"La Grange" by ZZ Top is one of the most classic rock songs of all time!

It was released in 1973, even before I was even born! It still gets loads of radio plays. I remember playing this as a kid and having loads of fun - it's just super cool.

This incredible guitar tune has blues riff in the key. It uses unusual fingerpicking, which we'll check out in a bit. In this lesson, you'll learn how to play La Grange, some of the variations, and explore a breakdown of the riff.

How to Play La Grange Riff

First, we've got an A chord using our first finger covering the fourth and third strings. Don't press down on the second string - we are not playing that note. Instead, focus your finger pressure on the 3rd and 4th strings.

We're also playing with a combination of pick and fingers. Think of it as a hybrid picking technique! So we're holding the pick regularly but using fingers 2 and 3 to pick the middle two strings. This is also how the song starts. Make sure you release the pressure of the first finger between the notes!

La Grange: Chords

I recommend you practice getting the riff down. Then, once you are comfortable, you can start playing around. Change up the rhythm, and make it your own! But remember, don't overcomplicate things! The fingerpicking is already quite unusual in this song. If you're not used to doing fingerpicking, this might be tricky for you.

This song has a combination of different chords. Among them includes D, C, Em, F, E flat, and C flat. It mainly uses the C minor pentatonic scale. You need to be familiar with this standard blues scale if you want to play this song. With the C minor pentatonic scale, you'll be able to improvise and really make it your own.

I hope you enjoy playing this ZZ Top song. Take care and see you very soon :)