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Stuck in the Middle With You

by Stealers Wheel • Lesson #588 • Apr 10, 2025

About This Lesson

In this lesson I’ll teach you how to play Stuck in the Middle With You by Stealers Wheel on an acoustic guitar. I’ll start by teaching you the iconic strumming pattern (which uses a percussive thwack on most of the down-strums), then walk you through the chords needed while strumming the verse & refrain sections. Be sure to check out my bonus videos below, one of which teaches you a few ways to play the short intro riff heard in the opening few seconds.

  • 0:00 Welcome
  • 1:11 Strumming, Step 1
  • 2:53 Strumming, Step 2
  • 4:02 Strumming, Step 3
  • 5:02 Verse
  • 7:14 Refrain
  • 7:57 Final Tips

Practice Notes 4 pages

It includes all of my notes for this lesson, allowing you to follow along at your own pace. You're free to download, print, and share the PDF across your devices.

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Here's a print-friendly PDF I made with all of my practice notes for this lesson. This lets you follow along with everything I show in video tutorial at your own pace.

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Lesson Discussion

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Bonus Videos

Here’s a few extra videos, made in thanks to those supporting me with Premium membership here on my Song Notes website. To those showing your support, you have my true thanks and appreciation — and I hope you find these additional videos helpful!

Slow Playthrough (No Singing)

Here’s a zoomed playthrough of me playing through the verse and refrain sections, with tabs on screen. No singing.

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Intro Riff Tutorial

Here’s a few different ways to recreate the intro riff & walk-up bassline heard in the opening 10 seconds of the Stealers Wheel recording. Quite short, but very fun to play!

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Play-Along Practice Track

Key of D, 116bpm, 4/4 time. Loops through a drum & bass recreation of the verse chords (played twice) and refrain chords (played once) — before repeating and doing both parts over and over again. Play along and practice your chords, strumming, singing, soloing, or anything else!

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Need More Help with the Percussive Slap Strum?

Check out my lesson that focuses on this technique, teaching you how to play it from the ground up:

Percussive "Slap" Strumming

★ Instructional PDF

Here’s a list of the other songs lessons I’ve made that feature a similar strumming technique:

Learn to Play "Handle With Care" by Traveling Wilburys

★ Instructional PDF

Strumming Guide for "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison

★ Instructional PDF

"Uncle John's Band" by Grateful Dead

$ Song Sheet Available

"Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison

$ Song Sheet Available

"Interstate Love Song" by Stone Temple Pilots

$ Song Sheet Available

Alternating Bass Note Fun with Don't Worry, Be Happy

★ Instructional PDF

"The Man Who Sold the World" by Nirvana (orig. by David Bowie)

$ Song Sheet Available

"Night Moves" by Bob Seger

$ Song Sheet Available

"Have You Ever Seen the Rain" by Creedence Clearwater Revival (Full song lesson)

$ Song Sheet Available

Want to learn the lead guitar licks?

My video lesson (above) doesn’t teach the various slide guitar licks & fills heard on the album recording, but here’s a handy lesson showing tabs on how to play things:

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