How to play Amazing Grace on guitar
Three chords, three beats to the bar, and a melody almost everyone already knows. The best possible first song in 3/4.
At a glance
- Key G major
- Time 3/4
- Level Easy
- Chords G, C, D
Why this song is worth learning
Almost every beginner song is in 4/4, which makes 3/4 feel strange the first time you meet it. Amazing Grace is the easiest way in, because the melody is so familiar that your ear already knows where the bar lines fall. Three chords, one strum per beat, sixteen bars.
The chords, as shapes
| Chord | Frets (low E to high e) |
|---|---|
| G | 3 2 0 0 0 3 |
| C | x 3 2 0 1 0 |
| D | x x 0 2 3 2 |
x means do not play that string, 0 means play it open. Tap any shape on the page to hear it.
Play along
Press play. The track counts you in, clicks the beat and lights up the chord you should be holding. Drop the tempo while you are learning and raise it once you can get through without stopping.
Chord order
| Verse | G | G | C | G | G | G | D | D | G | G | C | G | G | D | G | G |
|---|
Each group is one bar. Count 3 beats per bar.
Strumming pattern
D D D
D is a down-strum and U is an up-strum. If the pattern feels like too much at first, play one down-strum per bar until the chord changes are comfortable, then add the rest.
How to learn it
- Get G, C and D ringing cleanly on their own. Pick each string one at a time and fix any that buzz.
- Practise the changes in pairs: G to C, then G to D, then C to G. One minute each.
- Strum three times per bar on G alone, counting one, two, three out loud.
- Play the first four bars: G, G, C, G. This is most of the song already.
- Add the rest of the chart and play along at a slow tempo.
Tips that matter
- Three beats, not four. If it starts feeling like four, stop and count out loud again.
- Keep the strum even. A beginner's instinct is to hit beat one hard and let two and three fade. Aim for three strums of equal weight.
- Then try the bass-strum-strum. Once even strumming is comfortable, play the bass note of the chord on beat one and strum on two and three. It sounds much more like a real accompaniment.
Questions about Amazing Grace
What chords are in Amazing Grace?
Just G, C and D in the key of G. That is the whole song, which is why it is such a common first piece.
Is Amazing Grace in 3/4 or 4/4?
Amazing Grace is in 3/4, three beats to the bar. Counting one, two, three out loud while you strum is the fastest way to get the feel.
Can I play Amazing Grace with only two chords?
You can get through most of it with G and C, but the D in bars seven, eight and fourteen is what makes the line resolve. It is worth learning the D.
Is Amazing Grace public domain?
Yes. The words were written by John Newton in 1779 and the New Britain melody dates from 1829, so both are long out of copyright.