House of the Rising Sun
by The Animals
🌟 Must-Learn Songs
Difficulty
★★★☆☆
Tuning
Standard
Capo
None
One of the greatest fingerpicking songs ever recorded. The Animals' 1964 version features a hypnotic arpeggiated pattern in 6/8 time that cycles through Am, C, D, F, and E chords. This full arrangement covers every verse and the iconic organ-mimicking guitar solo.
[Intro - Arpeggiated Am]
Am
e|--------0-----------0-----------0-----------0-------|
B|------1---1-------1---1-------1---1-------1---1-----|
G|----2-------2---2-------2---2-------2---2-------2---|
D|--2-----------2-----------2-----------2-------------|
A|0-----------------------------------------------0-|
E|----------------------------------------------------|
C
e|--------0-----------0-----------0-----------0-------|
B|------1---1-------1---1-------1---1-------1---1-----|
G|----0-------0---0-------0---0-------0---0-------0---|
D|--2-----------2-----------2-----------2-------------|
A|3-----------------------------------------------3-|
E|----------------------------------------------------|
D
e|--------2-----------2-----------2-----------2-------|
B|------3---3-------3---3-------3---3-------3---3-----|
G|----2-------2---2-------2---2-------2---2-------2---|
D|--0-----------0-----------0-----------0-------------|
A|----------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------|
F
e|--------1-----------1-----------1-----------1-------|
B|------1---1-------1---1-------1---1-------1---1-----|
G|----2-------2---2-------2---2-------2---2-------2---|
D|--3-----------3-----------3-----------3-------------|
A|----------------------------------------------------|
E|1-----------------------------------------------1-|
[Verse 1 - "There is a house in New Orleans"]
Am C D F
e|--------0-----------0---------2-----------1-------|
B|------1---1-------1---1-----3---3-------1---1-----|
G|----2-------2---0-------0-2-------2---2-------2---|
D|--2-----------2---------0-----------3-------------|
A|0-----------3-----------------------------------1-|
E|-------------------------------1-------------------|
Am C E
e|--------0-----------0---------0-----------0-------|
B|------1---1-------1---1-----0---0-------0---0-----|
G|----2-------2---0-------0-1-------1---1-------1---|
D|--2-----------2---------2-----------2-------------|
A|0-----------3---------2-----------2---------------|
E|-------------------------------0-------------------|
Am C D F
e|--------0-----------0---------2-----------1-------|
B|------1---1-------1---1-----3---3-------1---1-----|
G|----2-------2---0-------0-2-------2---2-------2---|
D|--2-----------2---------0-----------3-------------|
A|0-----------3-----------------------------------1-|
E|-------------------------------1-------------------|
Am E Am
e|--------0-----------0---------0-------------------|
B|------1---1-------0---0-----1---1-----------------|
G|----2-------2---1-------1-2-------2---------------|
D|--2-----------2---------2-------------------------|
A|0-----------2---------0---------------------------|
E|-------------------------------0-------------------|
[Verse 2 - "My mother was a tailor"]
Am C D F
e|--------0-----------0---------2-----------1-------|
B|------1---1-------1---1-----3---3-------1---1-----|
G|----2-------2---0-------0-2-------2---2-------2---|
D|--2-----------2---------0-----------3-------------|
A|0-----------3-----------------------------------1-|
E|-------------------------------1-------------------|
Am C E
e|--------0-----------0---------0-----------0-------|
B|------1---1-------1---1-----0---0-------0---0-----|
G|----2-------2---0-------0-1-------1---1-------1---|
D|--2-----------2---------2-----------2-------------|
A|0-----------3---------2-----------2---------------|
E|-------------------------------0-------------------|
Am C D F
e|--------0-----------0---------2-----------1-------|
B|------1---1-------1---1-----3---3-------1---1-----|
G|----2-------2---0-------0-2-------2---2-------2---|
D|--2-----------2---------0-----------3-------------|
A|0-----------3-----------------------------------1-|
E|-------------------------------1-------------------|
Am E Am
e|--------0-----------0---------0-------------------|
B|------1---1-------0---0-----1---1-----------------|
G|----2-------2---1-------1-2-------2---------------|
D|--2-----------2---------2-------------------------|
A|0-----------2---------0---------------------------|
E|-------------------------------0-------------------|
[Interlude - Organ-style Guitar]
Am C
e|--------0-----0-----0-----0-----------0-----0-----0-----0---|
B|------1---1-1---1-1---1-1---1-------1---1-1---1-1---1-1---1-|
G|----2-----------------------2---0---------------------------0|
D|--2-----------------------------2---------------------------2|
A|0-------------------------------3------------------------3--|
E|------------------------------------------------------------|
D F
e|--------2-----2-----2-----2-----------1-----1-----1-----1---|
B|------3---3-3---3-3---3-3---3-------1---1-1---1-1---1-1---1-|
G|----2-----------------------2---2---------------------------2|
D|--0-----------------------------3---------------------------3|
A|-------------------------------(--)----------------------(--)|
E|--------------------------------1------------------------1--|
Am E
e|--------0-----0-----0-----0-----------0-----0-----0-----0---|
B|------1---1-1---1-1---1-1---1-------0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0-|
G|----2-----------------------2---1---------------------------1|
D|--2-----------------------------2---------------------------2|
A|0-------------------------------2------------------------2--|
