Willin'

by Little Feat • Lesson #306 • Jun 13, 2020

Video lesson

Print-Friendly Song Sheet 4 pages

Follow along with my print-friendly guide for this song! It’s available for purchase at Musicnotes.com, the web’s leading provider of licensed sheet music.

On the fence? Here's a guide I made showing the purchase & print process, including answers to common questions about my song sheets.

Buy at Musicnotes.com

Save 50% on this song sheet by applying the December 2023 code at Musicnotes checkout: KQFHFA2J8J (click to copy). Thanks for being a Premium supporter!

Song Notes Premium includes a 50% discount code you can use when buying any of my licensed song sheets. For the current month's code, upgrade to premium or log in.

Editor’s notes

Hey friends – here’s a new lesson where I teach you how to play Willin’ by Little Feat (1972). Half of this song is a rather straightforward key-of-G acoustic classic rock, while the intro & verse utilize chord shapes similar to what you heard in Blackbird to create a distinctive “open” sound. Learning these together can be tricky at times, but rewarding!

In my video, I break everything down step by step, in this order:

  • 0:00 Lesson overview
  • 1:44 Chord shapes needed
  • 9:44 Strumming pattern
  • 12:01 Intro riff (step by step)
  • 18:15 Verse, pre-chorus & chorus
  • 26:03 Full playthrough

Lyrics and chords

INTRO (see PDF for strumming guide)

    e |–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–
    B |––––12–––––––––––|––––10–––––––––––|–––––8–––––––7–––|–5–––––––5–––––––|–
    G |–––––0–––––––––––|–––––0–––––––––––|–––––0–––––––0–––|–0–––––––0–––––––|–
    D |–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–
    A |–10––––––––––––––|–9–––––––––––––––|–7–––––––––––5–––|–3–––––––3–––––––|–
    E |–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–
        G                 D/F#              Em         (D)    C
        1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

    e–|–––––3–––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–––––3–––––––––––|–––––3–––––––––––||
    B–|–––––0–––––––––––|–1–––––3–––––1–––|–––––0–––––––––––|–––––0–––––––––––||
    G–|–––––0–––––––––––|–0–––––0–––––0–––|–––––0–––––––––––|–––––0–––––––––––||
    D–|–––––0–––––––––––|–2–––––4–––––2–––|–––––0–––––––––––|–––––0–––––––––––||
    A–|–––––––––––––––––|–3–––––5–––––3–––|–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––||
    E–|–3–––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–3–––––––––––––––|–3–––––––––––––––||
        G                 C     D     C     G                 G
        1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

VERSE
              G                  D/F#
    I've been warped by the rain.... driven by the snow
        Em                      C
    I'm... drunk and dirty........ don't you know?
            G      C  D  C     G
    And I'm still............. willin'

              G               D/F#
    And I was out on the road... late at night
      Em                      C
    I see my pretty Alice in... every headlight
    G      C D C           G
    Alice.......... Dallas Alice

PRE-CHORUS
                           C              D
        And I've been from Tucson to Tucumcari
          D              G
        Tehachapi to Tonapah
               G             Am7        G/B       C
        Driven every kind of rig that's ever been made----
        C                                       D
        Driven the back roads so I wouldn't get weighed----

CHORUS
              (no chord)            C     G/B     Am7  G
            And if you give me... weed, whites, and  wine
                              D
            And you show me a  sign
                    G          C D C        G
            I'll be willin'.......... to be movin'

    [ intro riff x2 ]

    Well, I've been [G] kicked by the wind... [D/F#] robbed by the sleet
    Had my [Em] head stoved in, but I'm [C] still on my feet
    And I'm [G] still....[C D* C].... [G] willin'

    I [G] smuggled some smokes and folks from [D/F#] Mexico
    [Em] Baked by the sun [C] every time I go
    To [G] Mexico... [C D* C]... and I'm [G] still...

        And I've been from [C] Tucson to [D] Tucumcari
        [D] Tehachapi to [G] Tonapah
        Driven [G] every kind of [Am7] rig that's [G/B] ever been [C] made----
        [C] Driven the back roads so I wouldn't get [D] weighed----

              (no chord)
            And if you give me... [C] weed, [G/B] whites, [Am7] and [G] wine
            And you show me a [D] sign
            I'll be [G] willin'... [C D* C]... to be [G] movin'   [D] [G]

                                                  [...let final chord ring]

Chord shapes

“Blackbird”-style chords

e –––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B ––12–––10––––8––––7––––5–––  <= left ring finger
G –––0––––0––––0––––0––––0–––
D –––––––––––––––––––––––––––
A ––10––––9––––7––––5––––3–––  <= left index finger
E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    G    D/F#  Em   D    C

Normal open chords

e ––3–––0–––––––2–––2––––0––     e ––––––––––––––0––
B ––0–––1–––3–––3–––3––––0––     B ––0–––1–––3–––1––
G ––0–––0–––0–––2–––2––––0––     G ––0–––0–––0–––0––
D ––0–––2–––4–––0–––0––––2––     D ––0–––2–––0–––2––
A ––2–––3–––5–––––––0––––2––     A ––2–––0–––2–––3––
E ––3–––––––––––––––2––––0––     E ––3––––––––––––––
    G   C   D*  D  D/F#  Em          G  Am7 G/B  C

Strumming patterns

Main pattern I use

I prefer using this pattern as the foundation for the entire song. On the “1” count only pluck the bass note of the chord you’re on, and use full strums for all remaining up & down strums.

[ see PDF for diagram ]

Strumming the split measures

Sometimes, you’ll need to “split” a 4-count measure into two 2-count measures, which will use this pattern. This happens at the distinctive sections with the G-Am7-G/B-C walk-ups, in a few other places. For more context, see my “chord progression” section below, as well as my video lesson.

