House of the Rising Sun

How to play House of the Rising Sun by The Animals on guitar

This is a great beginner song because the progression is memorable and dramatic, and it gives you that classic, moody feel right away. You can focus on clean chord changes and steady timing instead of tricky shapes, so it feels rewarding fast.

All of the chords are open shapes, so you do not need any barre chords here. The main thing to watch is the move through Am, C, D, and F, since that shift can feel less automatic at first than the others.

Start by looping the opening progression slowly and making each change sound clear. Then practice the same four chords in time until your hands know the order, and only after that bring it up toward the song's pace. Once the shapes feel smooth, play through longer sections without stopping.

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.