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In today’s lesson I’ll teach you how to play Wichita Lineman, the all-time classic written by Jimmy Webb & recorded by Glen Campbell. This song is originally recorded in the Key of F — but I teach a capo 5th fret version that uses the Key of C chord family. This makes things quite a bit easier to play, while still capturing the nuance of Campbell’s original recording. Plus – you can play over his album version using my capo 5 version, which makes for great practice. Let’s get to it!
- 0:00 Lesson Overview
- 2:53 Intro
- 9:01 Verse, Part 1
- 11:51 Verse, Part 2
- 16:30 “Still on the line” Riff
- 18:38 Playthrough (basic chords, no singing)
Lesson Discussion
Practice Notes 5 pages
Recommended Lyric Sheets
If you’re looking for a write-up of the complete lyrics and chords, here’s some recommended resources from other websites:
- Capo 5 with Key of C chords (what I’m using)
- No Capo with Key of F chords
- Lyrics only
Extended Videos
Part 2 - Adding Extra Flourish
Here’s my “Secret Stash” arrangement, which takes the chords I teach in the main video lesson and adds several bits of flair & flourish. Some of these additions mimic the vocal melody during our strumming, while others simply fill things out in a manner that further imitates Glen Campbell’s original recording.
Part 3 - Melody Breakdown
Here’s a video which dissects the vocal melody, shown in open position (the first few frets). This is helpful if you’re looking to sing, and need the exact notes to reference. Likewise, you could play this melody on its own to imitate the baritone guitar solo (which is played over the chords used in the first half of the verse).
Recordings and Recommended Covers
Glen Campbell’s Album Recording (1968)
Glen Campbell Live Performance (2008)
Colin Hay’s Cover
Cody Johnson’s Cover
Larry L’s Cover
Learning More About This Song
Strong Songs Podcast Episode
I can’t recommend this enough! Really amazing audio-only breakdown of the song, looking at the arrangement, production process, lyrics, and more.
Rick Beato’s What Makes This Song Great Breakdown
Really great measure-by-measure of what’s going on musically! I’m a big fan of all the videos in this series, this one in particular.
Rick Beato’s Interview with Jimmy Webb
It’s Webb, of course, who wrote this song! He wasn’t finished with it when he sent it over to Glen Campbell — and to his surprise Campbell had all he needed to craft the complete song.
Lessons from Other Teachers
Jon MacLennan’s Key of C Tutorial
This is the tutorial that inspired me to approach my own Key of C version. I do use some of MacLennan’s approach in my arrangement, but also adjust things in various ways. Just the same, I wanted to share in case you wanted to see another teacher’s take on this song (who also uses a capo 5 approach).
Tutorial from Anyone Can Play Guitar
Electric, played in the Key of F (no capo).
Tutorial from Andy Guitar
Acoustic, also in the Key of F (no capo).
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