Learn how to play the traditional American folk song “Wayfaring Stranger” in the style of Johnny Cash. First, we’ll break down all the chords and show you some strumming patterns that will make your rhythm sound country and bluegrass. Then, we’ll teach you the chord progressions along with the lyrics. For those of y’all that aren’t interested in singing this song, we’ll also have a nice acoustic guitar arrangement that incorporates the song’s melody. PDF files are available for download below the video! If you like this lesson, you might also like our Classic Country & Bluegrass Strumming Course.
| Video Start Time | Lesson Topic |
|---|---|
| 00:00 min | “Boom Chick” Strumming Pattern |
| 02:06 min | Alternating Bass Line over Am Chord |
| 03:01 min | Alternating Bass Line over Dm Chord |
| 03:59 min | Alternating Bass Line over E7 Chord |
| 05:19 min | Alternating Bass Line over F Chord |
| 07:41 min | Alternating Bass Line over C Chord |
| 09:34 min | Two More Strumming Patterns |
| Video Start Time | Lesson Topic |
|---|---|
| 00:00 min | Intro Chord Progression |
| 02:11 min | Verse 1 with Lyrics |
| 05:33 min | Chorus 1 with Lyrics |
| 07:31 min | Instrumental Break Chord Progression |
| 07:57 min | Verse 2 with Lyrics |
| 08:53 min | Chorus 2 with Lyrics |
| 09:36 min | Song Ending |
| Video Start Time | Lesson Topic |
|---|---|
| 00:00 min | Listen to the Intro with Tablature |
| 00:50 min | Pickup Measure and Random Tips |
| 02:11 min | First Half of the Intro – Breakdown with Tablature |
| 04:44 min | Second Half of the Intro – Breakdown with Tablature |
| 06:41 min | Make the Intro Fancier with Some Accent Strums |
Short Instrumental Break (over verse progression):
Johnny Cash played “Wayfaring Stranger” with the short instrumental break that you’ll learn in this video. This short instrumental break is basically the verse progression played in a fancier way to incorporate the song’s melody.
| Video Start Time | Lesson Topic |
|---|---|
| 00:00 min | Overview |
| 00:39 min | Listen to the Short Instrumental |
| 01:59 min | Measures 1 through 5 – Breakdown with Tablature |
| 03:55 min | Measures 6 through 10 – Breakdown with Tablature |
| 06:33 min | Measures 16 and 17 – Breakdown with Tablature |
| 07:06 min | Practice Along with Me |
Long Instrumental Break (verse + chorus):
In this next video, we’re going to play a longer instrumental arrangement over the song’s verse and chorus. The first half will be the exact same as the Johnny Cash “verse” instrumental taught in the previous video. Then, we’ll break down the second half that’s played over the chorus.
| Video Start Time | Lesson Topic |
|---|---|
| 00:00 min | Structure of the Long Instrumental |
| 01:10 min | Listen to the Long Instrumental |
| 02:23 min | Play Through the “Short Verse Instrumental” |
| 03:19 min | Instrumental over the Chorus – Breakdown with Tablature |
| 10:38 min | Practice Along with Me |
After you’re done here