Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers - Mary Jane's Last Dance

How to play Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers - Mary Jane's Last Dance by TomPetty on guitar

This is a great beginner play-along because the groove is steady, the tempo sits around 120 BPM, and the opening progression feels instantly familiar. You get a laid-back, driving feel that is fun to lock into, and it rewards clean rhythm more than flashy technique.

Most of the song uses open shapes, so your left hand can stay relaxed while you focus on timing. The one shape to watch is Cm, since it is the barre chord and will take more hand strength and accuracy than the others. The main change to listen for is the shift from the opening Am - D - A - G pattern into that harder shape.

Start by looping Am - D - A - G until the changes feel smooth, then add the barre shape on its own until it rings cleanly. After that, practice the full sequence slowly with a steady count, and only speed up when your switches stay even. Once the shape changes feel automatic, you can play along with confidence.

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.