The ULTIMATE Drift Away Chords And Guitar Lesson

So, you want to learn how to become a better guitarist in a band?

You want to improve your skills playing behind singers?

And you don’t want to practice a bunch of boring scales and exercises…

Well if so, this post below might help you out. I’m going to break down a classic song from the 70s that features brilliant guitar work from the late great Reggie Young. (Young was a world-class guitarist who played in many bands accompanying singers masterfully on countless hit records.)

So grab your axe and let’s dive into this “Drift Away” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Drift Away?

"Drift Away"  was written by songwriter Mentor Williams in 1970. Now, it was first recorded by John Henry Kurtz in 1972. But the version that put the song on the map was done by Dobie Gray in 1973. 

It’s a classic soul tune with a laid-back, feel-good vibe. It blends together elements of rock, soul, and even country. 

There’s just something about “Drift Away” that is soothing. The song almost provides an escape from the troubles of life. The famous chorus sings, 

“Give me the beat, boys, and free my soul, I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away,”

Mentor Williams, wrote "Drift Away" while living in Nashville. The song's creation took place during a time when Nashville was increasingly blending country with pop and soul sounds. Gray had been working in Nashville and recorded his version at Quadrafonic Sound Studios, a legendary studio where many top artists of the era recorded. 

Another interesting note is that Dobie Gray’s version of "Drift Away" was recorded with the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section was a group of highly skilled studio musicians who played on a range of hit records. They could move effortlessly between soul, rock, pop, and country. Here are some famous tunes they recorded: 

• Aretha Franklin – "Respect," "Chain of Fools"
• Wilson Pickett – "Mustang Sally"
• Percy Sledge – "When a Man Loves a Woman"
• The Rolling Stones – "Wild Horses," "Brown Sugar"
• Bob Seger – "Old Time Rock and Roll"
• Paul Simon – "Kodachrome"

The guitar part in particular was played by Reggie Young. It’s smooth and melodic. Young was also known for his work with artists like Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, and Dusty Springfield. His guitar parts along with Troy Seals perfectly complemented the song’s vibe.  

Put this all together and you’ve got the recipe for a hit song. Dobie Gray's "Drift Away" peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1973 and became one of his biggest hits. 

However, the song has also been covered by many other artists as well, including Uncle Kracker in 2003 (which featured Dobie Gray himself): 

And, by country legend Roy Orbison:

Now, before we dive into this “Drift Away” chords and guitar lesson any further, let’s answer the question of…

Is Drift Away easy to play on guitar?

As I mentioned above the song was recorded with a host of high-caliber Nashville studio musicians, so no it is not easy to play. You’ll need to be able to play fingerstyle, strum, and play tasty fills to nail the guitar parts like Reggie Young. 

And even if you want to play an easy version, you’ll still need to play almost all bar chords. Unless you use a capo and change the key.

What is the tuning for Drift Away?

The guitar tuning for “Drift Away" as recorded by Dobie Gray is standard tuning. Reggie Young and Troy Seals kept it simple. 

Standard tuning 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)

Now that you know the tuning, let’s take a look at the…

Drift Away Chords

To play “Drift Away” on guitar you’ll need to know how to play 5 main chords B, F#, E, F#7sus4, and C#m7. All of these chords are played as bar chords throughout the song. However, E can alternatively be played in an open position as well. But for the rest, you’ll need to bar. Here are a few examples of how these chords could be played on the fretboard.

B is played as a bar chord in 2nd position like this:

F# is played in the 2nd position as well, however, this chord shifts to a root on the 6th string like this:

If you struggled to understand chords on the neck and navigate the fretboard for rhythm and lead then get your hands on my free fretboard guide PDF right here:

E is played the same way as the B chord, just relocated higher up the neck in 7th position like this:

You can also alternatively play open E using all 6 strings like this:

F#7sus4 is a slight variation on the F# chord above, it’s played like this:

Finally, we have C#m7, this chord is played in 4th position and from the 5th string down like this:

All right, now that you know the “Drift Away” chords, let’s next answer the question of…

What key does Dobie Gray sing Drift Away in?

“Drift Away” as recorded by Dobie Gray is in the key of B major. All the chords fit into the diatonic scale of B major. 

The notes of the B major scale are: B, C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A#

Here is a look at how the “Drift Away” chords relate to the B major scale.

B Major (I chord):

This is the tonic (I) chord in the key of B major.

Notes: B, D#, F# (Root, Major 3rd, Perfect 5th).

It is the primary chord in the key, representing stability and resolution.

F# Major (V chord):

This is the dominant (V) chord in B major.

Notes: F#, A#, C# (Root, Major 3rd, Perfect 5th).

The dominant chord creates tension and wants to resolve back to the tonic (B). It’s one of the strongest relationships in music.

E Major (IV chord):

This is the subdominant (IV) chord.

Notes: E, G#, B (Root, Major 3rd, Perfect 5th).

The IV chord provides movement away from the tonic and is often used to transition back to it. It’s closely related to both the tonic (I) and dominant (V) chords.

F#7sus4 (Dominant seventh suspended chord):

This is a variation of the dominant (V7) chord but with a suspended 4th instead of the major 3rd.

Notes: F#, B, C#, E (Root, Perfect 4th, Perfect 5th, Minor 7th).

The suspended 4th (B) replaces the typical A# (3rd), creating a more unresolved sound, which strongly wants to resolve either back to F# (by dropping the 4th to the 3rd) or resolve to the tonic (B major).

C#m7 (ii chord):

This is the supertonic (ii) chord in B major, a minor seventh chord built on the 2nd degree.

Notes: C#, E, G#, B (Root, Minor 3rd, Perfect 5th, Minor 7th).

So that is the theory behind this laid-back jam. But remember – theory doesn’t mean a thing without a good…

Drift Away Strumming Pattern And Groove

The main underlying groove for “Drift Away” is a steady 16th-note feel. For even 16th notes, each beat in a 4/4 time signature is divided into four equal parts, creating a faster and more subdivided rhythm. Here's how they can be counted and understood:

1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

1, 2, 3, 4: The downbeats (the main beats)

e: The second 16th note, a quarter of the way between the downbeat and the upbeat

&: The upbeat, halfway between each downbeat

a: The fourth 16th note, three-quarters of the way through the beat

When counting out loud, it sounds like:

"One e and a, Two e and a, Three e and a, Four e and a"

This is the underlying pulse. However, the guitar should not strum all 16th notes. This is just the “feel”. (See video above for specific demonstrations).

Drift Away Licks and Soloing Tips

The licks and fills in between the vocal lines sung by Dobie Gray are brilliant. They rely heavily on rhythm & blues, and soul guitar styles. One of those concepts is the idea of sliding 4ths and 5ths.

This technique involves playing intervals of a perfect 4th or perfect 5th and sliding them up or down the neck, often in sync with the groove of the song. The primary scale these notes should come from would be the B major scale. (The scale of the key for Dobie Gray’s version.) 

Here is a great way to play this scale in the 6th position:

Conclusion

To wrap it up, “Drift Away” is a challenging but great song to learn on guitar. It’s a masterclass in taste and style.  

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 fretboard guide right here now:  

Jon MacLennan