🎸 The Gambler • easy guitar lesson w/ no capo (Kenny Rogers) (VIDEO)

Notes & tabs for this lesson: http://playsongnotes.com/songs/kenny-rogers-the-gambler/

Timestamps:
0:28 Greeting & lesson overview
1:01 Quick capo disclaimer
1:40 Chord shapes needed
3:04 Timing & chord progression
6:17 Strumming patterns
11:25 Adding alternating bass notes
13:05 Changing key in the 2nd half
14:37 Full play-along cover
17:22 Farewell & thanks

My play-along cover of this song:

An improvisation lesson I did using this song’s melody:

Here’s my lesson teaching you how to play “The Gambler”, the classic 3-chord country song made famous by Kenny Rogers (originally written by Don Schlitz). During this lesson, I’ll teach you the chord shapes, explain the verse & chorus chord progressions, and break down the strumming patterns. Together, this should give you all you need to pick up your guitar and play this song. Note, this will be a lesson for a no-capo version of this song (add a capo on the 1st fret to play the song in the same key as Kenny Rogers).

Note that for the 2nd half of the song, I’m modulating (changing key) by one whole step – i.e., moving from the key of D (D/G/A7) to the key of E (E/A/B7). Kenny Rogers only moves up one half-step, so I’m deviating from what he does – but I think my choice is more practical in that it requires no capo.

If you want to view more of my lessons, visit playsongnotes.com which is my personal collection of lessons, tabs, and notes — all created with care by me (David Potsiadlo).

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14 Comments

  1. Song Notes

    Timestamps:
    – 0:28 Greeting & lesson overview
    – 1:01 Quick capo disclaimer
    – 1:40 Chord shapes needed
    – 3:04 Timing & chord progression
    – 6:17 Strumming patterns
    – 11:25 Adding alternating bass notes
    – 13:05 Changing key in the 2nd half
    – 14:37 Full play-along cover
    – 17:22 Farewell & thanks

  2. Peter Carles

    I loved this lesson so much I wanted to sign up but your payment service thinks I am a robot. But cheers you are a great teacher

  3. Uwe Schulz

    I really like your lessons ! Mabye you can do some Hank Williams Sr.

  4. Richard from Cornwall

    Brilliant lesson, David. Your strumming looks so relaxed! Does your pick change angle when you strum the up strum? I tend to catch the bass string on the down strum and catch the high E on the up stroke? Any clues how I can correct this please?

  5. Eric O'Halloran

    Thank You so so much, awesome lesson and so well presented.

  6. the hang climber

    Please make a tutorial on paint my love

  7. Cafeman

    Great suggestion for doing the 2 parts in D the E, avoiding the Capo change.

  8. John Borgen

    Thanks David great lesson 👍

  9. Harrisons Book Heaven

    Thanks cobber

  10. boulderdesigner

    Fantastic lesson David and your pdf chord sheet is excellent! Thank you for the full song play through!

  11. Larry Stallings

    can you do the song the world i know by collective soul mostly the strumming and where the chord changes come in

  12. tart fernandez

    Wow… Can you please make a tutorial of Leader of the band. Ur so great… Thanks

  13. Arrows & Pellets

    Trying again.

  14. Arrows & Pellets

    Very cool lesson, on the greatest card game lyrics ever.
    It looks to be a busy weekend for a lot of us, I know I've been busy.
    Thanks David and have a good one!