Quick And Easy I Won’t Back Down Chords And Guitar Lesson (Tom Petty)

Here’s an epic rock song Tom Petty wrote after some crazy person tried to burn down his house (with him in it)!

You’ll discover some mighty rock guitar techniques. And, it’s a great so for newer players too because you only need a couple of chords to play it.

So grab your 6-stringer and let’s dive into this “I Won’t Back Down” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote I Won’t Back Down?

"I Won’t Back Down" was written by Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne. It was released in 1989 as the lead single from Petty’s first solo album, Full Moon Fever. The song was inspired by a crazy experience Petty went through when someone set fire to his house in Encino, California. Only about 10 minutes away from where I am typing this post right now.

Petty and his family were inside when it happened in 1987. Thankfully, they managed to escape but the house was pretty much destroyed. This left a profound impact on Petty, and this became the genesis for “I Won’t Back Down”. The song reflects his determination to not back down and move forward despite such a traumatic experience.

“I Won’t Back Down” was recorded at Rumbo Recorders in Los Angeles. Jeff Lynne, a member of Electric Light Orchestra and a producer known for his work with artists like George Harrison and the Traveling Wilburys, produced the track alongside Petty. The recording featured some notable musicians:

• Tom Petty on vocals and rhythm guitar.
• Jeff Lynne on bass guitar, backing vocals, and additional instruments.
• Mike Campbell, Petty's longtime collaborator, played lead guitar.
• Phil Jones was on drums.
• George Harrison contributed backing vocals, giving the song a connection to Petty's work with the Traveling Wilburys.
  

"I Won’t Back Down" became one of Tom Petty's most iconic songs. It reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Album Rock Tracks chart for five weeks. The song remains a staple in Petty's catalog and has been widely used as an anthem for perseverance and resilience.

It has been covered by many artists, including Johnny Cash, who recorded a powerful version for his American III: Solitary Man album in 2000. 

Here’s another interesting side note:

In 2015, a dispute arose between Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, and new pop star Sam Smith. This is because the choruses of "Stay With Me" and "I Won’t Back Down" are basically the same melody. Though there was no evidence that Smith or his co-writers intentionally copied Petty’s song, it was agreed that the similarity was substantial enough to warrant a legal claim. Petty and Lynne were each given 12.5% of the songwriting royalties for "Stay With Me."

Petty addressed the matter gracefully, emphasizing that it was not a lawsuit in the typical contentious sense. He stated, "All my years of songwriting have shown me these things can happen. Most times you catch it before it gets out the studio door, but in this case, it got by. Sam's people were very understanding of our predicament and we easily came to an agreement." Petty noted that he had "no hard feelings" toward Sam Smith and described the whole situation as just "a musical accident."

The agreement allowed Petty and Lynne to be credited as co-writers of "Stay With Me," and it led to some additional revenue from the song's royalties. Sam Smith and his team cooperated without any public dispute, which helped keep the issue relatively low-profile compared to other high-profile plagiarism cases in the music industry. 

Now, you may be wondering…

What is the tuning for I Won’t Back Down?

The tuning for "I Won’t Back Down”, as recorded by Tom Petty, is standard tuning. Tom and Mike Campbell kept it 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)

Let’s next take a look at the…

I Won’t Back Down Chords

To play “I Won’t Back Down” on guitar you only need to know 4 chords E5, D5, G5, and C5. These chords can all be played with the same shape just shifted around the fretboard. This shape is called a power chord. 

A power chord on guitar is a simple, two-note chord that consists of the root note and the fifth interval above it. It’s written with the number 5 after the letter name. For example, C5, G5, or D5. There is no third in these chords. That’s why we can use the same grip on the neck for all the chords. Here’s what I mean…

E5 is played in the 7th position on the 5th and 4th strings like this:

D5 is played by simply shifting down 2 frets like this:

G5 is the same shape again, but this time shifted to having a root on the 6th string like this:

Finally, C5 returns back to having a root on the 5th string like this:

It’s important to note that as you move these chords around the fretboard, you make sure that you mute all remaining strings that are not being fretted.

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:

 All right, now that you know the “I Won’t Back Down” chords, let’s now talk about…

What key is I Won’t Back Down in?

“I Won’t Back Down” as recorded by Tom Petty is in the key of Em/G major. The main scale for the song is the G major scale which uses the following notes:

G - A - B - C - D - E - F# 

The key of G major uses one sharp. All the chords in the song fit into the diatonic scale of G major. Here’s a quick look at how all these chords relate to the key center.

• E5 (vi chord): This is vi chord or the relative minor. This chord is emphasized during the verse sections. 
• D5 (V chord): This is the V chord in G major. It often has a strong pull to go towards the I chord (G).
• G5 (I): The G5 chord is the tonic chord or “home” key for the song. This chord provides a sense of stability and resolution. 
• C5 (IV chord): The C5 chord is the subdominant chord. This provides a nice relief or a point of departure from the I chord. 

So that’s the theory, but remember all that doesn’t mean a thing without a good… 

I Won’t Back Down Strumming Pattern And Groove

The main underlying groove for “I Won’t Back Down” is a steady 8th-note rock feel. The main rhythm guitar part uses a “chunking” 8th-note rhythm driving through the entire song. This, combined with some palm muting in the Verses and then opening up in the choruses, really takes the listener on a journey. 

Palm muting is a guitar technique that creates a muted/dampened sound. You want to place the edge of your picking hand (the palm) lightly on the strings near the bridge while you strum or pick. This technique produces a percussive sound, adding a rhythmic quality to your playing.

Here’s an example of this kind of rock strumming pattern combined with an 8th-note rhythm:

Conclusion

To wrap it up, “I Won’t Back Down” is a shining example of Tom Petty’s resilience and perseverance. He took a tragedy and used the experience to become stronger and not back down. 

So don’t back down from 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