Chords for How To Play Jackson Browne Running On Empty Introduction
Tempo:
129.225 bpm
Chords used:
G
C
F
Eb
D
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
For Running On Empty, we're going to use the template of, again, a live acoustic version
of the song, so that you can replicate [Eb] it with one acoustic guitar.
Sounds absolutely great to my ears.
Once again, he's got us in a different [D] tuning.
Open G with a small variation.
Let's have a look at that tuning.
[Eb] Tune your first string down [D] to D.
[F] The next three strings are all the same.
Your second string stays at [B] B.
[Eb] Third string stays on [G] G.
[Eb] Fourth string stays on [D] D.
Fifth
[C] string tuned down [G] to G.
And the sixth string, [Eb] we're going to tune all the way down to [C] C,
where it will feel very low, and [G] it might even rattle [Cm] a bit on your guitar.
But that's the tuning that he's in.
[D] Okay, the other thing I'm going to do now is I'm going to run through each of the chords
that you're going [F] to need, so that when we get into [F] the song itself, we can just call
out the chord name and you'll know the shape.
Wherever you see C over G on your song sheet, C slash G, that's the second string first
fret and the fourth string second fret, strumming all the strings.
[C] [G]
Wherever you see G, all fingers come off, but your thumb up here touches the sixth string
to [C] kill it, so that you'll only [Abm] hear the other five [G] strings.
That's your G chord.
When you see E minor, [F] you want this.
It's nothing like you're used to playing E minor.
Fourth [B] string second fret, and then the fifth and sixth strings at the fourth fret.
[Bm]
Technically, it's an E minor 7.
But where you see E minor, that's going to be that chord shape.
Now C is going to be one [Bb] of two chords, and in the song [F] itself, I'll tell you which of
the two it is.
Right now, let's just look at the one, [Ab] the first one.
You want to try and hold down with your ring finger two strings, the fifth and fourth strings
at the fifth fret.
You'll probably end up killing [Cm] the third string, or even [Ab] freshing it.
Maybe you're killing the second string.
It really doesn't matter, that's the great thing.
[F] You could bar all [N] five strings, or if you only get two, that's great.
It really doesn't matter what you get [C] here.
We're going to call that our C chord for now.
It is important that you use the ring [Cm] finger there, although if that really doesn't work
for you, [E] then use another one.
But using the ring finger makes the next chord change much easier, because [F] C over B is the
fifth string, fourth fret, and nothing [Bm] else.
[G] And D7 has this [B] middle finger coming down to the fifth string, second fret.
[C] Drop in the index finger on the second string, first fret, and the ring finger on the [F] third
string, second fret.
[A] And as that chord continues to be held down, at some point [E] later on, if you can, it's not
critical this, but if you can, hook that thumb over on the sixth string, second [D] fret, to
get a low D note there.
That's optional, [Ab] but if you can do it, it sounds great.
Jackson Brown does do it.
That's going to be your D7 chord.
[F] Okay, those chords will get us through almost all of the song, so let's get right into the
song itself now.
The intro, the first couple of bars, the first line of the intro goes like [C] this.
[G] [C]
[G] You can think of that as being the main riff to the song.
That riff is going to come back several times.
We've got [G] our C over G chord, [E] and we're going to strum all the strings.
Now, let me give you a strum pattern, then I'm going to come back and talk about strumming.
[C] Down, [G] down, down, up, down, up, up, down, down, up, down, up.
That second big up you saw where my fingers came away, [F] thumb came across to kill the sixth
string, that was our G [E] chord.
[B] When I say C in this little next sequence, I mean C over G.
[C] C, C, C, C, C, [G] C, G, G, G, G, G.
[Eb] Now, if you want a strum [F] pattern for this song, that is it.
Follow that strum pattern.
But, if you listen to Jackson Browne playing it, you'll hear that strum patterns are much
more subtle than that, and this one is a good example.
We can't just say it's down or up.
