When you're restringing your electric it's your chance to be Keith Richards. Leave off both the E-strings (or if don't want to mess around drop them both to D). Drop the A string down to G and strum. The guitar is now in open G and you immediately get the true Honkey Tonk Women sound. I found Modern Hi-Gain on my virtual amp gave the right stones feel.



On the verses you softly strum open and then put your flat first finger over the 5th fret on the 1st and 3rd verse lines for a more powerful chord. On the 2nd and 4th verse lines you put that first finger over the 7th fret.



The chorus is open for  the 'Hoooo-ooo-ooo-ooonky' and then you fly up to 7th fret for 'Tonk' and then on up to 12th for 'Women'. On 12th if you put one finger on the actual G string at 13th fret and tickle it you'll crudely get the discordant lead bit.



Obviously there's alot more to this song. Richards jabs in notes and bends and slides and all sorts. Pickup the 'Play with the Rolling Stones' book for an exhaustive tab. But what I've described is fun enough for beginners (like me!).

Ok people here it is straight from Keith Richards himself: "The song was written with an open G string not the G chord in the intro and thouh out the song"