Chords + Lyrics | Texas Flood
Intro
| F#7 F#6 | B7 B9 | F#7 | F#7 (B C) C#7 |
| F#7 | B7 | F#7 | F#7 |
| B7 | B7 | F#7 | F#7 |
| C#7 | B7 | F#7 B7 | F#7 (B C) C#7 |
Verse 1
| F#7 | B7 | F#7 | F#7 |
Well, it’s floodin’ down in Texas, all of the telephone lines are down.
| B7 | B7 | F#7 | F#7 |
Well, it’s floodin’ down in Texas, all of the telephone lines are down.
| C#7 | B7 | F#7 B7 | F#7 (B C) C#7 |
And I’ve been tryin’ to call my baby, Lord and I can’t get a single sound.
Verse 2
Well, dark clouds are rollin’ in, man I’m standin’ out in the rain.
Well, dark clouds are rollin’ in, man I’m standin’ out in the rain.
Yeah, flood water keep a rollin’, man it’s about to drive poor me insane.
Solo
||: F#7 | B7 | F#7 | F#7 |
| B7 | B7 | F#7 | F#7 |
| C#7 | B7 | F#7 B7 | F#7 (B C) C#7 :||
Verse 3
Well, I’m leavin’ you baby, Lord and I’m goin’ back home to stay.
Well, I’m leavin’ you baby, Lord and I’m goin’ back home to stay.
| C#7 C#9 C9 | B9 N.C | (F# A# F# A# B, B C B C) | C#7 N.C G7 F#9 |
Well back home I know floods and tornadoes, baby the sun shines on me every day.
Texas Flood Chords: Mastering SRV’s Slow Blues Progression
Apart from the first four bars of the intro, Texas Flood follows a slow 12-bar blues progression in the key of F#, with a quick change in bar 2:
||: F#7 (I) | B7 (IV) | F#7 | F#7 |
| B7 | B7 | F#7 | F#7 |
| C#7 (V) | B7 | F#7 B7 | F#7 (B C) C#7 :||
Chord variations
There are two points where the progression deviates. The first is in the opening four bars of the intro:
| F#7 F#6 | B7 B9 |
| F#7 | F#7 (B C) C#7 |
The second occurs in the final line of the outro, where Stevie uses expressive 9 chords:
| C#7 C#9 C9 | B9 N.C |
| (F# A# F# A# B, B C B C) | C#7 N.C G7 F#9 |
The notes in brackets outline the bass line.
Time signature and tuning
Texas Flood is in 12/8, which can be thought of as 4/4 with triplets on each beat (3×4 = 12). For readability, I’ve transcribed it in 4/4.
On the original recording, Stevie tunes his guitar down a semitone. Although it sounds in F#, it’s played thinking in G on a detuned guitar. As this song doesn’t rely on open strings like Pride & Joy, I’ve chosen to transcribe everything here and in the TAB lesson in F# rather than G.
Tuning down has its advantages—it allows for heavier strings while keeping bends manageable, and it enhances resonance, giving a fuller tone. That said, most players won’t want to retune every time.
In an ideal setup, I’d keep one guitar permanently in Eb—or even slightly between Eb and E to chase that elusive “magic frequency”.
If you want to experiment, try using a tuner or a pitch-shifting pedal like the Digitech Drop. Just bear in mind that it won’t fully replicate the feel of a naturally detuned guitar, and in this context, it borders on sacrilege.
For this lesson, I’ve kept everything in F# and focused on capturing Stevie’s phrasing as closely as possible. → Texas Flood – Guitar Lesson with TAB
Transcription vs Exploring and Developing
While transcribing solos and licks note-for-note is valuable, Texas Flood calls for a different approach. With such fluid, stream-of-consciousness phrasing, it’s more important to understand the style than to copy it exactly.
That’s why the course combines transcription with targeted exercises, helping you internalise the techniques behind the playing.
Ideally, you’ll spend most of your time improvising in this style after working through the exercises, rather than trying to imitate Stevie outright.
It’s worth remembering that Stevie didn’t write these licks down—he absorbed ideas, developed them, and made them his own.
As soon as you’re ready, use the chord chart and play along with the original recording. A great approach is to load Texas Flood into Serato DJ, remove the guitar, and play with the band while keeping the vocal intact.
Texas Flood Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Download my chord chart as a PDF or iReal Pro file in the key of F#:
If you’re one step ahead and have a guitar tuned down a semitone, you can think of Texas Flood in the key of G using these chord charts:
Texas Flood TAB | Course Preview
In the course, we begin with an extremely intimidating transcription of the intro solo. This is soon set aside in favour of studying individual licks, moving them around the fretboard, and developing the concepts behind them.
As a preview, here’s the first line—the only part you need to learn, memorise, and play the same way every time. The rest should be improvised; in the course, I show you how.
Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Influence and Lasting Legacy
John Mayer frequently cites Stevie Ray Vaughan as a major influence—just listen to the solo in Belief to hear his imprint.
Other guitar greats, including Eric Johnson and even Eric Clapton, have acknowledged SRV’s impact. Clapton once said:
“The first time I heard Stevie Ray, I thought: whoever this is, he is going to shake the world. I was in my car and remember thinking: I have to find out before the day is over who that guitar player is.”
Clapton and SRV later became close friends, even sharing the stage at what would be Stevie Ray’s final performance. Tragically, after the show, their helicopters departed separately, and SRV’s crashed.
In his wake, he left a legacy of countless guitarists striving to capture his tone and phrasing—yet no one quite like him has emerged.
Texas Flood Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Texas Flood (Stevie Ray Vaughan) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
