Refugee

How to play Refugee by Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers on guitar

These are the sounding chords. With a capo on fret 2 you play E, G, Em, D, C, A, the shapes the player above shows.

This is a great beginner rock tune to learn because it stays driving and direct, and the steady feel makes it fun to lock into the groove. You get a strong, familiar progression that sounds full right away, so it feels rewarding even at a simple level.

The chart uses a mix of open shapes and barre shapes, so the open A, E, and D should feel easier under your fingers, while F#, F#m, and B take more hand strength and clean muting. The main change to watch is the opening move from F# to A to F#m to E, since that shift between barre and open shapes can trip you up at first.

Start by looping just the opening progression slowly until each change feels smooth. Then add the rest of the chart in short sections, keeping your hand relaxed and your rhythm steady. Once the shapes feel automatic, bring it up to tempo and focus on staying even through the harder barre changes.

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.