Where to Find and How to Use This Heart Of Mine
Most people asking about This Heart Of Mine are looking for one of two things: the classic Everly Brothers recording from 1960, or a way to learn and perform the song themselves. The confusion comes from the fact that the title has been used by multiple artists across different decades, so you need to know which version you're actually trying to access before you waste time digging through streaming platforms. The original version was recorded by The Everly Brothers and released in January 1960 on Cadence Records. It was written by Bob McDill and became a top-ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number three. The song is a straightforward country-pop ballad built around tight sibling harmonies, a gentle acoustic guitar arrangement, and a melodic structure that doesn't complicate things unnecessarily. If you're searching for the recording, it appears on virtually every streaming platform under the album One Night Stands, and it's also available on numerous compilation releases. I once spent about forty-five minutes trying to locate a specific remix of this track that a forum user had referenced. The problem was that they were describing a bootleg live version from a 1961 television appearance, not the studio cut. The workaround was simple once I figured it out: search for "Everly Brothers This Heart Of Mine Ed Sullivan 1961" instead of the standard title. You end up saving a lot of frustration by narrowing the search to the exact performance you want rather than assuming the streaming results will sort themselves out.
Learning to Play This Heart Of Mine
If your goal is to perform the song, the chord progression is relatively basic. The key is G major for the original recording, and the core chords used throughout are G, C, D7, and Em. The strumming pattern follows a steady down-down-up-up-down-up rhythm that sits comfortably around 88 beats per minute. You can learn the full arrangement in about an hour if you already play guitar at an intermediate level. One thing beginners consistently miss is the harmony vocal part. The Everly Brothers singing style relies on a third above the lead melody for most of the verses, then shifts to parallel fifths during the chorus. If you're playing solo, you can approximate this by adding a second vocal line or by picking out the harmony on the higher strings between strums. It makes the arrangement sound noticeably fuller without requiring any additional equipment. There's also a common tab mistake that circulates online where the C chord is fingered as a open C add9 instead of a standard C major. It sounds close enough at slow practice tempo but breaks the harmonic flow once you pick up speed. Make sure you're using a C shape with the B string open, not the barred first-fret version some beginner tabs incorrectly show.
Alternative Versions and Covers
Several other artists have recorded their own versions over the years. Marty Robbins covered it on his 1961 album The Savage, and more recently, country artists like Travis Tritt and others have referenced or performed the song in live sets. If you're looking for a different interpretation, searching by the writer's name—Bob McDill—along with the title tends to surface the most complete discography of covers because McDill wrote a large number of country standards and the tracking is fairly well documented. Legitimate download options are available through iTunes, Amazon Music, and HDTracks if you want a high-resolution file. The original Cadence Records pressing is generally considered the best source sonically, though remastering quality varies between reissues. Some newer remasters compress the dynamic range noticeably, which makes the harmonies sound flat compared to the original vinyl pressing. If audio fidelity matters to you, stick with the 1996 or earlier CD reissues or source directly from the Cadence vault masters. The song is also available through licensed sheet music platforms like Musicnotes and Sheet Music Direct if you prefer reading notation rather than learning by ear. The official arrangements include both the guitar chord chart and the complete vocal melody line with lyrics, which is useful if you need to lead a group or record a cover version.
One practical limitation worth noting: the chord voicings in the official sheet music assume a standard-tuned guitar, and transposing the song into a different key will shift the difficulty depending on which frets you land on. Moving it up to A major, for example, forces a barre chord on the fifth fret that most players find uncomfortable for a slow ballad pace. Staying in G or dropping to E major keeps everything within easy reach.
