Quick And Easy Free Fallin’ Chords And Guitar Lesson (Tom Petty)

I’m sitting down to write you this today, about 2 miles away from where rock legend Tom Petty wrote “Free Fallin”.

Back in the day he lived in Reseda, California in the San Fernando Valley.

There’s a famous quote from Harlan Howard, a world-renown songwriter, who said, “All you need for a great song is three chords and the truth”. 

I think Petty shows this powerful point in this classic song.

So grab your axe and let’s dive into this “Free Fallin" chords and guitar lesson! 

Who Wrote Free Fallin'?

"Free Fallin'" was written by Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne. They had been writing a lot of tunes together and this track became one of Petty's most iconic songs. It debuted as a lead single for Petty's solo album, Full Moon Fever, in 1989. 

It’s a very simple tune, that apparently started off as a joke. Lynne was playing the chords and Petty was improvising lyrics about "free fallin'."  

As they developed the idea, the song took on a deeper meaning. Petty reflected on his quintessential Southern California lifestyle. The lyrics sing about various aspects of the Southern California culture, like the San Fernando Valley, Mulholland Drive, and Ventura Boulevard, all parts of culture I grew up with.

There are little gems all over the value that have captured parts of Petty’s history. For example, in Winnetka CA, there is a Cupid’s Hotdogs that has benches with lyrics to this song painted into them. Petty influence and specifically this song has been a staple in the San Fernando Valley. 

"Free Fallin'" was also recorded in the Valley at Rumbo Recorders. The studio is slightly away from the craziness of Hollywood. The recording featured Petty on vocals and acoustic guitar, Jeff Lynne on bass, keyboards, and backing vocals, Mike Campbell on guitar, and Phil Jones on drums. The production maintained a simple yet powerful arrangement that allowed the song's lyrical and melodic elements to shine through.

As I mentioned above, "Free Fallin'" is one of Petty's most successful songs. It reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was ranked No. 179 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time." 

Here’s another cool fact:

Lynne and Petty reportedly wrote "Free Fallin'" in about two hours. Petty described it as one of those rare occasions where a song seemed to just flow out effortlessly, capturing something timeless in the process. This has happened with many hit songs. It’s almost as if they fall out of the ether.

The song has been covered by many great artists. One of my other favorite versions was done by John Mayer. He performed an acoustic (broken-down) version of this song live with Robbie McIntosh (guitarist for Paul McCartney) and David Ryan Harris.

Now, you may be wondering…

Does Free Fallin' use a capo?

Yes. There are 2 main guitar parts to “Free Fallin”. One uses a capo on the 1st fret. Another uses a capo on the 3rd fret. They both sound great, and I am going to explain both in this lesson.

What is the tuning for Free Fallin'?

The tuning for "Free Fallin", as recorded by Tom Petty is standard tuning. Petty and Campbell 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)

However, if you are using a capo on the 1st fret then your tuner should read:

• F (6th string, lowest pitch)
• Bb (5th string)
• Eb (4th string)
• Ab (3rd string)
• C (2nd string)
• F (1st string, highest pitch) 

If you are using a capo on the 3rd fret then your tuner should read:

• G (6th string, lowest pitch)
• C (5th string)
• F (4th string)
• Bb (3rd string)
• D (2nd string)
• G (1st string, highest pitch)

Next, let’s talk about the…

Free Fallin' Chords

To play "Free Fallin" on guitar you only need to know 3 main chords D, Gsus2, and Asus4. None of these chords are bar chords. Let’s take a look at a few options for how they might look on the fretboard.

(Remember these are going to be capo’d on the 3rd fret to sound like the record.) 

D is played from the 4th string down like this:

Gsus2 is similar to a 4-finger G chord, however, you shift your index finger down to the 3rd string like this:

Asus4 is played from the 5th string down like this:

Now, if you wanted to play these chords with a capo on the 1st fret, then that would change the key to E major. This means the previous 3 chords D, Gsus2, and Asus4, would become E, Asus2, and Bsus4. Here’s how those might look on the fretboard: 

E is played with all 6 strings like this: 

Asus2 is played from the 5th string down like this:

Finally, Bsus4 is played from the 5th string down as well like this:

If you’ve struggled to understand the fretboard and want to learn it faster and in the simplest way. Then get your hands on my free fretboard guide PDF right here now:  

All right, now that you know the "Free Fallin" chords, let’s now talk about…

What key is Free Fallin' in?

"Free Fallin" as recorded by Tom Petty is in the key of F major concert pitch. However, each guitar part is played in a different key because of the use of capos. So, if you are playing the song with a capo on the 1st fret, then (in guitar terms) that would be the key of E major.

E major plus 1 fret (capo) = F concert pitch. 

If you are playing the guitar part with the capo on the 3rd fret, then (in guitar terms) you would play it in the key of D major. 

D major plus 3 frets (capo) = F concert pitch

So it’s all the same concert pitch chords it’s just using different shapes on guitar in different places on the fretboard.

The simplest way to think about it is using roman numerals and understanding the patterns underneath the progressions. The entire song is a simple I, IV, I, V chord progression. Here’s what I mean, let’s say we take the guitar part using the chords D, Gsus2, and Asus4.

D Major Chord (I chord)

The D major chord is the tonic, or "home" chord, in the key of D major. It consists of the notes D, F#, and A, which are the 1st, 3rd, and 5th degrees of the D major scale.

As the I chord, it serves as the tonal center and provides a sense of resolution in the progression.

Gsus2 Chord (IV chord variation)

In the key of D major, G is the IV chord (subdominant). A G major chord would typically consist of G, B, and D. In a Gsus2 chord, the 3rd (B) is replaced with the 2nd (A), giving the chord a suspended quality. This makes the “Free Fallin” chords have a suspended sound. (Almost like actually Free Fallin' in the sky.) The notes in Gsus2 are G, A, and D.

The Gsus2 chord maintains the subdominant function but adds a more open, unresolved sound due to the lack of a major third.

Asus4 Chord (V chord variation)

A is the V chord (dominant) in the key of D major, and a typical A major chord would consist of A, C#, and E. In an Asus4 chord, the 3rd (C#) is replaced by the 4th (D), resulting in the notes A, D, and E. The Asus4 chord creates tension and a feeling of suspension. Ironically live Petty would often end on the unresolved chord.

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

Free Fallin' Strumming Pattern And Groove

The main strumming pattern for “Free Fallin” 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" 

Here’s an example of this strumming pattern in action combined with some short 16th note rhythms for a little flair:

Conclusion

Bottom line, “Free Fallin” is one of the most legendary Tom Petty tunes of all time. It’s  a simple song for newer players to try. But just like all great songs they are fun to play for advanced players as well too.

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