Learn to play the Rolling Stones classic "Happy" on the guitar!

In this lesson, we'll learn how to play Happy by The Rolling Stones on the electric guitar. It's one of my favorite Stones songs; it has many layers, so I've distilled them into two main guitar parts, including the slide guitar.

💙 Shoutout to my Workshop Students! I'm recording this song in preparation for my next workshop. :)

To play Happy by The Rolling Stones, we'll get our guitars in Open G Tuning and have a capo on Fret 4. The "non-slide" guitar is mostly rhythmical, while the slide plays a lot of lead lines. I think there are three overdubs on the original record, but we'll condense them into one part.

💡 There's plenty to explore when learning how to play Happy. This song is brilliant for experimenting with Open G tuning, coming up with your own riffs and solos, and stealing some of the original lines. If you can team up with a jam buddy, even better.

In the original Rolling Stones version, these two guitar parts aren't so separate and well-defined - they mix, weave, and mimic one another. Learning them gives you a basic framework and helps you understand the song. From there, you can explore and tinker as you please. :) Before we get into playing, let's retune our guitars!

Happy by The Rolling Stones: Tuning Your Guitar

Happy by The Rolling Stones is in Open G Tuning with Capo on Fret 4. Many players fret when tuning to Open G, especially when there's a capo involved, but there's no need to worry! Follow these steps:

With no capo, tune string 1 and string 6 down to a D using the open D string as a reference. Then, use the open G string to tune string 5 to a G. The notes should be D, G, G, B, and D from the thickest to the thinnest.
Put your capo on Fret 4. The capo tends to put the strings out of tune a little, so ensure you're still in tune - you can use your ear or a tuner. The notes should be F#, B, F#, B, D#, and F# from the thickest to the thinnest.
You're now in Open G with a capo on 4, and the open strings form a B chord.

Ready? Let's start by learning the guitar part that doesn't use a slide.

Happy: How to Play the Rhythm Guitar (No Slide)

Learning how to play Happy exactly like the original Rolling Stones record takes a lot of work, so we'll learn some licks and how to put them together. I suggest you do that in your way!

You won't need the thickest string, so mute it throughout. You can even take it off if you want to copy Keith Richards. ;)

🚨 Nail the feel! To play the Rolling Stones, you'll need a relaxed groove.

The great thing about Happy is that it only has two chords, and one is B, meaning you strum open strings!

What's more, you only need one finger to play the other chord in the song, E Major, and adding fingers to that Major basic grip Major basic, 9th, and 11th of E) enables you to play the intro and chorus riff. We learn this riff in the video. Can you see that it's based around B Major and E Major?

The riff we cover is a framework. There are a lot of details regarding picking direction, timing, muting, and more. But it doesn't matter if you play the same notes at the right time unless they're out of key. Don't let all these details stop you from relaxing into the groove.

The verse rhythm guitar is based around a Blues Shuffle in B. We strum the open strings with string 6 muted and add the 6th and 11th together on beats 2 and 4. This is a classic Keith Richards trick.

Another upside to this tuning is that you can easily add riffs over B since the open strings are part of the chord. So think of this shuffle as a blank canvas with space for improvising and experimenting.

🎸 We cover some of the extra licks from Happy, but definitely experiment with your own single-note lines and diads in B as you play the shuffle. Stay in the first four frets and you should have plenty of options. :)

When exploring this stuff, it helps if you understand the CAGED system and have a solid knowledge of the fretboard. As you explore, you might stumble on some licks from Tumbling Dice; other Stones tune in B. ;) You can even weave your licks around the vocal lines if you're singing!

Let's look at the arrangement before moving on to the slide guitar.

Song Arrangement

Happy's structure is intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, solo, chorus, verse, chorus, solo, chorus, and outro. The outro lasts a while and involves tons of layers and different instruments, so you might want to shorten it - or you can turn it into a massive jam. ;)

Be careful - there's a five-bar solo after chorus 2. I don't count the bars here; I keep playing the shuffle over B and sing the solo melody in my mind to keep in time. It leads straight to chorus 3.

Happy by The Rolling Stones: Slide Guitar

All the main rhythm parts are covered, so it's time to check out the slide-guitar riffs, licks, and solos. First, make sure y make the right gear and know some slide basics!

💡 Never played slide or need a refresher? Check out my Introduction to Slide Guitar before you explore the second part in Happy.

Slide Guitar Setup & Tips

I used a Fenix Telecaster, the guitar I always played in my Rolling Stones tribute band back in the day!

It's set up perfectly for slide, with thick strings and high action. Playing slide with a low action doesn't sound the same. I find it gets rant this is the perfect excuse to buy another guitar for slide playing online-playing thing is getting tes in tune and resting your fingers on the strings to mute them. This comes with practice. To that end, I usually play slide with my fingers rather than a pick. This allows me to mute adjacent strings while I play!

The intro and chorus riff is the same as on the "non-slide" guitar, except we add a few extra strums over the E Major chord.

As you play the riff up at fret 9, use your other fingers to mute the strings between the pinkie and the capo. If you forget this, you'll get a lot of unwanted string noise.

Verse Licks & Slide Solos

The video covers three of the main licks I hear in the original. There's no set pattern to when they appear, so you can choose which ones you like and when you want to play them. :) I recommend you concentrate on these licks in the verses and leave the shuffle riff to another guitarist.

🔥 Get Creative: Happy is harmonically simple, so explore your slide playing and find great licks of your own.

We also look at the notes for the two slide solos. I suggest you listen to the original to make sure you get them right. And if you want to dev a player, it's a great idea to try transcribing these solos. Then you can come back to this video and compare. :) You can also listen to the original and steal slide ideas from there.

I'm sure you'll have tons of fun with The Rolling Stones. Get together with a jam buddy and try weaving these two parts together. It'll sound awesome! Laters. :)

🎸 Learn more Rolling Stones songs on the guitar with my lessons!