Friend Of The Devil Chords And Guitar Lesson (Grateful Dead)

Behold… an incredible song oozing with outlaw folklore.

This gem blends elements of acoustic, bluegrass, and rock together in a brilliant way. The guitars were played by two legends Jerry Garcia on lead and Bob Weir on rhythm. 

Below I’m going to break down their guitar styles step by step.  

So grab your axe, and let’s dive into this "Friend Of The Devil" chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Friend Of The Devil?

"Friend of the Devil" is a song by the Grateful Dead that first appeared on their 1970 album American Beauty. It was written by Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter, and John Dawson. Hunter is credited with the lyrics, while Garcia and Dawson worked on the music. The song is a first-person narrative about a fugitive on the run from the law, recounting his dealings with various characters, including women and the devil himself. The lyrics blend elements of outlaw folklore and spiritual imagery, portraying the narrator’s struggles with temptation, regret, and pursuit.

It was recorded at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco, California in 1970. The American Beauty album marked a shift for the Grateful Dead towards a more acoustic and lyrical sound, contrasting their earlier, more experimental work. Robert Hunter reportedly wrote the lyrics during a road trip in California. He described the process as rapid and inspired, reflecting the song’s rambling narrative style.

It’s been ranked highly in various "greatest songs" lists by fans and critics. Friend of the Devil has also become a touchstone for the Americana and jam band genres. It’s one of the Grateful Dead’s most frequently covered songs, with great versions by artists like Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, and the Counting Crows:

Now, you may be wondering…

What is the tuning for Friend Of The Devil?

The tuning for "Friend Of The Devil”, as recorded by the Grateful Dead is standard tuning.

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) 

Let’s next take a look at the…

Friend Of The Devil Chords

To play "Friend Of The Devil” as recorded by the Grateful Dead you only need to know 4 main chords they are G, C, D, and Am. These chords are all played as (campfire) chords and sound great in this acoustic folk style. Here’s how I would play them:

G is played using all 6 strings like this:

C is played from the 5th string down and using just 3 fingers in the fretting hand like this:

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

Finally, Am is played from the 5th string down 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 "Friend Of The Devil" chords, let’s next talk about…

What key is Friend Of The Devil in?

“Friend Of The Devil" as recorded by the Grateful Dead is in the key of G major. All of the chords used in the song fit the diatonic scale of G major. Let’s take a look at how the chords all relate to the key of G major and the G major scale.

Starting with…

G Major (I)

Root: G 

Notes: G, B, D (1st, 3rd, and 5th of the G major scale)

Function: The tonic chord. The tonic provides a sense of resolution and stability in the key.

C Major (IV)

Root: C

Notes: C, E, G (4th, 6th, and 1st of the G major scale)

Function: The subdominant chord, is often used to create tension or set up the dominant chord.

D Major (V)

Root: D

Notes: D, F#, A (5th, 7th, and 2nd of the G major scale)

Function: The dominant chord, leading back to the tonic (G major). It has a strong pull back to G due to the F# (leading tone) resolving to G.

A Minor (ii)

Root: A

Notes: A, C, E (2nd, 4th, and 6th of the G major scale)

Function: The supertonic chord, often used to create movement and color. It can substitute for the IV chord or transition to the V chord.

As I said above, all these chords are diatonic, meaning they naturally belong to the G major scale.

The progression G - C - D (I - IV - V) is a basic major chord progression, commonly used in countless songs.

Adding Am (ii) introduces a minor flavor and adds some depth and contrast. 

The notes in the G major scale are:

G, A, B, C, D, E, F#

Here’s a a simple way I might play this on the fretboard:

Each note of the scale serves as the root of a chord. Then, chords are built on each scale degree: 

• G (I) - Major
• A (ii) - Minor
• B (iii) - Minor
• C (IV) - Major
• D (V) - Major
• E (vi) - Minor
• F# (vii°) - Diminished

Let’s now talk about the…

Friend Of The Devil Strumming Pattern

The main rhythmic feel for "Friend Of The Devil" is a steady plodding quarter note rhythm. However, on guitar I feel a 16th note subdivision. In 4/4 time, there will be 4 quarter notes per measure. But a 16th note subdivision cuts each quarter note into 4 parts. Also, as noted in the video above, there are times throughout the song where a 2/4 time signature is used. These measures have just two quarter notes in them before restarting the count back to one.

Counting quarter notes out loud would sound like this:

One, Two, Three, Four

In the 2/4 measures, you would only count:

One, Two

Then reset back to beat one again. 

The subdivided driving pulse I feel in the guitar part uses more of a 16th note feel. This is where each beat is divided into four parts and can be counted like this:

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

Here’s the breakdown:

1, 2, 3, 4: The main beats in the measure.

e: The first subdivision, one-quarter of the way between each beat.

&: The second subdivision, halfway between each beat.

a: The third subdivision, three-quarters of the way between each beat.

When counted out loud, it sounds like:

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

Here's an example of a strumming pattern in the style of “Friend Of The Devil”: 

Conclusion

There ya have it! An insider look at the brilliant guitar styles of Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir. 

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 PDF right here now:   

Jon MacLennan