Learn How to Play Bruce Springsteen's "Devils And Dust" on Guitar

Devils And Dust by Bruce Springsteen sounds great on acoustic guitar and is quite easy to play. We'll learn how to play it in Drop D tuning in this lesson, which I believe is the original tuning from the record.

But there's a debate about this - many guitarists say it's in Double Drop D tuning. Both tunings kind of work, and they open up several possibilites for the chords. We'll explore this in more detail later in this tutorial. :)

💡 Head to JustinGuitarTABs for verified tabs, chords and lyrics to play Devils And Dust along with this video tutorial! :)

You might find a few live versions where Bruce Springsteen plays this song with a capo - the Storytellers' version is one of them! If you'd like to explore that, put your capo on the third fret and move everything you play up three frets.

There's definitely no capo on the original recording though. To play it, you need to tune your thickest string down to a D. :) Check out this lesson on Drop D tuning if you’re unsure.

Let's talk about the chords. :)

Devils And Dust by Bruce Springsteen - Chords

The chords need different fingerings than usual but sound lovely. Check out the video tutorial to learn more about how to play them, which strings you should strum or mute, and the little fill that happens at the end of almost every bar of D.

Careful with the rhythm for that fill! I suggest you experiment a little. I hear Bruce doing it his way, but when I try to replicate it, it morphs into my own version. It doesn’t really matter - if it sounds good, it is good. :)

Devils And Dust by Bruce Springsteen - Rhythm Guitar

This song uses a lot of palm mute, downstrums and accents to give it a lot of energy and movement. Bruce really hits the strings when he plays it live! In the Storytellers' clip, he talks about the contrast between the aggressive rhythm and the thoughtful lyrics. Super interesting!

It's very important to play Devils And Dust with a solid rhythm and make it feel good! In the video, we look at a good starting pattern. But it changes a lot, and Bruce focuses more on the delivery rather than sticking to a strict rhythm. So don’t be worried about counting too much - try to get into the feel.

💡 Strumming Tips: It's a great idea to play along with the original recording without chords. Muting the strings will help you give your full attention to the strumming pattern. You can also grab your guitar and practice your strumming with this video tutorial. :)

Practice the chord progression with the strumming pattern until you're confident. It's crucial that you get it right - your confidence will transmit to the listener and give you a wicked sound. :)

Chord Progressions and Performance

It’s really useful to write out the chords yourself, and if you need a hand remembering the arrangement, you can get full TAB and chord-lyric sheets at JustinGuitar TABs.

When I sing and play the tune, my focus is more on how the chords sound with the lyrics than the names of the chords. I know the sound I want to hear, and my fingers try to make that sound. Seeing it this way helps you sing better and helps you find your way through tricky chord sequences, like this one.

Have tons of fun with this Bruce Springsteen classic! Laters. :)

🤔 Why is strumming so hard? The answer is here!