Learning to Fly Chords: How to Play the Classic Song by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Learning to Fly is one of the most popular songs by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, released in 1991 as the lead single from their album Into the Great Wide Open. The song is a catchy and uplifting anthem about overcoming challenges and pursuing one’s dreams. It features a simple but effective chord progression that is easy to learn and play on guitar.
The Chords
The song is in the key of F major, and uses only four chords throughout: F, C, Am, and G. These are all open chords, meaning that they can be played without using a capo or any barre chords. The chord shapes are as follows:
[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) (fade out)
The Intro
The intro of the song is played four times, using the same chord progression as the verses and choruses. It goes like this:
F C Am G x4
You can also add some embellishments to the intro by playing some notes on the higher strings, as shown in this tab:
e|——-12-12~\1——–8~———8—————————————-| B|—-13—————8——7brb—-7-6————————————| G|-12—————-9———————7br\5-0-5-5-0———————| D|—————————————————————————| A|——————————————————-5br-3—————| E|————————————————————-5-3———–|
~ = vibrato b = bend r = release \ = slide down
The Verses
The verses of the song follow the same chord progression as the intro, with some slight variations in the lyrics. The first verse goes like this:
F C Am G F C Am G Well I started out, down a dirty road F C Am G F C Am G Started out all alone F C Am G F C Am G And the sun went down, as I crossed the hill F C Am G F C Am G As the town lit up, the world got still
The second verse goes like this:
F C Am G F C Am G Well the good ol’ days, may not return F C Am G F C Am G And the rocks may melt and the sea may burn
The third verse goes like this:
F C Am G F C Am G Well some say life will beat you down, F C Am G F C Am G Break your heart, steal your crown F C Am G F C Am G So I started out, for god knows where F C Am G F C Am G I guess I’ll know when I get there
The Choruses
The choruses of the song are also based on the same chord progression as the intro and verses, with some variations in the lyrics and melody. The first chorus goes like this:
F C Am G F C Am G I’m learning to fly, but I ain’t got wings F C Am G F C Am G Coming down is the hardest thing
The second chorus goes like this:
F C Am G F C Am G I’m learning to fly, but I ain’t got wings F C Am G F C Am G Coming down is the hardest thing (solo)
The third chorus goes like this:
F C Am G F C Am G I’m learning to fly, around the clouds, F C Am G F C Am G But what goes up must come down
The Solo
The solo of the song is played over the same chord progression as the chorus, using notes from the F major scale. It goes like this:
e|—————————————————————————| B|——1—1—–1—1–0–1-0-1—-1–1—1—-1—–1-0–1-0-1————| G|-2-0—-0—0-0—0————-2-0–0-0-0—0—-0————————| D|—————————————————————————| A|—————————————————————————| E|—————————————————————————|
The Outro
The outro of the song is similar to the chorus, with some variations in the lyrics and melody. It goes like this:
F C Am G F C Am G I’m learning to fly, (learning to fly) F C Am G F C Am G but I ain’t got wings. (learning to fly) F C Am G F C Am G Coming down, (learning to fly) F C Am G F C Am G is the hardest thing. (learning to fly)
F C Am G F C Am G I’m learning to fly, (learning to fly) F C Am G F C Am G around the clouds, (learning to fly) F C Am G F C Am G What goes up, (learning to fly) F C Am G F C Am G must come down. (learning to fly)
F C Am G F C Am G I’m learning to fly, (learning to fly) F C Am G F C Am G (learning to fly) x4
The song then fades out with the same chord progression.
Conclusion
Learning to Fly is a great song to learn and play on guitar, as it uses only four basic chords and a simple strumming pattern. It is also a song that can inspire you to pursue your dreams and overcome any obstacles that may come your way. If you want to learn more about the song, you can check out this article that explains its meaning and history. You can also watch this video of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers performing the song live. Happy playing!
