Kansas - Carry On Wayward Son

How to play Kansas - Carry On Wayward Son by kansas on guitar

This song is a great one to learn because it has a strong, familiar drive and a satisfying singalong feel. At about 120 BPM, it moves with steady energy, so you can focus on keeping the groove even and confident while the changes land cleanly.

Most of the chart uses open shapes like G, Em, D, and C, which keeps it beginner-friendly. The harder shapes are the barre chords Cm and A#, so watch the move into Cm in the opening progression - that is the change most likely to slow you down if your hand is not ready.

Start by looping G - Em - G - Cm slowly until the switch feels automatic. Then add the rest of the open shapes one at a time, keeping your strums light and even. Once the changes are smooth, bring it up to tempo and aim for clean transitions before adding more intensity.

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.