How to play Greensleeves on guitar
Four hundred years old and still one of the best chord sequences a beginner can learn. Sixteen bars, five open chords.
At a glance
- Key A minor
- Time 3/4
- Level Improver
- Chords Am, C, G, E7, F
Why this song is worth learning
Greensleeves is built on a chord sequence that has been borrowed thousands of times since. Learning it teaches your ear a progression you will then recognise everywhere. It is also a good first long-form piece: sixteen bars is enough to feel like a real song rather than an exercise.
The chords, as shapes
| Chord | Frets (low E to high e) |
|---|---|
| Am | x 0 2 2 1 0 |
| C | x 3 2 0 1 0 |
| G | 3 2 0 0 0 3 |
| E7 | 0 2 0 1 0 0 |
| F | 1 3 3 2 1 1 |
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 | Am | C | G | E7 | Am | C | G | Am | C | G | Am | E7 | C | G | Am E7 | Am |
|---|
Each group is one bar. Count 3 beats per bar.
The picking pattern
Am — one bar of the pattern
5:0 3:2 2:1 1:0 2:1 3:2
C — one bar of the pattern
5:3 3:0 2:1 1:0 2:1 3:0
G — one bar of the pattern
6:3 3:0 2:0 1:3 2:0 3:0
E7 — one bar of the pattern
6:0 3:1 2:0 1:0 2:0 3:1
Every note comes straight out of the chord shape, so if you can hold the chord you can play the pattern. Numbers are string:fret, counting string 1 as the thin high E.
How to learn it
- Learn Am, C, G and E7. E7 is the one beginners skip, and it is only a small change from E.
- Play the pattern on Am, then on C, then move between the two.
- Learn bars one to four as a unit: Am, C, G, E7. That four-bar phrase is the heart of the song.
- Learn bars five to eight, which are the same but ending on Am instead of E7.
- Add the second half and play all sixteen bars with the play-along.
Tips that matter
- E7 is the colour. It is what makes the phrase want to resolve back to Am. Do not replace it with Em.
- Think in four-bar phrases. The song is four phrases of four bars. Learning it that way is much easier than learning sixteen separate bars.
- Watch the last bar. Bar fifteen has two chords in it, Am then E7, so each gets one and a half beats.
Questions about Greensleeves
What chords are in Greensleeves?
Am, C, G and E7 for the standard arrangement, with F sometimes used in place of C in the second half.
Is Greensleeves hard to play on guitar?
The chord version is easy, using only open chords. The fingerstyle arrangements that play the melody and accompaniment together are considerably harder, and are usually an intermediate piece.
Is Greensleeves in 3/4 or 6/8?
It is written both ways. 3/4 with three picked notes per bar is the simpler way to learn it, and that is what the chart on this page uses.
Who wrote Greensleeves?
The composer is unknown. The song was registered in London in 1580 and is firmly in the public domain.