The ULTIMATE – “Jailhouse Rock” Chords & Guitar Lesson

Here’s a cut from one of the greatest movie soundtracks ever, The Blues Brothers soundtrack.

Elvis Presley recorded it first in 1957. His lesson is here as well.

But the Blues Brothers really ramped it up. I think their version is in a better guitar key, too.

Plus, the musicians who played on this record (cats like Steve Cropper and Donald 'Duck' Dunn) were incredible.

Below, I want to share with you some insider tips on the guitar style behind it.

So grab your axe, and let’s dive into this “Jailhouse Rock” chords and guitar lesson!

Who wrote Jailhouse Rock?

“Jailhouse Rock” was originally written by the mighty songwriting duo, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It was first recorded by Elvis Presley for a 1957 film of the same name, and it’s become one of the most iconic early rock and roll songs. 

Elvis’ version, which was recorded in Hollywood in 1957, was tight and simple. 

Upon its release, the song became a massive hit. Soaring up to number one on the Billboard charts in the United States and the United Kingdom. 

Then, later in 1980, the Blues Brothers recorded a version that took the song to a whole new level. 

It ramped up the energy and used a horn section. The musicians who played on The Blues Brothers soundtrack (cats like Steve Cropper and Donald 'Duck' Dunn) were incredible.

Not to mention the great vocals from John Belushi.

The performance in the film takes place during the climactic “maximum security prison concert” scene, where the band performs for inmates in an epic setting. This ties directly back to the original concept of the song from the 1957 film Jailhouse Rock. They created a full-circle homage. The Blues Brothers are essentially paying tribute to the entire early rock and roll era, and this song is one of the clearest examples of that mission.

Now, you may be wondering…

What is the tuning for Jailhouse Rock?

The tuning for "Jailhouse Rock” as recorded by Elvis Presley and the Blues Brothers is standard tuning. The guitarists kept things simple. Standard tuning is spelled: E, A, D, G, B, and E. 

Here are the strings:

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

All right! 

Now that you know the tuning for “Jailhouse Rock,” let’s next talk about… 

Jailhouse Rock Chords

To play “Jailhouse Rock”, as recorded by The Blues Brothers, you only need to know 4 main chords they are C#7, D7, G7, and A7. Some of these chords are played as bar chords. 

If bar chords are giving you all kinds of aches and pains, and you haven’t yet discovered how to play them effortlessly, go here: https://www.jonmaclennan.com/barchords

Let’s take a look at a few ways these shapes might show up on the fretboard. 

C#7 looks like a standard (campfire) C chord, just shifted up one fret, and then you add the pinky like this:

D7 moves C#7 up one more fret like this:

G7 is a bar chord played in 3rd position like so:

Finally, we have A7. This one is played in 5th position and uses all 6 strings 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 Jailhouse Rock hard to play on guitar?

I would say playing “Jailhouse Rock” as recorded by The Blues Brothers and Elvis Presley is going to require an intermediate skill level. Elvis’ version is slightly harder because it’s in the key of Eb. Where the Blues Brothers play it in D. 

Eb is a little less common of a guitar key, so that makes it more difficult. So, take your time with this one.

What key is Jailhouse Rock in?

“Jailhouse Rock”, as recorded by The Blues Brothers, is in the key of D major. The primary scale for the song is the D major scale, which is built using the notes D, E, F#, G, A, B, and C#. 

Let’s take a look at how these chords all function in the key of D major, starting with…

C#7

Notes: C#, E#, G#, B

Function: This chord is not diatonic to D major. It’s simply the “home” chord, but down ½ step. It’s only used to embellish the I chord (D7).

D7

Notes: D, F#, A, C

Function: This is the I7 chord in D major. Again, it’s not diatonic to the D major scale. What it is is simply a bluesy variation on the I chord. 

G7

Notes: G, B, D, F

Function: In D major, this is the IV7 chord. It’s the IV chord but with an added dominant seventh for color. The F natural is outside the key, and gives it a bluesy sound. You see these chord (and approach) used all the time in rock and roll. 

A7

Notes: A, C#, E, G

Function: This is the V7 chord in D major, the primary dominant. It is one of the strongest functional chords in the key because of the C#, which acts as a leading tone pulling toward D. 

Taken together, these chords create a standard blues progression that’s used throughout the entire song.

Now, as for the Elvis Presley version?

His is in the key of Eb. All The Blues Brothers did was move the key down ½ step.

So, The Blues Brothers’ key = D major

Elvis Presley’s key = Eb major 

All right!

That’s my theory breakdown. 

Next, let’s look at… 

What is the strumming pattern for Jailhouse Rock?

The main feel and rhythm for “Jailhouse Rock” is a swinging 8th note feel. In 4/4 time, the basic swing subdivision feels more like this: 

1 – a 2 – a 3 – a 4 – a

The numbers (1, 2, 3, 4) are still the main beats in the measure, but the second part of each beat (“a”) is pushed closer to the next beat rather than evenly spaced. That creates the signature bounce of the groove.

When counted out loud, it doesn’t feel like a strict “one-and, two-and” anymore. Instead it feels more like: 

“ONE - uh, TWO - uh, THREE - uh, FOUR - uh”

or in a more jazz-swing articulation:

“DAH - da, DAH - da, DAH - da, DAH - da” 

This creates that iconic long-short-long-short pattern.

Here’s an example of a strumming pattern in the style of “Jailhouse Rock”:

Remember -- those 8th notes should be played with a swing feel. 

Conclusion

To wrap it up, “Jailhouse Rock” is one of the greatest examples of early rock and roll. It comes straight out of blues tradition and is a ton of fun to play for guitarists.

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