Premium
VIP
Beta Tester
Video lesson
Song Sheet with Lyrics 3 pages
A printed arrangement with the lyrics, chords, and other guitar parts taught in my video lesson. Available for purchase through Musicnotes.com.
Have questions? Read this help page to learn how buying & printing works, with answers to many common questions about my song sheets.
Buy at Musicnotes.comEditor’s notes
In this video I’ll teach you how to play “Tennessee Flat Top Box” by Johnny Cash, including a tutorial for the intro tab, the chords needed, strumming patterns used, and more! This is one of the funnest Cash songs to play, in my opinion – it combines simple verse chords & strumming with a complicated (but approachable) riff heard in the intro and interlude. Enjoy! Make sure you put a capo on 3 if you want to play along with Cash’s album version.
- 0:00 Lesson preview & greeting
- 1:23 Capo or no capo?
- 1:57 Verse chords
- 2:45 Verse strumming
- 3:45 Verse lyrics & chord changes
- 4:36 Main riff, part 1 of 2
- 7:32 Main riff, part 2 of 2
- 11:01 Riff extras: how to transition back to verse
- 14:36 Riff extras: how its played in song’s intro
- 16:10 Full song playthrough
My full play-along cover
Capo to play along with Johnny Cash
If you want to play along with Johnny Cash’s version, use the chords I show you with a capo on the 3rd fret. I’m choosing not to play with a capo to keep things simple and accessible.
Chords needed
These are the chords you’ll need for the verse:
e –––3––––2––––
B –––0––––1––––
G –––0––––2––––
D –––0––––0––––
A –––2–––––––––
E –––3–––––––––
G D7
Intro riff
This is what’s heard in the opening measures of the song:
See sheet music for my tab.
Interlude riff
This one is very similar to the intro riff, the only difference being how it begins. Note that they both end the same.
Play through these two sections twice:
See sheet music for my tab.
Then, play this to end it and transition into the next verse:
See sheet music for my tab.
Lyrics w/ chords
See sheet music for the lyrics with chords.
Good luck!
Let me know if you have questions. I hope this was helpful. Be sure to check out my other Johnny Cash lessons, I have a bunch!
Browse Related Lessons
Click any tag below to view other lessons I've made in that category:
Enjoy My Lessons? Show Your Support!
Most of the lessons on my website are 100% free. If you have the means, please show your support with a tip jar contribution. I put many hours into every lesson — but it only takes you a minute to make a donation. You have my thanks!
Looking for More Song Lessons?
Featured Courses
Fun & Helpful Tools I've Made
Coming soon is Jambox – which shows all the video jam tracks I've made. It's note quite ready for the spotlight, but check it out if you like!
Subscribe to my YouTube channel
Be sure to never miss a lesson by subscribing on YouTube. I put out 2-3 new videos every week. These include full song lessons, as well as covers, practice tips, behind-the-scenes updates. Thanks!
Recent Lessons
-
August 20, 2026
[Updated] Chord Changes & Learning New Chords
-
August 19, 2026
Practice Guide for "I Walk the Line" by Johnny Cash
-
August 14, 2026
Strum & Sing "Runaway" by Del Shannon
-
August 7, 2026
Practice Guide for "Brown Eyed Girl"
-
July 31, 2026
"Ohio" by Crosby Stills Nash & Young
-
July 17, 2026
Travis Picking Essentials: 10 New Pages of PDF Guides!
-
July 16, 2026
[Updated] How I Learned to Travis Pick with John Prine ft. Clay Pigeons
-
July 3, 2026
"Ramble On" by Led Zeppelin (full song lesson)
-
June 21, 2026
Dad-Inspired Songs for Father's Day
