The Weight

by The Band • Lesson #406 • Dec 29, 2021

Video lesson

Licensed 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.

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Editor’s notes

Hey there, friends! At long last & after many requests, here’s my lesson teaching you THE WEIGHT by The Band (1968). As usual, I’ll break everything down for you step by step, showing you beginner friendly ways to play each part of the song (including the walk-down riff, intro riff, and even the C#m chord) while also going in-depth with some more advanced instruction. This has long been one of my all-time favorite songs, and I’m excited to show you how to play it! Let’s get after it.

Video lesson timestamps:

0:00 Preview & Lesson Summary
3:08 Chord Shapes
5:17 Verse & Chorus Progressions
9:40 Strumming Patterns
14:04 Post-Chorus Walkdown Riff
21:37 Intro Riff
27:01 Full Playthrough

Instructional lessons to help with this song

Walk-downs in the Key of A (Lesson #408)

Video coming soon! Get the PDF »

Key of A Major Cheat Sheet (Lesson #407)

Video coming soon! Get the PDF »

Recognizing Chord Shapes within Guitar Tabs (aka “Reading Tabs Backwards”) (Lesson #404)

View lesson notes & Get PDF »

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The Weight

Video lesson

Licensed Song Sheet 4 pages

Editor’s notes

Instructional lessons to help with this song

Walk-downs in the Key of A (Lesson #408)

Key of A Major Cheat Sheet (Lesson #407)

Triad Improv in Key of A (Lesson #405)

How to play F#m (Lesson #192)

How to play A-major with One Finger (Lesson #46)

Recognizing Chord Shapes within Guitar Tabs (aka “Reading Tabs Backwards”) (Lesson #404)

Unlock My Secret Stash!

Browse Related Lessons

Enjoy My Lessons? Show Your Support!

Looking for More Song Lessons?

Featured Courses

Strumming & Rhythm

Fingerstyle & Travis Picking

Blues Starter Kit

Reading Music for Guitarists

Learning Lead Guitar

Beginner Chord Guide

Practical Music Theory

Using a Capo

Walk Ups & Walk Downs

CAGED Essentials

Fun & Helpful Tools I've Made

Fret Monster

Capo Captain

Key Master

Blank Tabs

Subscribe to my YouTube channel

Recent Lessons