Don’t Let Me Down is one of the groovier Beatles tunes, and it’s loaded with cool guitar parts. The main riff uses what Marty calls the “Hendrix chord” shape, and there’s plenty of room to add your own flavor once you’ve got the basics down.
In this lesson, Marty Schwartz breaks down the main chord shapes, that signature lick, and some soloing ideas to make this song your own.
Video Lesson
The Core Chords
The song revolves around two main chords:
F# Minor (bar chord): Bar the 2nd fret, then form an E minor shape with your other fingers. This is your home base for the verse.
E Major: Your standard open E major chord. The song moves between F# minor and E major throughout.
The Main Lick (The “Hendrix Chord”)
This is where it gets fun. The main lick comes from an A major inversion—basically an A chord with a different note in the bass. Here’s how it works:
Bar across the 9th fret starting from the A string. You’ll be focusing on the A, D, and G strings.
The sequence:
- Hammer onto the 11th fret of the A string with your ring finger (strum like a chord)
- Strum the D and G strings
- Hammer onto the 11th fret of the D string
- Strum D and G again
- Lift the finger off, strum D and G again
- Strum with no finger down on the A
- Pinky goes to 12th fret of A
- Ring finger goes to 11th fret of A
Once you get comfortable, you can add character—little pull-offs and variations. Marty’s been playing this one for years and has added his own touches.
F# Minor Up the Neck
There’s another F# minor position at the 9th fret. Keep that bar on 9, but now form an A minor shape (like your fingers are the capo). This is more of the Billy Preston electric piano part, but it sounds great on guitar.
You can take your pinky off and back on for some variation.
E Major 7 Chord
Instead of the regular E, you can use an E major 7 for a jazzier sound (think “Under the Bridge” by RHCP):
Bar across the 7th fret, then add the 9th fret on the D string, 8th fret on the G string with your little finger, and pinky on the 9th fret of the B string. The open low E can ring too.
Try one strum of this chord right before going into the main lick.
The Octave Lick
This isn’t in the original, but it’s a great way to follow the vocal melody:
Play octaves (index finger mutes the D string, ring or pinky plays the same note on the G string). Slide from 9 to 11, back to 7, then back to 9.
The pattern: 9-11, 9-11, 9-11, 7, 9
The Bridge
The bridge uses the E major scale with these chords underneath:
E major (“I’m in love for the first time…”)
B7 (“Don’t you know it’s gonna last…”)—shaped like a C7 moved up
Then back to E, and you can hit the main lick again.
The Bass Line (Bonus)
This is really Paul McCartney’s bass part, but it sounds great on guitar:
Open E, then 2nd fret of E, then the root an octave up (2nd fret D string), then down to 1st fret. The pattern walks through: open, 1, 2, then 4 on the low E, 2 on the A…
For the B7 section: 4, 2, 1 on the D string, then 2 on the G, 1 on the G, 2 on the D, ending on 1 and 2 on the A string.
Soloing Ideas
For soloing over F# minor to E major, use the E major pentatonic scale. Find it by putting your pinky on the E note (12th fret low E) and playing the pentatonic shape below it.
You can mix in notes from the full E major scale for more color. The vocal melody already lives in this scale, so following the singing is a great way to start improvising.
Tips
- Get the bar chord solid first. The F# minor is the foundation—make sure it rings clean before adding the fancy stuff.
- The lick takes time. Break it into pieces and get each hammer-on smooth before connecting them.
- Make it your own. Once you have the basics, experiment. Marty’s version has evolved over years of playing.
- Use it as a jam vehicle. The E major pentatonic over this progression is a great way to practice improvising.
This one’s more intermediate than some Beatles tunes, but it’s worth the effort. Once you’ve got it, you’ll have a bunch of new chord voicings and licks in your toolkit.
Rock on!