Many times we're [Em] just hinting little touches [Eb] of the strings.
[C]
[G]
[C] [G]
So what I'm going to suggest to you is the strums that [F] must be emphatic are the first
down, [C] down, down, [G] down, up, up, down.
Those ones that I [Dm] called out are the emphatic ones.
Everything else, [B] just hint at it.
We do that three times, [F] and then we get the chord of E minor, and we can strum that for [Em] two bars.
In the same strum pattern, if you're very comfortable with strumming, as many of you
[F] will be, you know, you'll be playing this instinctively and strum whatever naturally
comes to mind.
But I know that many people like [Eb] to hear a strum pattern, so that's what we're trying
to do here.
[Em] Down, down, down, up, down, up, up, down, down, up, down, up.
Now [F] we get this descending sequence, the ring finger C chord.
We're going to try and hit [D] the 6th, the 5th strings, in other words, the [Eb] bass end of the chord.
It doesn't matter [C] what you get.
[F] We're going [C] bass, up, down, up.
Bass, 2, 3, and 4, and.
Nothing on 2, 3.
Come down to C over B, [Abm] do the same thing, but bass now is not the 6th string, it's the 5th [G] string.
[Abm] And then come down to the [D] D7 chord.
If you can, look, put [B] your thumb over, that's great.
Again, same pattern, but for two [D] bars.
That's the same chord sequence [C] that I played, the same [Eb] strum pattern that I played [E] at the
very beginning, the [F] C over G to G section.
You can hear, by the way, it's [Cm] very important not to hit the open 6th string on that chord.
[F] Either hook the thumb over, [A] or make sure your [D] strum doesn't get the 6th string.
That's our intro, [C] let me play it for you.
[G] [C]
[G] [C] Third time,
[G] E minor.
[Bm]
[C]
[G] [D] D7.
[G] Looking out at the
of the song, so that you can replicate [Eb] it with one acoustic guitar.
Sounds absolutely great to my ears.
Once again, he's got us in a different [D] tuning.
Open G with a small variation.
Let's have a look at that tuning.
[Eb] Tune your first string down [D] to D.
[F] The next three strings are all the same.
Your second string stays at [B] B.
[Eb] Third string stays on [G] G.
[Eb] Fourth string stays on [D] D.
Fifth
[C] string tuned down [G] to G.
And the sixth string, [Eb] we're going to tune all the way down to [C] C,
where it will feel very low, and [G] it might even rattle [Cm] a bit on your guitar.
But that's the tuning that he's in.
[D] Okay, the other thing I'm going to do now is I'm going to run through each of the chords
that you're going [F] to need, so that when we get into [F] the song itself, we can just call
out the chord name and you'll know the shape.
Wherever you see C over G on your song sheet, C slash G, that's the second string first
fret and the fourth string second fret, strumming all the strings.
[C] [G]
Wherever you see G, all fingers come off, but your thumb up here touches the sixth string
to [C] kill it, so that you'll only [Abm] hear the other five [G] strings.
That's your G chord.
When you see E minor, [F] you want this.
It's nothing like you're used to playing E minor.
Fourth [B] string second fret, and then the fifth and sixth strings at the fourth fret.
[Bm]
Technically, it's an E minor 7.
But where you see E minor, that's going to be that chord shape.
Now C is going to be one [Bb] of two chords, and in the song [F] itself, I'll tell you which of
the two it is.
Right now, let's just look at the one, [Ab] the first one.
You want to try and hold down with your ring finger two strings, the fifth and fourth strings
at the fifth fret.
You'll probably end up killing [Cm] the third string, or even [Ab] freshing it.
Maybe you're killing the second string.
It really doesn't matter, that's the great thing.
[F] You could bar all [N] five strings, or if you only get two, that's great.
It really doesn't matter what you get [C] here.
We're going to call that our C chord for now.
It is important that you use the ring [Cm] finger there, although if that really doesn't work
for you, [E] then use another one.
