La Grange

How to play La Grange by ZZ Top on guitar

This song is a great beginner pick because it locks into a simple, driving groove and lets you focus on timing more than note count. You get a strong rock feel right away, and the repeating pattern makes it easy to hear progress as you play.

You only need open shapes here, so the left hand stays friendly and close to the nut. The main thing to watch is the quick switch between Am and A, since that change keeps coming back and needs to sound clean every time.

Start by looping Am and A slowly until the move feels automatic. Then practice the opening progression at a steady pulse, and once that is smooth, bring it up toward the song tempo while keeping the changes relaxed and even.

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.