Sundown

by Gordon Lightfoot • Lesson #425 • Apr 9, 2022

Video Lesson

Licensed Song Sheet 3 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

Editor’s notes

Hello, friends! New lesson today for SUNDOWN, the folk-country hit from Gordon Lightfoot released back in 1974. Many of you had written in requesting Lightfoot songs over the years - and this is the one that finally sunk its teeth in (on a recent visit to the Texas gulf coast).

This song only uses a few chords, but it’s the unique voicings Lightfoot using which really steal the show - specifically for the E, E7, and B - none of which use the typical chord shapes we’re used to. I’ll teach you how Lightfoot plays things, but also show you some fall-backs using common chord shapes if you want something a bit more accessible using what you already know. One other thing I’ll teach that Lightfoot doesn’t seem to do, is how to play this song using alternating bass notes. This lets you make it a bit more interesting, should you be playing this solo acoustic and want to spice things up.

Video timestamps:

0:00 Lesson Summary
2:07 Intro Chords & Strumming
13:18 Verse
20:14 Chorus
23:31 Strumming w/ Alternating Bass Notes
26:38 Full Playthrough

A Deep-Dive Into the Sundown Chord Shapes

If you want an in-depth explanation of the chords used in this song, as well as some common variations to these chords, check out this separate video I made (click here to get the PDF for this lesson):

Gordon Lightfoot’s Album Version

Gordon Lightfoot’s Live Version

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Sundown

Video Lesson

Licensed Song Sheet 3 pages

Editor’s notes

A Deep-Dive Into the Sundown Chord Shapes

Gordon Lightfoot’s Album Version

Gordon Lightfoot’s Live Version

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

Fun & Helpful Tools I've Made

Fret Monster

Capo Captain

Key Master

Blank Tabs

Subscribe to my YouTube channel

Recent Lessons