Summer Of ’69 | TAB
Let’s look at each section in detail. The intro is just a D5 power chord using accents on the 1, and 2+ during bar 1. That’s it. And still, you hear that and within a second you know it’s Summer Of ’69!
The vast majority of bands would have used the instrumental, chorus tag, and outro chords instead, not Bryan and Clearmountain (producer), they know how to hold back. Here’s the intro in TAB.

The verse is the same, just with the addition of the V chord as well as we go D5 – A5, maintaining those accents, looks like this in TAB.

What all this has done is build tension, so when we release chords with full triads, the tune opens up. Summer Of ’69’s chorus chords are VI – V – I – IV on repeat. Finish off with VI – V, in the key of D, that’s:
||: Bm | A | D | G :|| Bm | A5 |
Following this, we play that instrumental which is the same movement as the verse, but now with sus2 and sus4 extensions, like this using TAB:

The proper genius part here is that this is a big release, but there’s no singing, we still hold back.
Doing this makes another verse and chorus still feel exciting. Next time the riff comes in, there’s singing, making it a chorus tag, not an instrumental.
This is then followed by a middle 8 in a new key. We can see this as a modal interchange going from D to Dm/F. In the key of F, we use I – IV – V, like this:
| F5 (I) | Bb5 (IV) | C5 (V) | Bb5 |
| F5 | Bb5 | C5 | C5 |
This leads us to a breakdown instrumental section, another verse now with the extensions, a chorus, and the outro, which is the chorus tag on a loop.
Summer Of 69’s chords may be simple, but don’t let that fool you, they really have been arranged using all the classic hit writing arrangement tricks!
If you want a mansion with a tennis court, and a pool to come back to in between your world tours, take note!
Summer Of ’69 TAB | Related Pages
Summer Of ’69 | Chords + Lyrics
You can learn to play Summer Of ’69 by Bryan Adams using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| D5 | D5 | A5 | A5 |
I got my first real six-string, bought it at the five and dime…
Five similar tunes | Chords + Lyrics
Bryan Adams tunes
Best known for singing power ballads in blockbuster movies and Summer Of 69, Canadian Bryan Adams released his debut in 1980.
Tunes include (Everything I Do) I Do It For You, Run To You, The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You, and When You’re Gone.
Bryan Adams on the web
About me | Dan Lundholm
This guitar lesson by Dan Lundholm features TAB and covers Summer Of ’69. Discover more about him and learn guitar with Spytunes.
Most importantly, find out why you should learn guitar through playing tunes, not practising scales, and studying theory in isolation.