Roxanne

How to play Roxanne by The Police on guitar

Roxanne is a great song to learn because it has a strong, recognizable groove and a steady drive that feels good once you lock in. At about 135 BPM, it pushes you to stay relaxed while keeping the rhythm moving, so it is a solid intermediate workout that still feels musical.

You will mostly move between open shapes and a few harder barre shapes, so the main challenge is keeping the changes clean without breaking the pulse. The opening progression, G - A# - F - A#, is the first thing to get comfortable with, since it sets up the song’s shape and asks you to switch quickly between familiar and tougher grips.

Start by looping that opening progression slowly until each change feels automatic. Then add the rest of the chart in small sections, always checking that your barre shapes land cleanly before you try full speed. Once the chords are steady, play along with the track and focus on staying even rather than forcing the pace.

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.