The ULTIMATE Just What I Needed Guitar Lesson (The Cars)

True story: 

The first time I ever heard this song was when one of my childhood best friend’s played it at a high school talent show.

I remember sitting in wooden fold-down chairs, in the school auditorium when they came on to perform. But something looked a little bit different with the rhythm section. The drummer (who played with my friend) managed to cover keys and drums at the same time. He moved away the floor tom and played the synthesizer part on a keyboard setup where the floor tom would be with his right hand. The rest of his body played the rock drum beat.

I was blown away. My childhood friend sang the lead, and the crowd loved it.

There’s just something about this rock anthem that is so satisfying to listen to and play.

So grab your guitar and let’s dive into this The Cars’ “Just What I Needed” guitar lesson!

Who wrote Just What I Needed?

"Just What I Needed" is a classic rock song by the American rock band The Cars. It was written by the band's lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, Ric Ocasek. The song was released as a single from their self-titled debut album, "The Cars," in 1978.

The song is about a relationship where one person feels like they've found exactly what they needed in the other person. It's a catchy, upbeat track with memorable guitar riffs and Ocasek's distinctive vocals.

"Just What I Needed" was recorded at the AIR Studios in London, England, and produced by Roy Thomas Baker. The track was a commercial success, reaching No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. It also received significant airplay on rock radio stations. 

The song has been praised for its tight songwriting, infectious melody, and catchy hooks. It has since become one of The Cars' most iconic songs, and a staple of classic rock radio. The album "The Cars" itself was a commercial success, (I had it on vinyl back in the day) it reached No. 18 on the Billboard 200 charts and eventually became certified six-times platinum in the United States.

"Just What I Needed" has been recognized as one of the standout tracks from the late 1970s rock era.

Just What I Needed Guitar Chords

To play “Just What I Needed” on guitar you only need to know 5 chords E, B, C#m, G# and A. I play the majority of them as power chords in the song. But let’s take a look at a way to play the full shapes.

E is played as a bar chord in the 7th position like this:

B shifts up to another bar chord in the 7th position. This time though the root is placed on the 6th string like this:

C#m also has a root on the 6th string like this:

G# major shifts down to the 4th position like this:

Finally, A simply shifts the G# chord up one fret like this:

Often when I play through the song, I’ll play just the first 3 notes of these chords. (The first 3 notes that are closest to my face.) This creates what’s called a power chord.

Power chords are used all the time in rock, punk, metal, and many other styles of music. They are built with just two notes: the root note of the chord and its fifth.

In its simplest form, a power chord is played by fretting the root note on the guitar's low E string and then playing the note two frets higher on the A string. For example, if you were playing a power chord based on the note A, you would fret the fifth fret on the low E string (which is an A note) and then fret the seventh fret on the A string (which is an E note). This gives you an A5 power chord.

The absence of the third note (which would determine whether the chord is major or minor) gives power chords a neutral sound, making them versatile and easy to use in various musical contexts. They're often played with distortion or overdrive effects to create a heavy, aggressive sound.

Power chords are typically written in chord diagrams as just the root note's letter name followed by a '5', indicating that only the root and the fifth are being played. For example, a G# power chord would be written as "G#5". 

Now that you know the chords to use, you may be wondering…

What key Is Just What I Needed In?

The original recording of “Just What I Needed” by The Cars is in the key of E major. All of the chords in the song fit the diatonic scale of E, except for the G# chord. Which functions as a “borrowed” chord, and builds tension at specific moments in the song.

Let's break it down: 

E major (I): The E major chord is the tonic chord, meaning it's built on the first degree of the E major scale. It serves as the "home" chord and provides a sense of resolution and stability.

B major (V): The B major chord is the dominant chord, built on the fifth degree of the E major scale. It creates tension and typically leads back to the tonic chord (E major) in a progression, or in this song it moves up to the vi or down to the IV.

C# minor (vi): The C# minor chord is the relative minor chord in the key of E major. Relative minor chords share the same key signature as their relative major chords. In this case, C# minor shares the same key signature (four sharps) as E major. It adds a bit of melancholy or variation to the progression.

G# major (III): The G# major chord is the mediant chord, built on the third degree of the E major scale. But this chord is typically played as G#m. In “Just What I Needed” it’s major. This adds color and tension throughout the song.

A major (IV): The A major chord is the subdominant chord, built on the fourth degree of the E major scale. It provides a sense of stability and prepares the listener for the return to the tonic chord (E major).

So, in summary, in the key of E major:

• E major (I) is the tonic chord.
• B major (V) is the dominant chord.
• C# minor (vi) is the relative minor chord.
• G# major (III) is the mediant chord.
• A major (IV) is the subdominant chord.

Now let's get to your big moment...

Just What I Needed Guitar Solo Lesson 

To learn how to better map these scales, arpeggios, and chords out on the fretboard get your hands on my free fretboard guide here:

The chord progression the guitar solo happens over is a 4 bar progression. There are 2 chords in each bar like this:

| E B |C# G# | E B |C# A | 

As mentioned above, all of these chords are in the key of E major except for G#. This means you can solo using the E major scale.

Here's a common way to play this on the fretboard:

Then when you get to the G# chord try to play chord tones from the G# major arpeggio.

This means hitting any or all of these notes below:

• G# (G sharp) is the root note.
• B# (B sharp) is the major third.
• D# (D sharp) is the perfect fifth.

Conclusion:

Bottom line, "Just What I Needed" by The Cars is a timeless anthem every rock guitar player should know. It’s great to play at parties and even works at a high school talent show.

Take your time, and remember to master all the chords, and solos, and see how they come together on the fretboard in the simplest way. Grab my fretboard guide right here:

Jon MacLennan