How to Play Learning to Fly Chords by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on Guitar
“Learning to Fly” is a classic rock song by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, released in 1991 as the lead single from their album Into the Great Wide Open. The song was written by Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne, and features a simple but catchy chord progression that is easy to learn and play on guitar. In this article, we will show you how to play “Learning to Fly” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on guitar, using chords, strumming patterns, and tabs.
Chords
[Intro] F C Am G x4 [Verse 1] F C Am G Well, I started out, F C Am G down a dirty road. F C Am G Started out, F C Am G all alone. [Verse 2] F C Am G And the sun went down, F C Am G as I crossed the hill. F C Am G And the town lit up, F C Am G the world got still. [Chorus] F C Am G I'm learning to fly, F C Am G but I ain't got wings. F C Am G Coming down, F C Am G is the hardest thing. [Verse 3] F C Am G Well the "Good old days" F C Am G may not return. F C Am G And the rocks might melt, F C Am G and the sea may burn. [Chorus] F C Am G I'm learning to fly, (learning to fly) F C Am G but I ain't got wings. (learning to fly) F C Am G Coming down, (learning to fly) F C Am G is the hardest thing. (learning to fly) G G [Solo] F C Am G x4 [Verse 4] F C Am G Well, some say life, F C Am G will beat you down. F C Am G Break your heart, F C Am G steal your crown. [Verse 5] F C Am G So I started out, F C Am G for God knows where. F C Am G I guess I'll know, F C Am G when I get there. [Chorus] F C Am G I'm learning to fly, F C Am G around the clouds, F C Am G What goes up, (learning to fly) F C Am G must come down. G G [Instrumental] F C Am G x2 [Chorus] F C Am G I'm learning to fly, (learning to fly) F C Am G but I ain't got wings. F C Am G Coming down, F C Am G is the hardest thing. F C Am G I'm learning to fly, (learning to fly) F C Am G around the clouds, F C Am G What goes up, (learning to fly) F C Am G must come down. [Outro] F C Am G I'm learning to fly, (learning to fly) F C Am G (learning to fly) F C Am G I'm learning to fly, (learning to fly) F C Am G (learning to fly) F C Am G (learning to fly) F C Am G (learning to fly)
Strumming Pattern
The strumming pattern for the song is fairly simple and consistent. You can use a down-down-up-up-down-up pattern for each chord, or just downstrums if you want to keep it simple. The tempo is about 117 bpm, so you should strum at a moderate pace. Here is an example of how to strum the intro:
| F | C | Am | G | | D D | U U | D U | D D | | U U | D U | D D | U U |
You can repeat this pattern for the verses and choruses as well. The only exception is the solo section, where you can just strum each chord once and let it ring.
Conclusion
“Learning to Fly” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is a great song to learn and play on guitar, especially if you are a beginner or intermediate player. It has a simple chord progression, a catchy strumming pattern, and some optional tabs that add some flavor to the song. You can practice this song along with the original recording or a backing track, and have fun playing it with your friends or by yourself. We hope this article helped you learn how to play “Learning to Fly” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on guitar. Happy strumming!
