Jump

How to play Jump by Van Halen on guitar

These are the sounding chords. With a capo on fret 5 you play C, D, G, Em, Am, F and more, the shapes the player above shows.

"Jump" is a fun, high-energy song to learn because it feels bright and driving right from the start. You get a strong, upbeat groove that makes you want to keep playing, and the opening progression gives you a clear sense of motion and lift.

Most of the chart uses open shapes, so you can stay comfortable on F, G, C, Am, and Dm before dealing with the harder barre shapes A# and F#. The main change to watch is the move from the open-position feel into those barre chords, since that shift can slow you down if your hand is not ready.

Start by looping F - G - C - F slowly and cleanly until the changes feel automatic. Then add the rest of the chord shapes one at a time, keeping your hand relaxed and your transitions small. Once that feels solid, bring it up to tempo and focus on staying steady 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.