Bohemian Rhapsody

How to play Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen on guitar

These are the sounding chords. With a capo on fret 1 you play A, E, F#m, D, Bm, Cm and more, the shapes the player above shows.

This is a dramatic, high-reward song to learn, with big dynamic shifts and a strong sense of movement. At about 72 BPM, you can really hear each change land, so it feels expressive and powerful even when you play it slowly.

You get a mix of open shapes and barre shapes, so the left hand has to switch between easier grips and more demanding ones. The opening progression A# - F - A# - Gm sets that pattern right away, and the change to watch most closely is the move from the open F shape into the barre A# and Gm shapes.

Start by looping the opening progression until the shape changes feel automatic. Then add the rest of the chord sequence in small sections, keeping the tempo relaxed and even. Once the changes are clean, bring it up to speed a little at a time and focus on staying smooth through the barre shifts.

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.