But using the ring finger makes the next chord change much easier, because [F] C over B is the
fifth string, fourth fret, and nothing [Bm] else.
[G] And D7 has this [B] middle finger coming down to the fifth string, second fret.
[C] Drop in the index finger on the second string, first fret, and the ring finger on the [F] third
string, second fret.
[A] And as that chord continues to be held down, at some point [E] later on, if you can, it's not
critical this, but if you can, hook that thumb over on the sixth string, second [D] fret, to
get a low D note there.
That's optional, [Ab] but if you can do it, it sounds great.
Jackson Brown does do it.
That's going to be your D7 chord.
[F] Okay, those chords will get us through almost all of the song, so let's get right into the
song itself now.
The intro, the first couple of bars, the first line of the intro goes like [C] this.
[G] [C]
[G] You can think of that as being the main riff to the song.
That riff is going to come back several times.
We've got [G] our C over G chord, [E] and we're going to strum all the strings.
Now, let me give you a strum pattern, then I'm going to come back and talk about strumming.
[C] Down, [G] down, down, up, down, up, up, down, down, up, down, up.
That second big up you saw where my fingers came away, [F] thumb came across to kill the sixth
string, that was our G [E] chord.
[B] When I say C in this little next sequence, I mean C over G.
[C] C, C, C, C, C, [G] C, G, G, G, G, G.
[Eb] Now, if you want a strum [F] pattern for this song, that is it.
Follow that strum pattern.
But, if you listen to Jackson Browne playing it, you'll hear that strum patterns are much
more subtle than that, and this one is a good example.
We can't just say it's down or up.
Many times we're [Em] just hinting little touches [Eb] of the strings.
[C]
[G]
[C] [G]
So what I'm going to suggest to you is the strums that [F] must be emphatic are the first
down, [C] down, down, [G] down, up, up, down.
Those ones that I [Dm] called out are the emphatic ones.
Everything else, [B] just hint at it.
We do that three times, [F] and then we get the chord of E minor, and we can strum that for [Em] two bars.
In the same strum pattern, if you're very comfortable with strumming, as many of you
[F] will be, you know, you'll be playing this instinctively and strum whatever naturally
comes to mind.
But I know that many people like [Eb] to hear a strum pattern, so that's what we're trying
to do here.
[Em] Down, down, down, up, down, up, up, down, down, up, down, up.
Now [F] we get this descending sequence, the ring finger C chord.
We're going to try and hit [D] the 6th, the 5th strings, in other words, the [Eb] bass end of the chord.
It doesn't matter [C] what you get.
[F] We're going [C] bass, up, down, up.
Bass, 2, 3, and 4, and.
Nothing on 2, 3.
Come down to C over B, [Abm] do the same thing, but bass now is not the 6th string, it's the 5th [G] string.
[Abm] And then come down to the [D] D7 chord.
If you can, look, put [B] your thumb over, that's great.
Again, same pattern, but for two [D] bars.
That's the same chord sequence [C] that I played, the same [Eb] strum pattern that I played [E] at the
very beginning, the [F] C over G to G section.
You can hear, by the way, it's [Cm] very important not to hit the open 6th string on that chord.
[F] Either hook the thumb over, [A] or make sure your [D] strum doesn't get the 6th string.
That's our intro, [C] let me play it for you.
[G] [C]
[G] [C] Third time,
[G] E minor.
[Bm]
[C]
[G] [D] D7.
[G] Looking out at the
Key:
G
C
F
Eb
D
G
C
F
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ For Running On Empty, we're going to use the template of, again, a live acoustic version
of the song, so that you can replicate [Eb] it with one acoustic guitar.
Sounds absolutely great to my ears.
_ Once again, he's got us in a different [D] tuning.
Open G with a small variation.
Let's have a look at that tuning.
[Eb] Tune your first string down [D] to D.
_ _ _ _ _ [F] The next three strings are all the same.
Your second string stays at [B] B.
