Wagon Wheel is an accessible country song designed for beginner guitarists, offering simple chords and an accessible strumming pattern to learn quickly. Additionally, this tune follows a familiar 1-5-2-6 progression used frequently by country music composers.
In this tutorial, you’ll learn the guitar chords to Darius Rucker and Old Crow Medicine Show’s wagon wheel song as played on guitar by Darius. Plus, discover how to play this tune without using a capo!
1. A minor chord
A minor chord is an ideal place to start when learning guitar, as its easy playing and versatile use in many songs make it accessible and suitable.
For an effective way to practice minor chords, try creating your own chord progressions in a minor key. Select up to four chords and write them down on paper before practicing them several times.
Try including some minor chords like the sixth or ninth chord to your mix; these minor scale-based chords tend to be easier for beginners to play than major chords.
When playing a minor chord, keep this in mind: it is similar to a major chord except with its third flattened. You can learn how to create these chords using the basic major chord formula: first play 1 – 3 – 5, then flatten third to create minor chord.
2. E minor chord
Wagon Wheel is an upbeat love song about feeling at ease with yourself, or at least within yourself. It’s an easy song to learn without needing a capo and uses only basic chords; perfect if you need practice with barre chords!
Finger an E minor chord by starting with two fingers on the bottom strings, followed by sliding your third finger up to the seventh fret and playing G note with that third finger (some guitarists may prefer using second instead), though that decision ultimately rests with you as an individual guitarist.
Keep your thumb pressed firmly against the back of the neck for stability and precision, and ensure your fingers arched over rather than flat on the fretboard to avoid accidentally muzzling other strings or fret buzz. This will give your chords a fuller sound.
3. F# minor chord
F minor is the relative minor of A major, and is crucial as chords in minor keys follow a specific formula (which we will get into later). This formula dictates that each triad will be one note higher or lower depending on its proximity with one another – since an octave contains 12 semitones between notes; their relative proximity or absence determines this change.
F Minor is harmonically equivalent to G Flat Minor because a sharp raises one note by half step while flat lowers another note by half step.
Assuming you already know the G minor chord, this song should be straightforward for beginners to learn and two and a half minute long making it ideal to practice strumming skills on.
4. G minor chord
Although you might associate the G minor chord with sad songs, its versatility extends far beyond this genre. Pop, rock and even bluesy funk tracks such as Cherry Glazerr’s “Had Ten Dollaz” feature this chord’s dark yet disconcerting sound – perfect for conveying feelings of unease in lyrics.
Wagon Wheel is an excellent example. Using two simple chords and an uncomplicated strumming pattern, it creates an emotionally engaging tune which is beginner friendly!
As soon as you’re ready to tackle this song, start by learning the basic G minor chord and practicing it in its different inversions until you become familiar with finger positions on the fretboard. Add in chromatic scale practice sessions so that when writing music of your own you are aware how minor chords work.
Learn this lovely acoustic guitar song written partly by Bob Dylan and completed by Old Crow Medicine Show – especially country music fans since Darius Rucker covered it! Its popularity has become widespread thanks to their performance.
This song has been arranged for acoustic guitar by professional guitarists at University Guitarists (UG), in the key of A.
Verse 1
It recounts the journey of its protagonist from Roanoke, Virginia to Raleigh, North Carolina via hitchhiking. Along the way he hopes to see his lover who’s waiting there but also desires to create music; Secor’s use of extra syllables in each verse adds momentum and emphasizes his intention to change his life for good.
Old Crow Medicine Show’s version of “Hold on to Me” became one of their signature tunes and quickly rose in popularity – eventually reaching cult status after Darius Rucker covered it in 2012. Irish country singer Nathan Carter later released his version, making the song even more widely enjoyed among solo acoustic musicians and country-influenced cover bands alike.
