https://guitarnoise.forum/easy-songs/i-walk-the-line-johnny-cash/ Guitar Noise Discussion Board en-US Thu, 04 Jun 2026 07:04:46 +0000 wpForo 60 https://guitarnoise.forum/easy-songs/i-walk-the-line-johnny-cash/#post-139501 Fri, 18 Nov 2005 18:01:02 +0000 Easy Songs gadlaw https://guitarnoise.forum/easy-songs/i-walk-the-line-johnny-cash/#post-139501 https://guitarnoise.forum/easy-songs/i-walk-the-line-johnny-cash/#post-139482 Fri, 18 Nov 2005 17:16:09 +0000 Easy Songs JSnood https://guitarnoise.forum/easy-songs/i-walk-the-line-johnny-cash/#post-139482 https://guitarnoise.forum/easy-songs/i-walk-the-line-johnny-cash/#post-139461 Fri, 18 Nov 2005 16:21:46 +0000 Easy Songs jonnyt https://guitarnoise.forum/easy-songs/i-walk-the-line-johnny-cash/#post-139461 https://guitarnoise.forum/easy-songs/i-walk-the-line-johnny-cash/#post-139312 Fri, 18 Nov 2005 03:54:04 +0000 Easy Songs Slydog https://guitarnoise.forum/easy-songs/i-walk-the-line-johnny-cash/#post-139312 https://guitarnoise.forum/easy-songs/i-walk-the-line-johnny-cash/#post-139296 Fri, 18 Nov 2005 02:50:21 +0000 PlayGuitar! has a lesson on this song which I've found helpful. They only provide the tab for the A portion, but it was a nice challenge to figure out the chords and bass notes for the D and E passages. (And sorry there is no web version of the lesson. :( )

What nobody has said so far is that you need springs on your finger tips to play this song which is very nice and bouncy.]]> Easy Songs JSnood https://guitarnoise.forum/easy-songs/i-walk-the-line-johnny-cash/#post-139296 https://guitarnoise.forum/easy-songs/i-walk-the-line-johnny-cash/#post-95485 Sun, 27 Mar 2005 00:11:57 +0000
Great tune, I've been wanting to add a third Johnny Cash song to my repertoire for some time. This is the one, so thanks for bringing it to my attention and making me do some work.

I also hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this song really isn't that easy, since it has an alternating bass line pick and strum pattern, a Johnny Cash trade mark. Plus it is played in three different keys that changes with each verse, introduced by a short bass line run.

Obviously you can play the song however you'd like, but here's my tab, freshly tabbed out with the help of the original recording and my Transkriber software.
I WALK THE LINE - Johnny Cash (Capo 1st fret to play along with the original recording.) INTRO: (pick root note & strum chord, pick alternate root note & strum chord) 1/E |---------| A chord |---------| D chord |---------| A chord 2/B |---------|alternate|---------|alternate|---------| alternate 3/G |---------| root |---------| root |---------| root note 4/D |---------| note |-------0-| note |-0-------| pick & strum 5/A |-------0-| pick & |-0-2-4---| pick & |---4-2-0-| twice 6/E |-0-2-4---| strum |---------| strum |---------| 1/E |---------| E chord |---------| B7 chord |---------| E chord 2/B |---------|alternate|---------|alternate |---------| 4 measures 3/G |---------| root |---------| root |---------| alternate 4/D |---------| note |---------| note |---------| root note 5/A |-0-------| pick & |-------2-| pick & |-2-------| pick & strum 6/E |---4-2-0-| strum |-0-2-4---| strum |---4-2-0-| twice VERSE 1: (Written in the Key of E but sounds like the Key of F. Remember to do the alternating root note pick and strum.) B7 E I KEEP A CLOSE WATCH ON THIS HEART OF MINE B7 E I KEEP MY EYES WIDE OPEN ALL THE TIME A E I KEEP THE ENDS OUT FOR THE TIE THAT BINDS B7 E 5/A |-------0-| BECAUSE YOU'RE MINE, I WALK THE LINE 6/E |-0-2-4---| A | A | A | A… VERSE 2: (Written in the Key of A but sounds like the Key of Bb. Remember to do the alternating root note pick and strum.) E7 A I FIND IT VERY VERY EASY TO BE TRUE E7 A I FIND MY-SELF, ALONE WHEN EACH DAY'S THROUGH D A YES I'LL AD-MIT, THAT I'M A FOOL FOR YOU E7 A 4/D |-------0-| BECAUSE YOU'RE MINE, I WALK THE LINE 5/A |-0-2-4---| D | D | D | D… VERSE 3: (Written in the Key of D but sounds like the Key of Eb. Remember to do the alternating root note pick and strum.) A7 D AS SURE AS NIGHT IS DARK AND DAY IS LIGHT A7 D I KEEP YOU ON MY MIND BOTH DAY AND NIGHT G D AND HAPPINESS I'VE KNOWN PROVES THAT IT'S RIGHT A7 D 4/D |-0-------| BECAUSE YOU'RE MINE, I WALK THE LINE 5/A |---4-2-0-| A | A | A | A… VERSE 4: (Written in the Key of A – sounds like the Key of Bb. Remember to do the alternating root note pick and strum.) E7 A YOU'VE GOT A WAY TO KEEP ME ON YOUR SIDE E7 A YOU GIVE ME CAUSE FOR LOVE THAT I CAN'T HIDE D A FOR YOU I KNOW I'D EVEN TRY TO TURN THE TIDE E7 A 5/A |-0-------| BECAUSE YOU'RE MINE, I WALK THE LINE 6/E |---4-2-0-| E | E | E | E… VERSE 5: (Written in the Key of E – sounds like the Key of F. Remember to do the alternating root note pick and strum.) B7 E I KEEP A CLOSE WATCH ON THIS HEART OF MINE B7 E I KEEP MY EYES WIDE OPEN ALL THE TIME A E I KEEP THE ENDS OUT FOR THE TIE THAT BINDS B7 E (DO A FEW MEASURES OF E & FADE) BECAUSE YOU'RE MINE, I WALK THE LINE The capo is only necessary if you want to play along with the original recording, which I have as an MP3 file should you need to reference it.

