Master Funky Blues Grooves With This Long Train Runnin' Chords And Guitar Lesson (Doobie Brothers)

If you’d like to skyrocket your rhythm and blues guitar playing and be able to jam grooves like the legends…then this funky "Long Train Runnin'" chords and guitar lesson could help you on your way.

Now keep in mind, this ain’t easy! 

In fact, if you’ve been playing guitar lesson than a year, I’d recommend coming back to this song at a later date. This tune uses a lot of 16th-note rhythms and some sophisticated chords that expand beyond the usual garden variety of most guitar players. It's a blend of rock, funk, and rhythm and blues. Plus, all the other lessons online don’t show you the nuances and subtleties that I’m going to. These make all the difference in nailing it just like the record. 

If you’re still with me, buckle up, and let’s dive into this "Long Train Runnin'" chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Long Train Runnin’?

"Long Train Runnin'" is a song by the American rock band The Doobie Brothers. It was originally written by a founding member, Tom Johnston. "Long Train Runnin'" was released in 1973 as part of the band's third album, The Captain and Me.

The lyrics to "Long Train Runnin'" sing about hardships and adventures in life. Although at times they are depressing, overall it has a positive vibe to the song with its driving rhythm and energetic feel.

Like many great songs, it was developed from an off-the-cuff jam! It was something The Doobie Brothers played live but as an instrumental. It was initially called "Osborne" after a friend of the band. Producer Ted Templeman encouraged Johnston to write lyrics for it. So, Johnston wrote the lyrics in a quick session, resulting in the final version of "Long Train Runnin'."

Pretty crazy huh?

The song was recorded between 1972 and 1973, at Warner Bros. Studios in North Hollywood, California, and Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood, California – with Ted Templeman at the helm.

"Long Train Runnin'" became one of The Doobie Brothers' most successful singles, reaching number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. The song was certified gold by the RIAA, signifying over 500,000 copies sold. It still remains one of the band's most popular songs and is frequently included in their live performances.

If you’re trying to play this iconic song on guitar you may be wondering…

What is the tuning for Long Train Runnin’?

The tuning for "Long Train Runnin'" as recorded by The Doobie Brothers is in standard tuning. Tom Johnston keeps 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)

Let’s next take a look at the…

Long Train Runnin’ Chords

If you want to play "Long Train Runnin'" on guitar then you’ll need to know 6 chords Gm7, Cm7, Cm6, Eb7, Gm/D, and D7. While it could be simplified to just Gm7, Cm7, Eb7, and D7. These extra chord shapes help nail the subtitles, as I mentioned above.  

Let’s take a look at a few ways these shapes can be played on guitar. 

The first chord is Gm7. This chord is played from the 5th string down, in the 10th position as a bar chord like this:

Cm7 switches to a bar chord with a root on the 6th string like this:

Cm6 is a jazzier more sophisticated chord. It gets a beautiful sound. All you have to do is shift your pinkie down one fret from the Cm7 chord to this:

Eb7 is a pretty common chord you’ll see for blues guitar. This is played from the 5th to the 2nd string. You could bar the first string on the 6th fret if you wanted to. But here I am keeping it just 4 strings so that I can get a real smooth transition to the next two chords.

Often players skip right to a D7 but before D7 comes a Gm/D. This chord is a bit stretchy. It has a Gm triad on strings 4 through 2 and then the D bass note on string 5 like this:

Finally, D7 is played just like Eb7 however, it is shifted down one fret like this:

If you’re not familiar with the exact mechanics of how to play bar chords effortlessly, then these shapes can be tough. I teach a scientific way to play them with (almost) no effort, in my program Bar Chord Boot Camp. Join my email list at the bottom of this post if you’re interested in finding out more about that.

Now that you know the 6 chords in "Long Train Runnin'" let’s talk about…

What key is Long Train Runnin’ in?

 "Long Train Runnin'" as recorded by The Doobie Brothers is in the key of G minor. Most of the chords fit into the diatonic scale of G minor. The G minor scale is built with the following notes: G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G.

