Rick Springfield - Jessie's Girl - Guitar Tab

Working Class Dog

1981 3:14

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About Jessie's Girl

Few riffs from 1981 have stayed as recognizable as the opening guitar figure in "Jessie's Girl," and learning it is a genuine workout in tight, rhythmic picking. Rick Springfield wrote and played the song himself, and the guitar work sits right at the heart of it rather than behind a wall of keys or production. The track runs at 120 BPM in D major on standard tuning, which means the tempo is brisk enough to make clean chord changes and muted strumming a real test of right-hand control. The verse rhythm parts demand consistent palm muting and precise downstrokes to keep that punchy, driving feel. There is also a guitar solo mid-song that sits at a fun intermediate level, with some bends and runs worth isolating. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the solo or the opening riff slowed down until your fingers land in exactly the right place before bringing it back up to speed. As a Pop Rock track, the arrangement rewards clean tone and confident picking dynamics over effects or distortion.

• The song is played in E standard tuning in the key of D major, so no retuning is needed before you start.
• At 120 BPM, the verse rhythm part demands steady palm-muted downstrokes, and any sloppiness in right-hand technique becomes immediately obvious.
• The mid-song guitar solo is an approachable intermediate challenge, featuring string bends and position shifts worth practising in short loops.