“Amazing Grace” is one of the most well-known songs in the English language, and it’s easy to learn. You don’t need special techniques, and you only need to master three to five guitar chords.
In this article, we’ll outline the Amazing Grace guitar chords and how to play them.
How to Play Amazing Grace on Guitar – Easiest Version
The beginner’s version is in the key of G major and only requires three chords: G, C, and D. These chords are easy to learn and used in dozens of popular songs on guitar.
Here are the lyrics, broken down into each separate chord segment:
Amazing / grace / how sweet / the sound
That saved / a wretch / like me. / [hold same chord]
I once / was lost / but now / am found
Was blind / but now / I see. / [hold same chord]
Each verse of Amazing Grace is sixteen bars long, with the 2nd and 4th lines holding the same note for two bars at the end. Amazing Grace is in ¾ time, so each chord should get three beats.
You’ll play the chords in this order:
G G C G
G G D D
G G C G
G D G G
The chord progression above is easy to handle. Practice the transitions a few times to get your fingers comfortable with moving smoothly through the song.
The first and third lines follow the same chord progression, making this song even easier to follow and eventually memorize.
How to Play Amazing Grace on Guitar – Most Common Version
Once you get the hang of the above version, you should try your hand at a slightly more challenging version with five chords. Most people play this version, and it’s still relatively easy. You can also begin adding more chords to add depth and complexity.
In the most commonly played version of Amazing Grace, we stay in the key of G major. It’s a good key for singing along since most people find it comfortable to sing.
You will use chords C, G, G7, D, and Em. The E minor chord adds a beautiful sadness to the melody and makes the sound more complex.
This version of Amazing Grace guitar chords progress as follows:
G G7 C G
G G7 D D
G G7 C G
Em D G G
Notice how the G7 and Em chords add richness to the sound and even make the song more recognizable as you play.
Now you know how to play Amazing Grace on guitar!
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As the Head Editor and Writer at Music Grotto, Liam helps write and edit content produced from professional music/media journalists and other contributing writers. He works closely with journalists and other staff to format and publish music content for the Music Grotto website. Liam is also the founding member of Music Grotto and is passionate in disseminating editorial content to its readers.
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