we can't be friends (wait for your love)

How to play we can't be friends (wait for your love) by Ariana Grande on guitar

These are the sounding chords. With a capo on fret 5 you play C, F, G, Am, Em, the shapes the player above shows.

This is a great beginner song to learn because the progression feels smooth and steady at about 120 BPM, so you can focus on clean changes instead of speed. It has a calm, polished feel that makes it rewarding to play along with, especially once the shapes start locking in.

You will use mostly open shapes, with F, C, Dm, and Am feeling more accessible, while A# is the harder barre shape to watch. The main change to listen for is the move from F to A# and back again in the opening progression, since that shift can slow you down if you do not prepare it early.

Start by looping F - A# - F - C slowly until your fingers land on each chord without hesitation. Then practice the open shapes on their own, add A# back in, and only after that bring everything up to full tempo. Keep the changes small and relaxed, and let the rhythm stay even.

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.