The Devil Went Down to Georgia | TAB
This is a proper challenge, especially if you’re going to attempt to play that fiddle melody on the guitar. Let’s get straight to it — here are the chords underneath that scary melody:
| Dm | C |
| Dm C Bb Am | Gm A7 Dm A C |
| Dm | Dm A C | Dm (hold) | Dm (hold) |
This is the intro and also comes back as an instrumental section. Here’s the TAB for how you could play these chords:
You want to let the bass player take care of the alternating bass line. For the chords, just focus on making them compact — you don’t even need the root note.
Here’s the fiddle melody for the same part, practice slowly!
In order to understand this melody, you need to look at the intervals in relation to each chord and name them as scales, like this:
Dm – D harmonic minor (Aeolian with maj7)
C – C Ionian (modal interchange, should have been Mixolydian)
The verses are at least easy — you just hold that Dm chord, then wait, then play the A – C – Dm again.
The chorus is also straightforward, moving VI – V – II – VI, then VI – II – IIIx – bass line:
| Dm | C | Gm | Dm |
| Dm | Gm | A | (A G F E) |
Next, there’s a guitar break rhythm riff and bass line which is great fun, using the Dm blues scale. Here it is in TAB:
The chord riff uses Am shapes for the initial Dm chords, a G shape for the C, and then a Cm shape for the last Dm chord.
For the riff, again, you need to see the scales to be able to memorise it. As mentioned, it’s the Dm blues scale.
After repeating it many times, you play a D Dorian scale — not Aeolian or harmonic minor like before. The chords move up from A – Bb – C – C#.
Finally, The Devil Went Down To Georgia has a great ending — let’s make sure you really know it! Here’s the TAB.
When you can play all this TAB, try it with the backing tracks and chord chart!
The Devil Went Down to Georgia Backing Tracks + TAB | Related Pages
The Devil Went Down To Georgia | Chords + Lyrics
Learn to play The Devil Went Down To Georgia by Charlie Daniels Band using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| Dm (hold) | Dm (hold) |
The devil went down to Georgia, he was lookin’ for a soul to steal…
Five similar tunes | Chords + Lyrics
