Blackbird

How to play Blackbird by The Beatles on guitar

Blackbird is a great song to learn because it feels delicate and flowing, with a calm pulse that still keeps your picking hand busy. You get a nice mix of melody and harmony, so it sounds musical even at a relaxed tempo.

Most of the shapes are open, including G, A, Em, C, Dm, and D, but the harder barre shapes are Cm, D#, and Gm. The main thing to watch is the move from the opening G - A - Cm - Em, since that shift into Cm can slow you down if you do not prepare it early.

Start by looping the opening progression slowly and cleanly, then add the rest of the chord changes one at a time. Once your fingers know the shapes, keep the motion small and steady, and only speed up when the changes feel automatic.

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.