Learn How To Play "A Horse With No Name" by America On Guitar!

In this easy guitar lesson, we'll learn how to play A Horse with No Name by America. This might be one of the simplest guitar songs ever!

This one is an excellent option if you've just started Grade 1 of the Beginner Guitar Course. It's famous for being a two-chord beginner song, but a third chord sometimes sneaks in! ;)

🚨 Get this America song on the JustinGuitar Lessons & Songs app - this is a fun and interactive way to play A Horse With No Name and develop solid rhythm. :)

A Horse With No Name by America on Guitar

Chord Progression

Let's start with the simple two-chord version - we'll leave the third chord for now! We'll need E minor and D6.

For the Em, use the fingering I teach in my Em chord beginner lesson.

The second chord is technically D6/9 with an F# bass, but that name is way too complicated - let's call it D6! We use the two fingers of the Em chord but spread out – the second finger goes up to the 6th string, and the 3rd finger comes down to the 3rd string. Changing between them is like a finger-stretching exercise. :)

When you play D6, it's totally fine if your 2nd finger mutes the 5th string. In fact, I think this chord sounds clearer with only one bass note :)

💬 I'm sure these are the original chords, and to my ear this D6 voicing is cleaner. What do you think? Log in and share your thoughts in the discussion area.

A Horse With No Name by America: Strumming - From Beginner to Authentic

Once you're all good with the chord progression, it's time to look at the strumming. Start by strumming on beat 1 - this will allow you to sing along and jam with the original. :) The next step is to strum on all four beats.

These patterns are beginner-friendly and help you get to grips with the song, but they're a bit boring. So let's change up our strumming pattern with some variations.

We'll look at the authentic pattern in a minute, but it's good to start with bass D U, bass D U. On beats 1 and 3, you hit the thickest strings, and then you strum all six strings on the "D U."

To play it just like America did, we change the pattern over D6. It's syncopated and a bit tricky, so check out the video for all the details.

Strumming Tips

If you have trouble syncing the rhythm pattern with the chord changes, practice them separately. First, practice your chord changes with a super simple pattern. Then practice the authentic pattern with muted strings, before adding the chords.

Once you get the strumming and chords to sync up, focus on keeping your tempo smooth and consistent. This is especially important if you plan to sing too.

🚨 It's All About The Rhythm: always remember that timing is the key element of guitar playing. If you fluff the chords, people won't notice. But mess the rhythm up, and everyone will notice! So it needs to be spot on, and the best way to nail it is to play along with the original.

Now is when we get controversial - it's not just the Em and D6 chords after all!

A Horse With No Name by America: The Third Chord - E7sus4

When I was learning this tune, I realized there was a third chord. Yep, controversial I know - but if you listen closely to the America original, you'll sometimes hear the thick E string on beat 3 of the D6. It doesn't happen all the time, but enough to incorporate it.

Good news: it's easy to change from D6 to the third chord. Finger 2 moves to string 5, leaving the thick E string open. This is an E7sus4!

If you're just starting out, don't worry about this chord. Stick to Em and D6 and work on your timing. :)

💙 Want chords, tabs, and lyrics to follow along with my song tutorials? Check out JustinGuitar Tabs!