Willin’ by Little Feat

If you’ve been looking for an easy country guitar song to learn, Willin’ by Little Feat is a great option. It’s one of my personal favorites, and I’m guessing it’s one of yours too!

Willin’ is a classic. Many singers and bands covered Willin’ including Linda Ronstadt, Gregg Allman, Willie Nelson, and The Black Crowes to name a few. To make this easy for beginners to learn, this post is going to focus on the chords, strumming pattern, and lyrics.

The Chords

The chords to Willin’ follow a I-V-VI-IV progression in the key of G. The more songs you learn on the guitar the more you’re going to see this chord progression, so I recommend you commit this to memory. Many songs follow this same progression either in this order or some variation. If you’re not used to the roman numerals, a I-V-VI-IV progression can also be written as 1-5-6-4.

In the key of G, the 1st note of the major scale is G, the 5th note of the major scale is D, the 6th is E, and the 4th is C. By this logic, the chords for a 1-5-6-4 progression in the key of G are G, D, Em, and C!

Now let’s review the chord diagrams for Willin’. If you’re unfamiliar with how to read a chord diagram, that’s ok! Check out our post on How to Read Chord Diagrams!

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The D-Chord Variations (For Intermediate to Advanced Players)

Yes, Willin by Little Feat has bonus chords! Both of them are variations of a D-chord. The first variation is intended to help you walk the root note down the low-E string from G to F# to E. Check it out below. If you’re a beginner this is going to be a bit of a challenge. If using your first finger is too much of a stretch, you can also use your thumb to reach around the back of the guitar neck, and fret the F#.

The second variation of the D-chord is essentially a C chord, but played 2 frets higher! Now, for this alternate D-chord to be technically correct, the G-string should be fretted at the second fret, but in Willin’, the G-string is played open. In the C major scale, the G note (5th note) is lowered to an A (or the 4th), so I believe this is a D sus4 chord. Check it out!

Strumming

When strumming, you will play the root note or bass note of the chord first, and then strum the rest of the chord. So when you play your G-chord, pick the 3rd fret on the low E-string first, then strum the remaining 5-strings. For D, you pick the open D-string first, then strum the remaining 3-strings. For Em, you pick the open low-E string, and strum the remaining 5-strings. And for C, you pick the 3rd note on the A-string, and strum the remaining 4-strings of your chord.

Check out the video below for how to play the chords and how to strum the song!

The Lyrics

Lowell George wrote WIllin’ before he started Little Feat. Rumor has it that Frank Zappa heard a demo of the song, and told Lowell, “You need to form a band.” The song became a trucker anthem and tells the story of a trucker who is willing to move. The trucker recalls the places he’s been and things he’s done on the way. They include smuggling drugs, people, and avoiding weigh stations. He prefaces all of this with the memory of a girl he left behind, presumably in Dallas, to live a hard life on the road.

Bringing it together:

Let’s combine the chords and lyrics for Willin’ so you can start rocking along with the record!

Verse 1

Chorus

Verse 2

Chorus

That’s It!

You’re ready to rock! It’s time for you to get practicing so you can debut the song at you next campfire. Willin’ by Little Feat is an awesome sing along song and is sure to make for a memorable evening. Which guitar do you bring? I recommend taking a less expensive guitar on camping trips or to the beach. The chance for sand or dirt to grind into the wood is high, and accidental bumps or drops are common. Check out our review of the Yamaha APX 500! It’s a great budget guitar and it comes with a pickup already installed so you can plug it at home or at a gig!

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Send me an email if you’re struggling and let me know what I can do to help! I’d love to hear what you are struggling with, and I’d be happy to help you! Other players like you struggled with the same thing, so don’t be afraid to ask! I’m happy to set up a one on one video lesson with you to review how to read guitar chord diagrams.