Texas” section feel
G . | C . | D . | G D |
G . | C . | Am . | D . | then back to a verse cell
Solo bed
C | G | (loop two bars, keep bass strict, leave space for fills)
Transitions to drill: G→D/F# with thumb-over, then fall to Em. C→D is a wrist
swivel; keep index near G string so D lands fast.
Common Mistakes:
Performance in the music video.
Straight 8ths. You need swing. Nudge the “&” a hair late.
Six-string swipes. Aim three or four strings on brushes.
Overplaying fills. Leave room for the vocal jokes and name-drops.
Skipping D/F#. That bass step sells the outlaw strut.
Forcing volume on the “Texas” lines. Use touch, not decibels.
General Tips:
Metronome: loop 46 bpm half-time first, then full ~92–97 with swing.
Pick: thin to medium; thumbpick adds tidy punch on alternating bass.
Tone: if amplified, tiny room reverb, no chorus, keep treble tamed.
Singing trick: place downstrokes under punch words, let the up pick breathe.
Practice block: 4 bars G, 2 bars C, 1 bar D, 1 bar G. Repeat soft.
Song Facts:
Released January 1976 as the lead single and title track, “Longhaired Redneck”
codified Coe’s outsider stance in the outlaw era. Co-written with Texas DJ and
songwriter Jimmy Rabbitt, produced by Ron Bledsoe for Columbia. Charted at 17
on the U.S. Country list and 23 in Canada. The studio key centers in G major,
tempo sits around the low 90s bpm. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
The track winks at tradition: Coe slips into impressions of Ernest Tubb, Bill
Anderson, and Merle Haggard mid-song while the band keeps a bar-tight shuffle.
That blend of rockish swagger and pure country references made it a calling
card for the movement. The notorious “goat” line nods to Johnny Rodriguez’s
teen misadventure that led to his discovery, a bit of Texas lore folded into a
barstool narrative. Album pressings and discographies lock the release year as
1976, with sessions cut in 1975 at Columbia Studio, Nashville. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
Song Meaning:
Whole picture: a self-portrait of a working bar musician who can outplay the
room and outlast the noise, wearing long hair and a redneck spine at the same
time. The joke lands because he sings it deadpan while the band stays tidy.
Verse energy: the room is rough, tribes are eyeing each other, and the singer
keeps his cool. Harmony pivots C→D→G, straight talk in three moves.
Middle turns: the loudmouth, the prison sign, the earrings jab. Bass steps
G→F#→E (via D/F# into Em) underline the shrug and the elbow-out confidence.
“Texas” lines: promise and proof. He can sing the state songs and all the sad
ones too, slipping into voices of country elders without dropping character.
Final stance: the hair stays long, the back stays stiff, and the pocket never
breaks. It is persona and truth, both, delivered with a grin.
Comparisons to previous works:
Set it beside “You Never Even Called Me by My Name” and you’ll hear the upgrade
in swagger and self-myth. Where that earlier hit leaned singalong, this track
leans character study with in-jokes for country lifers. On the 1976 album,
neighbouring cuts like “Texas Lullaby” and “Family Reunion” soften the edges,
but “Longhaired Redneck” is the manifesto: Bakersfield bite plus bar-floor wit
at a danceable tempo. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
Questions and Answers
What tempo should I practice first to lock the shuffle
Start half-time near 46–48 bpm, then full speed around 92–97 bpm with swing.
Use strict alternating bass. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}
Is the original key G
Yes, most databases list G major for the studio single. Live versions vary,
but G is home base. :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}
Do I need D/F# or can I skip it
Use it. That F# in the bass links G to Em and sells the line. If thumb-over
hurts, play 20023x and mute the top string.
How do I lift the “Texas” lines without getting louder
Broaden the downstroke to touch one extra treble string, then shrink the very
next bar. Contrast beats volume.
Who is Jimmy Rabbitt in the credits
Texas radio DJ and songwriter; he co-wrote the tune with Coe. :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}
Mini ideas only, not full tabs.
RIGHT-HAND MANTRA
Bass... brush... Bass... brush... keep the brush small.
BASS WALKS
G→Em path: low E-3 → low E-2(F#) → open D → Em
C→D setup: A-3 → D-0 → D-4 | land D clean
TAG TURNAROUND
G . | D . | C . | D . | G (hold)
Cite all song tabs and chords as they were: common chord sheets show the G C D
spine with D/F# into Em for the falling bass, matching stage practice and key
data above. :contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10}
That wraps it. Lock the shuffle, keep bass tidy, and aim for grin not grind.
When the room starts nodding in time, you already know How to play this one.
Intro: G
Vs.1
C D G
Country DJ's knows that I'm an outlaw.
G C
They'd never come to see me in this dive.
C G D/F# Em
Where bikers stare at cowboys who are laughen' at the hippies.
Am D
Who are prayen' they'll get out of her alive.
Vs.2
C D G
The loud mouth in the corners gett'en to me.
G C
Talking about my earrings and my hair.
C G D/F# Em
I guess he aint read the sign that says I've been to prison.
Am D
Someone aught to warn him, before I knock him off his chair.
Vs.3
C D G
Cause my long hair just can't cover up my redneck.
G C
I've won every fight I've ever faught.
C G D/F# Em
And I don't need some turkey telling me that I ain't country.
Am D
Say'en I aint worth a damn on, ticket that he bought.
Chorus:
G C
Cause I can sing all those songs about Texas,
D G D
And I still do all the sad one's that I know.
G C
They tell me, I look like Merle Haggard,
Am D
And sound alot like David Allen Coe.
Vs.4
And the barmaid in the last town that we played in.
Knew the words to every song I wrote.
She said Jimmy Rabbit turned her on to my last album.
Just about the time the jukebox broke.
Vs.5
Ya Jonny Cash helped me get out of prison.
Long before Rodriquez stole that goat.
I've been a Rhinestone Cowboy for so long I can't remember.
And I can do you every song Hank Williams ever wrote.
Chorus:
And I can sing all those songs about Texas,
And I still do all the sad one's that I know.
I can't help it, I like Merle Haggard,
And sound alot like David Allen Coe.
Vs.1
Vs.2 and fade
