Chords + Lyrics | Roll Over Beethoven
Intro
| N.C | D N.C | N.C | D N.C | N.C |
| G | G | D | D |
| A7 | A7 | D | D |
Verse 1
| D | G | D | D |
Well, I’ma write a little letter, I’m gonna mail it to my local DJ.
| G | G | D | D |
Yeah, it’s a jumping little record I want my jockey to play.
| A | A | D | D |
Roll over Beethoven, I gotta hear it again today.
Verse 2
You know my temperature rising, the jukebox blowin’ a fuse.
My heart’s beating rhythm and my soul keep a-singing the blues.
Ah, roll over Beethoven, tell Tchaikovsky the news.
Verse 3
I got the rockin’ pneumonia, I need a shot of rhythm and blues.
I caught the rollin’ arthritis sittin’ down at a rhythm review.
Ah, roll over Beethoven, they rockin’ in two by two.
Verse 4
Well if you feel it and like it, go get your lover, then reel and rock it. Roll it over then.
Move on up, and yes-a, try for further and reel and rock with, one another.
Roll over Beethoven, dig this rhythm and blues.
Solo
| D | D | D | D |
| G | G | D | D |
| A | A | D | D |
Verse 5
Well early in the mornin’, I’m giving you my mornin’ don’t you step on my blue suede shoes.
Hey diddle-diddle, I’m-a play you my fiddle, ain’t got nothing to lose.
Roll over Beethoven, tell Tchaikovsky the news.
Verse 6
You know she wiggle like a glow worm, dance like a spinnin’ top.
She got a crazy partner, you oughta see ‘em reel and rock.
Long as she got a dime, the music will never stop.
Outro
| D | D | D | D |
Ah, roll over Beethoven, ah roll over Beethoven.
| G | G | D | D |
Roll over Beethoven, roll over Beethoven.
| A | N.C | N.C | D9 |
Roll over Beethoven and dig these rhythm and blues.
Roll Over Beethoven Backing Tracks | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find backing tracks to use when learning Roll Over Beethoven. I’ve used stem separation to extract the guitar while keeping the drums, bass, and vocals intact.
After studying the chords and TAB, use my backing tracks to prepare for playing this tune with a band.
Should you want to play along with the original recording instead, you need to tune your guitar to 430Hz and think in the key of Eb.
In the backing tracks, I’ve done this job for you by tuning it to 440Hz, and adjusting for either Eb, or D by providing two separate backing tracks.
Chord Progressions – What’s Going On?
Chuck Berry’s Roll Over Beethoven is best practiced in three keys, Eb, D, and C. At the top of this page, you find Chuck playing in C live, on the record he’s somewhere between D and Eb.
For the purpose of getting going rather than getting side tracked, this guitar lesson is set in the key of D.
The chord progression follows this pattern:
||: D (I) | G (IV) | D | D |
| G | G | D | D |
| A (V) | A | D | D :||
In bar two, there’s a quick change to the IV chord (G) before returning to the I chord (D). The turnaround moves from the V (A) back to the I (D).
Intro + Solo
For the intro, you’ll play double stops over a static D chord — no quick change or extensions — staying on D until the move to the V chord (A).
The solo follows the same chord progression as verse four, without the quick change. The outro works the same way, stopping on an A before finishing with a D9 chord.
Most of the chords in Roll Over Beethoven are written as triads. While this is technically accurate, there’s more going on. For example, the second guitar plays a honky-tonk rhythm using D5–D6–D5–D6.
This style of comping is typical of many Chuck Berry tunes and has been widely adopted by other artists. I cover this technique in detail in the I Can’t Stand the Rain lessons, and mention it for all tunes you come across here at Spytunes that use this concept.
Another two that immediately come to mind are Rockin’ All Over The World and Nutbush City Limits, but these are just the tip of the honky-tonk iceberg!
Anyway, back to Roll Over Beethoven‘s chords… There’s a piano part on the recording, where we hear more dominant 7th extensions. In the TAB available further down this guitar lesson, I give you plenty of ideas for extending chords to include 6‘s and dom7‘s.
Once you’ve worked through all the TAB, a simple chord chart like this is all you need as you shape your part to suit the band you’re playing with.
Roll Over Beethoven Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Download my chord chart and use it as a reminder on the gig. You’ve got the static PDF or iReal Pro in case you want to change the key to Eb, or C, or any key!
Roll Over Beethoven | TAB
The first thing we hear is an intro very similar to Johnny B. Goode. Here it is shown in TAB, written as if the tune was in the key of D as that’s easier for a guitarist than the key of Eb.
Verse
Let’s look at five different ways you could comp. The first example is designed to ease you in — it’s not the strongest option, but it will get you started.
The next idea is more in line with what happens on the original recording:
The third idea introduces a 6th extension. It’s very brief, but it adds a touch of magic.
The fourth idea removes the quick change and is rhythmically in sync with the fourth verse.
The final idea uses dominant 7th as well as 6th extensions:
Once you can play all of this TAB, avoid switching ideas verse by verse when playing along with the backing tracks. Instead, absorb what you’ve learned and settle on a part you genuinely believe in.
Will you also transpose all this and play with the backing track in the key of Eb? Can you move it to the key of C too?
Roll Over Beethoven Chords: Continue Learning
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