_ _ _ [Eb] Third string stays on [G] G. _
_ [Eb] Fourth string stays on [D] D. _ _
Fifth
[C] string tuned down [G] to G. _ _
_ And the sixth string, _ [Eb] we're going to tune all the way down to [C] C,
where it will feel very low, and [G] it might even rattle [Cm] a bit _ on your guitar.
But that's the tuning that he's in. _ _ _
_ _ _ [D] Okay, the other thing I'm going to do now is I'm going to run through each of the chords
that you're going [F] to need, so that when we get into [F] the song itself, we can just call
out the chord name and you'll know the shape.
Wherever you see C over G on your song sheet, C slash G, _ that's the second string first
fret and the fourth string second fret, strumming all the strings.
[C] _ _ _ [G] _
Wherever you see G, _ all fingers come off, but your thumb up here touches the sixth string
to [C] kill it, _ _ so that you'll only [Abm] hear the other five [G] strings.
_ _ _ That's your G chord. _
When you see E minor, [F] you want this.
It's nothing like you're used to playing E minor.
Fourth [B] string second fret, _ and then the fifth and sixth strings at the fourth fret.
_ [Bm] _
_ _ _ Technically, it's an E minor 7. _
_ But where you see E minor, that's going to be that chord shape.
_ _ _ _ Now C is going to be one [Bb] of two chords, and in the song [F] itself, I'll tell you which of
the two it is. _
Right now, let's just look at the one, [Ab] the first one. _ _
You want to try and hold down with your ring finger _ two strings, the fifth and fourth strings
at the fifth fret.
You'll probably end up killing [Cm] the third string, or even [Ab] freshing it.
Maybe you're killing the second string.
It really doesn't matter, that's the great thing.
[F] You could bar all [N] five strings, or if you only get two, that's great.
It really doesn't matter what you get [C] here. _ _
We're going to call that our C chord for now. _ _
It is important that you use the ring [Cm] finger there, although if that really doesn't work
for you, [E] then use another one.
But using the ring finger makes the next chord change much easier, because [F] C over B is the
fifth string, fourth fret, and nothing [Bm] else. _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ _ And D7 has this [B] middle finger coming down to the fifth string, second fret.
_ [C] Drop in the index finger on the second string, first fret, and the ring finger on the [F] third
string, second fret.
_ [A] _ _ _ And as that chord continues to be held down, at some point [E] later on, if you can, it's not
critical this, but if you can, hook that thumb over on the sixth string, second [D] fret, _ _ to
get a low D note there.
_ _ _ _ _ That's optional, [Ab] but if you can do it, it sounds great.
Jackson Brown does do it.
_ That's going to be your D7 chord. _ _ _ _ _
[F] Okay, those chords will get us through almost all of the song, so let's get right into the
song itself now.
The intro, the first couple of bars, the first line of the intro goes like [C] this. _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ You can think of that as being the main riff to the song.
That riff is going to come back several times. _
We've got [G] our C over G chord, [E] and we're going to strum all the strings.
Now, let me give you a strum pattern, then I'm going to come back and talk about strumming.
_ _ [C] _ Down, [G] down, down, up, down, up, up, down, down, up, down, up.
That second big up you saw where my fingers came away, [F] thumb came across to kill the sixth
string, that was our G [E] chord.
_ _ _ _ [B] When I say C in this little next sequence, I mean C over G.
[C] _ C, C, C, C, C, [G] C, G, G, G, G, G. _ _ _ _
[Eb] Now, if you want a strum [F] pattern for this song, that is it.
Follow that strum pattern.
_ But, if you listen to Jackson Browne playing it, you'll hear that strum patterns are much
more subtle than that, and this one is a good example.
We can't just say it's down or up.
Many times we're [Em] just hinting little touches [Eb] of the strings.
_ [C] _
_ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _ _
[C] _ _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ _ So what I'm going to suggest to you is the strums that [F] must be emphatic are the first
down, [C] _ down, down, [G] down, up, up, down. _
_ _ _ Those ones that I [Dm] called out are the emphatic ones.
