Give Me One Reason

How to play Give Me One Reason by Tracy Chapman on guitar

This is a great song to learn because it locks into a steady bluesy groove and feels relaxed but confident when you play it well. You get a strong sense of movement without needing anything flashy, so it is rewarding at a moderate tempo.

You can lean on the open E and A shapes, but most of the chart uses barre shapes like F#, B, D#m, C#m, F#m, and C#. The main change to watch is the opening F# - B - F# - B move, since that back-and-forth can feel tight until your hands know the shift.

Start by practicing the chord changes slowly and cleanly, especially the opening progression. Then loop the verse-sized movement until the shapes feel automatic, and only after that bring it up to tempo. Once the changes are steady, focus on keeping the groove even from start to finish.

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.