Paint It Black Guitar Lesson (Rolling Stones)

In 1966 the Rolling Stones were at a pivotal period in their musical evolution.

They were starting to break away from their earlier rhythm and blues roots. And were venturing off with experimental sounds.

Brian Jones, a founding member of the band, had come up with this awesome riff, after picking up a sitar and being inspired by Eastern music.

Today I want to break it all down for you step-by-step in this “Paint It Black” guitar lesson.

Who wrote Paint It Black? 

"Paint It Black" is a song by the English rock band The Rolling Stones, released as a single in 1966. It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the primary songwriting duo of the band, and is credited to Jagger/Richards.

"Paint It Black" was created during a pivotal period for The Rolling Stones. The band was transitioning from their earlier rhythm and blues sound to a more psychedelic and experimental style. 

It all started when Brian Jones, a founding member of The Rolling Stones, stumbled upon the song's distinctive sitar riff while experimenting with Eastern-inspired music. 

The riff formed the backbone of the song. The band’s producer at the time, Andrew Loog Oldham, saw the potential in these experimental elements. He encouraged the band to focus on them.

Next, Charlie Watts, the band's drummer, reportedly found the initial tempo too slow and suggested a faster, double-time beat. This added a sense of urgency and tension to the song, contrasting with the melancholic lyrics.

All of these parts put together helped create the masterpiece we hear today.

"Paint It Black" was recorded at RCA Studios in Hollywood, California, during the sessions for The Rolling Stones' album "Aftermath." 

The song received widespread acclaim and became one of The Rolling Stones' signature songs. It topped the charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom, solidifying the band's status as one of the leading acts of the British Invasion. The song's innovative blend of rock and Eastern musical elements, coupled with its melancholic lyrics and powerful instrumentation, earned it praise from critics and audiences alike.

"Paint It Black" has since been regarded as one of the greatest rock songs of all time and has been included in numerous lists of the best songs in music history. It has been covered by various artists across different genres and has been featured in numerous films, TV shows, and commercials, cementing its legacy in popular culture.

Paint It Black Guitar Chords

The easiest way to play “Paint It Black” is to use a capo on the 2nd fret. For this lesson, I’ll be referencing the capo chords. There are 5 chords you’ll need to know Dm, A7, C, F/C, and G. Let’s take a look at how to play them next.

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

A7 is played from the 5th string down like this:

C is also played from the 5th string down like this:

To get to the next chord (F/C) we’ll make just a slight shift keeping the index and ring fingers in the same place as the C like this:

And finally, we’ll play G using all 6 strings like this:

The Main Riff and Verse of the song follow the same progression. Each chord lasts for 2 bars each.

Dm (2 bars)

A7 (2 bars) 

Then this repeats. From there, there is only one other chord progression to the song and that’s the Chorus.

The Chorus progression is 8 bars long and here the chords start moving faster. For the first 2 bars, we have 2 chords per bar.

Dm, C (1 bar)

F/C, C (1 bar)

Then we play 2 bars of Dm.

Dm (2 bars)

Then we repeat the first 2 bars again and finish it up with a bar of G, to a bar of A7.

Dm, C (1 bar)

F/C, C (1 bar)

G (1 bar)

A7 (1 bar)

So altogether the Chorus goes:

Dm, C (1 bar)

F/C, C (1 bar)

Dm (2 bars)

Dm, C (1 bar)

F/C, C (1 bar)

G (1 bar)

A7 (1 bar)

Paint It Black Strumming Pattern

If I played just one strumming pattern through the entire song it would be an eighth-note groove played as down-up. That will work and is the simplest way. However, if you want to get a little fancier. Try these 3 different patterns at different parts of the song.

The main strumming pattern and groove would be played with a down strum on beat 1. Then an upstrum on the “and” of 1. Then repeat, like this:

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

D u d u d u d u

Use this eighth-note groove for the riff, and Verse.

Then when the chords are changing 2 per measure play a combination of a quarter note on beat 1, and then 2 eighth notes on beat 2 like this:

Finally, in bars 3, 4, and 7, 8 play this pattern:

Paint It Black Guitar Scale

As I mentioned above, the backbone of the song is the sitar riff. This riff comes from the E harmonic minor scale. A scale that is not as common to rock or blues music.

The E harmonic minor scale is made of the following notes:

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

In terms of intervals, E harmonic minor is made from the following pattern: 

Root (E) - Major 2nd (F#) - Minor 3rd (G) - Perfect 4th (A) - Perfect 5th (B) - Minor 6th (C) - Major 7th (D#) - Octave (E)

This scale differs from the natural minor scale by raising the seventh note (D to D#), giving it a unique and somewhat exotic sound. The harmonic minor scale in "Paint It Black" contributes to the song's dark and mysterious atmosphere, creating a specific mood and sound

Brian Jones' sitar riff, as well as Keith Richards' guitar parts, follows the notes of the E harmonic minor scale, adding to the song's haunting quality. The combination of the harmonic minor scale with the sitar creates an Eastern-inspired sound.  

This is a characteristic of "Paint It Black" and helps to distinguish it from other songs in The Rolling Stones' repertoire.

Here is a common way to play the E harmonic minor scale on guitar:

This scale shape can be moved up and down the fretboard to play the harmonic minor scale in different positions and keys.

Does Paint It Black use a capo?

“Paint It Black” has guitars that use a capo and guitars that do not. Live Keith Richards often uses a capo on the second fret. The easiest way to play the main riff is to use a capo on fret 2. 

If you want to learn a version that plays the song without a capo. Check out this…

Paint It Black Guitar Lesson No Capo

Conclusion:

This deep dive into "Paint It Black" shows you the song's origins, the creative spark from Brian Jones' sitar experiments, and the collaborative effort that transformed it into a masterpiece. 

Take your time with this one. Be patient. And for more Rolling Stones style guitar check out this Beast Of Burden guitar lesson, or this Satisfaction guitar lesson next!