🎸 Learn to Play “Achy Breaky Heart” – Chords, Strumming & Practice Guide
Want to confidently strum your way through “Achy Breaky Heart”?
Struggling to make it past the first switch between E and A?
Looking for a simple breakdown so you can actually play the song, not just stare at chord sheets?
You’re in the right place!
This page doesn’t give you the lyrics or a chord sheet like you’d find on other sites—but it does give you something better:
A step-by-step plan to help you actually learn the song from start to finish, the way I teach my students.
✅ What You’ll Learn Here
- The two chords used in the song (E and A, plus an easier Asus2 option)
- The strumming pattern broken down slowly
- A simple 8-measure chord progression that repeats the whole way through
- A practice plan so you can loop it and sound like the song
🔁 CHORD PROGRESSION OVERVIEW
The progression is just 8 measures long and repeats for the whole song:
- 4 measures of A
- 4 measures of E
That’s it! Once you’ve got this loop down, you can play the entire tune from start to finish.
📝 Practice Guide (No Lyrics Required)
Here’s how to loop it in practice:
| A | A | A | E |
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
| E | E | E | A |
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Note that it’s three measures of A and one measure of E for the 1st line, and then three measures of E and one measure of A for the 2nd.
Start with downstrokes only, and when that feels smooth, add the full strumming pattern. Then loop it continuously until it feels automatic.
📌 A Note on Lyrics
This lesson focuses on playing the music by ear and memory. You won’t find lyrics or full chord/lyric sheets here.
But as you play along with the video, you’ll hear how the melody lines up—and that’s how real musicians train their ears!
🚀 Next Steps
By following the video and using the practice loop above, you’ll soon be strumming through “Achy Breaky Heart” with confidence.
Once you’re comfortable, check out these other easy 2 chord songs or take the next step with the All-Access Pass, which gives you every course, bonus, and song resource I’ve created.
⚠️ Disclaimer: This tutorial is for educational purposes and personal practice only. All rights to the original composition belong to their respective copyright holders. This page does not include or distribute lyrics or official sheet music.