Add the F# on the sixth string when playing the B7 chord to get a good alternating bass note between B & F#. Which means you won't be fretting an playing the F# on the high E string. B7 = 2 2 1 2 0 X, played with fingers 2, 3, 1, 4, 0, X.

Use the open E (6th string) as the alternate root note for the A or A7 chord.

Use the open A (5th string) as the alternate root note for the D chord.

Always start the root note pick and strum with the tonic note of the chord, so "D" when playing the D chord, "B" when playing the B7 chord, "A" when playing the A chord, even though the alternate root note is actually a lower note.

The chords in the intro are not played long at all. Pick the tonic root note and strum down once, pick alternate root note and strum down once, and you move on to the bass line run that introduces the next chord.

It took me a long time to learn how to do the alternating root note pick and strum pattern, but once you do, you can use it on "Folsum Prison Blues" and a Waylon classic, "Good Ole Boys" (Dukes of Hazzard Theme Song), and many more tunes.]]> Easy Songs jonnyt https://guitarnoise.forum/easy-songs/i-walk-the-line-johnny-cash/#post-95485 https://guitarnoise.forum/easy-songs/i-walk-the-line-johnny-cash/#post-95461 Sat, 26 Mar 2005 19:32:47 +0000 However, you don't have to play exaclty like Johny to produce a passable version that is within reach of new players.]]> Easy Songs Anonymous https://guitarnoise.forum/easy-songs/i-walk-the-line-johnny-cash/#post-95461 https://guitarnoise.forum/easy-songs/i-walk-the-line-johnny-cash/#post-95372 Sat, 26 Mar 2005 00:27:17 +0000 Easy Songs katreich https://guitarnoise.forum/easy-songs/i-walk-the-line-johnny-cash/#post-95372 https://guitarnoise.forum/easy-songs/i-walk-the-line-johnny-cash/#post-95273 Fri, 25 Mar 2005 04:21:59 +0000 I play a simple bass strum pattern.
Pick the root note then strum the chord.
The first chord do it once, pick the open A string then downstrum the A chord. Next is E7 (I use the first example Arjen posted above) Pick the open E string then strum the chord. Do this twice.(pick the root, strum,pick the root,strum)
Back to A same thing as before but play it twice (this takes you into the next verse) Just follow this pattern throughout.
On the D chord pick the open D string.
The beauty is all of the root notes are open strings so you have a little more time to get your fingers in place for the chord.
This is a slow lazy tempo, have fun with it.]]> Easy Songs Anonymous https://guitarnoise.forum/easy-songs/i-walk-the-line-johnny-cash/#post-95273 https://guitarnoise.forum/easy-songs/i-walk-the-line-johnny-cash/#post-50461 Fri, 02 Jan 2004 08:55:27 +0000 Easy Songs mcbobie https://guitarnoise.forum/easy-songs/i-walk-the-line-johnny-cash/#post-50461