Easy Margaritaville Chords And Guitar Lesson (Jimmy Buffett)

Behold… a perfect song to play in a balmy breeze on an island under a coconut tree.

But while this song sings of sipping margaritas and a laid-back lifestyle. If you look under the surface it actually has undertones of mistakes made in a relationship.

Ever been there?

Well, jamming this song just might help you out.

So grab your 6-stringer, and let’s dive into this “Margaritaville” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Margaritaville?

"Margaritaville" was written by the legend Jimmy Buffett (RIP) and his producer Norbert Putnam. Buffett was an American singer-songwriter and musician known for his laid back tropical vibes. He recorded over 30 albums in his career. 

“Margaritaville” was released in 1977 on his album Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes. It became one of his most well-known songs, and it was recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida.

The song sings about the relaxed life of a man who is sipping margaritas while reflecting on how he ended up in a tropical paradise. Initially, it seems like he's on a leisurely vacation, but as the song progresses, he reflects on his mistakes, lost love, and personal accountability. 

Despite its breezy tone, there's a subtle hint of regret.

Buffett has said that the song was inspired by his time in Austin, Texas, and a vacation to Key West, Florida, where he noticed a woman sipping a margarita at a bar. That imager stuck with him.

"Margaritaville" reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 2016, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. The song also led to the creation of Buffett’s business empire, which includes Margaritaville-themed restaurants, resorts, and even retirement communities.

It’s inspiring to see how the success of the song went far beyond the music.

Now, before we dive into the “Margaritaville” chords, let’s answer the question of… 

Is Margaritaville easy to play on guitar?

In my humble (but accurate) opinion “Margaritaville” is a great song to learn for beginner players. Because, you only need to know 3 core chords, you don’t have to play any bar chords, and you can play one breezy strumming pattern through the whole song.

What is the tuning for Margaritaville?

The tuning for “Margaritaville" is standard tuning. Jimmy Buffett keeps 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)

Now that you know the tuning, let’s take a look at the…

Margaritaville Chords

To play “Margaritaville” on guitar you only need to know 3 main chords D, G, and A. However, there is a slight variation on the A chord you can do. You can play it as an A/C# at one point later in the tune. If that is too hard, A will work in that spot too. Let’s look at a few examples of how these chords could be played on the fretboard.

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

G is played using all 6 strings like this:

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

Finally, the variation to the A chord (A/C#) can be played like this:

The A/C# variation is called a slash chord. A slash chord in music is a chord where the bass note (the lowest note) is different from the root note of the chord. It's written as "Chord/Bass," where the chord name is on the left and the bass note is on the right of the slash.

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 “Margaritaville” chords, let’s next answer the question of…

What key is Margaritaville in?

“Margaritaville” as recorded by Jimmy Buffet is in the key of D major. It’s a very simple song.

All the chords fit into the diatonic scale of D major. 

The notes of the D major scale are: D - E - F# - G - A - B - C#

Here is a look at how the “Margaritaville” chords relate to the D major scale.

D major (I chord):

The D major chord is built from the 1st (D), 3rd (F#), and 5th (A) notes of the D major scale.

Notes: D - F# - A

Function: This is the tonic chord (I) in the key of D major, the home chord that gives a sense of resolution.

G major (IV chord):

G major is built from the 4th (G), 6th (B), and 1st (D) notes of the D major scale.

Notes: G - B - D

Function: This is the subdominant chord (IV) in the key of D major, often used to build tension or move away from the tonic.

A major (V chord):

A major is built from the 5th (A), 7th (C#), and 2nd (E) notes of the D major scale.

Notes: A - C# - E

Function: This is the dominant chord (V) in the key of D major, typically leading back to the tonic (D) and creating a strong sense of resolution when followed by D major.

A/C# (V chord, first inversion):

A/C# is an inverted version of the A major chord, where the C# (the 3rd of the chord) is played in the bass instead of the root (A).

Notes: C# - E - A (same notes as A major, just rearranged)

Function: This is still a dominant (V) chord, but in first inversion. Inversions help create smoother transitions between chords, particularly in the bass line. In “Margaritaville”, you’ll hear this descending bass line in what I call the tag section. The tag section is used in the last part of the chorus.

That is the theory behind this balmy strummer. But remember – theory doesn’t mean a thing without a good…

Margaritaville Strumming Pattern And Groove

The main underlying groove for “Margaritaville” is a steady 8th-note feel. For even 8th notes, each beat in a 4/4 time signature is divided into two equal parts, creating a steady, straight rhythm. Here's how they can be counted and understood: 

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

1, 2, 3, 4: The downbeats (the main beats)

&: The upbeat, exactly halfway between each downbeat 

When counting out loud, it sounds like: 

"One and, Two and, Three and, Four and"

In even 8th notes, both the downbeat and upbeat are played with equal duration, producing a consistent, even flow. This is strummed with a downstroke followed by an upstroke. Here is an example of a simple 8th note based strumming pattern in the style of “Margaritaville”:

Margaritaville Guitar Solo

The guitar solo for “Margaritaville” heavily relies on the use of 3rds. By 3rd I’m referring to the interval between two notes where one note is the third note above the other in a given scale. 

The solo uses a combination of major thirds (four half-steps apart) and minor thirds (three half-steps apart). 

For example, in the key of D major, again the scale notes are: D - E - F# - G - A - B - C# - D 

A 3rd above D is F# (major third).

A 3rd above E is G (minor third).

A 3rd above A is C# (major third).

Since this song is in the key of D major, and all the chords fit the diatonic scale, the primary scale I would use to solo over this progression is the D major scale.  

Here is a great way to play this scale on the fretboard:

Conclusion

Bottom line, “Margaritaville” is a great song to learn on guitar. It’s not only a crowd-pleaser, but it’s a lot of fun to play for any level guitarist.

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 right here now:   

Jon MacLennan