Sister Golden Hair Guitar Lesson (America)

If you’re a fan of music from the 70s, here’s an iconic tune that captures the essence of the folk-rock style during this time.

It’s got a 12-string, acoustics, electrics, and even a lap steel melody that is sure to transport you back in time to this wonderful era of music. 

It’s a crowd-pleasure to play at parties. In fact, I’d recommend every guitarist add it to their setlist. 

So grab your guitar, tune up, and let’s dive into this Sister Golden Hair guitar lesson.

Who Wrote Sister Golden Hair

"Sister Golden Hair" was written by Gerry Beckley, one of the founding members of the American rock band America. It was released in 1975 on their album Hearts. 

Beckley has said that the song is about a person who is hesitant about love and unsure about making a serious commitment. The title character, "Sister Golden Hair," is often interpreted as a symbol of an idealized love interest who represents both attraction and the fear of commitment.

The album Hearts was produced by the maestro George Martin. Who is famously known for his work with The Beatles.

George Martin was introduced to America through their manager, David Geffen. Martin helped America transition from their earlier, more acoustic sound to a more polished and radio-friendly style. This evolution is particularly evident in the albums "Holiday," "Hearts," "Hideaway," and "Harbor." His meticulous approach to production and arrangement brought a new level of sophistication to America’s music. He introduced more complex arrangements and orchestral elements, which really developed their sound.

Beckley has also mentioned that “Sister Golden Hair” was influenced by the music of Jackson Browne. Particularly his style of blending rock and folk elements together to create something new. Personally, I can totally hear this in the melancholy sound and introspective lyrics definitely give off a Jackson Browne vibe to me. 

"Sister Golden Hair" was recorded at The Record Plant in Los Angeles, California. The recording sessions for the "Hearts" album took place in early 1975 and featured: 

• Gerry Beckley: Lead vocals, guitar
• Dewey Bunnell: Guitar, backing vocals
• Dan Peek: Guitar, backing vocals
• David Dickey: Bass guitar
• Willie Leacox: Drums

"Sister Golden Hair" became a significant hit for America. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in June 1975, making it one of the band's most successful singles. Also, the album "Hearts" itself was very well-received, reaching number 4 on the Billboard 200 chart.

The tune stands as a timeless classic encapsulating the 1970s folk-rock blend.  

Who Played Slide On Sister Golden Hair? 

Gerry Beckley said he played the 12-string guitar and then overdubbed the catchy slide melody line on a lovely lap steel guitar David Lindley had picked out.

The melody line uses notes straight from the E major scale. Here’s a simple way to play this scale on guitar in the 12th position:

Grab my free fretboard guide for more scale maps here:

Sister Golden Hair Slide Guitar Lesson

Here's a quick lesson for how to play the iconic slide parts to "Sister Golden Hair" on electric guitar. Remember these were played on on lap steel but you can get a similar sound on electric guitar like this:

Sister Golden Hair Guitar Lesson Chords

To play “Sister Golden Hair” on guitar you’ll need to know 7 chords C#m, A, E, G#m, B, F#m, and E/G#. 

To get the sound on the recording, unfortunately, most of these chords are played as bar chords. The only one that isn’t is the E chord which can be played using all six strings like this:

The first chord in the song is a C#m. This can be played in the 4th position as a bar chord using 5 strings like this:

A shifts up to another bar chord with a root on the 6th string. Here we’ll play all 6 strings like this:

G#m is like the A chord, you just lower it one fret, and then remove the middle finger and play a bar like this:

B is played just like the A chord but shifted up 2 frets like this:

F#m is played like G#m but lowered 2 frets like this:

And finally, E/G# is a bit tricky, but this one is played on 4 strings muting the 5th and 1st strings like this:

Now, if these bar chords are too hard to play. You can always substitute open position chords wherever possible. That could make things somewhat easier. However, these are the shapes I would recommend and use in the video above.

What Key Is Sister Golden Hair In?

“Sister Golden Hair” is in the key of E major. It uses the chords C#m, A, E, G#m, B, F#m, and E/G# which are all diatonic to the key. The E major scale consists of the following notes: E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, and D#. 

Here’s a detailed breakdown of how each chord relates to the key of E major and the E major scale:

E Major (I)

Notes: E, G#, B

Function: Tonic. The home chord, provides a sense of resolution and rest.

C# Minor (vi)

Notes: C#, E, G#

Function: Relative minor. A common chord used in place of the tonic to add variety while still being closely related. It shares two notes with the tonic chord (E and G#).

A Major (IV)

Notes: A, C#, E

Function: Subdominant. This chord creates a sense of movement away from the tonic, often leading back to the (I) chord in “Sister Golden Hair”.

G# Minor (iii)

Notes: G#, B, D#

Function: Mediant. This chord is used to connect other chords. It’s slightly less stable but still within the key. It shares two notes with the tonic chord (G# and B). 

B Major (V)

Notes: B, D#, F#

Function: Dominant. The (V) chord often creates tension that usually resolves back to the tonic. The leading tone (D#) in this chord naturally resolves up to the tonic (E). However, in “Sister Golden Hair” the B always goes down to the (IV) chord. It’s an interesting twist.

F# Minor (ii)

Notes: F#, A, C#

Function: Supertonic. Often used in pre-dominant function, leading to the V chord. But in “Sister Golden Hair” F#m is often used as a passing chord climbing up the scale. For example, at the end of the Chorus, the progression goes F#m, E/G# to A. The bass line movement here just walks up the notes of the E major scale.

E/G# (I in first inversion)

Notes: G#, B, E

Function: This is just the tonic or the (I) chord in first inversion. This inversion provides a smoother bass line and can lead to other chords nicely. 

Conclusion:

That’s how to play "Sister Golden Hair" on guitar. It’s an iconic classic from the 1970s that beautifully captures the essence of the folk-rock style during that era. The combination of Gerry Beckley’s lyrics, intricate guitar work, and the polished production of George Martin have stood the test of time. 

Keep it up, and if you want to improve your fretboard knowledge and learn guitar a lot faster. Grab my free fretboard guide pdf at the link below now:

Jon MacLennan