E|--------------------------------0------------------------0--|
[Verse 3 - "Now the only thing a gambler needs"]
Am C D F
e|--------0-----------0---------2-----------1-------|
B|------1---1-------1---1-----3---3-------1---1-----|
G|----2-------2---0-------0-2-------2---2-------2---|
D|--2-----------2---------0-----------3-------------|
A|0-----------3-----------------------------------1-|
E|-------------------------------1-------------------|
Am C E
e|--------0-----------0---------0-----------0-------|
B|------1---1-------1---1-----0---0-------0---0-----|
G|----2-------2---0-------0-1-------1---1-------1---|
D|--2-----------2---------2-----------2-------------|
A|0-----------3---------2-----------2---------------|
E|-------------------------------0-------------------|
Am C D F
e|--------0-----------0---------2-----------1-------|
B|------1---1-------1---1-----3---3-------1---1-----|
G|----2-------2---0-------0-2-------2---2-------2---|
D|--2-----------2---------0-----------3-------------|
A|0-----------3-----------------------------------1-|
E|-------------------------------1-------------------|
Am E Am
e|--------0-----------0---------0-------------------|
B|------1---1-------0---0-----1---1-----------------|
G|----2-------2---1-------1-2-------2---------------|
D|--2-----------2---------2-------------------------|
A|0-----------2---------0---------------------------|
E|-------------------------------0-------------------|
[Verse 4 - "Oh mother, tell your children"]
Am C D F
e|--------0-----------0---------2-----------1-------|
B|------1---1-------1---1-----3---3-------1---1-----|
G|----2-------2---0-------0-2-------2---2-------2---|
D|--2-----------2---------0-----------3-------------|
A|0-----------3-----------------------------------1-|
E|-------------------------------1-------------------|
Am C E
e|--------0-----------0---------0-----------0-------|
B|------1---1-------1---1-----0---0-------0---0-----|
G|----2-------2---0-------0-1-------1---1-------1---|
D|--2-----------2---------2-----------2-------------|
A|0-----------3---------2-----------2---------------|
E|-------------------------------0-------------------|
Am C D F
e|--------0-----------0---------2-----------1-------|
B|------1---1-------1---1-----3---3-------1---1-----|
G|----2-------2---0-------0-2-------2---2-------2---|
D|--2-----------2---------0-----------3-------------|
A|0-----------3-----------------------------------1-|
E|-------------------------------1-------------------|
Am E Am
e|--------0-----------0---------0-------------------|
B|------1---1-------0---0-----1---1-----------------|
G|----2-------2---1-------1-2-------2---------------|
D|--2-----------2---------2-------------------------|
A|0-----------2---------0---------------------------|
E|-------------------------------0-------------------|
[Guitar Solo - Simplified]
Am
e|--5--8--5-----5--8--5-----5--8--5---------|
B|-----------8-----------8-----------8--5---|
G|------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------|
C
e|--8--10--8-----8--10--8-----8--10--8------|
B|------------10-----------10----------10---|
G|------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------|
D F
e|--10--12--10--10/12\10---10--8--5--8--5---|
B|------------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------|
Am E
e|--5--8--5--5h8p5-----------0--0--0--------|
B|------------------8--5---0------0--0------|
G|------------------------------1------1----|
D|------------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------|
[Verse 5 - "Well I got one foot on the platform"]
Am C D F
e|--------0-----------0---------2-----------1-------|
B|------1---1-------1---1-----3---3-------1---1-----|
G|----2-------2---0-------0-2-------2---2-------2---|
D|--2-----------2---------0-----------3-------------|
A|0-----------3-----------------------------------1-|
E|-------------------------------1-------------------|
Am C E
e|--------0-----------0---------0-----------0-------|
B|------1---1-------1---1-----0---0-------0---0-----|
G|----2-------2---0-------0-1-------1---1-------1---|
D|--2-----------2---------2-----------2-------------|
A|0-----------3---------2-----------2---------------|
E|-------------------------------0-------------------|
Am C D F
e|--------0-----------0---------2-----------1-------|
B|------1---1-------1---1-----3---3-------1---1-----|
G|----2-------2---0-------0-2-------2---2-------2---|
D|--2-----------2---------0-----------3-------------|
A|0-----------3-----------------------------------1-|
E|-------------------------------1-------------------|
Am E Am
e|--------0-----------0---------0-------------------|
B|------1---1-------0---0-----1---1-----------------|
G|----2-------2---1-------1-2-------2---------------|
D|--2-----------2---------2-------------------------|
A|0-----------2---------0---------------------------|
E|-------------------------------0-------------------|
[Outro - Ritardando]
Am C D F
e|--------0-----------0---------2-----------1-------|
B|------1---1-------1---1-----3---3-------1---1-----|
G|----2-------2---0-------0-2-------2---2-------2---|
D|--2-----------2---------0-----------3-------------|
A|0-----------3-----------------------------------1-|
E|-------------------------------1-------------------|
Am E Am (let ring)
e|--------0-----------0---------0-------------------|
B|------1---1-------0---0-----1---------------------|
G|----2-------2---1-------1-2-----------------------|
D|--2-----------2---------2-------------------------|
A|0-----------2---------0---------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------|