We Will Rock You Chords And Guitar Lesson (Queen)

Behold… one of the most legendary rock songs of all time.

I can’t think of any better song to get a crowd stomping, clapping, and singing along than this gem.

The lyrics sing about perseverance and defiance.. and the guitar solo is iconic 

Below I’m going to unpack the unique style behind it. 

So grab your axe, and let’s dive into this "We Will Rock You" chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote We Will Rock You?

"We Will Rock You" is one of Queen's most iconic songs, written by guitarist Brian May and released on their 1977 album News of the World. May wanted a song designed to engage concertgoers, so he created this stomp-clap sing-along to do just that. It has a very minimalist arrangement. 

The majority of the tune is gang vocals and this stomp-clap experience, until the final guitar solo. The stomps and claps were overdubbed multiple times in the studio using wooden platforms on the floor to create this raw and almost tribal energy.  

“We Will Rock You” was recorded at Wessex Sound Studios in London. A famous studio that hosted many renown artists, including King Crimson, Queen, Sex Pistols, the Clash, Pete Townshend, and the Pretenders. 

This song is often paired as a medley with "We Are the Champions", another Queen anthem, often played back-to-back on radio and during concerts.

While "We Will Rock You" was not released as a standalone single, it became hugely popular as the B-side to "We Are the Champions," helping both songs climb the charts worldwide. The song has become a staple at sporting events, often used to energize crowds.

Although Freddie Mercury didn't write "We Will Rock You," his dramatic delivery of the vocals really gave the song a feeling. During live performances, Freddie often encouraged the audience to sing along, creating electrifying moments. 

“We Will Rock You” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2009. 

Now, you may be wondering…

What is the tuning for We Will Rock You?

The tuning for "We Will Rock You”, as recorded by Queen is standard tuning.

Brian May kept things 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)  

Let’s next take a look at the…

We Will Rock You Chords

As mentioned above, the majority of this song has no chords. It’s only until the guitar comes in that the “We Will Rock You” chords show up. From then on, you will need to know 3 main chords they are C5, A, and D/A.

The feedback builds up and then C5 comes in as the first chord. I play this chord as a power chord in 3rd position like this:

From there, May moves to an open A chord like this:

May also plays this chord up 12 frets. He takes the same shape and moves it higher up the neck like this:

Finally, he plays the D/A chord which is a very common classic rock move but high up the neck like this:

If you’ve struggled to understand the fretboard and want to learn it faster and in the simplest way. Then get your hands on my free fretboard guide PDF right here now:  

All right, now that you know the "We Will Rock You" chords, let’s next talk about…

What key is We Will Rock You in?

"We Will Rock You" by Queen is primarily in the key of E minor. But when the guitar solo comes in, it changes to the key of A.  

The majority of the melody in the acapella part fits into the E Natural Minor scale. This scale is built from the following notes: 

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

The formula for any natural minor scale follows the pattern of whole and half steps: 

W - H - W - W - H - W - W

Here’s one quick way to play this scale in 11th position: 

The intervals used in this scale are:

• E (root)
• F# (major second)
• G (minor third)
• A (perfect fourth)
• B (perfect fifth)
• C (minor sixth)
• D (minor seventh)
• E (octave)

When the guitar solo comes in, May uses more of an A dominant seven or A blues scale sound. This scale can be played like this in 5th position:

Let’s now talk about the…

We Will Rock You Strumming Pattern

At the end of the iconic “We Will Rock You” guitar solo, May switches to more of a bluesy strumming pattern. The main rhythmic feel for the song is an eighth-note rock groove. In 4/4 time, there are 8 eighth notes per measure. Each quarter note is divided into two equal parts. 

Counting eighth notes out loud would sound like this:

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 

"1, 2, 3, 4" are the main beats.

"&" represents the halfway point between each beat. 

When counted out loud, it sounds like:

"One-and, Two-and, Three-and, Four-and." 

However, May also brings in some sixteenth notes as well. Here's an example of a strumming pattern in the style of “We Will Rock You”:  

Conclusion

Although only about 2 minutes long, “We Will Rock You” packs a punch. It’s stomp-clap groove and powerful vocals have made an impact on multiple generations. Add to this the ending guitar solo performed by Brian May and you’ve got a recipe for success,

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 PDF right here now:   

Jon MacLennan