[ see PDF for diagram ]

For example, here’s a section of the song where such strumming is needed. I’ve shown the measures before and after for context (both of which use the “main” pattern above).

[ see PDF for diagram ]

Progressions

Intro:

G                 D/F#              Em         (D)    C
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

G                 C     D*    C     G                 G
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

Verse:

"I've been warped by the rain..."
G                 D/F#              Em                C
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

"And I'm still..."
G                 C     D*    C     G                 G
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

Pre-Chorus:

"I've been from Tuscon to Tucumcari..."
C                 D                 D                 G
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

"Driven every kind of rig..."
G         Am7       G/B             C                 C
1 + 2 +   1 + 2 +   1 + 2 +         1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

"Driven the backroads..."
C                   C               D                 D (let ring, stop strumming)
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +     1 + 2 +         1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1

Chorus:

"Weed, whites, and wine..."
C                 G/B      Am7       <-- single strum (or bass note) only
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 +  1 + 2 +

"And you show me a sign..."
G                 G                 D                 D
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

"I'll be willin'..."
G                 C     D*    C     G                 G
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

Intro, step by step

First understand these basic chord shapes. If you’ve ever learned Blackbird (The Beatles) or A Case of You (Joni Mitchell), these are the same sort of chords those songs use. The third string (G) will always be left open and unfretted.

[ see PDF, page 4 ]

Then, look at the first half of the progression as follows. Do a single strum of each chord on the 1 count. The only exception is just before the C (fourth measure), there’s a single count of the D chord being played on the 4-count of the 3rd measure.

[ see PDF, page 4 ]

Next, we’ll bring in the second half of the intro as well. This is entirely G, with the exception of the 6th measure – which has a C-major chord sliding up 2 frets to play the D-major variation, before sliding back down.

[ see PDF, page 4 ]

Finally, let’s start to bring in the strumming pattern. Start by strumming the bass note on the “1” count, and then doing a full strum of the chord on the “2” count. I don’t show it here, but if you can, add an “up down up” on the “+ 4 +” at the end of each measure. Note, certain measures deviate from this pattern, specifically the C-D*-C measure. The most important part is to play something you’re comfortable with and can maintain consistently, even if that’s a simple “bass DOWN bass DOWN” on the one-TWO-three-FOUR beats.

[ see PDF, page 4 ]

Lesson #265

One is this video showing you 4 tips on getting started with the Beatles classic Blackbird which uses the same chords as the intro to this one.

Lesson #249

Another is this lesson showing you 2-finger chords in the key of C, which is the same exact type of chord this lesson uses. Even though Willin’ and Blackbird are in the key of G, there’s a lot of overlap here. Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You” is an example of a song using these chords thatsi n the key of C.

Unlock My Secret Stash!

Gain instant access to my library of 196 print-friendly cheat sheets! Also includes my extended video lessons, jam tracks, courses, and more.

Join Song Notes Premium

Have questions? Watch video tour »

Browse Related Lessons

Click any tag below to view other lessons I've made in that category:

Enjoy my lessons? Buy me a beer!

If this and my other lessons have proven helpful to you, please consider making a one-time donation to my tip jar. Contributions of any amount help make this project possible (including the many, many hours I put into it).

Fun & Helpful Tools I've Made

Fret Monster

Interactive fretboard map! See the patterns behind every scale in any key.

View

Capo Captain

An easy way to calculate key & chord combinations, for any capo location!

View

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

  • December 1, 2023

    First Steps with Doc Watson's "Deep River Blues"

    Here's a getting started guide to learning this fingerstyle classic from Doc Watson. I'll guide you, step-by-step, through the necessary chords, picking, and strumming skills needed.

  • November 22, 2023

    10 Years of Song Notes... Thanks to You!

    A few quick words of gratitude for all the support & encouragement you all have given me over the past ten years!

  • November 17, 2023

    Guitar Finger Exercises for Flexibility, Control, Speed, and more

    Here's a handful of my favorite exercises to help with finger independence. Whether you're a beginner or been at it for years, baking these into your practice routine can pay off big time!

  • November 10, 2023

    Lead Guitar Improvisation Tips (feat. Wagon Wheel)

    Learn how to improvise, step-by-step! I'll show how you can play countless riffs over a small cluster of notes on the thinnest three strings. Tons of fun!

  • November 5, 2023

    Travis Picking Training Wheels (ft. Hayes Carll)

    I showcase a short & fun fingerstyle riff, where I demonstrate the "training wheels" trick you can use to simplify any Travis Picking pattern.

  • November 4, 2023

    Strumming with Alternating Bass Notes

    Learn how to strum any of the most common chords using alternating bass notes – which is an essential technique often used in country, rock, and folk songs.

  • November 3, 2023

    Long Black Veil

    Learn to play Lefty Frizzell's 1959 country classic in the style of Johnny Cash! Includes alternating bass note strumming tips & a melody deep-dive.

  • October 28, 2023

    St James Infimary Blues

    A refresh for my 2019 lesson teaching this blues classic! I updated my PDF guide and added four new zoomed-in playthroughs, showing tabs on screen.

  • October 21, 2023

    Fingerstyle Patterns for All Chords (using Travis Picking)

    I've taught tons of lessons using Travis-style fingerpicking, but haven't ever put together a cheat sheet showing patterns for every common chord... until now!

  • October 16, 2023

    Soulful Lead Guitar Licks over "Amazing Grace"

    Learn how to combine simple strumming with beginner-friendly lead guitar licks while playing this classic song! Slow playthrough video & jam tracks included.

Browse All Recent Lessons →

Browse All My Lessons

By lesson type

By technique

By musical genre

By decade

By musical key

By popular artist


← back to homepage