The ULTIMATE Honkey Tonk Women Chords & Guitar Lesson

Mick Jagger sang:

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“It's the honky tonk women

That gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues…” 

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I heard no lies. 

In this post, I’m going to share with you some insider guitar tips on one of the Rolling Stones’ most popular tunes.

So grab your axe, and let’s dive into this “Honkey Tonk Women” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Honkey Tonk Women?

“Honky Tonk Women” was originally written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones. It’s a fascinating song about a man’s run-ins with female nature. It describes the chaos and unpredictability found in bars and honky-tonk venues.

Richards said the song was inspired by a mixture of real-life experiences and his passion to blend the feel of country and rock. While Jagger said he wanted to highlight the charm and danger of these women.

The original recording was done at Olympic Studios in London and released as a single in 1969. The arrangement is raw and famously features a strong, cowbell, bluesy guitar riffs, and Jagger’s sassy vocal delivery. 

Upon its release, “Honky Tonk Women” became one of the Rolling Stones’ biggest hits. It reached number one on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. 

It’s gone on to become a classic rock standard and one of the Rolling Stones' most popular songs.  

Now, you may be wondering…

What is the tuning for Honkey Tonk Women?

The tuning for "Honkey Tonk Women” is open G tuning. Open G tuning is spelled: D, G, D, G, B, and D. 

Here are the strings: 

• D (6th string, lowest pitch)
• G (5th string)
• D (4th string)
• G (3rd string)
• B (2nd string)
• D (1st string, highest pitch)

However, Keith often removed his 6th string. That would look like this: 

• G (5th string)
• D (4th string)
• G (3rd string)
• B (2nd string)
• D (1st string, highest pitch)

This is the same tuning as a 5-string banjo.

All right!  

Now that you know the tuning for “Honkey Tonk Women,” let’s next talk about…

Honkey Tonk Women Chords

To play “Honkey Tonk Women”, you’ll need to know 4 main chords they are G, C, D, and A. Keep in mind that for these chord shapes to work, you must be in an open G tuning.  

Let’s take a look at a few ways these shapes can be played on the fretboard: 

Because of the tuning, G can be played using all open strings like this:

C is played with just the index finger at the 5th fret and from the 5th string down, like so:

For D, simply move C up two frets (to the 7th position) like this:

Finally, we have A, which is played again with just the index finger. However, this time we’ll shift to the 2nd position like this:

If you’ve struggled to understand the fretboard for RHYTHM and LEAD guitar, and want to discover the easiest and fastest way. Then get your hands on my free Fretboard Guide PDF right here now:  

Is Honkey Tonk Women hard to play on guitar?

To play a basic version of “Honkey Tonk Women” on guitar requires a late beginner to intermediate level. However, to play it note-for-note like Keith Richards and nail all the licks and riffs, that’s going to require an advanced skill level. The basic structure is almost like a simple blues progression, but what Richards does within it shows a much deeper level of skill and command of blues vocabulary and riffs. So, take your time with this one.

What key is Honkey Tonk Women in?

“Honkey Tonk Women”, as recorded by the Rolling Stones, is in the key of G major. The primary scale for the song is the G major scale, which is built using the notes G, A, B, C, D, E, and F#.

All of the chords fit into the diatonic scale of G major except one. Let’s take a closer look, starting with…

G (G major)

Notes: G, B, D

Function: This is the I chord in the key of G major. It’s the tonic, the home base of the key. All the other chords revolve around this tonal center. This chord creates a sound of resolution and stability. 

C (C major)

Notes: C, E, G

Function: This is the IV chord (subdominant) in G major. It moves away from the tonic and sets up a return to G (I) or a move toward the dominant (D). You’ll hear this chord come in right away in the verse of “Honky Tonk Women”. 

D (D major)

Notes: D, F#, A

Function: This is the V chord (dominant) in G major. It builds tension that naturally wants to resolve back to the I chord G. D drives the progression forward and helps determine the key.

A (A major)

Notes: A, C#, E

Function: This chord is not diatonic to G major. It acts as a secondary dominant (V of V). This chord wants to resolve to D, and then moves on back to I. It’s just enough build some nice tension and release into the progression.

All right! 

That’s my theory breakdown. 

Next, let’s look at…

What is the strumming pattern for Honkey Tonk Women?

The main underlying feel for “Honkey Tonk Women” is a driving 8th-note rock feel. In 4/4 time, 8th notes divide each beat into two equal parts, creating a steady, walking rhythm. The counting for 8th notes in a measure looks like this:

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

The numbers (1, 2, 3, 4) represent the main beats in the measure. The "&" divides each beat into two evenly spaced subdivisions. 

When counted out loud, it sounds like: 

"One-and, Two-and, Three-and, Four-and."

Here’s an example of a simple rock strumming pattern in the style of “Honkey Tonk Women”. Notice the emphasis on 8th notes, and also the upbeat:

Conclusion

Bottom line, “Honkey Tonk Women” is a legendary tune from the ‘60s. It’s also a perfect example of how Keith Richards used the open G tuning to create hits.

So, keep practicing, and if you want to learn songs way faster, better understand the fretboard for lead and rhythm, and not waste years spinning your wheels with guitar, grab my free fretboard guide here right now: 

Jon MacLennan