Jailhouse Rock | TAB
On the original recording, the band is tuned down to Eb. Should you want to play along with that, you can use my free online chromatic tuner to get to Eb.
Once you’re in tune with Elvis and the gang, you’ll soon discover how there are two sections in Jailhouse Rock, let’s call them verse and chorus.
The verse uses only a C-shaped Eb – E, but ignores the root on string 5, leave that to the bass player! Looks like this in TAB.
The chorus is played using a bass line of 8th notes (the bass player is playing 1/4 notes).
As you can see if you study the intervals, it’s similar to how you honky tonk (Chuck Berry!) although instead we now play the arpeggio, adding the 6.
Finally, for the solo, let’s look at how the bass modifies this honky tonk bass line concept into including the b7 as well, looks like this in TAB.
Should you want to play all this in the same key as Blues Brothers, and many covers bands do this, tune back up to standard tuning, then transpose all of Jailhouse Rock’s chords to the key of D. This is what you’ll end up with:
Jailhouse Rock verse chords in D:
| N.C C# ||: D | D C# :|| D N.C | N.C |
Jailhouse Rock chorus chords in D:
| G (G6) | G (G6) | D (D6) | D (D6) |
| A (A6) | G (G6) | D (D6) | D C# |
Jailhouse Rock TAB | Related Pages
Jailhouse Rock | Chords + Lyrics
You can learn to play Jailhouse Rock by Elvis Presley using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| E | E Eb |
The warden threw a party in the county jail…
Five similar tunes | Chords + Lyrics
Blues Brothers
The 1980 Musical Blues Brothers tells the story of a band “on a mission from God” to raise money for an orphanage.
Tunes include Gimme Some Lovin’, Rawhide, Shake A Tailfeather, Think, Minnie The Moocher, Soul Man, and Jailhouse Rock.
Blues Brothers on the web
Elvis Presley tunes
Elvis Presley didn’t just change music by popularising Rock n’ Roll and becoming the world’s first superstar, he changed the world.
Hits include Jailhouse Rock, Heartbreak Hotel, Don’t Be Cruel, Blue Suede Shoes, In The Ghetto, Suspicious Minds, and (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear.
Elvis Presley on the web
About me | Dan Lundholm
This guitar lesson by Dan Lundholm features TAB and covers Jailhouse Rock 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.