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Walk the Line: How to Play Johnny Cash on Acoustic Guitar

If you'd like to learn how to play Johnny Cash's music on the guitar, you're in the right place!

Musicnotes

• 4 min read
guitar - johnny cash

They are some of the greatest songs of all time: "A Boy Named Sue," "Folsom Prison Blues," and "Ring of Fire." If you'd like to learn how to play Johnny Cash on guitar, you are joining a long line of folks who have enjoyed strumming and singing these classic country hits for decades.

Fortunately, there are lead sheets, chord charts, and guitar tab notations that can teach you how to play "Hurt" by Johnny Cash as well as many other songs. With dedicated practice, you will be able to sing right along with the Man in Black.

Where It All Began

J.R. Cash, as Johnny was named, was born in 1932 in rural Arkansas. He grew up with the music of the South all around him. He learned folk ballads, work songs, and hymns as a matter of everyday life. However, it was his military service that exposed him to country and rockabilly music. He learned the guitar, wrote a few songs, and moved to Memphis after his discharge to pursue a career in music.

Cash signed with Sun Records, the Memphis label that had launched the career of Elvis Presley. While there he was induced to leave the Gospel-style music he had been writing behind and embrace a more country sound. He released both "Folsom Prison Blues" and "I Walk the Line" for Sun and became a star. Feeling constrained artistically by Sun, he left for Columbia Records where he had 26 very successful years.

The Johnny Cash Style

To play Johnny Cash on guitar you need to know something about his style. His music has a little bit of everything that he heard growing up. So you get the blue notes of work songs, the harmonies of gospel music, and the rhythms of rockabilly and early rock and roll.

His style is simple, as well. His first backing band, The Tennessee Two, consisted of acoustic bass and rhythm guitar. This set the stage for Cash's famous "boom-chicka-boom" sound. That was the rhythmic effect they could achieve without a drummer. When a drummer finally joined the group in 1960, the sound was set and was only changed by the addition of a lot of snare.

All this is good news for any guitarist aspiring to play Johnny Cash songs. It means that you don't need fancy fingerpicking, pitch bends, or mad tapping skills. Learn your chords and work on your strumming patterns and you'll soon play Johnny Cash like a pro.

The Best Johnny Cash Songs to Begin Your Journey

The best song to start with is your favorite. If you love a song, you'll practice it more. However, if your favorite song seems too daunting or you'd like a little more guidance, take a look at the following tunes:

  • "I Walk the Line" - You pretty much only need to know four chords to play this song which makes it a perfect first choice. This is a chord chart version that requires no music-reading skills. 
  • "Ring of Fire" - Despite being hugely popular, this song has a very simple chord pattern that's easy to learn on this chord chart.
  • "Folsom Prison Blues" - Another chord chart arrangement for quick learning, this song follows the classic 12-bar blues progression and only uses three chords.  
  • "Girl from the North Country" - A Bob Dylan tune covered by Cash, you can use a very basic strumming pattern for these simple folk rhythms. 

There are, of course, many other Cash songs you can learn, but these four are a great introduction to some of the different rhythm patterns and chord progressions you will encounter.

Take It to the Next Level

Now that you are comfortable with reading Johnny Cash chord charts, it's time to try some tablature. Guitar tabs or tab, as it is typically called, open up another level of music playing. Many more songs will be available to you, and you can explore different techniques, such as fingerstyle.

If reading guitar tab is new to you, take a moment to learn how. It's easier than reading standard music notation and enables you to play a more difficult repertoire. Tab notation can also indicate techniques such as slides, bends, and tapping so you can take your playing to the next level.

There are many wonderful Johnny Cash songs you can play with guitar tabs, such as:

  • "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky" - This uptempo number is a real crowd-pleaser at parties and other gatherings.
  • "Jackson" - You'll enjoy the fun rhythms in this song. They offer a nice challenge to the intermediate guitarist.
  • "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" - Cash's cover of this Kris Kristofferson tune is a classic. Guitar tabs make it easy to learn.

No Johnny Cash song list would be complete without "The Man in Black." This lead-sheet version gives you the melody so your friends can sing along.

Many musicians want to know how to play Johnny Cash’s "Hurt" on guitar. As you probably know, this song is a bit of a special case. Originally performed by the band Nine Inch Nails and written by band member Trent Reznor, this is not your typical Cash song. It requires a different style of playing with less strumming and more fingerpicking.

Begin with this sheet music for "Hurt" in guitar tab notation. It clearly indicates the rhythm patterns you need to replicate the intro and accompaniment. Work these patterns out slowly, paying special attention to the evenness of your eighth notes. Once you master the basic rhythm, you can gradually increase your speed to performance tempo. Wait to add vocals until you are confident and comfortable with the guitar accompaniment.

Johnny Cash had a long and prolific career. There are dozens of his songs you can learn to play on the guitar and something appropriate for nearly any occasion. Browse the list of Cash songs at Musicnotes to find the right piece for you. Purchase and download it to your computer or tablet or use it in the app for hours of personal enjoyment.

Sources:

  • https://www.britannica.com/biography/Johnny-Cash
  • https://sunrecords.com/artists/johnny-cash/
  • https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/johnny_cash_and_the_tennessee_two
  • https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/how-to-read-guitar-tab-mt-202
  • https://www.radiox.co.uk/features/why-did-johnny-cash-cover-hurt/