House of the Rising Sun may conjure memories of The Animals’ 1964 hit version, but its history and chord progression go much deeper.
Although its origin remains a mystery, this song began as a traditional folk tune from New Orleans and tells of a life gone wrong for several siblings in that city. In it they urge other sibs not to follow in his footsteps and follow his example instead.
Easy Strumming Pattern
House of the Rising Sun can be played many different ways. All chords used in its progression fall within beginner players’ typical learning progression; with one exception (F Major (fretted with full barre). Beginners will take time building strength and skills needed to play this chord properly.
Strumming this song is also relatively easy; simply strumming each chord on every beat of each measure gives this lively song its lively rhythm. Once you have mastered its basic rhythm, add embellishments like hammer-ons and pull-offs before moving on to practicing its picking pattern; this was used by The Animals when performing this classic folk tune as their version was popular both in Britain and the US in 1964.
Easy Fingerstyle Pattern
Play this song using either a pick or your fingers; whatever technique you select, make sure that the rhythm is precise to get close to The Animals’ original recording of this tune.
Start by placing your thumb on the sixth string, index finger on the third string, middle finger on second string and ring finger on first string. Lift your hand so your fingertips are hovering half an inch above strings.
Roll your fingers across the strings while picking each string individually – this fingerstyle pattern can help you play House of the Rising Sun easily! Once you have learned it, apply it to other chord progressions – you may be amazed to discover that playing fingerstyle guitar isn’t as daunting as some may assume!
Easy Picking Pattern
House of the Rising Sun is an excellent song to practice changing chords when using a capo, particularly if playing it with one. Most of the time you should switch between Em and G chords; however, two bars require holding onto B7 chords for extended periods. Acclimatizing to these switches will help if you wish to recreate what Animals did when performing it in 1964 version of House of the Rising Sun.
Beginners looking for an easy fingerpicking pattern to start out can learn this one easily, which you can apply across various songs. To memorize it quickly and effectively, play through it over and over until it becomes second nature; also be sure to experiment with various patterns for optimal sound and feel!
Fingerpicking patterns like this one are suitable for most chord progressions; however, keep in mind that some sections of a song might require gentler or stronger guitar sounds depending on their chord progressions. Experimenting with different picking patterns will help you identify which tone best fits the circumstances at hand.
Easy Scale Pattern
A scale is a linear sequence of notes which begins at one note and extends over several octaves, beginning from its root note up through all its octaves. As seen in the diagram above, red dots represent root notes while black dots make up the rest of the scale; fret numbers indicate where on the fretboard to place fingers to play these notes.
Standard tuning (GBE) offers three guitar strings that offer unique interval locations that can be used to create simple scale patterns that adapt well with different chords and help make songs sound more authentic and consistent.
Practice scales to see how they fit into your playing. Try different picking styles and see how each changes the sound of chords; focus on landing as many beats as possible for maximum consistency and timing. Doing this will lead to improved timekeeping as you become an adept musician.