End of the Line by the Traveling Wilburys
End of the Line by the Travelling Wilburys is one of the hits from their 1988 album Traveling Wilburys Vol.1. Featuring no less than George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne, the Traveling Wilburys were a breath of fresh air in the late ‘80s. Whilst “just a three-chord song” End of the Line is a perfect demonstration of just how good those three chords can sound! Its a great chart for developing guitarists.
Chords: D A G in the open position for all the verse/chorus sections. Higher positions of D A G as shown in TAB for the intro/chord break.
Pick or Fingers? Definitely the pick! End of the Line is as good an example of plectrum strumming on steel strings as you’ll find. Listen to how the guitar rhythm blends with the brush work on the drum kit to create a steady, train-like rhythm. Then check out the official video ; all the guitarists are playing with a pick.
Acoustic or Electric? Perfect for steel-string acoustics and semi-acoustic electric guitars. Not well suited for nylon-string instruments ; the chord shapes past the 10th fret are awkward on nylon string guitars and the chord sound needs the bright tone of steel strings.
Intro chords: The intro, and outro sections of End of the Line are a great example of using ‘melody chords’ to make a more interesting rhythm part. The three-string chords, played over the open 4th and 5th strings, make a riff (a melody) that is a signature part of the song. Note the G in the 7th fret, and A in the 9th fret are the same shape as the regular D chord. These are useful chords that can add melodic interest to your own progressions. The G in the 10th fret, sliding to A in 12th fret is a tricky shape in those high positions but is definitely part of the progression. Watch the opening of original promo video; you can see George playing it!a
Rhythm: The main rhythm is a very straight, country-style | 1 2 and 3 and 4 and | with the main accent on the 1st beat. This strumming pattern has to stay really steady to create the flowing effect of the original. Keep the down-strums strictly on the beat and use light open-chord changes to ensure each new chord arrives securely on the next beat.
Relevant pages in Modern Guitar Chord Styles 1 : To learn more about the chords and rhythms in End of the Line go to pages 8, 10, 14-15 and 20-21.
Need a bit of help?
Modern Guitar Chord Styles 1 is the perfect companion for our song guides- it is specifically designed to help beginners speed up their chord changes, master their strumming patterns, and many other techniques.