Everything else, [B] just hint at it.
We do that three times, [F] and then we get the chord of E minor, _ and we can strum that for [Em] two bars. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ In the same strum pattern, if you're very comfortable with strumming, as many of you
[F] will be, you know, you'll be playing this instinctively and strum whatever naturally
comes to mind.
But I know that many people like [Eb] to hear a strum pattern, so that's what we're trying
to do here.
_ [Em] Down, down, down, up, down, up, up, down, down, up, down, up.
_ _ Now [F] we get this descending sequence, the ring finger C chord. _
We're going to try and hit [D] the 6th, the 5th strings, in other words, the [Eb] bass end of the chord.
It doesn't matter [C] what you get. _ _ _ _
_ _ [F] We're going _ _ [C] bass, up, down, up.
Bass, 2, 3, and 4, and.
_ _ Nothing on 2, 3.
_ Come down to C over B, [Abm] do the same thing, but bass now is not the 6th string, it's the 5th [G] string. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Abm] And then come down to the [D] D7 chord.
_ If you can, look, put [B] your thumb over, that's great.
_ Again, same pattern, but for two [D] bars. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ That's the same chord sequence [C] that I played, the same [Eb] strum pattern that I played [E] at the
very beginning, the [F] C over G to G section.
You can hear, by the way, it's [Cm] very important not to hit the open 6th string on that chord.
[F] Either hook the thumb over, [A] or make sure your [D] strum doesn't get the 6th string. _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ That's our intro, [C] let me play it for you. _ _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ [C] Third time, _ _
[G] _ E minor.
[Bm] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ [D] D7. _ _
_ _ _ _ [G] _ Looking out at the
_ _ _ _ _ For Running On Empty, we're going to use the template of, again, a live acoustic version
of the song, so that you can replicate [Eb] it with one acoustic guitar.
Sounds absolutely great to my ears.
_ Once again, he's got us in a different [D] tuning.
Open G with a small variation.
Let's have a look at that tuning.
[Eb] Tune your first string down [D] to D.
_ _ _ _ _ [F] The next three strings are all the same.
Your second string stays at [B] B.
_ _ _ [Eb] Third string stays on [G] G. _
_ [Eb] Fourth string stays on [D] D. _ _
Fifth
[C] string tuned down [G] to G. _ _
_ And the sixth string, _ [Eb] we're going to tune all the way down to [C] C,
where it will feel very low, and [G] it might even rattle [Cm] a bit _ on your guitar.
But that's the tuning that he's in. _ _ _
_ _ _ [D] Okay, the other thing I'm going to do now is I'm going to run through each of the chords
that you're going [F] to need, so that when we get into [F] the song itself, we can just call
out the chord name and you'll know the shape.
Wherever you see C over G on your song sheet, C slash G, _ that's the second string first
fret and the fourth string second fret, strumming all the strings.
[C] _ _ _ [G] _
Wherever you see G, _ all fingers come off, but your thumb up here touches the sixth string
to [C] kill it, _ _ so that you'll only [Abm] hear the other five [G] strings.
_ _ _ That's your G chord. _
When you see E minor, [F] you want this.
It's nothing like you're used to playing E minor.
Fourth [B] string second fret, _ and then the fifth and sixth strings at the fourth fret.
_ [Bm] _
_ _ _ Technically, it's an E minor 7. _
_ But where you see E minor, that's going to be that chord shape.
_ _ _ _ Now C is going to be one [Bb] of two chords, and in the song [F] itself, I'll tell you which of
the two it is. _
Right now, let's just look at the one, [Ab] the first one. _ _
You want to try and hold down with your ring finger _ two strings, the fifth and fourth strings
at the fifth fret.
You'll probably end up killing [Cm] the third string, or even [Ab] freshing it.
Maybe you're killing the second string.
It really doesn't matter, that's the great thing.
[F] You could bar all [N] five strings, or if you only get two, that's great.
