Song chords
House of the Rising Sun chords
The Animals
A traditional folk song that The Animals turned into a rock standard in 1964. The rolling 6/8 arpeggio is more of a challenge than the chords, all of which sit in open position.
Before you start
The chords you need.
5 shapes covers the whole song. Tap any diagram’s play button to hear it, or open its page for every voicing on six instruments.
The chart
Section by section.
Key of A minor, no capo: Am–C–D–F, then Am–C–E7–E7. The E7 is a harmonic-minor dominant — it is the chord that pulls each cycle back to the Am. Hit play on any section to hear it walk through at 76 bpm.
Verse
8 barsTurnaround
8 barsResolves to the tonic before the E7 sets up the next verse.
Need it in a different key, or without the capo? Run it through the transposer — move every chord by the same interval and the song is unchanged.
Playing it
What actually trips people up.
It is in 6/8, not 4/4. Count six per bar and arpeggiate rather than strum; the picking pattern is what people recognise, not the chords.
The chart above is the commonly played arrangement — the version a competent player would hand you, not a bar-for-bar transcription of a specific master. Section labels are there to orient you; live and studio versions repeat, extend and drop sections freely, and none of that changes which chords you need.
About this page
Chord names and song structure are facts; for lyrics and official notation, support the artist. This page carries no lyrics on purpose — House of the Rising Sun was written and recorded by The Animals, and the words belong to them. What you get here is the harmony: the key, the capo, the tempo, and which chord goes where.
Next
Songs that sit near this one.
FAQ
Questions people actually ask.
What key is House of the Rising Sun in?
House of the Rising Sun is in A Minor, and it is played in that key with no capo — the chords you read here are the chords you hear.
Do I need a capo for House of the Rising Sun?
No. House of the Rising Sun is played open in A Minor. A capo will only move it out of the recorded key, which matters if you are playing along with the record.
What chords are in House of the Rising Sun?
Am, C, D, F and E7 — 5 chords across 2 sections. Key of A minor, no capo: Am–C–D–F, then Am–C–E7–E7. The E7 is a harmonic-minor dominant — it is the chord that pulls each cycle back to the Am.
What is the easiest way to play House of the Rising Sun?
Intermediate overall. It is in 6/8, not 4/4. Count six per bar and arpeggiate rather than strum; the picking pattern is what people recognise, not the chords.
How fast is House of the Rising Sun?
About 76 bpm. Every section on this page plays back at that tempo, so you can hear how long each chord is meant to be held before you try it yourself.
Can I play House of the Rising Sun in a different key?
Yes — the progression is the song, not the letters. Move every chord by the same number of semitones and it still works. The transposer will do the arithmetic, or you can move the capo and keep these shapes.