Rocket Man Guitar Lesson (Elton John)

Today I want to share with you an easy way to play “Rocket Man” on guitar.

This song has touched generations of listeners and was written by two legendary songwriting collaborators Elton John and Bernie Taupin.

In this post, you’ll learn the chords, strumming patterns, and even cool ways that piano parts can be interpreted on guitar.

So tune up and let’s dive into this “Rocket Man” guitar lesson!

Who wrote Rocket Man?

"Rocket Man" was written by the British singer-songwriter Elton John, with lyrics by Bernie Taupin. 

It was released on Elton John's 1972 album Honky Château. The song is one of Elton John's most iconic hits and remains a staple of his discography.

"Rocket Man" was recorded at the Honky Château Studio in France. This studio was known for its unique recording methods, including the use of a mobile recording unit.

The song reached the top ten on the charts in the United States and the United Kingdom. In 2018, "Rocket Man" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, a prestigious recognition of its lasting cultural and historical significance. 

The song has been widely covered and referenced in popular culture. Still to this day 50 years after its release with collaborations between artists like Elton John and Dua Lipa.

The song's lyrics, written by Bernie Taupin, reflect a sense of isolation and detachment, telling the story of an astronaut's loneliness in space. Elton John's melodic and emotional delivery, combined with Taupin's brilliant lyrics, has made "Rocket Man" a timeless classic.

What key does Elton John play Rocket Man in?

“Rocket Man” is in the key of Gm/Bb major.

The song starts off in the key of Gm but then once it gets to the chorus it is clearly Bb major. Then when the song ends, it just vamps back and forth from the I chord to the IV chord. (Bb to Eb)  

But since this post is primarily for guitarists. Let’s take a look at how to make the “Rocket Man” guitar chords easy.

Since the song is played on piano, this often means that translating it to guitar may require more bar chords. So an easy way to play “Rocket Man” is to use a capo on the 3rd fret.

With a capo on the 3rd fret, this now means that we’ll play the song in the key of Em/G major on guitar. But it will still sound in the correct concert pitch of Gm/Bb major.

So with a capo on the 3rd fret, let’s check out the… 

Rocket Man Guitar Chords 

There are two main sections to know the Verse and the Chorus. Let’s break each part down individually.

To play the Verse you will need to know 9 chords. Those chords are Em7, A7, G/B, C, Am, Am/G, D/F#, D/A, and D.

You can see there are a lot of what are called slash chords. This is represented by chords like G/B, and Am/G.  

A slash chord is a specific chord notation used in music to indicate a chord with a note other than the root as the bass note. 

The notation has the main chord followed by a forward slash and the note name that should be played as the bass note.  

For example, if you see the chord notation "G/B," it means you should play a G major chord with a B note as the lowest (bass) note.

This is a very common move for piano players to make. 

So keep that in mind as we go through the chords.

Em7 is played using all 6 strings like this:

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

G/B is the first slash chord you’ll see. This is played on the middle strings like this:

We’ll play C in a standard open configuration like this:

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

Am/G is another slash chord. This is just like the Am chord but we’ll make the root note now the 3rd fret on the 6th string like this:

For D/F#, I use my fretting hand thumb to play the bass note on the 6th string 2nd fret like this:

And finally, D/A and D are essentially the same chords. It’s just that one is played from the 5th string down, while the other is played from the 4th string down.

As you can see there can be a lot of variations to slash chords, and each one has its own unique sound.

Let’s next look at how these chords fit into the Verse progression.

The Verse is an 8-bar progression that begins simply alternating from Em7 to A7.

Em7 (1 bar)

A7 (1 bar)

Em7 (1 bar)

A7 (1 bar) 

When you get to bar 4 there is a quick passing chord on G/B. This G/B chord leads you straight to C, and then the next 4 bars go like this:

C, G/B (1 bar)

Am, Am/G (1 bar)

D/F#, D/A (1 bar)

D (1 bar)

Notice the movement of every two beats either the chord changes or the bass note changes.

The last 2 bars are all essentially a D chord. But when you listen to the recording it feels like there is forward motion happening all through the bass line changing to different inversions of the chord. Again, this is a common piano player move.

So all 8-bars of the Verse progression goes… 

Em7 (1 bar)

A7 (1 bar)

Em7 (1 bar)

A7 (1 bar)

C, G/B (1 bar)

Am, Am/G (1 bar)

D/F#, D/A (1 bar)

D (1 bar)

Then it repeats again and we will make one change.

The final bar will become a split bar and play 2 beats on D, and then 2 beats on a C/D chord that can be played with just one finger like this: 

So “on the repeat” the Verse goes…

Em7 (1 bar)

A7 (1 bar)

Em7 (1 bar)

A7 (1 bar)

C, G/B (1 bar)

Am, Am/G (1 bar)

D/F#, D/A (1 bar)

D, C/D (1 bar)

The last part you’ll need to know is the Chorus.

In the Chorus, we’ll bring in 3 new chords G, A, and Asus4.

For G I use all 6 strings but I mute the 5th string:

For A I use just my index finger like this:

Then finally for Asus4, I play it the same way as A. I just add my ring finger to the 3rd fret on the 2nd string like this:

The Chorus chord progression is also 8 bars long. It starts off alternating between G and C. Then it walks down with a split bar like this:

G (1 bar)

C (1 bar)

G (1 bar)

C, G/B (1 bar)

Then the final 4 bars go like this: 

A, Asus4, A (1 bar)

C (1 bar)

G (1 bar)

C (1 bar)

And that’s it!

Conclusion:

To wrap it up, "Rocket Man" stands as a testament to the extraordinary songwriting and musical talent of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. 

With its timeless lyrics and captivating melody, the song has touched the hearts of generations and continues to do so. 

So keep practicing, and for another great 70s-style guitar lesson check out this Breathe Pink Floyd Guitar Lesson next!