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Rock Bands From The 60s
On The Acoustic
Welcome to this rock bands from the 60s section. This section has lessons from three groups including The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys and Hermans Hermits.
You'll find several free demos, a sample video, chord sheets, rhythm tips and more. If you require a full instructional video tutorial you can get one for a small fee. See prices in the right menu.
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Rock Bands From The 60s
Chords, Lyrics, Demos, Tutorials
1. Barbara Ann
Barbara Ann was a huge song for this band back in 1965, reaching #1 in several countries and a top 5 in a few others. Dean Torrance of Jan and Dean is singing lead with Brian Wilson on this one.
The track can be found on their album "Barbara Ann".
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: 2nd fret
- Rhythm: down up down up down up
- Picking: Yes
- Chords: E, A, B
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2. Beasts Of Burden
Beasts Of Burden was released several months after "Miss You" was released from the same album "Some Girls".
This track did not chart in the UK but reached #8 in the US and #9 in Canada.
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: just a steady down up down up up up and repeat and some downstrokes
- Picking: No just the riff
- Chords: E, Db, A, E/Ab, B
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3. Cant You Hear My Heartbeat
Can't You Hear My Heartbeat, sometimes called Baby Baby Can't You Hear My Heartbeat, was recorded by Hermans Hermits in 1965 and was a #2 hit for them on the Hot Billboard 100 charts.
In the UK, Silhouettes was the A-side and this song was the B-side.
- Drop D Tuning = No
- Capo = No
- Rhythm = use a down up stop up down up stop up pattern with a few drum roll shuffles
- Picking = No
- Chords = A, E, D
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4. Everybody Needs Somebody
Everybody Needs Someone To Love was a song originally recorded by Solomon Burke as he co-wrote the song. Later in 66, Wilson Pickett covered the song as did The Rolling Stones and The Blue Brothers.
I was unable to find if this song was put on an album or not.
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: down down down down down down down up down up and repeat
- Picking: No
- Chords: E, A, D, Dbm
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5. Fun Fun Fun
Fun Fun Fun was a single release in 1964 and hails from their album "Shut Down Vol 2".
The song peached at #5 in the US and #9 in Australia.
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: 2nd fret
- Rhythm: down up down up down up down up and repeat
- Picking: Yes
- Chords: D, G, A, D/Gb, A7, D/E
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6. Good Times Bad Times
Good Times Bad Times was a B-side to It's all Over Now which was released in the summer of 1964.
This song appears on the 12x5 album.
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: down up down up down down up down up down and repeat
- Picking: Yes
- Chords: C, G, F, G7, Adim, Fm
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7. Hawaii
Hawaii was a release back in 1964 and did well in Australia reaching #9 on the charts, but it never charted anywhere else.
It was recorded in 1963 for the album "Surfer Girl".
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo:1st fret
- Rhythm: down down down up down up down up and repeat
- Picking: Yes
- Chords: Am, D, G, C, Em, A
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8. Help Me Rhonda
Help Me Rhonda hails from the 1965 album "The Beach Boys Today".
This song had two versions but the second version was the single release and hit #1 in the US. Roy Orbison and Johnny Rivers both covered this one.
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: 1st = original key
- Rhythm: down up down up with a riff and picking blended in
- Picking: Yes
- Chords: C, Dm7, Am, F, D7, G
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9. Honky Tonk Woman
Honky Tonk Woman was another monster single from The Stones in the summer of 1969 reaching #1 in the UK, US and several other countries.
This one hails from the album "Through The Past Darkly Big Hits Vol 2".
- Drop D Tuning: Yes
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: mainly downstrokes with a few riffs then a down up down down up down up for the ch
- Picking: Yes
- Chords: G, C, A, D
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10. I'm Into Something Good
I'm Into Something Good was co-written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King and was released in 1964.
The song reached #1 in the UK for Hermans Hermits and it was their debut single. A great way to break into the music business.
- Drop D Tuning = No
- Capo = 4th fret
- Rhythm = down up down up down up down up with a few bass runs blended in
- Picking = Yes
- Chords = G, C, G7, D, A7
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11. It's All Over Now
It's All Over Now was released back in the summer of 1964. You'll find this track on the 12x5 album.
The song was a #1 in the UK and a top 30 in the US.
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: root down up down up down up and repeat
- Picking: Yes
- Chords: G, F, C, D
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12. Jumpin Jack Flash
Jumpin Jack Flash did not appear on any Stones album to my knowledge as it was a single release back in May of 1968.
The song reached #1 in the UK and US and was a #2 is several other countries. It did appear later on their live album "Flashpoint" in 1991.
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: Capo on 2nd fret
- Rhythm: mainly downstrokes
- Picking: Yes
- Chords: A, C, G, D
Chords & Lyrics
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13. Kokomo
Kokomo was The Beach Boys first #1 in nearly 18 years after their last hit in 1970 called Cottonfields, which was a #1 overseas. Their last US hit was Good Vibrations in 1966.
So 22 years between #1's in the US. John Phillips from The Mama's and The Papa's, Scott McKenzie (are you going to San Fran - Cisco), Mike Love with Terry Melcher, wrote this one. From the album "Still Crusin".
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: root down up root up down up and repeat
- Picking: Yes
- Chords: C, F, G, Cmaj7, Gm, D7, Fm, C7
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14. Miss You
Miss You was a great success for the band upon it's release as a single in May of 1978, reaching #1 in the US and Canada and a #3 in the UK.
This track lives on the album "Some Girls".
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: No
- Rhythm:
- Picking:
- Chords: Am, D, F, Em, Dm, E
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15. Mrs Brown
Mrs Brown (You've Got A Lovely Daughter) was a popular novelty song in the UK at parties and the like and was recorded by actor Tom Courtenay for a play called The Lads first in 1963.
