Africa

How to play Africa by Toto on guitar

This song is worth learning because it has a smooth, iconic feel and a steady groove that sits nicely under the vocal line. When you play it well, it sounds relaxed but still polished, with just enough movement to keep it engaging. The pace is moderate, so you can focus on clean changes and letting the progression flow.

You will mostly move between open shapes and barre shapes, so the contrast is a big part of the challenge. The open A, D, and E shapes should feel familiar, while C#m, G#m, B, D#m, F#m, and G# need more hand strength and accuracy. Watch the shift from A into C#m, then back to A and into G#m - that is a change to lock in first.

Start by looping the opening progression slowly and getting each chord to ring clearly. Then practice the barre shapes on their own, add the open shapes back in, and only after that bring the full sequence up to tempo. Once the changes feel automatic, play along with the track and keep your strumming even and relaxed.

Use the play-along above to follow each chord change in time with the music, or learn the shapes first with the chord diagrams below.