Ring of Fire Guitar Lesson - Johnny Cash

Genre: Country

Difficulty level: beginner

Guitar techniques you will learn in this lesson:

• open string chords
• strumming
• I-IV-V chord progression

Ring of Fire is a classic Johhny Cash song that’s pretty easy to play on guitar. It uses a few basic chords that you should already know from the free basic guitar lessons, as well as an even strumming pattern.

This song is a beginner guitar song, so if you are at an intermediate level, than this song will be really easy. It’ll give you a chance to practice strumming on your acoustic guitar, as well as chord changes. Ring of Fire uses the ever popular I-IV-V chord progression, so if you are unfamiliar with that, than be sure to watch this lesson and learn this song.

Song Details

Ring of Fire was written by Johnny Cash, his wife to-be, June Carter and Merle Kilgore. It was originally a single, than released soon afterwards on a 1963 compilation album, Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash. This was Johnny Cash’s biggest hit, and won a number of awards. 

The song is about June Carter and Johnny Cash falling in love. The term "Ring of Fire" refers to their ominous passion. The music video, which was recorded in 1968, the year the couple got married, features June Carter and her sisters singing backup vocals.

Awards and chart rankings:

• Country Music Television - 100 Greatest Songs in Country Music: #4
• Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time: #87