The Hermits recorded their version in 1965 but the song was never released in the UK as a single as the group thought it was not a song to be taken seriously.
Like another song they never released in the UK called I'm Henry VIII I Am. But surprisingly the song was #1 in both Canada and the US.
- Drop D Tuning = No
- Capo = No
- Rhythm = down up down up and repeat
- Picking = No
- Chords = C, Em, Dm7, G, Am, A#, Gm, D#, Gb
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16. No Milk Today
No Milk Today was not released as a single in the US but was a #7 hit in the UK back in 1966.
The band 10cc's member Graham Gouldman wrote this song for Hermans Hermits, which was his second behind a #3 hit called Listen People.
Over the years the song has been used in several milk commercials and in the Sons Of Anarchy soundtrack. The song was a #1 in Norway and Australia.
- Drop D Tuning = No
- Capo = No
- Rhythm = down up stop up down up stop up and repeat
- Picking = No
- Chords = Am, C, E7, A, G, D, E
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17. Out Of Control
Out Of Control was a 1998 single release from The Stones and it peaked at #51 in the UK and #12 in Poland. By the early 1990's the big hits from The Stones were few and far between.
This song is from the album "Bridges To Babylon".
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: Capo 2nd fret
- Rhythm: downstrokes for the most pat
- Picking: Yes
- Chords: Am, F, G, E7, C
Chords & Lyrics
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18. Out Of Time
Out Of Time hit the airwaves in the latter part of summer 1975. The song made it to #45 in the UK and was #81 in the US.
You can find this track from their album "Metamorphosis".
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: down down up down up down up and repeat
- Picking: Yes
- Chords: G, D/Gb, C, D, Em
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19. Paint It Black
Paint It Black was a huge hit for The Stones in May of 1966, reaching #1 in the US, UK, Canada and several other European countries.
The track is from the album "Aftermath".
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: down up down up down up and repeat
- Picking: Yes
- Chords: Dm, A7, C, F, A7/A#
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20. Ruby Tuesday
Ruby Tuesday was another huge song when it was released in Jan of 1967, peaking at #3 in the UK and scoring a #1 in the US.
You can find this track on the album "Between The Buttons".
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: 1st fret
- Rhythm: down down down up down up and repeat
- Picking: No
- Chords: Am, Am/G, F, G, C, Gsus, D7, G7, A#
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21. Silhouettes
Silhouettes was released in 1965, Silhouettes was a #5 hit in the US and a #3 in the UK. The song was a #1 in Canada.
The Rays first recorded the song in 1957 and Cliff Richard did a version in 1990.
- Drop D Tuning = No
- Capo = No
- Rhythm = root down up root up down up and repeat
- Picking = Yes
- Chords = G, Em, C, D, D7, Am
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22. Sloop John B
Sloop John B was a #1 in the UK and a few other European countries and managed to peak at #3 in the US back in 1966.
The track is from their album "Pet Sounds".
- Drop D Tuning: Yes
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: downstrokes to start - root down up down up root up down up
- Picking: No but a few riffs
- Chords: G, D, C, G7, Am, D7
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23. Surfer Girl
Surfer Girl was written and sung by Brian Wilson on this track from 1963. The song was a #7 in the US and reached #19 in Australia.
The track is from the album of the same name.
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: down down up down up down down and repeat
- Picking: No
- Chords: D, Bm, G, A7, Dmaj7, D7, Gm, Em, D7, Gbm, Bm, E
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24. Surfin USA
Surfin USA was a re-write with the permission of Chuck Berry of his song Sweet Little 16. So if those two songs sound similar, now you know why. The track is from the 1963 album Surfin USA.
The re-written song managed to reach #3 on the US Billboard and Cash Box charts.
- Drop D Tuning: Yes
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: down up down up down up and use a rock and roll riff
- Picking: Yes
- Chords: D, A, G
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25. The Last Time
The Last Time is from the album "Out Of Our Heads" from 1965.
The song hit the airwaves as a single and was a #10 in the US and a top 10 in several other countries and a #1 in the UK.
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: root down root up down up with some riffs mixed
- Picking: Yes
- Chords: E, D, A
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26. Theres A Kind Of Hush
There's A Kind Of Hush was released in 1967 and reached #4 in the US, #7 in the UK and #2 in Canada.
Hermans Hermits and The New Vaudville Band both released this song around the same time, but the Hermits version was more successful.
The Carpenters also covered the song in 1976. This is still one of the most popular Hermans Hermits songs on the radio.
- Drop D Tuning = No
- Capo = No
- Rhythm = root up down up root up down up ... then you can use a rake pattern in spots as you'll see and a root down up down up shuffle if you want to
- Picking = Yes
- Chords = G, C, E7, Am, F, Dm, Fmaj7
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27. Time Is On My Side
Time Is On My Side was a single release in the fall of 1964 and did not chart in the UK market. It did reach #6 in the US and was a top 10 in a few other countries.
The song appears on the 12x5 album.
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: 3rd fret
- Rhythm: down down down up down up down and repeat will work here
- Picking: Yes
- Chords: G, Bm, E, A, D
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28. Under My Thumb
Under My Thumb was never released as a single but was a popular concert song and appeared on the album "Aftermath".
This was during the time when Brian Jones was still a member of the group.
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: down down up down up down up and repeat
- Picking: Yes
- Chords: Gbm, E, D, A, B7
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29. You Cant Always Get What You Want
You Can't Always Get What You Want is a great tune that never charted in the UK and barely made the top 40 in the US when it was released in 1973.
It's from the album "Let It Bleed".
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: root down up root down and repeat
- Picking: Yes
- Chords: G, C, A7
Buy Full Lesson
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