Learn "No Woman, No Cry" by Bob Marley on Guitar

In this easy lesson, we'll learn how to play No Woman, No Cry by Bob Marley and The Wailers on the guitar. This is an all-time classic Reggae – and a great grower song for guitarists. ;)

You can keep it really simple if you're a beginner or explore extra bits if you're more of an advanced player. There's a push on the F Chord, the famous bass riff, and you can add in melody too.

Before looking at embellishments, let's start with the basic chords and strumming.

No Woman, No Cry: Chords & Strumming

The progression for the intro and chorus is C, G/B, Am, F, then C, F, C, G; each chord lasts half a bar. Then, you need the first four chords of the intro and chorus progression for the verses. :) Yes, playing No Woman, No Cry by Bob Marley is that simple!

💡 There are a couple of options for G/B. You can choose to play only the middle four or the bottom five strings – it's up to you. The first option is trickier because you need to mute the thinnest string.

This is also a great song for practicing your F Barre Chord if you're learning it as part of my Beginner's Course. :) I like wrapping my thumb around the neck to play the bass note with my thumb, but this is definitely not suitable for beginners! Check out these F Chord Variations if you're not hip playing your full F Barre Chord.

No matter your level, it's best to keep the strumming simple before trying to sing. Go for four down strums to the bar until you're used to the phrasing of the vocal. Then you can change it up!

Now let's cover all those unique parts that define the character of this song. :)

The F 'Push'

In the original Bob Marley and The Wailers version, the F in the intro and chorus comes an eighth note earlier than usual: we switch to it on the "+" of 2, not beat 3. This is called a push, a subtle shift immediately making a huge difference.

🤔 I'm not sure if the F is pushed in the original verses. What sounds best to you? Let me know in the Discussion!

It's good to vary things, so I suggest you switch to F on beat 3 in the verses and use the push elsewhere. This will add life and variation to your sound. :)

The Brilliant Bass Guitar Riff of "No Woman, No Cry"

The classic riff in the intro and choruses of No Woman, No Cry is straightforward. Maybe you can work it out by ear! ;) Hint: it starts on the note G at fret 3 of the thickest string. Check the video to see if you got it right! :)

Replace the final G of the intro and chorus progression with this riff to make your playing sound ultra-authentic. You might like to drop it for the verses to change the vibe.

🔥 Transcribe Your Own Riffs – You'll come to a point in the guitar journey where you need to start working out songs on your own. Start working out more all-time-great riffs with my Grade 3 Transcribing lessons. :)

It's time to look at the rhythm and strumming.

No Woman, No Cry: Rhythm Guitar

You can mimic the original sound with a simple pattern. Play eight down strums to the bar, strumming downwards on beats and off-beats. You get extra kudos if you can add an accent on beats 2 and 4.

There's just one exception: when you push the F, don't play a down strum on beat 3. It's also a good idea to accent the strum when you switch to F.

Let's also pick out some melody notes – they fit nicely under the fingers.

No Woman, No Cry: The Melody

If you're an Intermediate or Advanced player, you might like to try picking out the melody as an intro or interlude. :) It's great for taking a break from singing and varying your sound. You might even improvise a little solo within the melody.

The key to nailing this with a pick is to finish your strum on the string with the melody note. That way, you'll hear the melody note as the highest note. You have to be accurate with your strumming! I use down strums throughout, but you can do it how you like.

💡 Extra Bits – Watch out for the rhythm here – the final melody note in each vocal line lands an eighth note before its parent chord. As for the chords in this song, I often lift off finger 2 from the F to get Fsus2. I think it sounds wicked at the end of the bar.

Now it's over to you! When you cover a song, you should make it your own. How do you want to play it? What sounds good to you? There are handy things to learn from the original record, but you can change it.

This song can start easy, with just the chords and simple strumming, but there's plenty more fun stuff to explore: pushes, chord variations, embellishments, and more. Definitely revisit it as you progress as a guitarist! Enjoy. :)

🎸 Love Bob Marley? Check out all my Bob Marley song tutorials to learn his classics on the guitar.