How to Play "Dead or Alive" on Acoustic Guitar

This classic is a prime choice for acoustic guitar. The jangling strings provide a great backdrop to the lyric. Learning to play "Dead or Alive" is relatively uncomplicated. Combine riffs with chord progressions to get a good accompaniment for the singer.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Learn the intro. The first part of the song consists of playing the third and fourth strings open and the top E string down from the thirteenth fret (F note) down to resolve in a D major chord. This creates a kind of "sliding" solo that lots of fans immediately recognize.

2. Play the "bottom" riff. After the sliding notes, the guitar does a low A string riff consisting of A to C (third fret). Practice playing from open to the third fret and bending the note a little to imitate that "country outlaw" sound.

3. Use the D, C, and G major chords to play the verse. The verse in the key of D starts out in D major, then drops to C and then to G.

4. Add the F major chord when playing the chorus.

5. Get rhythm. Learn to play the chords along with the lyrics in a consistent way. It helps to have a drummer or bass guitarist who will set the pace and keep it moving. Without a drummer, you can count bars off in your head. Pay attention to how the acoustic guitar sounds with the vocals.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're confused, check out tabs (annotated guitar music) for a note-by-note explanation of how the acoustic guitar plays "Dead or Alive." Tabs can be a clearer guide to fingering techniques for melody lines and riffs that are played pretty quickly on the guitar.
• Make sure your guitar is loud enough to be heard. One common problem with acoustic guitar is that without a microphone, it can be hard to hear. For this song in particular, the song loses something without its signature riffs. Consider a microphone for your acoustic when playing in public.