Back In The U.S.S.R. Chords And Guitar Lesson (The Beatles)

I can’t think of any other song that begins with the sound of an airplane taking off. 

In my opinion, this is one of the most underrated Beatles songs. It’s a blend of rock n roll, rhythm & blues, and surf music.

Below we’ll take a look at the rhythm and lead guitar parts.

So grab your axe and let’s dive into this “Back In The U.S.S.R." chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Back In The U.S.S.R?

"Back in the U.S.S.R." was written primarily by Paul McCartney, but it’s labeled with the typical Lennon/McCartney songwriting partnership. It was recorded by The Beatles, and released on the 1968 double album commonly known as the White Album.

The song is influenced by the Beach Boys and Chuck Berry. It features a blend of rock and roll, rhythm & blues, and surf music influences. 

McCartney wrote the song during a visit to India, where the Beatles were studying transcendental meditation under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Inspired by the Beach Boys' "California Girls," McCartney aimed to create a similar upbeat and catchy tune. You can hear the vocal harmonies in the bridge section are very influenced by the Beach Boys style.

"Back in the U.S.S.R." was recorded at Trident Studios in London in August 1968. It was one of the first songs to be recorded for the White Album. The song begins with the sound of an airplane taking off, adding to its theme of travel.

Now, you may be wondering…

What is the tuning for Back In The U.S.S.R?

The tuning for "Back in the U.S.S.R.", as recorded by The Beatles, is standard tuning. George and John kept things simple.

Standard tuning for a guitar is spelled out as EADGBE. 

Here are the strings:

• E (6th string, lowest pitch)
• A (5th string)
• D (4th string)
• G (3rd string)
• B (2nd string)
• E (1st string, highest pitch)

Next, let’s talk about the…

Back In The U.S.S.R. Chords

To play "Back In The U.S.S.R." on guitar you only need to know 6 main chords A5, D5, C5, C#5, B5, and E7. Let’s take a look at a few options for how they might look on the fretboard.

A5 is a power chord located at the 5th fret like this:

D5 shifts that shape down (towards the floor) one string:

C# is one fret below D5 like this:

C5 is two frets below D5 like this:

B5 is 3 frets below D5 like this:

Finally, we have the E7 chord which is played in 5th position like this:

If you want to learn songs faster, better understand the fretboard, and not waste years spinning your wheels with guitar, grab my free blues scale PDF guide right here now:  

All right, now that you know the "Back In The U.S.S.R." chords, let’s now talk about…

What key is Back In The U.S.S.R. in?

"Back In The U.S.S.R." as recorded by The Beatles is in the key of A major. 

Let’s take a look at how the chords A5, D5, C#5, C5, B5, and E7 all relate in the key of A major.  

A5 (I chord): This is a power chord based on the A major root note. In the key of A major, this chord serves as the I chord, the tonic, providing a sense of home or resolution.

D5 (IV chord): This power chord is based on D, which is the fourth degree of the A major scale. It functions as the subdominant chord, creating a sense of movement and leading back to the tonic (A).

C#5 (iii chord): The C#5 power chord is based on the C#, which is the third degree of the A major scale. Although not commonly used in traditional diatonic progressions as a standalone chord, it could be considered a passing chord or used for color, leading towards chords like B5 or D5. That’s exactly how it’s used in the bridge of “Back In The U.S.S.R.”

C5 (bIII chord): The C5 chord is not diatonic to the key of A major, as C natural is not in the A major scale. This chord introduces a bIII (flat three) sound, often used in rock and comes from the blues. It creates a sense of tension and contrast against the A major tonality.

B5 (ii chord): In the context of A major, the B5 chord is based on the second degree of the scale. It can function as a major or minor ii chord. In “Back In The U.S.S.R” it is used as part of a progression that leans toward a secondary dominant function (V of V, leading to E7). 

E7 (V7 chord): This is a dominant seventh chord based on E, which is the fifth degree of the A major scale. It functions as the V7 chord, creating a strong sense of tension that resolves naturally back to the tonic (A). 

That’s the theory, but remember knowing all this doesn’t mean a thing without a good… 

Back In The U.S.S.R. Strumming Pattern And Groove

The main strumming pattern for “Back In The U.S.S.R” is a driving 8th-note rock feel. Strumming 8th notes means dividing each beat of a 4/4 time signature into two equal parts.

To properly strum 8th notes, you need to understand how to count them within each measure. In a 4/4 time signature, each measure has four beats. When subdividing each beat into 8th notes, each beat is divided into two equal parts, giving us a total of eight 8th notes per measure. 

To count 8th notes, you typically use the following syllables:

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

Here’s the breakdown: 

1: The first 8th note (on the beat)

&: The second 8th note (off the beat) 

When counting out loud, it sounds like: 

"One and, Two and, Three and, Four and" 

For the “Back In The U.S.S.R.” strumming pattern I recommend playing all 8th notes as downstrums like this:

Back In The U.S.S.R. Guitar Solo Lesson

The primary scale used to play the “Back In The U.S.S.R” guitar solo is the A minor blues scale. The A minor blues scale uses the notes:

• A (root)
• C (minor third)
• D (perfect fourth)
• Eb (diminished fifth, or "blue note")
• E (perfect fifth)
• G (minor seventh) 

Here’s a common way to play the A minor blues scale starting on the 5th fret of the 6th string (low E string):

For more blues scale patterns used by legends like Eric Clapton, George Harrison, and Jimi Hendrix get your hands on my free blues scale pdf guide below ⬇ 

Conclusion

Bottom line, “Back In The U.S.S.R.” is one of The Beatles’ most underrated tunes. It’s a ton of fun to play.  

Keep practicing, and if you want to learn songs faster, better understand the fretboard, and not waste years spinning your wheels with guitar, grab my free blues scale PDF guide right here now:   

Jon MacLennan