Goin' Out West Chords

KeyD CapoNone TuningStandard Difficulty Plays631

Goin' Out West by Tom Waits is a beginner-friendly guitar song played in the key of D. It uses the chords D. Use the transpose and diagram tools on this page to change the key, see each shape, or simplify the chords.

Transpose
D
Text
16
Speed
  			Verse/Intro Variation  

e|------------------------------------------------|  
B|------------------------------------------------|  
G|------------------------------------------------|  
D|-5----------4-----------------------------------|  
A|-----------------------6------------------------|  
C|--0-3-0-0-----3-0-3-0----3-0-3-0-0--0-3-0-0-3-0-|  

then  

E|------------------------------------------------|  
B|------------------------------------------------|  
G|------------------------------------------------|  
D|-5----------4-----------------------------------|  
A|-----------------------6--3---------------------|  
C|--0-3-0-0-----3-0-3-0-------0-3-0---------------|  

The timing of the "C" string notes is awkaward to tab out, but you'll get it by  
listening, it's actually pretty easy.  





The "Distorted" Riff comes up a few times, and varies off of these chords.  

e|----------------------------|  
B|----------------------------|  
G|-3/5-5-5-5----3/5-5-5-5-----|  
D|-3/5-5-5-5----3/5-5-5-5-----|  
A|-1/3-3-3-3----1/3-3-3-3-----|  
C|----------------------------|  

The timing is sort of weird, and sometimes he throws in mutes/odd harmonics based around   
those chords.  

And occasionally, he does this this tiny riff back into the other riffs, it looks like  
this. it's most profound at 1:07ish  

e|---------------------------------|  
B|---------------------------------|  
G|-3/5-5-5-5----3/5-5-5-5----------|  
D|-3/5-5-5-5----3/5-5-5-5----------|  
A|-1/3-3-3-3----1/3-3-3-3----------|  
C|------------------------h6h5h4h0-|  

The chorus is similar to the distorted riff, but starts higher.  

e|-----------------|  
B|-----------------|  
G|-8/10-10-10-10---|  
D|-8/10-10-10-10---|  
A|-6/8--8--8--8----|  
C|-----------------| x 2  

Then  

e|----------------------------|  
B|----------------------------|  
G|-3/5-5-5-5----3/5-5-5-5-----|  
D|-3/5-5-5-5----3/5-5-5-5-----|  
A|-1/3-3-3-3----1/3-3-3-3-----|  
C|----------------------------|  

Then back to  

e|-----------------|  
B|-----------------|  
G|-8/10-10-10-10---|  
D|-8/10-10-10-10---|  
A|-6/8--8--8--8----|  
C|-----------------|  

And he goes up to a D, strums it a few times during the end of the chorus, and goes back   
intro the verse.  

e|-------------------|  
B|-------------------|  
G|-10/12-12-12-12-12-|  
D|-10/12-12-12-12-12-|  
A|-8-/10-10-10-10-10-|  
C|-------------------|  
  

    	

Chord diagrams

Guitar tuner

--
Start the tuner and play a string

Reference tones

Standard tuning, lowest to highest. Click a string to play it; the string the mic hears is highlighted.

Click Start tuner and allow microphone access. The needle centers and turns green when a string is in tune (within 5 cents).
No microphone? You can still tap any string above to hear its exact reference pitch.

Metronome

100 BPM Andante