How are your Power Chords doing? It's time to use them!

Anarchy in the UK by the Sex Pistols is a classic punk and super fun to play on the electric guitar. You'll need some Power Chords - but the good news is that most of the grips will have are Root 5 Power Chords.

💭 Thinking about when I was young and used to have this blue mohawk hair. I was a proper punk back in the days! Hey, ho - how life changes!

If you're following my Beginner Guitar Course, this song is great to practice the skills we're learning in Grade 2. Now - let's get stuck in and learn how to play Anarchy in the UK by the Sex Pistols on the electric guitar.

How to play "Anarchy in the UK" on the electric guitar!

When you play a punk song like Anarchy in the UK, it's all about the vibe. Don't worry if you get some open strings sounding when changing between chords - just keep the punk strumming vibe. It's all about having fun - not playing it perfectly!

🚨 When you play Root 5 Power Chords, you should use the tip of your first finger to mute the 6th string. It sounds awful then you don't!

That said - as part of your guitar journey when learning your Power Chords, I recommend you try to play it as accurately as possible. This song can be a great Power Chords exercise, but keep in mind all the beginner rock tricks we learned.

Anarchy in the UK - Guitar Chords

You'll start playing a G Power Chord in the 10th fret. Here's the shape:

Power Chords Root 5

So, there's one bar of 8th Notes all down picks. On beat one, you'll hold that chord for a whole bar. Then, you'll move it down a tone to the note F. That means your first finger will now be in the 8th fret. Your third and fourth fingers are going to stay relatively the same position relative to the first finger because it's a Power Chord!

You'll play that F Power Chord for a bar. Then, you'll keep moving that same Power Chord shape for the entire fretboard. That's basically what's going on on this song! Check out the video to learn how to play its verses, the chorus, and its two solos as well.

If you want the chords, tabs, and lyrics written down to follow along with my song tutorial, check out JustinGuitar Tabs.

Anarchy in the UK - Strumming Pattern

As I mentioned, the All Down 8th Note Strumming Pattern works excellent when playing high-energy songs like Anarchy in the UK. This easy strumming pattern is very effective, and it's popular in different music styles. It allows you to double the number of possible strums in a bar. ;)

You'll start with four down strums in a bar. Then, you'll want to add a down strum where you would usually have an up strum. This will give loads more energy to our strumming. You'll feel it picking up!

The most important thing when learning new songs is to keep it up with your skillset. When you're comfortable sliding your Power Chords and keeping a steady rhythm, try to add some palm-muting to your strumming pattern. It'll sound fantastic.

Want to learn more? Check out over 600 free song lessons here!