In the key of G natural minor, the diatonic chords are: 

• i (G minor): G - Bb - D
• ii° (A diminished): A - C - Eb
• III (Bb major): Bb - D - F
• iv (C minor): C - Eb - G
• v (D minor): D - F - A
• VI (Eb major): Eb - G - Bb
• VII (F major): F - A - C

Let's explore how these chords relate to the key and the scale.

Gm7 (G minor 7)

Notes: G, Bb, D, F

Scale Degrees: 1 (G), b3 (Bb), 5 (D), b7 (F)

Function: Tonic – As the tonic chord extended with the b7. This is the home chord and gives a sense of resolution and stability. The minor 7th adds a bit of depth and complexity to the chord.

Cm7 (C minor 7)

Notes: C, Eb, G, Bb

Scale Degrees: 4 (C), b6 (Eb), 1 (G), b3 (Bb)

Function: Subdominant – This chord serves as a sub-dominant function, creating a smooth transition to the dominant chord. The minor 7th adds richness to the subdominant role.

Cm6 (C minor 6)

Notes: C, Eb, G, A

Scale Degrees: 4 (C), b6 (Eb), 1 (G), 2 (A)

Function: Subdominant – Similar to Cm7, but with the addition of the 6th (A). This gives it a jazzier feel and can lead nicely into various chords, including the dominant or back to the tonic as it does in "Long Train Runnin'".

Eb7 (Eb dominant 7)

Notes: Eb, G, Bb, Db

Scale Degrees: b6 (Eb), 1 (G), b3 (Bb), b5 (Db)

Function: Submediant or Chromatic Dominant – This chord can add tension and color. It often serves as a secondary dominant leading to an Ab chord or acts as a pivot to modulate keys. In the context of G minor, it can provide a surprising chromatic color.

Gm/D (G minor with D in the bass)

Notes: D, G, Bb

Scale Degrees: 5 (D), 1 (G), b3 (Bb)

Function: Tonic Inversion – This is an inversion of the Gm chord, with D in the bass. It provides a smoother bass line and can be used for voice leading.

D7 (D dominant 7)

Notes: D, F#, A, C

Scale Degrees: 5 (D), 7 (F#), 2 (A), 4 (C)

Function: Dominant – The dominant 7 chord in the key of G minor. It creates strong tension that resolves back to the tonic Gm or Gm7. The presence of the major 3rd (F#) distinguishes it from the natural minor scale and drives the harmonic resolution back to the home chord. It’s a powerful sound used in the turnaround progression of  "Long Train Runnin'".

One other point to make is that this song is based on a common blues structure used in millions of songs. It’s one of the key principles I teach inside my program Essential Blues Guitar System, that makes playing songs like this a cinch. If you’re interested in finding out more about that, join my email list at the bottom of this post.

Now let’s move on to the…

Long Train Runnin’ Strumming Pattern And Groove

The main underlying groove for "Long Train Runnin'" is a funky, driving 16th-note rock feel. Strumming 16th notes on guitar means dividing each beat of a 4/4 time signature into 4 parts.

To properly strum 16th 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 16th notes, each beat is divided into four equal parts, giving us a total of sixteen 16th notes per measure. 

To count 16th notes, you typically use the following syllables:

1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a 

Here’s the breakdown: 

1: The downbeat (first 16th note)

e: The second 16th note

&: The third 16th note

a: The fourth 16th note

When counting out loud, it sounds like: 

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

When strumming 16th notes, your strum hand has to move in a consistent up-and-down motion like a MACHINE. This is key to getting the “feel” right for this song. 

But you don’t want to hold down the chord for all the 16th notes. That would be strumming pattern overkill. Instead, you want to use a variation of fretted and muted scratch strums. Here’s an example of this along with some sweet hammer-ons which are commonly used as well in this style:

Conclusion

To wrap it up, "Long Train Runnin'" is an epic Doobie Brothers classic, and a great example of rock, funk, and rhythm and blues all combined. Birthed from a live instrumental jam, this song captures the raw essence of the band's thrilling energy. 

Keep it up, and if you want to learn songs way faster, better understand the fretboard, and not waste years spinning your wheels with guitar, grab my free fretboard guide here right now: 

Jon MacLennan