Country Roads
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A song everyone will want to join in with you and sing along!
This song was a hit for John Denver 50 years ago, and it's still popular today. Learn how to play the chorus with this free banjo lesson video.
Song Lyrics
Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain mama
Take me home, country roads
Almost heaven, West Virginia
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River
Life is old there, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, growin’ like a breeze
All my memories gather ’round her
Miner’s lady, stranger to blue water
Dark and dusty, painted on the sky
Misty taste of moonshine, teardrop in my eye
I hear her voice in the mornin’ hour, she calls me
The radio reminds me of my home far away
Drivin’ down the road, I get a feelin’
That I should’ve been home yesterday, yesterday
Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain mama
Take me home, country roads
Country Roads Tablature
This is such a well known song, everybody likes to join in with the chorus! John Denver originally recorded it in the key of A, so you will need a capo on the 2nd fret to play along with the record. To make it easier, we’re playing in the key of G here, so you don’t need a capo.
Learning to play the melody of the chorus will help you to develop your skills as a banjo player, and you can do that with the free video and tablature on this page. It’s great to make a connection between what your fingers are doing and what your ears are hearing!
In the Banjo Academy you will learn how to accompany yourself or someone else singing this song by playing the chords. You will be using simple right hand picking patterns and mostly playing chords that can be played with two or three fingers of the left hand.
Check out our student Dave Gloster’s sweet performance of this classic song. Dave had never played a musical instrument before and he learnt to play this song with the Banjo Academy. Dave uses a very simple right hand roll called the Square Roll, which you can learn to play free on JoffLowson.com. Dave plays the Square Roll throughout, which makes it easier for him to sing at the same time. In the Banjo Academy you will also learn to play this song with the Single Thumb pattern and the Old-Time inside roll, which Joff demonstrates in the video at the top of the page.
Watch Our Student Dave Gloster Play This Song
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GET THIS SONG & MORE IN MY STRUCTURED LEARNING PROGRAMS
EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE IN THE BANJO ACADEMY
You can get this song in my Banjo Academy program. Each full song within these learning programs includes slow-motion, close ups, and I'll break it down for you so you learn the music basics, which, if applied give you the keys to the banjo one song at a time.
Are you a beginner?
If you are, and you're new to the site, take a look at the beginner's page.
It's packed full of the most fundamental steps you need to take to start playing banjo songs.
“Thousands of beginners & musicians alike now play who never thought they could.”
Discover my revived 3—finger banjo technique. If you practice daily, you can play any banjo song you want.
It’s not just possible—it’s easy using these simple hand positions.
Most banjo books try to make you run before you can walk. That can often put people off. I’ll tell you now if you practice using what I show you in the academy—you’ll be able to play almost any song you want. Click below to see what you can get.
