Billy Idol - Rebel Yell

How to play Billy Idol - Rebel Yell by Unknown on guitar

This song is a great beginner pick because it has a strong, driving feel and a progression you can lock into quickly. At about 120 BPM, it gives you enough momentum to feel exciting without being too fast, so you can focus on clean changes and steady timing.

You’ll start with open shapes for Em, F, A, and Em, which makes the first part approachable. The main thing to watch is the move between F and A, then back to Em, since that change can catch your hand if you rush it. If you later hit any barre shapes like Bm, B, F#m, Fm, or F#, take those as the tougher spots.

Practice the opening progression slowly at first, making each chord ring clearly before you speed up. Then loop Em - F - A - Em until the changes feel automatic. Once your hands know the shape order, bring the tempo up in small steps and keep your strumming even.

Use the play-along above to follow each chord change in time with the music, or learn the shapes first with the chord diagrams below.