The ULTIMATE Wanted Dead Or Alive Chords & Guitar Lesson

Bon Jovi sang:

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I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride

I'm wanted (wanted) dead or alive

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This man knows the truth.

There's nothing like getting on a motorcycle and experiencing the true freedom a man can create.  

This song demonstrates a number of essential rock guitar techniques, and below I’m going to share some insider tips on how to play in Richie Sambora’s guitar style. 

So grab your axe, and let’s dive into this “Wanted Dead Or Alive” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Wanted Dead Or Alive? 

“Wanted Dead or Alive” was written in the mid-'80s by Jon Bon Jovi and guitarist Ritchie Sambora. It has a blend of gritty cowboy imagery and rockstar life. The song was written while Bon Jovi and Sambora were on tour supporting their Slippery When Wet album, around 1986. They were inspired by the success of other acoustic-driven rock tunes like Bob Seger’s “Turn the Page” and Led Zeppelin’s “Going to California”. 

Jon Bon Jovi wanted to write his own version. That was when he and Sambora came up with the haunting 12-string acoustic intro that starts high up on the neck and walks all the way down to the headstock. After they came up with this riff, the rest of the tune fell into place rather quickly. Sambora said the idea came together in Jon's Los Angeles apartment during a rare break from the road. 

“Wanted Dead or Alive” was recorded at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver, Canada, with producer Bruce Fairbairn at the helm. Little Mountain Studios was a rock mecca in the '80s, where tons of other major albums came about from legends like Aerosmith, AC/DC, and more.

The single was released in March of 1987 and peaked the Billboard Hot 100 at #7. It was certified Multi-Platinum (as part of the Slippery When Wet album, which sold over 12 million copies in the US).

It’s become one of Bon Jovi’s most iconic songs, and it’s frequently used in movie trailers, sports promos, and video games. 

Bon Jovi once said that if he could be remembered for only one song, he’d want it to be “Wanted Dead or Alive”. 

Now, you may be wondering…

What is the tuning for Wanted Dead Or Alive?

The tuning for "Wanted Dead Or Alive", as recorded by Jon Bon Jovi, is standard tuning. However, the main guitar part is played on a 12-string acoustic. 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 “Wanted Dead Or Alive”, let’s next talk about…

Wanted Dead Or Alive Chords

To play “Wanted Dead Or Alive”, you’ll need to know 5 main chords they are Dm, F/C, D, Cadd9, and G. Let’s take a look at a few ways these chords can be played on the fretboard: 

Dm is really only implied in the riff, but here’s how I would play it in open position:

F/C is just the middle strings of an F bar chord in 1st position. However, the beautiful thing about this chord shape is that you do not need to bar. I play it like this:

D is played from the 4th string down like so:

Cadd9 is very similar to a G chord, it just makes a slight change like this:

Finally, we have G, which 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 Wanted Dead Or Alive hard to play on guitar?

I would say playing “Wanted Dead Or Alive” on guitar requires an advanced rock guitar skill level. Playing the main riff, which uses arpeggio picking and begins up on the top frets and descends down to the headstock, is not easy. Plus, there are many little bluesy riffs and fills in between the tight rhythm, which require quite a bit of strum hand control. Then add to all of this the fact that it’s played on a 12-string guitar doesn’t make it a walk in the park. So, take your time with this one.

What key is Wanted Dead Or Alive in?

“Wanted Dead Or Alive,” as recorded by Jon Bon Jovi, is in the key of D major. However, it has a bluesy influence. It’s constantly playing between the tonality of D major and D minor – as do so many rock songs.

The scales for the song are the D major scale, which uses the notes: D – E – F# – G – A – B – C#, and the D minor blues scale, which uses the notes: D – F – G – G# – A – C.

Here’s a quick look at how all the chords relate in the key of D major:

Dm

Notes: D, F, A

Function: This is the minor i chord. It’s not diatonic to D major — it contains an F natural instead of F♯. This is borrowed from the parallel minor key (D minor) and adds a bluesy, and moody flavor.

F/C

Notes: F, A, C

Function: ♭III chord. Again, this is not diatonic to D major — F natural signals this modal mixture from D minor and D major. This chord often adds a bold, emotional character in rock progressions that drift between major and minor tonalities. The C in the bass gives it a heavier, more grounded feel.

D

Notes: D, F♯, A

Function: I chord — the tonic. This is the home base in D major. It provides a sense of resolution and stability.

Cadd9

Notes: C, E, G, D

Function: ♭VIIadd9 chord. C natural is not in the D major scale. This chord comes from the Mixolydian mode (D Mixolydian has a C natural instead of C♯). It’s often used in rock and folk contexts to add a blues feeling.

G

Notes: G, B, D

Function: IV chord in D major. G major is diatonic and is the subdominant chord in the key. It often precedes the dominant (A) or resolves back to the tonic (D). 

So that’s the theory. Next, let’s look at…

What is the strumming pattern for Wanted Dead Or Alive?

To strum along with “Wanted Dead Or Alive” on guitar it’s important to feel the main beat of 1/4 notes. However, because it’s a rock ballad, I tend to subdivide this 1/4 note pulse into 16th notes. In 4/4 time, 16th notes divide each beat into four equal parts. That means you're playing four notes per beat, all spaced evenly.

You count them like this:

1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

Each syllable (“1,” “e,” “&,” “a”) gets the same amount of time. 

There is also some synopation as well. If it were me, I would blend all of these ideas together as needed throughout. Here is an example or a strumming pattern in the style of “Wanted Dead Or Alive”: 

Conclusion

Bottom line, “Wanted Dead Or Alive” is an epic rock song that blends a classic cowboy with a rock star vibe.

But it ain’t for beginners.  

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

Jon MacLennan