Ram Jam - Black Betty

How to play Ram Jam - Black Betty by Unknown on guitar

This is a fun, driving song to learn because it locks into a steady rock feel and keeps your hands moving. At about 120 BPM, it feels energetic but still manageable, so you can focus on staying tight and confident while the groove pushes forward.

You’ll spend most of your time on the barre shapes B, A#, and Cm, with the easier open shapes Dm, D, and Em available if they appear later in the chart. The main change to watch is the opening move B - A# - B - Cm, since that quick shift between nearby barre shapes can blur if your fretting hand is not set early.

Start by practicing the opening progression slowly and cleanly, making each change without rushing. Then loop the barre shapes until your hand feels relaxed, and only after that bring the tempo up in small steps. Once the changes feel automatic, play along from start to finish and keep the rhythm steady.

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.