Free Fallin'

How to play Free Fallin' by Tom Petty on guitar

Free Fallin' is a great beginner song because it stays relaxed and steady, so you can focus on clean changes and a smooth feel. You get a simple, familiar loop that sounds good right away, and it sits in an easy groove at a comfortable pace.

The open shapes are F and C, while A# is the harder barre shape, so that is the main thing to prepare for. The change to watch out for is moving between A# and the open chords without losing time, especially in the opening A# - F - C - F pattern.

Start by looping the opening progression slowly, then practice A# on its own until it feels solid. Next, switch between A# and F, then add C, and only then play the full cycle with a steady count. Once the changes feel smooth, bring it up to tempo little by little.

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.