It really doesn't matter what you get [C] here. _ _
We're going to call that our C chord for now. _ _
It is important that you use the ring [Cm] finger there, although if that really doesn't work
for you, [E] then use another one.
But using the ring finger makes the next chord change much easier, because [F] C over B is the
fifth string, fourth fret, and nothing [Bm] else. _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ _ And D7 has this [B] middle finger coming down to the fifth string, second fret.
_ [C] Drop in the index finger on the second string, first fret, and the ring finger on the [F] third
string, second fret.
_ [A] _ _ _ And as that chord continues to be held down, at some point [E] later on, if you can, it's not
critical this, but if you can, hook that thumb over on the sixth string, second [D] fret, _ _ to
get a low D note there.
_ _ _ _ _ That's optional, [Ab] but if you can do it, it sounds great.
Jackson Brown does do it.
_ That's going to be your D7 chord. _ _ _ _ _
[F] Okay, those chords will get us through almost all of the song, so let's get right into the
song itself now.
The intro, the first couple of bars, the first line of the intro goes like [C] this. _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ You can think of that as being the main riff to the song.
That riff is going to come back several times. _
We've got [G] our C over G chord, [E] and we're going to strum all the strings.
Now, let me give you a strum pattern, then I'm going to come back and talk about strumming.
_ _ [C] _ Down, [G] down, down, up, down, up, up, down, down, up, down, up.
That second big up you saw where my fingers came away, [F] thumb came across to kill the sixth
string, that was our G [E] chord.
_ _ _ _ [B] When I say C in this little next sequence, I mean C over G.
[C] _ C, C, C, C, C, [G] C, G, G, G, G, G. _ _ _ _
[Eb] Now, if you want a strum [F] pattern for this song, that is it.
Follow that strum pattern.
_ But, if you listen to Jackson Browne playing it, you'll hear that strum patterns are much
more subtle than that, and this one is a good example.
We can't just say it's down or up.
Many times we're [Em] just hinting little touches [Eb] of the strings.
_ [C] _
_ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _ _
[C] _ _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ _ So what I'm going to suggest to you is the strums that [F] must be emphatic are the first
down, [C] _ down, down, [G] down, up, up, down. _
_ _ _ Those ones that I [Dm] called out are the emphatic ones.
Everything else, [B] just hint at it.
We do that three times, [F] and then we get the chord of E minor, _ and we can strum that for [Em] two bars. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ In the same strum pattern, if you're very comfortable with strumming, as many of you
[F] will be, you know, you'll be playing this instinctively and strum whatever naturally
comes to mind.
But I know that many people like [Eb] to hear a strum pattern, so that's what we're trying
to do here.
_ [Em] Down, down, down, up, down, up, up, down, down, up, down, up.
_ _ Now [F] we get this descending sequence, the ring finger C chord. _
We're going to try and hit [D] the 6th, the 5th strings, in other words, the [Eb] bass end of the chord.
It doesn't matter [C] what you get. _ _ _ _
_ _ [F] We're going _ _ [C] bass, up, down, up.
Bass, 2, 3, and 4, and.
_ _ Nothing on 2, 3.
_ Come down to C over B, [Abm] do the same thing, but bass now is not the 6th string, it's the 5th [G] string. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Abm] And then come down to the [D] D7 chord.
_ If you can, look, put [B] your thumb over, that's great.
_ Again, same pattern, but for two [D] bars. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ That's the same chord sequence [C] that I played, the same [Eb] strum pattern that I played [E] at the
very beginning, the [F] C over G to G section.
You can hear, by the way, it's [Cm] very important not to hit the open 6th string on that chord.
[F] Either hook the thumb over, [A] or make sure your [D] strum doesn't get the 6th string. _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ That's our intro, [C] let me play it for you. _ _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ [C] Third time, _ _
[G] _ E minor.
[Bm] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ [D] D7. _ _
_ _ _ _ [G] _ Looking out at the