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Runaway

by Del Shannon • Lesson #628 • Aug 14, 2026

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About This Lesson

In today’s lesson I’ll teach you to strum your way through Runaway, the #1 hit from Del Shannon released in 1961. This song is a blast to play, as it features an uncharacteristic key change (A minor to A major) and includes plenty of strumming flourishes. In my tutorial, I’ll guide you through all of this — showing you how to work your way up to the full song, bit by bit.

Don’t miss all the recommended lessons linked below, which help you learn various chords & tricky techniques used in this song (including the iconic Andalusian Cadence, which is the minor key chord progression used in the verse of this song).

A final note: Del Shannon’s recording is played capo 1, though he has a separate “rerecorded” version which is played without a capo. To keep things simple, I’ve recorded my lesson with no capo to allow you to play along without any extra steps required. Let’s get into it!

0:00 Playthrough
1:51 Verse: Chords
4:44 Verse: Strumming
7:21 Verse: E Tricks
9:50 Chorus: Part 1
11:55 Chorus: Part 2
13:50 Chorus: Part 3
15:29 Intro & Raked Strum

Quick Links

Del Shannon Original Version, which is capo 1
Del Shannon “Rerecorded” Version, which is no capo
Recommended lyrics & chords
Song Wikipedia page

Practice Guide 6 pages

Lesson Discussion

For help with the tips & techniques used in my song tutorial, here’s several recommended lessons. These will help with chords, strumming, and more.

Barre Chord Strength Training Exercise (Left Index Finger)

Simpler Ways to Play F Major

★ Instructional PDF

Fingerstyle Chord Tip: F Major with Wrapped Thumb

★ Instructional PDF

How to play F#m (F sharp minor)

★ Instructional PDF

Improve Your Strumming with the "Pyramid" Rhythm Drill

★ Instructional PDF

Dire Straits, Played Fingerstyle? (feat. Sultans of Swing)

★ Instructional PDF

If you’d like to learn about the Andalusian Cadence, which is the popular minor chord progression the verse of this song uses, I recommend these excellent videos I’ve gathered from YouTube:

Finally, if you want to brush up on your minor key knowledge, check out my Minor Key Handbook. This will help you understand how to play the Andalusian Cadence in any minor key.

Browse Related Lessons

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Runaway

About This Lesson

Quick Links

Practice Guide 6 pages

Lesson Discussion

Related and Recommended

Unlock My Secret Stash!

Browse Related Lessons

Enjoy My Lessons? Show Your Support!

Looking for More Song Lessons?

Featured Courses

Travis Picking Essentials

Practical Music Theory

Guitar for Beginners

Beginner Chord Guide

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Fun & Helpful Tools I've Made

Fret Monster

JamBox

Key Master

Capo Captain

Blank Tabs

Subscribe to my YouTube channel

Recent Lessons