I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) (The Proclaimers) Guitar Lesson with TAB

I'm Gonna Be (500 miles) Guitar Lesson + TAB

In this guitar lesson, you get a full arrangement analysis of why this became a hit, complete with TAB for playing this as the only guitarist in a band!

I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) | TAB

Let’s take a look at how to break up the strumming so we get a part that works, no matter if you play 500 Miles chords on your own using an acoustic, or an electric guitar in a band, as the only guitarist.

This is not what they play on the record, but a part that could work for you as a working player.

Here are 500 Miles’s verse chords in TAB. Notice how this is done over 8 bars, not 4. This is so you can apply some variation over the initial E chord.

Here are 500 Miles’s chorus chords in TAB. Notice how this is slightly simpler than the verse. I want all focus to be on the vocal here.

And finally, here’s the chorus tag, it’s the same as the verse, although now we play A and B, not A5 and B5, like this:

500 miles arrangement

The arrangement is very well thought through, this was designed to be a hit. Here’s how it’s set up:

Intro – Just four bars set up the tune, we know within a second what this is from just hearing that chugging E chord. Perfect for radio play.
Verse 1 – 4 repetitions of the same progressions, no variations, this sets up familiarity.
Chorus 1 – The basic chorus presents the main theme.
Verse 2/Chorus 2 – Identical to the previous verse and chorus, familiarity.
Chorus tag 1 – Audience participation! This is the key to the tune’s success, we invite everyone to sing along.
Instrumental – This functions like a short re-intro, we gather ourselves to do it all again.
Verse 3 – This is where we find a variation on the final line which goes to C#m, holds a chord and waits for half a bar.
Chorus 3 – Identical to previous choruses, let’s not complicate things now that everyone is in on this.
Chorus tag 2 – Audience participation – again! And for longer than last time. This is the big payoff.
Chorus 4 – This rounds it all off, it would have been easy to fade during the last section simply, instead we do this with an actual ending, which is much better!

The only other song I can think of that is this perfectly arranged to be a hit is Bryan Adams Summer Of ’69.

Perhaps this was the reference track when The Proclaimers recorded it only three years after Bryan had proved the concept worked.

500 Miles TAB | Related Pages

I’m Gonna Be (500) Miles | Chords + Lyrics

You can learn how to play I’m Gonna Be (500) Miles by The Proclaimers using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.

| E | E |
When I wake up, well I know I’m gonna be…

Five similar tunes | Chords + Lyrics

When you can play the TAB for 500 miles, try these five tunes from the songbook.

The Proclaimers tunes

Formed in 1983, Scottish twins The Proclaimers had their debut album, This Is the Story by 1987.

Best-known tunes include Letter from America, I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles), and covers of Get Ready and These Arms Of Mine.

The Proclaimers on the web

About me | Dan Lundholm

Dan Lundholm wrote this guitar lesson and TAB for 500 Miles.

This guitar lesson by Dan Lundholm features TAB and covers 500 Miles chords. Discover more about him and how you can learn guitar with Spytunes.

Most importantly, find out why you should learn guitar through playing tunes, not practising scales, and studying theory in isolation.