How to play "Take Me Home, Country Roads" Chords on acoustic guitar
John Denver is playing the 'Take Me Home, Country Roads' tabs /
chords in the music video.
Key: A (using G shapes)
Capo: 2nd fret
Tuning: E A D G B E
Difficulty: Beginner friendly; steady groove and open chords.
This Guitar Lesson gets you strumming confidently, singing along, and landing
the classic stops and builds without fuss.
Chords Used
Open-position shapes with capo 2 give you the studio key.
Core shapes (names shown relative to capo):
G major 320003 (alt:
320033)
Em 022000 (easy: keep ring
on 3rd fret 1st string)
D major xx0232 (mute 5th,
6th)
C major x32010 (easy: Cadd9
x32033)
D7 xx0212
F major (brief in bridge) 133211
(easy: Fmaj7 x03210)
Helpful walk-ins: G/B x20003 to
smooth G → C; Em7 022033 if your
pinky likes staying parked.
Strumming Pattern
Keep it even, lay back on beats 2 and 4.
Beginner-safe groove (4/4):
D D U U D U 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
Accents: lean on the upstroke after 2 and the downstroke on 4. Keep the wrist
loose. Strumming: about 82 bpm. If you want extra flavor, add a light
alternating-bass feel on beats 1 and 3 for G/Em/D/C.
Sections Breakdown
Capo 2, think in G shapes. Progressions are written relative to capo.
Intro
| G . . . | Em . . . | D . . . | C . G . |
Verse
G | Em | D | C G
G | Em | D | C G
Sing lightly over the bar lines; do not rush the C → G turnaround.
Chorus
| G D | Em C | G D | C G |
On the last bar, you can add a short stop-strum before the next section for
dynamic lift.
Verse 2
(same as Verse)
Bridge
| Em D | G . | C G | D . |
| Em F | C . | G D | D7 . |
That quick F (or Fmaj7) is your color note; keep it light, then let D7 set up
the final choruses.
Outro
| G D | Em C | G D | C G |
Tag: | D . | G . | (repeat and fade)
Attributions: shapes and flow match common open-G transcriptions heard on the
original record. For exact engravings, consult licensed songbooks.
Common Mistakes
Small fixes that pay off fast.
Over-strumming every beat. Let the groove breathe; leave micro-gaps on 2
and 4.
Muddy C and D. Mute low E on C; mute 5th and 6th on D.
Rushing the D7 in the bridge. Count cleanly; let it ring a full bar.
Missing the F change. Use Fmaj7 if the barre is noisy, then graduate to
full F later.
Capo drift. Check tuning after placing or moving the capo.
General Tips
Tuning: standard E A D G B E. Capo on 2; recheck intonation.
Voicings: Cadd9 and Em7 keep pinky anchored for smoother changes.
Tone: a thin pick adds shimmer; thicker picks give clearer bass.
Practice loop: Verse → Chorus twice, then Bridge → Chorus outro.
Singing: set the guitar just under the vocal to avoid speeding up.
Use this Tutorial as a scaffold. Record yourself, listen back, and adjust
dynamics before chasing speed.
Song Facts:
"Take Me Home, Country Roads" was released in 1971 on the album "Poems,
Prayers & Promises" and soon became John Denver's signature song. It was
written by Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert, and Denver, and it peaked at number two
on the Billboard Hot 100 in late August of that year. The single went gold the
same month and reached platinum decades later as downloads surged. The mellow
arrangement you are emulating here—open chords, steady pulse, and a hint of
banjo and steel—helped it cross folk, pop, and country lanes without losing
its homespun feel.
The origin story is quirky. Danoff and Nivert began sketching the lyric while
driving Maryland backroads toward a family gathering, daydreaming a tune they
imagined Johnny Cash might sing. Denver joined in later—after a minor car
mishap en route to a Washington club date—and they finished the song in an
overnight writing sprint before debuting it live the next evening. Though the
title name-checks West Virginia, some of the scenery in the first verse points
toward the Blue Ridge and Shenandoah, which mostly lie in Virginia. That
geography debate never dimmed the bond between the song and West Virginia
itself.
In March 2014, the West Virginia Legislature designated "Country Roads" an
official state song. In 2023, Denver's recording entered the Library of
Congress National Recording Registry, cementing its cultural status. The song
is woven into game-day rituals, too: fans at West Virginia University sing it
together after home victories, a tradition stretching back to the early
seventies. All of this explains why a simple G-shape strum (capo 2) still
lights up rooms, stadiums, and campfires more than fifty years on.
Song Meaning
Whole-song arc: it is a homesick postcard, written from motion. The road is
literal and symbolic—the pull of place versus the urge to roam. Harmony
vocals echo memory; the groove keeps moving even as the singer longs to stop.
Verse notes: sensory snapshots—mountains, river, the feel of air—are sketched
to trigger memory more than to map a location. You do not need to "prove" the
geography; you paint belonging.
Chorus notes: the ask is plain. The hook repeats so the listener can join—
that is the magic. Sing conversationally, then lean into the second hook.
Bridge notes: radio and morning light place you in transit. The brief F chord
adds a wistful color before the familiar D7 points home. Hold that tension,
then release into the final choruses.
Comparisons to previous works:
Set next to "Leaving on a Jet Plane," this song trades airport melancholy for a
front-porch pull. Both rely on simple harmony and steady strum, but "Country
Roads" invites communal singing more directly. Compared with Denver's later
"Rocky Mountain High," the harmony here is tighter and the groove straighter;
less wide-screen nature, more homeward compass. On the "Poems, Prayers &
Promises" album, it sits among reflective pieces, yet it stands out for its
immediate chorus and friendly guitar bed — G-family shapes many beginners' learn
in week one.
FAQ
What capo position matches the original recording key?
Capo 2 with G shapes places you in concert A like the record.
Is there a super-easy way past the F in the bridge?
Yes. Use Fmaj7 x03210 and
keep it quiet for one bar.
How do I stop speeding up in the chorus?
Count out loud for two passes and accent beats 2 and 4; record a quick
phone memo and check.
What strum fits if singing solo?
The D D U U D U pattern works. Add a light alternating bass on beats 1
and 3 when you are comfy.
Can I play along without a capo?
Sure. Shift shapes up a whole step (think A-family) or use a transpose
feature and stay in G.
Tuning: E A D G B E
Key: A
Capo: 2nd fret
[Verse 1]
G Em D C G
Almost Heaven; West Virginia, Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River.
G Em D
Life is old there, older than the trees, younger than the mountains,
C G
Growin' like a breeze.
[Chorus]
G D Em C
Country Roads, take me home, to the place, I belong,
G D C G
West Virginia, mountain mama, take me home, country roads.
[Verse 2]
G Em D C G
All my memories gather 'round her, miner's lady, stranger to blue water.
G Em D
Dark and dusty, painted on the sky, a misty taste of moonshine,
C G
Teardrop in my eye.
[Chorus]
G D Em C
Country Roads, take me home, to the place, I belong,
G D C G
West Virginia, mountain mama, take me home, country roads.
[Bridge]
Em D G
I hear her voice in the morning hour, she calls me,
C G D
The radio reminds me of my home far away.
Em F C
And driving down the road, I get a feeling
G D D7
That I should have been home yesterday, yesterday.
[Chorus]
N.C. G D Em C
Country Roads, take me home, to the place, I belong,
G D C G
West Virginia, mountain mama, take me home, country roads.
G D Em C
Country Roads, take me home, to the place, I belong,
G D C G
West Virginia, mountain mama, take me home, country roads.
D G D G
Take me home, down country roads; take me home, down country roads
