How to Play "Hit The Ground Runnin'" Guitar chords
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You can bang this one out in E, A, B and D and it still has a cool rock vibe. But to play it like
the CD, you'll need to finesse it a bit. The first 6 lines of the song (Pre Verse) are played with an E5
at the 7th fret then it transitions to traditional E chords. The Asus4 is played at the 5th fret. It takes
a non traditional fingering of the A chord to make this smooth. Switch the ring and pinky so the pinky
is on the A string, ring finger on the D string. Keep the bar,index and ring fingers planted and jump over
the D string with the pinky from A string to G string 7th fret. The pinky hammers on the G string
here...listen to the track and you'll get the timing.
Once you're into the Verse, it's first position chords to get that cool open B and E string droan under the
E chord. And you can play the Asus4 at the second fret by hammering on the B string 3rd fret.
The D E setup in the phrases of the lead sections.../ /... is played as partial bar chords 7th and 9th frets.
Chords Pre Verse Chords Partial Bar Chords
E 022100 E5 0799XX D XX777XX
A X02220 A 577655 E XX999XX
Asus4 X02230 Asus4 557755
B X24442 B 799877
D XX0232
Intro
E5 (x4)
Pre Verse
E5
My thoughts are out the door, my words about to pour
E5 B A Asus4 A Asus4
The boots are on the boards, I'm gonna hit the ground runnin'
E5
My eyes are up ahead, I'm lonely in this bed
E5 B A Asus4 A Asus4
My home is in my head, I'm gonna hit the ground runnin'
E5
My choices have been made, my dues have all been paid
E5 B A Asus4 A Asus4
I gotta burn before I fade. I'm gonna hit the ground runnin'
E
I be runnin' when I hit ground
Verse
E
I don't turn my porch light on when I leave home
E A Asus4 A Asus4
Cause I'm gone a lot and I ain't got nothing to steal
E
I don't kiss my baby goodbye
E
See, I got no baby 'cause I'm gone a lot
E A Asus4 A Asus4
And I don't know how to deal
E
And I keep looking for something that's real
Choeus
A
Goin' out on the road
Asus4 E
Gonna ramble all over America
A
I was born on the run
Asus4 E
And I'm never gonna settle down
A
Baby, I'm on a roll
Asus4 E
Rollin' all over America
D
And when the sun comes up, honey
A E
I'll be running when I hit the ground
Verse
E
I don't set my suitcase down when I get to town
E A Asus4 A Asus4
Cause I'm gone a lot and I know I'll be leaving real soon
E
And I don't know just where I'm bound
E
But someday I'll come back around
E A Asus4 A Asus4
And you know I'll be looking for you
E
Yeah, I'm sure to be looking for you
Chorus
A
Goin' out on the road
Asus4 E
Gonna ramble all over America
A
I was born on the run
Asus4 E
And I'm never gonna settle down
A
Baby, I'm on a roll
Asus4 E
Rollin' all over America
D
When the sun comes up, honey
A E /D E/
I'll be running when I hit the ground
A Asus4 E /D E/ (x3) D A E
Verse
E
All I need's this old guitar
E
She seen a lot of miles
E
And she makes me a living
E A Asus4 A Asus4
But she ain't made me a star
E
So I gotta keep my meal ticket dry
E
She's a six string box, ain't worth a lot of money
E A Asus4 A Asus4
But she keeps this boy alive
E
Yeah, she keeps this boy alive
Chorus
A
I'm goin' out on the road
Asus4 E
Gonna ramble all over America
A
I was born on the run
Asus4 E
And I'm never gonna settle down
A
Baby, I'm on a roll
Asus4 E
Rollin' all over America
D
When the sun comes up, honey
A E /D E/
I'll be running when I hit the ground
A Asus4 E /D E/ (x4) E
E A Asus4 E
I'm gonna hit the ground runnin'
A Asus4 E
I'm gonna hit the ground runnin'
A Asus4 E
I'm gonna hit the ground runnin'
A Asus4 E
I'm gonna hit the ground runnin'