Leyton Orient FC of England earned promotion to the Premier League in 2023 and this song is often played to honor their members. Players would sing the tune after every match against Crewe Alexandra FC before leaving their locker rooms and singing it together afterwards.
Verse 2
Wagon Wheel, written partially by Bob Dylan during the early 70s but unfinished by him, eventually found its way into Old Crow Medicine Show’s repertoire and has since become their signature song and a beloved country tune. Irish singer Nathan Carter released an version in 2012 while Darius Rucker took it a step further by recording it himself.
The verses to wagon wheel detail a hitchhiking journey south along the eastern United States coast from New England in the northeast through Roanoke, Virginia to Raleigh in North Carolina where he hopes to see his lover. Although unfinished, this catchy song has become popular among folk singers and country-inspired cover bands alike.
This beginner acoustic guitar lesson will show you how to play Wagon Wheel on an acoustic guitar, as well as teaching you the essential skill of shifting between open positions on the fretboard – an invaluable asset to any guitarist!
Verse 3
Wagon Wheel is an excellent beginner acoustic guitar song and has recently gained in popularity due to Darius Rucker’s cover. Originally composed by Bob Dylan and then completed by Old Crow Medicine Show, its country influence makes this tune an appealing option for beginning guitarists as it can be played open positions on the guitar.
Darius Rucker made the song famous when it made the top 5 hit list on US Billboard Country charts. Irish singer Nathan Carter released his version a few years earlier using similar chords; both versions use melody and lyrics from Darius Rucker’s rendition to ensure consistent rhythm – this will prevent your guitar sounding too sloppy!
Wagon Wheel, written by Bob Dylan and Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show, was first recorded by Nathan Carter and released as a single in 2012 before Darius Rucker covered it a few weeks later. It consists of four chords – Em, C, G and D.
Em
Em chord is an invaluable asset to guitarists looking to add variety to their playing, as it is useful in many different musical contexts, from rock and jazz through country and folk music. Additionally, Em can often serve as an introduction for other chords – starting a progression with dominant chord or creating tension between major and minor scale.
We will learn to play Wagon Wheel by Bob Dylan in this lesson, making use of the em chord to develop our strumming skills and to gain practice with playing faster. After practicing both versions, you should be able to easily play Wagon Wheel without difficulty!
C
The key of C contains no sharps or flats and is one of the first chords learned by many guitarists. Open C chords are often used as root notes in songs, creating an excellent platform upon which melodies and rhythms can flourish.
C is an accessible minor chord, ideal for use in melancholic settings. When played together with E and Em chords it forms what’s known as a minor triad – three notes separated by what’s called an interval that forms three notes within one minor triad chord.
To play this chord progression, place your third finger at the second fret of the fifth string and strum with all five fingers – this exercise helps build finger independence if you have smaller hands! Furthermore, this technique can be applied to other chords such as G and D chords.
G
G is an indispensable chord to know! From simple open Gs to dropping to the first fret on the G string before ascending back up again to its second fret and back again, G can add plenty of variety and spice to your music. Take some time exploring its various applications; experiment to see how you can incorporate it into your own songs!
In this lesson we’ll learn to play Wagon Wheel by Darius Rucker – a country classic originally written by Bob Dylan and Ketch Secor from Old Crow Medicine Show. We will learn both ways of playing it – original version as well as with a capo on the second fret.
D
D is a versatile chord, perfect for use in many different settings and circumstances. From being used as a minor seventh chord or power chord in blues riffs to drop D tuning for heavier soundscapes; such as Creed’s song “Higher”.
Like its major counterpart, this D minor triad contains a perfect fifth, so called because its pitches always lie 7 frets or three and a half tones higher than its root note. This interval provides musical consonance and resolution without dissonant tension.
Beginners may find learning this chord shape challenging; therefore, it is suggested they begin by learning open chords first. This will enable your index finger to anchor between other two fingers easily during transitions between chords; furthermore, this practice can develop dexterity in your ring finger as well as increase strength across all fingers.